The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics

The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a government body created in 1915 by President Woodrow Wilson. Its mission was to "supervise and direct the scientific study of the problems of flight, with a view to their practical solutions." Its first research center was located in Langley, Virginia. During World War II, it also established centers in Cleveland, Ohio, and in California. NACA built several wind tunnels that were used to support its research on airfoils and other aerodynamic components. It is particularly well known for its classification of airfoils and for its invention of a low-drag engine cowling. The committee ceased to exist in 1958 when it was absorbed into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.