A Curtiss Hawk with the NACA cowling, 1928.
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Engine
Cowling
The
engine cowling is a removable metal covering that houses the engine and
sometimes also a portion of the fuselage of an aircraft. It enables the
aircraft to fly more efficiently because it reduces the amount of drag
it creates. The NACA low-drag engine cowling was invented by Fred Weick,
an engineer from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, in 1928.
Cowlings
are sometimes also used to enclose landing gear.
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