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Happy Pi Day! Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, and is used in formulae to calculate the areas and volumes of geometric shapes based on circles. Installed this week in our newest exhibition, "Aluminum: The Miracle Metal of Aviation", is a delightfully round engine cowling from a DC-9. Its bluntly curved leading edge helped to slow down air flow from near supersonic speeds to feed the engine fan. McDonnell Douglas DC-9 jet engine front intake cowling 1960s aluminum Collection of the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona L2018.0402.001 This image was posted on March 14, 2019.