Photogrammetric Measurement of Airplane Landing Speeds

The paper gives a method of airplane landing-speed measurements. Wing loadings have mounted steadily in the past few years, with consequent increase in landing speed. Within the past two years wing areas have been so ruthlessly clipped that some of the 1932 models of conventional commercial airplanes are carrying weight per unit of wing area far in excess of the fastest wartime pursuit airplanes. To fit the government requirement of 65 mph as the limit for passenger-airplane landing with full load in still air, several manufacturers of stock models are assisting in the development of a method of actual measurement of landing speeds. The photogrammetric method gives an accurate and permanent record.