Air‐Cooled Engine Cowling: A Historical Survey with an Account of the Latest Work on the Townend Ring

IN the earliest stages of the development of the aeroplane the speed range obtainable was small, flight occurred only at fairly high lift coefficients, and induced drag was the predominant component of total resistance, hence successful flight depended on the achievement rather of minimum weight, minimum wing loading and maximum engine power than on the achievement of minimum possible parasite resistance.