Wings Assignment #3 - Jim Miller

Assignment #3 WINGS

Chapters 7-9

Answer three of the following questions. Use examples from the reading to support your responses:

4. How did the science of meteorology relate to aviation?

At the turn of the 20^th century, a Norwegian gentleman named Vilhelm Bjerknes formulated a new theory for predicting weather. He found that circulation patterns in hydro- and thermodynamics were related to the seas and the atmosphere. Bjerknes accepted chair positions at the Geophysical Institute of the University of Leipzig and later at the University of Bergen to continue developing and sharing his ideas. Shortly thereafter, he and his students, using information gathered from weather posts in Norway, developed the “Polar front theory,” which is still used today. It is based on the idea that weather occurs in fronts between masses of cold and hot air.

Planes were utilized to observe these masses from the air. With this new technology, weather predictions became more accurate. As a result, the US government granted more money to the Weather Service. They paid for Carl-Gustaf Rossby, a student of Bjerknes, to set up observation posts at every airport along the newly established Western Air Express, an air route used for mail delivery. Using radio communication, airline pilots were able to relay information about the fronts to the weather stations and vice-versa. This system continued to grow and spread throughout the nation into the 30s. Thus, while modern meteorology would eventually require the invention of the computer to really become effective, it took a major leap with the help of aviation.

6. What influence did Charles Lindbergh have on aviation during his career?

Charles Lindbergh was one of America’s first aviation celebrities. At the age of 25, he bested far more seasoned pilots when he became the first person to cross the Atlantic alone on a non-stop voyage. He flew from New York to Paris in just about a day and a half in his Ryan plane, Spirit of St. Louis, and with that he skyrocketed to stardom. His time in the public eye led to some serious incidents, including the highly publicized kidnapping and murder of his infant son, as well as his unfortunate anti-Semitic comments on the air.

Despite the media circus, he made some valuable contributions to aviation. He helped found Transcontinental Air Transport and the famous Pan American World Airways and later served as a consultant for both companies. In fact, much of his post solo-flying career was spent as a hired hand for aviation industries as they developed new technology. It is also said that Lindbergh convinced Harry Guggenheim in the late 20s to do research into upper-atmosphere and outer space flight – realities he got to witness before his death. Beyond all of this, he inspired a generation of Americans to do more than they thought they were capable of, and kept the nation’s aviation industry going through the Great Depression.

10. What role did airships and clipper ships play in aviation between the wars?

Airships and Clipper ships were perfect examples of bridge technologies. They were popularly used at a time when they were the best option available for transportation across continents, but both were extremely flawed. Zeppelin dominated the airship market. The German company churned out these massive flying vehicles that were up to four football fields in length to carry mail and passengers, first around Europe, and then across the Atlantic and down to Africa and the Far East. Clipper ships, developed mainly by Boeing, were large flying boats that Pan American World Airways used to send passengers across the Pacific. There is some great value in the adventure that these vessels provided. Both ships were linked with the Spirit of Adventure, and movies like Up reflect this ideal, but there was a far darker side to these flying machines. Safety was a massive issue. Airships crashed constantly, killing hundreds of crewmen and passengers in their years of service. One such event, the Hindenburg disaster, which occurred in 1937, was recorded on video and effectively ended the demand for airships. The crash landing of the massive Zeppelin in New Jersey that killed 35 people scared away future customers. The Clipper ships didn’t record nearly the amount of casualties, but it was simply not an effective way to travel long distances. Jet planes replaced both vehicles shortly after the war.