Some Factors That Have Influenced Aviation

Since the advent of manned, powered flight in 1903, there have been tremendous advances in the development of aircraft. Advances have been made in efforts to improve the safety, efficiency, effectiveness, and utility of aircraft. These efforts have been made in m any places including government, industry, academia and the private sector. The establishment of some research organizations, such as the NACA/NASA in the United States, has been an aid in the advancement of aviation. Profes sional societies such as the AIAA have been instrumental in coordinating the activities of the various groups involved in the development and growth of aviation through various conferences, workshops and publications. The purpose of t his paper is to note some milestones in the growth of aviation from the viewpoint of the author who, for over 65 years, has been involved in that growth. I Introduction Man has always been interested in a means of transporta tion. The earliest form of surface transportation was simply to walk. An improved form of transportation was adopted with the use of animals – riding a horse, for example. A further improvement occurred with the use of wheels that permitted the use of car ts and wagons that could be pulled by animals. A major advancement then occurred when an engine was developed that would replace the animal as a power to provide motivation. Transportation on the water with boats also progressed with the means of propulsio n changing from manpower with paddles, to wind power with sails, to engine power with propellers. A significant event in the means of transportation was then to occur when flight in the air became a reality. Some limitations that are inherent to surface transportation can be overcome by air transportation. While air travel does offer some advantages there are some limitations. Since the advent of manned, powered flight in 1903, there has been remarkable growth in the field of aviation. This growth has bee n directed toward the exploitation of the advantages of flight while offsetting some of the limitations. The progression of flight has been somewhat similar to the progression of surface transportation. Man was first able to rise above the surface of the e arth by means of a lighter than -air balloon system. Flight with a heavier -than -air system was first achieved with a vehicle having a large area wing surface that would fly into the wind like a kite. These vehicles, or gliders, were required to move forward in order to develop wind flow over the wing surface. The relative wind could be provided by natural wind flow or by projecting the glider from a high point of launch toward a lower point of eventual impact. Thus it was that the Wright brothers, for exampl e, were able to fly their gliders from the top of high sand dunes at Kitty Hawk, NC in the early 1900’s. The first acknowledged flight of a manned, powered, heavier -than -air aircraft occurred in the U.S. at Kitty Hawk, NC on December 17, 1903. On that occa sion, Orville Wright flew the Wright Flyer I for 12 seconds over a distance of 120 feet at a ground speed of about 7 miles per hour and an altitude of about 8 -12 feet. And on that first day of flight, the performance of the Wright Flyer was extended to a distance of 852 feet and a time of 59 seconds. Substantial growth in aviation has continued throughout the 20 th Century. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss some of the factors that have influenced the growth of aviation. _