Summary: An investigation of the power-off longitudinal stability characteristics of a tailless all-wing airplane model with various wing modifications has been made in the Langley free-flight tunnel. Force and tuft tests were made on the model in the original condition, with the wing tips rotated for washout, with rectangular and swept-forward tips, and with various slat arrangements. Flight tests were made with the original wing and with the original wing equipped with the most promising modifications. The results indicated that changes in tip plan form or rotation of the wing tips did not appreciably reduce the instability at high lift coefficients. Addition of wing slats, however, improved the longitudinal stability at the stall when the slat extended far enough inboard to cover the area that tended to stall first.

Vols. 41, no. 11-v. 42, no. 5 include Space digest, v. 1-2, no. 5, Nov. 1958-May 1959.

Discusses the range of tailless designs, from hanggliders to the US 'Stealth Bomber', and includes a detailed look at particularly significant designs. The authors' own experience in this field allows them to explain and illustrate the topic in a way that appeal to the enthusiast and satisfies the professional aerodynamicist.