the.com/cowling
the modesty panel that decides whether your engine breathes fire or just chokes on it
means A removable metal or composite covering over an engine, especially on an aircraft or motorcycle, shaped to streamline airflow and protect the machinery inside.
from From 'cowl,' the hooded garment worn by monks, which came through Old English 'cugele' from Late Latin 'cuculla,' a hood or hooded cloak. The image of a snug hood over a head was borrowed for chimney caps and then, in the early age of flight, for the smooth hood drawn over an engine — '-ing' tacked on to name the fitted shroud itself.
- drag killer
- NACA's 1929 cowl cut plane drag dramatically
- name origin
- From cowl, the hooded robe monks wear
- hidden job
- Channels airflow to cool engines, not just hide them
- speed prize
- NACA cowling won the 1929 Collier Trophy
- everywhere
- On chainsaws, outboards, jets, and motorcycles alike
p-51 mustang cowling — laminar flow design that reduced drag by 10% on wwii fighter aircraft
rolls-royce merlin cowling — elliptical intake system on 1930s-40s aircraft engines like the spitfire