Aviation Technology - Report Example

Aviation Technology 1930s to Present Comparison Sur 2 In the hundred years since the Wright Brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk, the design, materials, and construction of aircraft has gone through what could most accurately described as a rapid and radical evolution. To accurately compare the starting point of our examination between the 30s and today, it is critical to understand the changes that took place between Kitty Hawk and the years just prior to the beginning of World War 2. Until the between-war years, airplanes were still, basically, kites, with wooden frames covered with linen skins. One of the most important developments to take place prior to the 30s was the creation of load bearing or what is called “monocoque”(literally “monoshell”) construction, a technique we still see today. This advancement allows superior lightness and strength by using the fuselage itself to support the structural load.1 This technique is attributed to Louis Béchereau, the lead designer of a French aviation company called Société Pour les Appareils Deperdussin, most commonly known in its abbreviated form, SPAD. Another important development that was widely adopted in the pre-WW2 era was the radial air-cooled engine, which made greater power with lower weight possible. Changing from a liquid cooled engine also eliminated considerable plumbing, which although it made the engine more efficient and lighter, the later type was not as fast. Even though there were a considerable number of advances in airplane design, in most cases, thanks to exposed engines, fixed landing gear, and other “improvements,” airplanes were still about as aerodynamic as a dining room table. Surname 7 The 1930s saw the beginning of the first coast-to-coast service by Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) using the Ford Trimotor as the arial part of what was a nine leg journey (Trimotor by day, train by night), which cut a cross-country trip to a mere 48 hours. Largely due to its limited range (approximately 500 miles) American airlines gradually replaced the Trimotor with more advanced all-metal airplanes made by the newest entries into the market, Douglas and Boeing. The first of these was the Boeing 247, the first aircraft that fully incorporated the most advanced features available at the time. These features included an all-metal (anodized aluminum) semi-monocoque fuselage with candaleivered wing and retractable landing gear. In 1933, Douglas introduced its answer to the Trimotor, the DC-1 and DC-2. These aircraft were a huge step beyond the Trimotor, which vibrated badly and was very noisy. To make matters worse, the high price tag involved in taking one of these flights ensured that only the most wealthy passengers were able to enjoy them. Three years later Douglas revolutionized aircraft design with its DC-3, which integrated both engines and cowling into the wings, which led to far greater aerodynamic efficiency. In the years between WW1 and WW2, there was some growth in the development of aircraft design, but to a great extent this period could be called “when the extraordinary became ordinary.” During this period, airplanes grew in size, speed and sophistication, but to a great extent also, the design revolutions that took place in the 30s continued throughout the 40s and 50s.2 Surname 4 To a great extent, the same improvements that made the DC-3 such an important step forward in the 30s were carried forward during WW2. The most important advancement carried forward from WW2 was the jet engine, which was, to a great extent, the result of the work of Werner von Braun’s investigation into installing a liquid-fueled rocket into airplanes. The service of rocket propelled airplanes during WW2 was very limited, however, since there were so few of them and the experiences with them was so limited. Jet driven aircraft did enter military service on a broader scale after WW2, and shortly thereafter, civilian uses increased. There were several designs of jet aircraft that entered service by the early 1960s. The most obvious difference in these aircraft from those prior to this era was the elimination of propellers and the slimmer, more futuristic design (most notably the swept-back wings) that was in such wide appeal as the new era took shape. Public fascination with the promise of jet powered flight sky-rocketed (no pun intended) after a test pilot for Bell Aircraft and Boeing named Alvin “Tex” Johnson barrel-rolled a Boeing model 367-80 (better known as the Dash-80), a prototype of the KC-135 Stratotanker at the Seattle hydroplane race in 1955. The Monday morning following Johnson’s impromptu stunt, Boeing’s president, Bill Allen, called the pilot into his office and told him to never do that again, but the jolt had been felt, and only five years later, jet aircraft were routinely carrying more than 200 passengers at a time over continents and oceans at speed approaching 600 miles per hour. Throughout the propeller and jet eras, there was one constant, aluminum, which was used throughout aircraft. From the framing to the outer skin, aluminum was used to form virtually Surname 5 every twist and turn that made up an airplane. Beginning in the 50s, but only to a limited extent, composites were making inroads in aircraft design and building.3 In the 1980s, aircraft design pioneer Burt Rutan designed and built the Beech Model 2000 Starship, the first all-composite aircraft, featuring a tailless twin-turboprop with variable-sweep canards on its nose. Not only did the composite makeup allow its extreme lightness but enabled Rutan to create its bizarre, futuristic design. Unfortunately, true to form, the composite makeup caused the aircraft to be made at a cost of more than $ 5 million each. Obviously, the highly demanding requirements of space flight must be met with equally strong materials. Unfortunately, as is the case with much flight, the more weight you pack onto an aircraft is payload that can’t be carried. As a result, there is virtually no part of the current series of Space Shuttles that is not composed of some type of composite material somewhere and to some extent. In the years since Rutan’s designs took aviation’s center stage, composite materials have become much more mainstream. This is especially true with military and space applications since performance is generally considered to outweigh cost. Fortunately, with the more common application as well as continued research, cost should be a reducing factor in the future. It is interesting to note that the current leader in the development and application of aviation composites is Rutan’s Scaled Composites of Mojave, CA. Surname 6 Notes 1. Howard L. Scumehorn. Baloons to Jets. Southern Illinois University Press. 2000. 56 2. Carel Birkley. Dancing in the Skies. Pierce. 2001. 30 3. Peter E. Davies and A.M. Thornborough. The Harrier. Prentice Hall. 2005. 127. Read More