The Invention that Made Airlines Profitable

In 1927, a former U.S. Air Mail Service draftsman walked into a government wind tunnel in Hampton, Virginia, with a metal ring. That ring would win America's top aviation prize and decide what your plane ticket costs today. The Invention That Made Airlines Profitable tells the story of Fred Weick and the NACA cowling: the streamlined ring that tamed the drag of exposed radial engines, won the 1929 Collier Trophy for NACA, and turned the airliner from a money loser into a profitable machine. From the Propeller Research Tunnel to the Boeing 247D and the Douglas DC-2, this is the hidden invention behind every affordable flight. Get the next forgotten story, and the sources behind it, in your inbox: https://timelessmedium.com/newsletter/ More from Timeless Medium: https://timelessmedium.com/ Transparency note: This video was created for education and entertainment purposes. Its visuals are archival photographs, documents, and graphic cards. Every effort was made, using multiple sources, to depict events accurately, and all historical claims are researched and source-backed under our production standard. Production credit: Created by Deb Vosejpka. AI-assisted research and writing used ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Abacus, and Muse under her direction. Music: "Deep Relaxation" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... © 2026 Timeless Medium. All rights reserved. Timeless Medium | Where the Past Meets the Present | timelessmedium.com