Free Essay

The Airplane and Its History

In:

Submitted By robertdobson90
Words 1726
Pages 7
The Airplane and its History
Robert Dobson
Thomas Edison State University
THE AIRPLANE AND ITS HISTORY 2
The Airplane and its History I am currently finishing a Bachelor of Science in Applied Science and Technology degree in Aviation Flight Technology at Thomas Edison State University. I have also been a pilot for twenty years, professionally for the past sixteen years. For these reasons, I have chosen the airplane and its history as the technology that will serve as the subject of this assignment. First, I will explain what an airplane is. Next, I will explain how an airplane works. Finally, I will give a brief history of the airplane. So what is an airplane? I'm joking! Everyone in the world knows what an airplane is unless they've lived in a stone age society their whole life. Even so, I'll begin by defining exactly what an airplane is and how they work. An airplane is a powered, fixed-wing vessel that travels through the air (Airplane, n.d.). The airplane has wings that provide the force of lift in order for the airplane to overcome the force of gravity and climb off the ground and stay airborne. In order for the wings to do their job of providing lift, the airplane must be propelled forward so that the wings can get sufficient airflow to generate the necessary force and overcome the force of drag. The propulsion methods usually employed are through use of engine driven propellers or jet engines. These provide the force of thrust to move the aircraft forward. Many variations exist as to the configuration of these methods to generate propulsion. Some common configurations are propellers in a forward pull location, a rearward push location, wing mounted, or a push-pull arrangement. Jet engines are typically mounted either on the wings or aft on the fuselage of the airplane. The airplane also needs to have control surfaces that enable stable control of the aircraft. These control surfaces usually include ailerons, an elevator, and a rudder. I'll continue by explaining some of these things in greater depth beginning with the wing
THE AIRPLANE AND ITS HISTORY 3 and the forces of lift and gravity. Gravity is the force generated by objects with mass, such as the earth, that have an attractive force that draws other objects toward them. This is the main obstacle to flight. The wing of an airplane needs to generate enough force that can overcome the force of gravity in order for the aircraft to become airborne, climb, and maintain level flight. The wing, also known as an airfoil, generates the necessary lift according to a mechanic known in fluid dynamics as Bernoulli's principle. Wings are designed in such a way that the upper surface is curved while the bottom surface is straight, resulting in a greater distance across the top than the distance on the bottom. As the airplane is driven forward to enable airflow over the surface of the wing, the air flowing over the top of the wing is forced to accelerate in order to travel the greater distance across the top versus the air flowing along the bottom. This acceleration of air over the top of the wing results in a drop of pressure in that air, leaving the air along the bottom of the wing with a greater pressure advantage that pushes upwards. This is the force of lift. When lift equals weight, the aircraft will stay level. When lift exceeds weight, the aircraft will climb. When weight exceeds lift, the aircraft will descend. The next forces I will explain, and the relationship between them, are thrust and drag. Drag is best explained as the resistance created by substances that come into contact with the airplane. There is resistance from the ground while the airplane's tires are still in contact, and there is resistance from the air as the aircraft accelerates along the ground and after it becomes airborne. The force of drag must be overcome by the force of thrust for the airplane to move forward. The airplane must move forward to generate sufficient airflow across the wings to produce enough lift to overcome gravity. This is where the propulsion of the airplane comes into play. Whether the aircraft propulsion is accomplished with propellers or jet engines, they produce
THE AIRPLANE AND ITS HISTORY 4 enough thrust to overcome drag and move the airplane forward. If thrust and drag are equal, the airplane remains at a constant speed. If thrust exceeds drag, the airplane will accelerate. If drag exceeds thrust, the airplane will decelerate. The next subject I'll discuss are the control surfaces and how they function. The control surfaces found on most airplanes are ailerons, the elevator, and the rudder. These function primarily through deflection of the airflow to enable directional control. The airplane has three axes which are the roll axis, the pitch axis, and the yaw axis. The roll axis is controlled through the use of the ailerons. When the pilot moves the control to the left, the aileron on the left wing deflects upward forcing the wing down and the aileron on the right wing deflects downward forcing the wing up. This results in the airplane rolling to the left. The exact opposite occurs when the pilot moves the control to the right. The pitch axis is controlled through the use of the elevator. When the pilot pulls back on the control, the elevator deflects upward forcing the tail of the airplane down and the nose of the airplane up resulting in a climb. The opposite occurs when the pilot pushes the control forward. The yaw axis is controlled through the use of the rudder. When the pilot pushes the left foot pedal, the rudder deflects to the left forcing the tail to the right and the nose to the left. The opposite occurs when the pilot presses the right foot pedal (Brain, M., Lamb, R., & Adkins, B., n.d.). Now that I've covered the fundamental aspects of what an airplane is and how it works, I'll move on to telling the story of the origins of the technology and give a brief history of the airplane. Mankind dreamed of flying long before it became a reality. In ancient times, some people attempted to fly by creating artificial bird wings that they tried to flap while jumping from
THE AIRPLANE AND ITS HISTORY 5 a high place. That never worked out too well. Leonardo DaVinci created concept drawings of a flying machine in 1490. Beginning in 1783, people began to take flight in balloons filled with hydrogen gas or hot air. This was very limiting, as one could only travel the direction of the wind, but it was a start. In 1804, Sir George Cayley built the first true airplane which was a kite mounted on a stick with a moveable tail. In 1849, a boy made the first manned flight in a glider designed by Cayley. Beginning in 1891 and continuing until his death in 1896, Otto Lilienthal carried out a series of successful controlled glider flights. In 1901, Samuel Pierpont Langley built the first successful flying model with propulsion from an internal combustion engine (A History of the Airplane., n.d.). The Wright Brothers tested their first glider in 1900, but it performed poorly. In 1901 they tested a new design and were more successful. In 1902, the Wright brothers carried out hundreds of successful flights with a glider that had a steering system using a moveable rudder at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Afterward, they designed an airplane with a twelve horsepower internal combustion engine that they also designed with assistance from a machinist named Charles Taylor. Finally, on December 17th in 1903, they made the first successful powered aircraft flight in history. The airplane stayed aloft for twelve seconds and covered a distance of 120 feet. They made further test flights that day with Wilbur flying the last flight and covering 852 feet in 59 seconds (First Airplane Flies., n.d.). Many improvements were made by the Wright brothers to their airplanes in following years, and further advancements in flying soon followed as others ventured forth to push progress. In 1916, Lawrence Sperry added a steering gyroscope to a stabilizer gyro to demonstrate the first automatic pilot. In 1917, an all metal airplane called the Junkers J4 was
THE AIRPLANE AND ITS HISTORY 6 introduced by Professor Hugo Junkers. In 1918, the US Postal Service inaugurated airmail service. Charles Lindbergh completed the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic, flying from New York to Paris, on May 21st 1927. One of the most significant advancements ever made in aviation history happened when the Heinkel He 178 became the first aircraft to ever fly with jet propulsion in 1939. As a direct result of jet propulsion, Chuck Yeager was able to break the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 over Victorville, California in 1947. Other notable aviation hallmarks since that time have been the first flight of the Boeing 747 in 1969, the Concorde SST being introduced into commercial airline service in 1976, and the Boeing 777 becoming the first aircraft produced through computer-aided design and engineering to debut in 1995 (Airplane Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century., n.d.). Without a doubt, the airplane is one of the most significant technologies developed in the last century. It has led to a world that feels much smaller and can be traversed much faster than ever before. It has had an immense impact on economies worldwide, personal lives, and military operations. Certainly, there will be many more amazing advancements in airplanes and aviation going into the future.

THE AIRPLANE AND ITS HISTORY 7
References
Airplane. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airplane
Brain, M., Lamb, R., & Adkins, B. (n.d.). How Airplanes Work. Retrieved February 19, 2016, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/airplanes.htm
A History of the Airplane. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2016, from http://www.wrightbrothers.org/History_Wing/History_of_the_Airplane/ History_of_the_Airplane_Intro/History_of_the_Airplane_Intro.htm First Airplane Flies. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2016, from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-airplane-flies Airplane Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2016, from http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=3728

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Aviation and the Military

...Wilbur Wright made a major impact on history when they successfully launched the first motorized airplane; not only on our society as a whole but also the United States military and the way wars would be fought forever. Because of this one specific day in history the Wright brothers are accredited for the first of countless days in our history that we contribute what we know today as aviation. On that one day, the brothers sustained a total of four flights with only a small twelve horse power engine with the longest flight lasting a mere fifty-nine seconds at a distance of 852 feet. On the fourth flight of the day, Flyer 1 tumbled and crashed. Obviously not all was lost, history was made and inventions in the aviation industry began to grow. The historical first flight by Orville and Wilbert Wright did not make the front page news; it was very trivial headlines at the time. For instance, page ten of the Washington Times article dated 19 December 1903 in column four, High Gale No Bar to Flying Machine. The article described the flying machine and how the brothers got off the ground. The New York Tribune 19 December 1903 also had a small article but not until page five; Flying Machine Works Successful Trial by Ohio Men with Machine on Box Kite Plan. By 1909 The Wright brothers had set up an Airplane factory in Dayton Ohio, it was to be the first and the largest airship factory in the country. The plan was to produce four airplanes per month and employ eighty people. ...

Words: 3248 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Wright Brothers Influence On Aviation

...influential people in the history of the airplane. Wilbur and Orville, known as the Wright brothers, grew up in Dayton, Ohio with their three other, less knowledgeable siblings. Neither of the famous Wright brothers received their high school diplomas, however, the lack of a college education did not disturb their aptitude for understanding current technological advancements. After learning about the newest invention of the bicycle, the Wright brothers opened their own bicycle repair and sales shop in 1892 and used the funding for their profound fascination in flight. In 1896, three salient aeronautical events occurred, intensifying Orville and Wilbur’s interest. Thus,...

Words: 805 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Technology in the 20th Century

...advancement during this time. The author of the paper will discuss three technological developments in the 20th century including: the airplane, the automobile, and the computer. The Airplane For centuries humans wanted to invent a device that would allow them to fly like birds. Kites, gliders, and air balloons were many of man’s creations to attempt to derive the privilege of flying. Two men, Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright, were the first to find some success in inventing a device that enabled flying. On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers flew there invention for the first time. However, this was only a small start because their aircraft did not fly very high and it only stayed in the air for about a minute. Although this was a small triumph in the goal of flight it marked the beginning of the technological advances that produced the modern airplane. When the Wright brothers invented their aircraft they received immediate recognition and other inventors and aviators worked hard at inventing a better aircraft. In 1909, Louis Bleriot, a French aviator, flew an aircraft across the English Channel. Bleriot’s plane, unlike the Wright brother’s plane, was a monoplane and closely resembled modern airplanes. The occurrence of WWI halted any further technological developments of the airplane, however, the war uncover the benefits of airplanes in warfare. Although aircrafts were only used limitedly in WWI, countries around the world...

Words: 848 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Tuskegee Airmen Research Paper

...1. This background paper covers a brief history of the Tuskegee Airmen. The main points include the aircraft the Tuskegee Airmen flew, their combat record, and their overall historical significance. 2. The Tuskegee Airmen flew a variety of aircraft throughout World War II. During their time as part of the 12th Air Force, they flew patrol and attack missions aboard the P-39 and P-40.1 The P-39 was a unique airplane in that the engine was located behind the cockpit. The P-39 was equipped with a 37 millimeter cannon, four .50-caliber machine guns, and up to 500 pounds of bombs externally.2 The P-40 was a single engine, single seat, fighter aircraft that proved to be a versatile and successful aircraft during the war.3 When the Tuskegee Airmen were reassigned to the 332nd Fighter Group of the 15th Air Force, they flew the P-47 and P-51 airplanes.4 The P-47 was a single engine, single seat airplane with eight .50-caliber machine guns and up to 2,500 pounds of bombs or rockets.5 The P-51 “Mustang” was a...

Words: 527 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

The Cessna Story

...Company History: Based in Wichita, Kansas, the aviation capitol of the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of private aircraft. Cessna began its operations building small propeller-driven aircraft for the private pilot market, eventually expanding into the manufacture of corporate jets. The company has since become the leading private jet manufacturer in the industry. * The history of Cessna aviation began in 1911. * Clyde Cessna was a farmer from Kansas he builder his first airplane just of wood and fabric. * He moved to Oklahoma where he tested many of his early designs on the salt flats. * The banks in Oklahoma balked Mr. Cessna to provide capital so he moved Wichita * In 1924 he partnered with Lloyd Stearman and Walter Beech to form the Travel Air Manufacturing Co. * In 1927 he left the company to form his own business the Cessna Aircraft Company. * The first monoplane what the company produced was the Phantom it flew on August 13, 1927 * The company created a series of successful four and six place monoplanes. * With the collapse of Wall Street in 1929 the company started to struggle and closed the doors in 1931 * In 1934 Clyde`s nephews Dwane and Dwight Walles reborn the Cessna Aircraft Company. * In 1948, Cessna introduced the 170, a four place tail wheel airplane powered by a 145 horsepower Continental engine. * In 1955 a upgrade of the 170 was produced and an this became...

Words: 326 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Marine Corps Progression

...the Marine Corps is an expeditionary force. They are designed to be capable of assaulting foreign shores and establishing a beachhead.1 The Marine Corps is highly centered on the man on the ground, meaning every role in the Marine Corps exists to support the infantry. Over the entire course of the Marine’s illustrious history, their main operational goal has changed little, but the way they carry out those operational goals has changed in numerous ways designed to make the Marine Corps a more effective fighting force. It can be argued that the largest innovation in the way that the Marine Corps wages w ar is the development of Marine Corps aviation....

Words: 450 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Aviation Pioneers

... Aviation Pioneers and the Revolutionary Concept of Flight From the beginning of time man looked to nature for a better understanding of the world around us, not the least of which were the flying creatures which fly so gracefully and effortlessly above us. This phenomenon of flight eventually led to some of the most brilliant and creative minds to consider the possibility of a man-made machine that could propel us through the air. While Leonardo DaVinci was among the first to study flight and design a flying machine in the 1400s, it was not until 1785 that two brothers named Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier flew aboard their own aircraft in 1785 (Clark, 1997). After this feat came gliders, and ultimately the birth of the airplane as we know it today. We will take a look at the people that made these advancements possible and their perseverance in the midst of scrutiny and the belief that they had no shot at actually achieving their goal. In the interest of preserving some sort of...

Words: 1894 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Aerospace Evolution

...Blanco 6 Aaron Blanco-Corral Mr. Chavez English 1301 8 December 2015 The Human Desire to Fly ``The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who . . . looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space . . . on the infinite highway of the air´´ (Wright n.p.). The unexplainable human desire to fly like birds is rooted from ancient myths to what is now the development of the international space station. The desire of flight is been there since ancient history but the reality of human powered flight, the aerospace industry, was just born in 1903; almost 400 years had to pass before the idea became reality (NASA n.p.). Since the flight of the first airplane in 1903, the aerospace industry has had an impressive advancement that is now affecting our lives substantially; aircraft and spacecraft is being used for mail delivery, research, security, army purposes, transportation, commerce, mail delivery and many other purposes. It is certainly surprising the progress that has been achieved in the aerospace field since 1903. What is the secret of such amazing progress? How could the aerospace industry start modestly and then turn into a multibillion global industry? The drastic evolution of the aerospace industry is accredited to past engineering achievements and the impact of the interests of society. The first real studies of flight were made in the 1480s by the famous Florentine Italian renaissance polymath, Leonardo Da Vinci. Da Vinci is responsible...

Words: 1178 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

The Impact of Good Customer Service

...KRISTINE PALINGAYAN ABLAZA BST1 HISTORY OF THE TRAVEL AGENCY AND GENERATION A travel agency is a private retailer or public service that provides tourism related services to the public on behalf of suppliers such as airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, railways, and package tours. In addition to dealing with ordinary tourists most travel agencies have a separate department devoted to making travel arrangements for business travelers and some travel agencies specialize in commercial and business travel only. There are also travel agencies that serve as general sales agents for foreign travel companies, allowing them to have offices in countries other than where their headquarters are located. The British company Cox & Kings is sometimes said to be the oldest travel agency in the world, but this rests upon the services that the original bank, established in 1758, supplied to its wealthy clients. The modern travel agency first appeared in the second half of the 19th century. Thomas Cook, in addition to developing the package tour, established a chain of agencies in the last quarter of the 19th century, in association with the Midland Railway. They not only sold their own tours to the public, but in addition, represented other tour companies. Other British pioneer travel agencies were Dean & Dawson,the Polytechnic Touring Association and the Co-operative Wholesale Society. The oldest travel agency in North America is Brownell Travel; on July 4, 1887, Walter T....

Words: 878 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Plane

...The Wright Brothers Invent the Airplane About one hundred years ago the planet earth was a much smaller place. On December 17, 1903 the Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville, made history when they took off in flight and invented the first airplane. This is how the planet earth began shrinking geographically making it easier and quicker to travel over long distances. Wilbur was the older of the two brothers by four years. Wilbur was born in 1867 on a farm near Millville, Indiana and Orville was born in 1871 near Dayton, Indiana. As youngsters, Wilbur and Orville looked to their mother for mechanical expertise and their father for intellectual challenge. Milton, their father, brought them various souvenirs and trinkets he found during his travels for the church. One such trinket, a toy helicopter-like top, sparked the boys' interest in flying. In school, Wilbur excelled, and would have graduated from high school if his family had not moved during his senior year. A skating accident and his mother's illness and subsequent death kept him from attending college. Orville was an average student, known for his mischievous behavior. He quit school before his senior year to start a printing business. The two brothers were very intellectual and smart, but both did not ever get their high school diplomas. It just goes to show that even two of the best minds in our history didn’t have to go to college or even finish high school to become these great minds. The first time Wilbur and...

Words: 2223 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Airplanes

...Thrust and Lift "Thrust" and "lift" are two other forces that help your plane make a long flight. Thrust is the forward movement of the plane. The initial thrust comes from the muscles of the "pilot" as the paper airplane is launched. After this, paper airplanes are really gliders, converting altitude to forward motion. Lift comes when the air below the airplane wing is pushing up harder than the air above it is pushing down. It is this difference in pressure that enables the plane to fly. Pressure can be reduced on a wing's surface by making the air move over it more quickly. The wings of a plane are curved so that the air moves more quickly over the top of the wing, resulting in an upward push, or lift, on the wing. The Four Forces in Balance History of the Paper Airplane There is some evidence of paper kites and gliders that originated in Ancient China and Japan. In Europe, it was only during the Renaissance period onwards that inventors attempted to create paper models of a machine that could fly. The Wright brothers were the ones who invented airplanes, and they did this by testing out miniature paper models! Toy paper planes only became popular much later, during WWII. Since all materials and supplies were rationed, children made or received airplanes made from paper instead of metal, wood, or...

Words: 319 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Pioneers of Aviation

...Pioneers of Aviation Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Aviation Legislation November 01, 2013 Abstract Man has always wanted to soar with the birds and take flight. A few great men and women have accomplished this task with great strides. Once heavier than air flight was proved to be a valid means of transportation, the technology accelerated at an astonishing rate. Every time we get onto an airplane, helicopter, or hot air balloon we have the pioneers of aviation to thank. These great people proved to the world that nothing was out of reach for the human race. Some gave their life in pursuit of this dream while others funded and supported those who were developing the technology. No matter what the role each of these played, we have to appreciate everyone. We would not be where we are today in aviation if it weren’t for these pioneers. Pioneers of Aviation Introduction From the very first flight of the balloon to the flight of the powered airplane, our early pioneers always looked to make changes for the better. Many of these ideas simply built upon ideas of individuals of the past. These great pioneers were from every part of the world, United States, England, France, Germany, and so many other places. They did not look at aviation as a reason to disagree but rather found that flight would help everyone equally. Balloons Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier are the brothers who invented and flew the first hot air balloon. Born in Annonay, France, they...

Words: 2570 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Glenn Luther Martin

...to Kansas so that his father could run a wheat farm (Kansas Wesleyan). Four years later Martin showed a great interest for kites and eventually started designing his own kites. Despite criticism from his friends, people noticed Martin’s kites and would pay him twenty five cents to build one for them. Along with his obsession for kites, Martin would find innovative ways to make everyday activities more interesting. He began using sails for everything: ice skates, wagons, and his bicycle. The Wright Brother’s first flight in 1903 caught Martin’s attention. He was fascinated with their airplane and almost immediately started thinking about designs of his own. In 1909, he had built his own airplane which proved to be a failure after its first test flight (Kansas Wesleyan). Failure didn’t keep Martin from building airplanes. Martin’s mother would assist in designing and building his first few airplanes and in 1912 Martin moved to Los Angeles, California where he established...

Words: 1722 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Boeing

...I hope you like airplanes, as it would help with enjoying this project. Introduction:- Boeing is the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Additionally, Boeing designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. As a major service provider to NASA, Boeing operates the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. Corporate Profile: 1. Boeing corporate office is located in Chicago, Illinois. 2. Boeing employs more than 158,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries 3. Manufactures commercial and military aircraft, designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. Boeing also operates the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. 4. Boeing outsource some of their manufacturing to national and foreign suppliers and assemble and manufacture in their Everett plant in Washington. 5. Boeing aggressively advertises its Commercial Airplanes' and run a special television add on Memorial Day to honor veterans. 6. A TV ad on Memorial Day as a reminder of their military involvement and advertise their commercial airplanes worldwide in many major financial and aviation trade publications. 7. The company emphasizes TV and magazine advertising. 8. History of the company (When...

Words: 1356 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Boeing

...Part II Political The Boeing Company is very involved in the politics of the industry. Therefore, Boeing has a Government Operations office located near Washington D.C., and the office serves the company in three ways. One way is that they work with government officials and organizations to protect and advance the company's interests, competitiveness, and reputation. This is very important because as the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, Boeing does not want to get surprised by a policy or rule that could hurt the company. In addition, another service is to win government contracts. Recently, Boeing won a contract with the U.S. Navy for an order of 20 P-8A airplanes for $2.5 billion (Smith, 2016). Due the location of the office, Boeing was able to secure this contract, as well as many others over the history of the company. Lastly, Boeing and the government works hard to shape public policy issues that impact the company. The office works with public officials across all levels of government, federal, state and local, to work with the government to be compliant. Boeing’s team also works with various third party organizations such as associations, public policy groups, and international organizations (Boeing, 2009). The effective income tax rates for 2014, 2013, 2012 were 23.7%, 26.4% and 34.0%, respectively. Boeing’s 2014 effective tax rate was lower than 2013 primarily due to tax benefits of $265 million related to tax basis adjustments and $259 million related to audit...

Words: 3951 - Pages: 16