Wings Assignment #2

1.     The obvious effects of flight stretched far beyond aviation. As flight gained popularity and notice, it started to influence various other categories. One of these categories was art. Famous painters, such as Picasso, began to paint inspired by the idea of man flying through the air. It also influenced many novels and poets. The concept of flight was a divine thought that extended beyond what most people had considered. The movement gained the name Futurism. Although the effect flight had on art was large, these effects extended beyond the arts as well, though. The greatest effect was in pop culture. Music suddenly began to reflect man’s new wonder with flying machines. Tin Pan Alley offered some of the greatest songs that have stood the test of time, that many people will still recognize today. The image of the new flying machine began to show up everywhere. Companies began to put it on their goods, ranging from clocks to boxes to plates. Toys began to be inspired and children began to play with model airplanes and aviators. Even postcards began to flaunt the new and exciting image of man as he propels himself through the air. It would seem as though there was hardly an area that flight didn’t infiltrate.

2.     As aviation was a new field of technology, science had to catch up in order to explain the phenomena that was occurring. In this case, the wings were what needed the most explaining. Aerodynamics was a new field of study as of when flight began. The concept of drag and lift was a concept that many did not understand at the time, and is still debated today. Furthermore, the fluid dynamics of lift was eventually discovered, which allowed the amount of lift generated to be calculated. Over the next several years, several more mathematicians worked to establish a complete theory for lift. The next step was to take this concept to a chambered wing. Lanchester was a great influence to the fluid dynamics field. He began his work in the automotive field, but eventually experimented with model planes. The person who wrote “one of the most important fluid dynamics papers ever written” was Ludwig Prandtl, who became interested after studying industrial vacuum systems. He had the best labs and team of talented graduate students. This ultimately was what allowed him to finalize the analysis of aerodynamics. Later, one of his students continued his work and spread it across the globe, forever changing the game for wing design and flight.

3.     Aviation, as we can easily see now, changed the way the world did business. Not only does it make it possible for many different businessmen meet, but there is a business to making the planes themselves. Back when it was still new, Lois Beriot was the one who began the business side of flying after a serious accident in the air.  He started by selling copies of his type XI aircraft. In this venture he was able to learn about the many difficulties relating to manufacturing, storage, and deadlines. He eventually came to employ over 150 people. He then turned to design dozens of very different aircrafts, most of which were experimental. He sold these aircrafts as well, yet his first aircraft remained the most popular, selling for over $2k. Flying lessons were a huge point of revenue for companies like this. By 1912, there were several hundred people across seventeen countries who had taken lessons at Pau or Etampes. It did not take long for Beriot to face competition. There were many flight schools across france, producing over a thousand aviators. Other companies, such as the Wright Brothers company, in the United States tried to compete with the French. However, the French still retained the ultimate airplane of the prewar era.