A review of existing work in the field of linearised characteristics suggests that the hypersonic approximation introduced by Chapkis should be adequate in many cases of practical interest; furthermore, of the methods available, this approximation requires least computation for the calculation of pressure distributions on a given shape at given speed. The application of this method to sharp-edged conical shapes shows good agreement with measured zero-incidence pressure distributions for a variety of shapes and a wide range of hypersonic parameter. The agreement is less good at incidence, possibly due to flow separations in the real flow.

This paper is concerned with the effectiveness of reinforcing a hole in a plate on one surface only. The particular problem considered is that of a circular hole in a plate of infinite extent, subjected to axially symmetrical tension at infinity, when the reinforcement consists of an annular plate on one surface. Because of the interaction between bending and stretching, the problem is highly non-linear and it has only been possible to solve it for certain limiting cases. The stress concentration factor depends on a dimensionless parameter proportional to the tension at infinity. It is shown that the stress concentration factor is increased, because of the eccentricity of the reinforcement, if the parameter is small, but for values of the parameter greater than a certain minimum the stress concentration factor is decreased. The results also make it quite clear that there is no possibility of obtaining reasonably accurate results by linearisation of the equations.

This paper presents a theoretical investigation of the interactions which occur when a laminar boundary layer on a flat surface encounters an expansive corner followed by a shock or other compressive agency. The method consists basically of two equations; the first relates deflections in the external streamlines to pressure changes and the second relates pressure changes to thickening or thinning of the boundary layer. For simplicity it is assumed that the pressure changes and streamline deflections are small.

A comparison is made with the only available experimental results, under conditions which are far outside the range of applicability of the theory. In these circumstances the agreement between the predicted and experimental pressure distributions is reasonable.

Results obtained from previous studies of the three-shock confluence are applied to a simple wedge intake with the objective of obtaining a qualitative description of the flow for given initial conditions (M0, δ0). A simple mapping procedure is used, so that when M0, δ0 varies slowly and continuously the resulting effect on the shock geometry can be discussed in a systematic fashion. A number of special curves are computed to help classify various regions of initial conditions.

This paper is concerned with half-ring wing-body combinations with prescribed wing loadings at supersonic speeds. Configuration shapes, their pressure distributions and their associated flow fields are discussed.

A simple method of calculating the flow in turbo-machines with flared annuli is given. Approximate solutions are derived for the compressible swirling flow between the blade rows. Originally received February 1964.

The paper provides relationships between the buckling resistance of clamped transversely stiffened plates and the flexural rigidity of the stiffeners for various values of the ratio of torsional rigidity to flexural rigidity. Results are presented for four different stiffener spacings.