The drag of circular cylinders and spheres at high values of reynolds number

Abstract

The paper gives the results of experiments made recently to measure the drag of a circular cylinder of large diameter (23 in.). The more important measurements made in this country and abroad of the drags of circular cylinders and spheres at high values of Reynolds number are also included. An analysis of these measurements leads to the conclusion that the flow in an open-jet tunnel of the Gottingen type, with a contracting mouth and with the honeycomb at the larger end, is steadier than that in an N.P.L. type of tunnel. The drag coefficients of a circular cylinder and of a sphere appear to be slowly increasing, at the highest values of Reynolds number attained.