Four buckling problems are considered, namely: —

• (a) A rectangular orthotropic plate, with all edges simply supported, subjected to compression on its ends and a known compression or tension on its sides;

• (b) the same as (a) but with the ends clamped and sides simply supported;

• (c) a rectangular orthotropic plate, with the ends simply supported and sides clamped, subjected to compression on its ends; and

• (d) the same as (c) but with all edges clamped.

In each case it is shown that the variables involved can all be combined into such a non-dimensional form that a single curve serves to give the value of the end compression required to cause buckling. This curve is identical with the curve of buckling stress coefficient against side ratio for a corresponding isotropic plate under uni-axial compression.

The resistance of various screens in a tube is reduced to the drag of a single piece of wire by assuming that the average velocity in the screen itself rather than the free stream velocity is the significant factor. Almost all the available tests on screens or gauzes are brought into line with a single experimental function similar to the drag of a cylinder plotted against Reynolds number.

This note discusses changes in the state of a gas flowing in a duct of constant area. In the past, changes, such as normal shock waves, combustion and other phenomena, which are defined by the equations of energy, conservation of momentum and mass flow, have each been treated on their merits. In this note a method is developed whereby all phenomena governed by these three equations can be solved by a single general method. The method rests on the derivation of a parameter which is unaltered in value by the change, in all cases where the total temperature is constant. A shock wave is an example of such a discontinuity. In problems of heat addition or extraction, the parameter changes its value only because of the change in total temperature. The change in total temperature may be calculated from the known quantity of heat added or extracted.

The parameters derived are useful in showing how problems of this type should be attacked analytically. With oblique waves it is easy to derive a relation between the normal velocities before and after the wave, and it is probable that this relationship has not been published before.

Experimental work is described showing that a major cause of changes in the calibrations of hot-wire anemometers consists in the precipitation of dust on the upstream surface of the wire during use. A simple means of cleaning the air in closed-circuit wind tunnels is described. The rate of change of calibration due to dust was reduced in the Manchester University Fluid Motion Laboratory by at least a factor of 15, by adequate cleaning of the air and by minimising the amount of interchange between the tunnel air and the atmosphere. It is concluded that where accurate results are required from hot wires used in a wind tunnel, the tunnel should be designed to be dust-free.

The paper describes in detail an older method than Relaxation of approximating to the solution of equations of the Laplace and Poisson type. The corresponding fourth order equations are discussed briefly, and a method of dealing with certain non-linear equations is indicated. A description is also given of the propagation of errors in the fields due to various causes.

The Laplace transform of the lift distribution on an oscillating rectangular wing in a supersonic flow is obtained by separating the linearised equation for the velocity potential in elliptic (cylindrical) co-ordinates. The results for the case of no spanwise distortion are expanded in ascending powers of the aspect ratio in order to compare with the slender body theory, and the longitudinal stability derivatives are calculated. It is found that at either supersonic or transonic speeds single-degree-offreedom instability in pitch is impossible insofar as the fourth power of the aspect ratio is neglected.