Bill Freeman wrote:

Paul,

Here is a discussion of flat plate drag, and they reference
Hoerner on flat plate drag coefficient.   Scroll down until you
see the flat plate stuff, the reference is a "72", which is a link to
the Hoerner reference.

  http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-468/ch1.htm

Bill

Ops I forgot this.

Paul Lamar

Bill there are some real idiot's out there. A flat plate has a 
drag coeff. of ONE by DEFINITION!!!!!!. 

Yes you can put some restrictions on it. Only round flat
plates one square foot in area  1/8 of inch thick  and flat to 10 micro inches
per inch are to be used. Did they take the flat plate out of the Wright brothers
wind tunnel and compare it to their flat plate and found that the Wright
Brother's flat plate came up deficient? 

Is there a size effect? Yes perhaps there might be.  At a given speed a 100 
square foot plate might have a different C sub d than a one square foot plate. 
Nobody is saying that. If that is indeed the case then there would be a frontal 
area size correction factor. I think some thing like the Reynolds number
would handle that.

What some idiot at NASA or anywhere else thinks otherwise matters not. 
Just because it is on a web site or printed in a book does not change a thing. 

A round one square foot flat plate of specified characteristics is here and 
forever after DEFINED as having a drag coefficient ONE. Pure and simple. 
No if ands or buts!!!!! I don't care if some silly dilettante Ph.D. is trying 
to make a name for himself by saying otherwise.

Sheesssss!!!!! 

Paul Lamar
 
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