F4H-1 Rocket Boosted Model Testing

More info on the unusual NACA Rocket Boosted 13% Scale Model F4H-1 tests, mentioned in the blog post here. These tests where measured against the standard wind tunnel tests in order to evaluate the validity of this type of testing.

Jack Abercrombie found some of his old memos and charts from his time as the McAir Chief Aerodynamics Engineer.

As Jack says: “I found some of my work from many years ago regarding the the NACA Rocket Model F4H-1.  Apparently, after the test of Memorandum RM SL57K20, there were at least three more tests the following year (1958).

In 1983, after I became Chief Aerodynamics Engineer, one of the old time VPs remembered the NACA tests, and I was asked to dust off the results. I had extensively examined the NACA data more than 20 years before during a drag investigation when I was still a working Aerodynamicist.  My archives from the earlier period were used to generate the data for the attached memorandum 341-83-313 dated 8 Nov 83.

Note that the rocket model derived data is really no good, particularly subsonically.  Supersonically, the data are better but still not good.

The memo 341-83-313 was presumably passed on; but, I never heard any more on the subject.” 

I have also included a nice photo of a rocket boosted Douglas F4D model. So, this type of test was run on several aircraft models!

Click here to view info