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REPORTS OF RESEARCH COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH The Government has established the New Zealand Aeronautical Research Committee, under the aegis of the Department, to co-ordinate aeronautical research in Government Departments and University Colleges, and to advise the Government on matters relating thereto. The Aeronautical Committee's main activities during the year have been the selection of the scholar for the New Zealand Government scholarship award to the United Kingdom College of Aeronautics, and detailed consideration of what aeronautical research New Zealand might undertake as a contribution to the Commonwealth effort in this sphere. The Committee was favoured with a visit from Sir Ben Lockspeiser, Chief Scientific Adviser of the United Kingdom Ministry of Supply, just prior to the despatch of the New Zealand delegation to the first meeting of the Commonwealth Advisory Aeronautical Research Council, held in Australia in April. The Committee prepared a statement for presentation at the Commonwealth meeting which, in its main points, received the general approval of the Government, It is anticipated that arising from the Commonwealth meeting proposals will be submitted to Government for consideration during 1948 whereby New Zealand may be able to play a larger part than hitherto in Commonwealth aeronautical research. BUILDING RESEARCH During the year, at the invitation of the New Zealand Government, Sir Reginald Stradling visited the Dominion in order to report on the present position of building research and also to make recommendations as to its future organization. Sir Reginald made a very extensive tour of New Zealand, at the end of which he submitted a comprehensive and valuable report to the Government. This report has received detailed consideration by officers of the various Departments interested, and recommendations have now been made to the Government. It is hoped that arising out of Sir Reginald Stradling's report the Department will in the future be able to press forward this work,, which is of vital importance to one of the Dominion's largest industries. Pending a decision on the future organization of building research within the Department, research work under the control of the Building Research Committee has continued in various sections of the Department and is reported below. Dominion Physical Laboratory Heat Insulation of bowses.—Measurements of thermal transmittance of walls, floors, and ceilings of houses in the field have been continued and measurements of several concrete houses made in Wellington and in Palmerston North, including twc with transmittance values approaching the low value revealed in a traditional wooden house. Measurements of the Efficiencies of Domestic Water-heaters.—Following a report published on the measurement of efficiencies of dairy water - heaters, requests were made by the New Zealand Standards Institute for similar measurements on domestic water-heaters with a view to obtaining the maximum thermal efficiency practicable.

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