Wings #3

1.  Aircraft engine design underwent several revolutionary changes during the time between the World Wars.  During the first world war, most engines were still of the rotary design.  However, these engines were going out of style because they were reaching their limits in terms of power and weight.  Replacing the rotary engine was the V-shaped water cooled in-line engine.  These engines were more powerful but had more weight from the "radiator, pumps, pipes, and fluid required for a water-cooled power plant" (pg. 242).  The quest for more power and less weight continued after the war as more people began experimenting with air-cooled radial engines.  In these engines the "cylinders [were] arranged in a circle around the crankshaft, [and] the radial design offered a shorter, and therefore lighter engine block and crankshaft" (pg. 242).  This engine design continued to be developed throughout the years into such designs as the 1924 "Whirlwind"(pg. 244), and the 424 horsepower "Wasp" (pg. 246).  These changes to design affected the industry because they made airplanes faster, stronger, and more reliable.  A more powerful engine can support an aircraft that can carry more weight, such as freight or passengers.  The revolution of the aircraft engine allowed the airplane to become the multipurpose, economical form of transportation and trade that it is today.

3.  As the aviation craft truly started to become an industry business, in particular Henry Ford, began to have a major impact on the course of aircraft development and the trajectory of its future.  At this time, Ford was the biggest name in business in America, to its people Ford meant "efficiency and all that was modern" (pg. 249).  Because of this, Ford was one of the wealthiest men in the country and had the capital to invest in new technology, and Henry Ford was focused on one thing:  an all metal aircraft.  A functional full-metal aircraft would be a huge jump in airplane technology because all metal craft were more durable and less likely to break under stress, making them safer for passengers.  After several unsuccessful models, the Ford Tri-motor 4-AT was born.  Over the next 6 years this airplane would "be produced in at least eleven variants, 196 airplanes in all" (pg. 248).  Ford also created an airport in Dearborn, Michigan that came equipped with a "dirigible mooring mast, radio facility, weather station, well-equipped hangars, restaurant, hotel, and good connections to ground transportation" (pg. 240).  These innovations set the bar for the future of air travel and aviation.

6.  Charles Lindbergh had an incredible amount of influence on aviation.  He eventually became one of the most well known names in aviation history.  Lindbergh was a truly gifted pilot who flew an unremarkable aircraft that took "Atlas-like strength to handle" non-stop from New York to Paris (pg. 261).  He was the first person ever to do so and it launched him instantly into fame.  He and his wife became the darlings of the American people.  Lindbergh used his fame to "boost commercial aviation" creating both "Transcontinental Air Transport...and Pan American" (pg. 262).  His travels opened up the world and set the course for many future commercial flights.  His fame helped the American people grow to truly embrace the full potential of flight.  Even after his eventual fall from grace Lindbergh continued to shape the future of aviation.  He was a proponent of rocket science and upper atmosphere research and continued to believe in the science of flight for his entire life (pg. 264).