News Letter 1940 Jul-Dec - Air Force Historical Studies Office

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POWER PLANT LABORATORY CONSl'RlTCTION K1! WRIGHT FIELD
. By t~e Materiel Division Correspondent . ': H;~~b<
, • • '). ~'!'Xl,,:)
As .the group of newPoV;erPl~t L~o-I tower willhbe' erected over the present}'"'
ratory' buildings nears completion, the cooling pond. ". .., ,: l-'
south end of tlie field 'assumes a new . The east extension to the torque'" ~r":,
contour iand it will soon be difficult, stand bw..lding will provide fouren~~',:
to rememberhowthe PowerPlant Labora- rooms; mth related control. and ,aun1J.:-'
tories, looked when, ,-,. Of brick con- , aryrooms,arrilnged.to.acCOllllll)dat~~en-'~.~
struchon and..simple design,.the build- gines oCany form in sues up:to 8.0Q0"~
ings form a decidedlf impressive mass, liorsepower... The 45-foot square air~"~s
all the more impresslve Whenthe impor- passages will permit testing of prOpeltance
of their purpose is rememberea_. lers up to 40 feet in diemeter. and.;.~J£tV
the dev~opment of the most reliable sup~ementa:& engine c901~ngwil~be~,e~,~
aI;ldefflciant engines poss~ble :for Army p~onded. The sound dlsslpatin/; s~ac~e~
alrc::af~. These n~wbUildings mcfude mll be 80.fe~t higp.. The smalloJ,l ..~.~
a buildi~or offlces and dfafting storage building north of the .torque;' ~'"
rooms, a J!18ter.laboratory.fgr . ;;tands will b~ enlarged to three t'i~B~_~
testingan callbrat~ng large engines ltS present sue ~o lious~ fuel pumps",>~~
and certain acceeeoraes under altitude and .pronde addihonal Ollstoragei '£oG
conditions. and additional torque . , '. ---000--., '.'.-:£:'-'~
stands for endurance testing of COD!- _ .' .'-'~ .'flu
plete large power plants. ~ded Pilot Trainiw; Pro~ain~:S~
The Laboratory BUilding. 200 feet by "COntinuedfromPa€e 5 ~_~"f\~
50 feet. has two floors and a basement;. . , . . ~
The main floor ~ll provide about 25. re~ectively. . ~ .. ' .. ~.!!?
offices for offlcers and administratlve OVerand above thls proe;rammIlledat?O
and engineering personnel. A numberof the creation of a reservorr of new:'f':q
the offices will b~ about 10 by 20 'feet pilots, Chai!mro: Hinckley annourice,d,t '~~s
and a few others roll be larger. There that the Autnonty plans to l1salv~":';.>Q
will also be a conference room. The the experience of thousands of civ-J.liilrir
second,floor will have an exceptionally pilots who'had begunflyingcareeZ:13"at