Wings Assignment #5

3. What role did the helicopter play in the development of aviation technology?

The beginning of the helicopter started out as a challenge. Although the idea of vertical flight was not new amongst aeronautic engineers, they all had trouble developing a practical, straight up in the air flying machine. It was not until a Spanish engineer by the name of Juan de la Cierva came along to pave the way towards developing a successful helicopter. Cierva developed the autogiro, which was created by setting “a free-wheeling rotor at a positive angle on top of a machine fitted with a conventional engine and a propeller mounted on the nose” (p. 464). However, when the autogiro proved to be extremely dangerous to land due to control issues, modifications were made to it and the first practical helicopter emerged in World War II. With rotary wing flight taking off, a man by the name of Igor Ivan Sikorsky furthered the development of the helicopter and brought the United States closer to the helicopter we have today. Sikorsky used a single rotor to offset the twisting of the main rotor and found a way to manage up and down control for the pilot in the helicopter (p. 469). In 1941, Sikorsky successfully developed his VS-300 into a fully operational helicopter.  

5. How did the U.S. view the launch of the Russian satellite Sputnik and what was the reaction?

The U.S. did not take very well to the launch of the Russian satellite, Sputnik. They viewed is as a defeat and went so far as to call it “a technological Pearl Harbor” (p. 485). It seems a bit dramatic, but after going through World War II, competition between countries were growing and the subject of aeronautics in space was a big competition. From that point, there began a “space race” between the Soviets and the United States. The United States cut NACA which had been the nation’s biggest aeronautical research organization up to that point. Instead, they replaced NACA with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA. The administration was created to show the new, futuristic direction that the former NACA was headed towards. Shortly after NASA’s launch, it “immediately catapulted into the international spotlight as one of the best-known and most visible federal agencies” (p. 485). Later on, the Cold War emerged as a “battle” between nations, focused on science and engineering research that resulted in development of new advance weapons systems. This left the nation in a state of constant paranoia of a nuclear attack. Because of this threat, science, math, and engineering were pushed to be pursued all over the United Sates.

10. Support or refute the statement that aviation was the most important military technology since the invention of gunpowder.

I definitely support the statement that aviation was the most important military technology since the invention of gunpowder. First of all, it allowed for all around world war. Nations were able to transport troops across the seas conveniently and transport a variety of weapons. It is terrifying to think that an attack could happen anywhere at any time, and that thought would not be crossing our minds if aviation had not taken over. Second, military planes could carry out a ridiculous amount of destruction. For example, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki took out entire cities and reduced them to dust. Without aviation, that would not have been possible. I’m not saying the bombing was not tragic, because it was, but as far as the military goes, aviation was definitely a major factor in carrying out that attack. Third, there really is no limit as to what aviation in the military can do. War planes were used for attacks, carriers, spies, medical emergencies, etc. Also, as John Keegan states, “…a war can be won by air power alone” (p. 590). I say that a war can be not only won by, but started by, fought by, and ended by air power alone. Aviation can be wonderful, but just like gunpowder, it can also be extremely dangerous, and that is why it was one of the most important military technologies.