Wings Assignment #1

2. Why did it take so long for man to realize the dream of flight?

Although some say that people from an earlier era could have achieved the dream of flight, the availability of the materials that were used in the first aviation experiments were lacking and not readily available to people of earlier time. Additionally, leading up to the first flight, there was a culmination of several years of aeronautical principle and principles of physics and mathematical concepts that took centuries of insight. Throughout history each individual who made a contribution to the fields of physics and engineering made a step towards the information and knowledge needed to make the basic principles of flight. Another reason it took so long for man to realize the dream of flight was that some of the simple technologies had to wait for the inspiration of early modern science. Although Leonardo da Vinci thought flight was possible and achieved knowledge in the basic principles of flight “he kept his most interesting ideas in a wide variety of fields entirely to himself…and the ideas that would have qualified him as the founder of aerodynamics remained completely unknown until the nineteenth century” (Crouch, 28).  Furthermore, aside from da Vinci, many of the contributors to the aerodynamic theory were not interested in flight which led to a lack of people pursuing the idea.

3. When did the era of modern aviation begin and why?

Modern aviation begins with the work done by Sir George Cayley done in the 1800s. He was born in England and had a deep interest in science and technology. Cayley made contributions to several different fields but his primary passion was aviation. By 1799 his work in aeronautics was underway with his conception of a fixed wing flying machine. Sir George Cayley was the first researcher who brought the immense power of science and technology to the field of aviation and the problems with flight. He has several accomplishments that lead to the beginning of the era of modern aviation, such as, realizing that through scientific and technological research one could solve the flight difficulties, establishing several basic principles of aerodynamics and functioning as the first aeronautical engineer who gave the humans a taste of flight with the building of the first fixed wing glider (Crouch, 35). Although throughout history several people have tried various flying techniques, “the invention of the airplane began in earnest with Sir George Cayley” (Crouch, 35). Sir George Cayley had an extensive knowledge of the principles of aviation and along with his use of research and development he was able to make several contributions that led to the beginning of the modern aviation era.

7. When and what was La Grande Semaine d’Aviation de Champagne and what significance does it have in aviation history?

La Grande Semaine d’Aviation de Champagne was “the first great aerial spectacle – a full week of flying activity that attracted many of the world’s aviators” (Crouch, 114). This aviation meet took place during the week of August 22 to August 29, 1909 near Reims, France.  This event is significant in aviation history because it was the first international public flying event where almost all of the prominent aviators of the time took part. Additionally, this meet was significant because it was the first time where the aviators were able to see all of the aircraft in one place and were able to make comparisons of the advantages and disadvantages of each design. As each aircraft had a different design and it was found out which designs were better suited for particular things, for example, “Wright aircraft obviously performed far better in the turns, while the Antoinettes seemed to offer the advantage of superior pitch stability. The Farman machines were exceptionally sturdy” (Crouch, 116). By having an international meet it allowed the aviators to come together and experience the designs of others, and this meet marked the transition between the era of the invention of the airplane and the beginning of the aviation industry. 

Crouch, Tom D. Wings: A History of Aviation from Kites to the Space Age. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, 2003. Print.

Wendy Campbell WINGS #1

1.  The invention of flight had a tremendous impact on life in the twentieth century--both good and bad--and truly changed the course of history.  Flight changed the way wars were fought, and without it the events WWI and WWII would have been dramatically different.  Flight has allowed war to become deadlier than ever, but with military backing the study of flight has lead to incredible scientific discoveries and achievements.  Because of flight we have traveled faster than sound, circled the globe with ease, and walked on the face of the moon.  Even today the technology born out of and powered by flight impacts our lives everyday.  Without flight we would not have satellite TV, GPS systems, or next-day delivery from Amazon!  Flight also connected the world, opening up new avenues for commerce and allowing every-day people to travel the world (pg. 10-11).  Flight created a global connection between people:  cultures blended and changed, international aid became more effective, and diseases can spread more rapidly than ever (pg. 11).  The twentieth century, and our lives today, would be incredibly different if it weren't for the invention of flight.  Our universe would be less understood, our world less traveled, and our skies contrail free.

5.  Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved success before their contemporaries because they were truly focused on goal of powered flight and the science behind it.  The brothers made numerous studies of kites and manned and unmanned models of their craft.  When it did not behave as planned they went so far as to create their own wind tunnel and redo accepted studies to get more accurate results (pg. 65).  Part of their success came from the fact that the brothers did allow themselves to become distracted by any detail other than flight itself.  For example they did not worry about what kind of engine was in their plane, just that its weight and horsepower were adequate.  After all the "goal was to fly, not build the world's most efficient aeronautical engine" (pg. 67).  Wilbur and Orville also kept their designs as secret as possible, this allowed them to work at a slower, more scientific pace than their counterparts in Europe who were in a race to be the best.  Although this secrecy meant the Wright brothers appeared to be lagging behind on the world stage, when they did demonstrate their airplane to the world it was clear that they had truly mastered powered flight (pg. 105).

6.  The U.S. government and others were not interested in the Wright brothers' invention at first. The U.S. military was not interested because it was trying to move funds out of heavier-than-air flight.  Over the years preceding the Wright brothers' achievement, the U.S. military had been lavishly funding the failed Langley project, and was not willing to submit itself to further embarrassment (pg. 82-83).  Although governments in Europe were more interested than the U.S., the British thought that it should develop its own technology and the French were unwilling to sign on without seeing demonstrations first (pg. 83).  In 1908 their luck changed and the U.S. Army accepted a bid from the brothers.  This was followed by a licensing contract with the French (pg. 83).  After this, government interest in the craft only grew.

McDougle - Wings #1

1.  Flight impacted many different areas of human life.  It had an enormous impact on how people connected to and communicated with the rest of the world.  One example would be the impact flight had on warfare.  Wars were no longer isolated, and no country or city was safe from attack, even if they were far across the ocean.  As a result, war became more destructive and erratic, rather than being able to predict the opponents next move.  The text states that the top news stories from the twentieth century were a direct result of the invention of the airplane.  These stories include the atomic bombing in Japan, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the Moon landing.  It seems that flight may have increased violence in the world, especially when referencing the top news stories, but flight also increased exploration and innovation.  Flight has allowed individuals to travel across the world both as tourists and for business.  This travel was able to help with the sharing of cultures and commerce.   It allowed for providing international aid to remote countries suffering from disaster.  Flight played a role in most every aspect of the modern life.  Whether negative or positive, flight had an incredible impact on the twentieth century that cannot be argued.

2.  The text states that ancient people did not work towards flight due to “a failure of the imagination.”  They understood that birds and other creatures could fly, but there was no example of any natural “lighter-than-air” flight for them to attempt to research and duplicate.  The technologies including knowledge of physics and tools used to eventually create flight, took centuries to develop and improve and test.  Although it is believed that ancient peoples did not attempt to create winged flight, they could have utilized balloons based on the concept that hot air rises.  They also had the materials, such as lightweight fabrics, to produce balloons although they would not have had the synthetic materials to create other flying structures.  Yet, they did not attempt to fly.  It was not until the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that even the balloon was surmised by philosophers.  This is when the study of air and other gases began.  Man was not able to conceptualize flight earlier, due to the lack in technological development that takes time to theorize and build.

3.  The era of modern aviation began in the early 1800s.  George Cayley was born in England and received extensive science and math training from tutors.  He was a scientist and inventor, but his greatest interest was in successfully creating flight for humans.  He utilized existing research in order to begin developing flying machines.  He created the first successful glider that was able to carry a person several yards following a running start.  Cayley published work on wing shapes and other research he had completed in order to begin sharing his projects.  He continued to improve his glider throughout his lifetime, then created an additional aircraft that contained a structure for the pilot, wheels, paddles, and a steering mechanism.  Cayley was able to begin the modern aviation era by utilizing scientific research and new technologies.  He was able to determine basic rules that could be applied in aerodynamics, and built the first successful glider. 
 

Danny Keltner WINGS #1

1.)
                Flight impacted several aspects of life in the twentieth century (both “good” and “bad).  One impact is that it changed the way wars were fought.  It added a whole new dynamic to warfare (pg 10).  Many cities and lives were destroyed because of the use of planes.  Even though flight caused destruction of cities, it also lead to the formation of nations.  Flight helped western nations become even more dominant.  Flight allowed more exotic diseases to spread from one country to another quickly (pg 11).  This caused problems for other countries because they did not have the immunity for these new diseases.  Many people died because of diseases spreading by flight.  Flight led to the homogenization of cultures because of people from different countries being able to travel all over the world.  People's lives had start to experience more cultures as a result.  Flight allowed friends and family members to keep in personal touch no matter how far away they were (pg 11).  Airplanes also led to countries being able to aid countries that were in need (pg 11).  They were now able to transport food, vaccines, and other supplements quickly to these more deprived countries.  Flight made life easier for people in those poor countries.  Flight has shown to have a large impact on everyone's life.

3.)

Modern aviation began with the incredibly intelligent man named Sir George Cayley.  He identified many different solutions to several problems with aviation.  He was the first person to conduct the, “first whirling-arm tests of wing surfaces at low angles of attack” (pg. 32) and created the “flying parachute”.  The flying parachute became the, “first successful model glider” (pg. 32).  Cayley also wrote several articles known as the “triple paper”.  These articles helped paved the way for future aeronautical research.  The triple paper helped confirm previous  ideas about wings in flight and, “explained how to calculate the performance of an aircraft” (pg. 33).  He also had many insights that led to the advancement of aviation.  One example is, “he had achieved pitch stability by positioning the horizontal tail at a slight negative angle” (pg. 34).  Cayley was the first to show that fixed wings were superior compared to balloons.  This lead the way to modern aviators to think differently.  Cayley was also viewed as the first aeronautical engineer.  He created and established many different principles of aerodynamics.  The first model glider gave people “the taste for flight” (pg. 35) and it helped motivate more people to study flight.  The Wright brothers thought he was a great man and that his work was a, "most important contribution to science" (pg. 35).  He truly was the start of modern aviation.      

6.)

           At first, the United States government was not interested in the invention.  This is because of the Langley debacle that occurred just a few years back.  The United States tried to use the Langley model but it did not work.  The Army was accused they had, “wasted precious resources on a pipe dream.” (pg. 82).  The army also wanted proof that the flights occurred with pictures or demonstration flights.  The governments of Europe however were more intrigued about the Wright’s invention.  The British army came to Dayton to talk to the Wright Brothers.  They later decided to not to buy their invention because the British wanted to have their “own aeronautical talent” (pg. 83).  The French had the most interest in the invention and talked with the brothers in 1905.  The French also wanted to see a demonstration flight just like the United States army.  Even in 1907 when the Wright Brothers received assistance from Charles Flint and Company to help sell their invention, they still did not get an immediate bargain in Europe.  Finally, in 1908 the US army accepted the Wright Brother’s invention.  Then a couple months after that, they signed a contract to a French syndicate (pg. 83).  At first, most militaries were against the idea of the invention, but as time progressed they decided to buy it.  

Aashwin Sachdev WINGS #1

1. The invention of flight had a huge impact on life in the 20th  century. As we look back at the most impactful events of the 20th century, flight was an integral part of our lives. Wars such as WWI and WWII, globalization of the world’s trade routes, transportation of resources, tourism and many more were directly affected by this invention. The text points how Chinese leader Mme. Chiang Kai-shek believed the unification of China was a result of the invention of airplanes. Many of the twentieth century’s greatest inventions such as Radio, TVs, GPS etc. are all dependent on satellites which would have been impossible without the invention of flight. While there are certainly quantitative benefits to this invention, there is something more deeply rooted in the motivation behind this invention. The text points out how since the beginning of time, man has placed God in the sky, thus making flight and the ability to fly itself a divinity. We have always envied birds for their wings, placing a great emphasis on how they represent freedom and free will. Psychologically, the ability to fly provides hope in the human spirit. Children in their early lives are fascinated by the idea of being an astronaut or a jet pilot; there is something in the human psyche that attracts us towards flight when we can’t even spell astronaut!
Not only did flight immediately impact the quality of human life in the 20th century, it laid grounds for future innovation. Drones, Curiosity (rover), as well as Elon Musk’s vision of launching global satellites so mankind can habitat Mars are all possible with the invention of flight by the Wright brothers.


2. While there has been evidence that early South Americans experimented with the idea of flight, it has not been proved that human themselves flew. The text points out the following reasons as to why it took so long for humans to master flight:
• Lack of intellect: While early humans had access to the materials that would help them build a flying device, they did not have access to the understanding of the many principles of physics that the Wright brothers and other notable innovators had.
• Lack of inspiration: In early days, flight was mostly understood as something only birds and insects possessed with the use of wings. Since humans did not have wings, and had no way of procuring wings, flight simply seemed impossible. The hot air balloon could have been mastered had the principle of rising smoke been developed further, but this never happened.
• Lack of practicality: While certain ideas rose from academic observations, they were not practical since they could not be set in motion. Lana de Terzi’s four globes is one such example
Thus, further study and understanding of chemistry and physics was needed before flight was invented. When this did occur, we saw innovators such as Joseph Montgolfier develop the idea of flight.


4. The following three methods of flight emerged by the late nineteenth century:
• Balloon: Joseph Montgolfier understood the research by Scottish chemist Joseph black as it related to air, and applied the principle that hot air rises, Joseph constructed a device with wood and taffeta, filled it with hot air and flew. He moved on to further develop this process to successfully fly balloons and lay the groundwork for future flight research.
• Helicopter: Inspired by windmills, the pinwheel lead to the creation of what we today understand as a helicopter. This device was experimented on by the Wright brothers themselves, but never succeeded since weight management was a problem that could not be conquered.
• Glider: Sir George Cayley is known as the founding father of aeronautics for good reason. He experimented with the small helicopter toy in 1796, and eventually went on to researching heavier than air flight. He crafted a flying parachute in 1804 which let him glide in the air for short periods of time. This was not only a successful invention of gliders, but also laid the foundation for winged flight.

Hofstetter WINGS #1

2. Why did it take so long for man to realize the dream of flight?

It is argued that flight could have been accomplished by ancient people thousands of years ago that had the materials required to build a device such as a glider. There is good reason that flight was not thought a possibility thousands or even hundreds of years ago. The development of the 1804 Cayley glider that seems to us today as a simple device, is built upon centuries of knowledge. Physics, chemistry, and engineering acquired a vast amount of data before that knowledge could be implemented in a device of flight. In addition, regardless of the amount of knowledge and material available to potential inventors, the imagination must be able to construct the thought that flight is a possibility. Understandably, people looked to the birds and insects with their ability to fly and attributed their ability to their wings. The knowledge and technology was not developed enough to allow human flight with wings and people were not thinking of any other possibility. It was the end of the seventeenth century by the time knowledge became available pointing to the idea that flight could be achieved by a lighter-than air vehicle. The accumulation of knowledge in science and technology, in addition to the use of imagination led man to finally realize the dream of flight (pg 19-21).

3. When did the era of modern aviation begin and why?

The era of modern aviation began with George Cayley by the beginning of the nineteenth century. Cayley utilized scientific and technological research to redefine heavier-than-air flight as a problem that could be solved. He established basic principles in aerodynamics. Cayley became the first aeronautical engineer by building and flying the first fixed-wing gliders capable of human flight. Much of his work was published and used as a foundation for future research. Some of Cayley’s work included a confirmation that a curved wing produces greater lift than a flat wing. Cayley identified that there was low pressure above the wing and high pressure below the wing during flight. He suggested angling the tips of the wings to produce lateral stability. Cayley provided studies on the movement of pressure on wings during flight. He also examined how to calculate performance of an aircraft. It stood that by the time of the Wright brothers influence in aviation that much of Cayley’s work remained free from error. Cayley developed his own monoplane and triplane gliders that he reported flying.  While Cayley established the superiority being in fixed wings, he also designed ornithopters and a helicopter. George Cayley began the era of modern aviation that would later inspire Orville and Wilbur Wright (pg 30-35).

5. Why did Wilbur and Orville Wright achieve success before their contemporaries?

From the time Wilbur and Orville Wright were children they demonstrated curiosity and ability to solve problems by experimenting. They had parents that encouraged them to be curious, build things, and experiment. Wilbur and Orville were close to each other and did everything together. Inspired by childhood toys and books about birds, Wilbur and Orville researched the history and knowledge of flying. One reason that Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved success before many others was that they realized an airplane required a powerful engine, working wings, and a means of control. Many experimenters before them could not solve the problem of equilibrium so they set out to do just that. The Wright brothers had an advantage in that they could apply lessons learned in bicycle technology to flight control technology. The brothers used some of the same materials and bicycle parts to design their gliders. Wilbur developed the technique of wing-warping that set his glider apart from others. Orville and Wilbur experimented and tested models to develop the correct one. They utilized previous research to determine the wind speed their glider would require in order to fly and they went to a location that would match that wind speed. The Wright brothers learned from their failures and those of others and did not give up (pg. 54-65).

Carissa Wolfe - Wings #1

2. It took man so long to realize the dream of flight because the knowledge of lighter-than-air craft was not inherent. Though birds, bats, and insects managed to fly, these beings had wings. Since humans lacked this anatomical structure flight was thought to be impossible. It is puzzling at first to consider that mankind had access to the rudimentary materials used to create the first plane and hot air balloon but they never thought of using them for those purposes. It becomes understandable however, when one takes into account the centuries of research into physics and chemistry that helped explain the behavior and properties of air. Furthermore, as the transmission of information increased scientists and inventors were able to read each other’s work. This allowed them to reap the benefit of building upon one another’s discoveries, which previous generations had not the opportunity to do. It took the successes and failures of many genius people – Archimedes, Bernoulli, Montgolfier, Jacques-Alexander-Cesar Charles, and George Cayley - before the mind of man was prepared to realize the possibility of flight (pp. 19-24).

3. The era of modern aviation began in the early 19^th century with the brilliant scientist, mechanic, and aspiring aviator Sir George Cayley. Cayley’s work contributed a plethora of fundamental details to the design of the modern plane. For instance, Cayley came up with the idea of using separate systems for lift, control, and propulsion, and intently studied wing-design. In 1804, George Cayley built the “world’s first successful model glider and the ancestor of all modern fixed-wing aircraft” (pg. 32). His studies on air pressure movements enabled the development of an ideal wing, and his well-documented research was the cornerstone of the Wright brothers’ success. Cayley’s victorious gliders served as the inspiration needed to set the field of aviation on fire.  (pp. 32-35)

5. Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved success before their contemporaries for several reasons: their knowledge of bicycles, and their belief that a flying machine would require above all else, equilibrium. Since the Wright brothers worked in a bicycle shop they had a thorough understanding of the balance and steering necessary to ride a bike. Unlike their predecessors, the brothers were not afraid of the challenge of navigating an aircraft, instead they believed that it could be controlled with “the precision and ease of a bicycle” (pg. 60). They had easy access to materials such as tubing, wire, chains, metal, and wood which they used to construct the lightweight structure of the first plane. Their ingenuity is evident in their invention of the wind tunnel, which, though simple, allowed them to test environmental conditions without putting themselves or the plane in danger (pp. 59-60).