Quest for Transportation Day 3

November 12, 2009	
==Description==
Welcome to The VFK Transportation Epic Quest Day 3 - Airplanes!<BR><BR>
 
Since ancient times, people have dreamed of soaring into the sky and beyond like the birds. Many great minds have turned their imagination and knowledge toward devising various methods of accomplishing this goal of leaving the earth and flying. However, as late as the early 1900's, the idea of powered flight was still considered by many experts of the time, to be an impossible fantasy. For the third day of our epic quest for Transportation, we will explore the history of airplanes!<BR><BR>
Your reward for completing this quest will be 1,000 credits, and the Airplanes Pin!<BR><BR><BR>
===Prizes===
===Questions===
1. Most of the early concepts of flying machines included birdlike motion and replication of wings. Since the birds had proven the success of this method, it only seemed natural to use them as a model for human flight. These flapping wing machines relied on the wings to provide both the lift and thrust necessary to fly. What were these flapping wing flying machines called? 
* Planophores 
* Mechanical Birds
* Ornithopters
* Aerial Locomotors<BR><BR>
2. One of the first scientists to seriously consider Ornithopters was the Franciscan Friar Roger Bacon in the 1260's. Over 200 years later, Leonardo DaVinci came up with a model for an ornithopter. Research continues on this type of machine, and many versions have been built, however, none have left the ground under their own power. Small light unmanned versions have been more successful. Go to the Sydney Opera House in Australia and say "The human bird shall take his first flight!"<BR><BR>
3. The next step in flying came in the form of hot air ballooning. In 1783, a hot air balloon was built by two French brothers called Montgolfier. For the first manned flight, the balloon was tethered and stayed aloft for an impressive 20 minutes. The first un-tethered manned flight was only a month later. In what city did the first tethered flight take place? 
* Madrid, Spain
* London, England
* Paris, France
* Rome, Italy<BR><BR>
4. Hot Air Ballooning became quite popular, however, the main problem with balloons is that the prevailing winds control where the balloon goes. Balloons were put to use in the American Civil War to look at enemy troops from the air. Go to the Waterfall room in the Audubon's Wildlife Adventure game and say this quote by Lord Kelvin. Say: "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
<BR><BR>
5. One of the most important people in the history of aeronautics was Sir George Cayley. He is considered to be the first person to understand the principles and forces involved in flight. In 1853 he built a large glider which was flown on what is regarded as the first successful gliding flight in history. Most of the airplanes he designed included which of the following? 
* Rigid wings to provide lift
* Propelling devices to provide trust
* Flight control devices
* All of the above<BR><BR>
6. William S. Henson, an English inventor, published his design for an "Aerial Steam Carriage" in 1843. This patented design was a fixed wing monoplane with a fuselage, wheeled landing gear and propellers. It also had a rear elevator and rudder for flight control. Go to the outside of the Hotel in the Wild West and say: "There shall be wings!" <BR><BR>
7. Otto Litlenthal, a German aeronautical engineer, focused his attention on hang gliders. From 1891 to 1896, he made over 2,000 successful flights in the hang gliders he designed. As an engineer and mathematician, his abilities placed him at the forefront of aeronautics at the time. The numerous photographs of him flying his various glider designs were widely publicized. As a result, what did people call the coming age of flying?<BR>
* Aeronautic Age
* Manflight Age
* Flying Age
* Winged Age<BR><BR>
 
8. Samuel P. Langley, began major experimentation in aerodynamics in 1887. His work resulted in building over 100 rubber band powered models called "rubber-pull aerodromes." In 1891, Langley began building a series of steam-powered Aerodromes which eventually lead to the flying machine of 1903 capable of carrying a pilot. Go to the Castle Gate and say: "Everything is becoming science fiction!"<BR><BR>
9. All the study and experimentation into the principles of flight which had been performed up to 1903 resulted in the first successful flight of the heavier than air, self-propelled, manned craft built by Orville and Wilbur Wright. On December 17, 1903, Orville flew a distance of 120 feet in 12 seconds. They studied the work of those who had preceded them and built their successful "Flyer." Where did the Wright brothers make this historic first flight? 
* Kill Devil Hills, NC
* Kitty Hawk, NC
* Columbia, NC
* Creswell, NC<BR><BR>
10. The Wright brothers' success was the result of a number of factors. They invented controls which enabled them to effectively steer the plane and keep it level. They also designed better wings and more efficient propellers and tried to keep the weight as light as possible. In addition, they tested all of their ideas extensively and refined them. Go to the Victorian House in Victorian Age, and say: "It was the flight that changed the world!"<BR><BR>
===Answers===
1. Ornithopters
 
2. Go to the Sydney Opera House in Australia and say: "The human bird shall take his first flight!"
3. Paris, France
4. Go to the Tranquil Waterfall in Western Age, and say: "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
5. All of the above
6. Go to the Grand Hotel in Western Age and say: "There shall be wings!"
7. Manflight Age
8. Go to the Castle Gate in Medieval Age and say: "Everything is becoming science fiction!"
9. Kill Devil Hills, NC
10. Go to the Victorian House in Victorian Age and say: "It was the flight that changed the world!"
Category:Quests Category:Epic Quests