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Aircraft Innovations & Inventions

Aircraft Innovations & Inventions

Background Information

For thousands of years, people have dreamed of flying and it has been proven in research and graphics of writers and artists. The stages of the aircraft industry have evolved, and this dream has come true from mere drawings on paper and wishes to the reality that we live in now. The Chinese were the first to try to fly. Legends say that around 100 BC, the Chinese invented huge kites that enabled them to carry humans on board. Another legend says that a Chinese man named Wan Hoo wanted to fly to the moon using rockets fastened on a chair, but no one saw him after that. However, despite all these attempts, a humanitarian flight has not yet been recorded. Where later George Cayley appeared, who is known as the father of aerodynamics, and he is one of the first pioneers of aviation in the nineteenth century. George's contributions to aeronautics were very effective to this day. He was the first to understand the rules and foundations of flight that center around the four forces: lift, gravity, thrust, and drag. In 1850, he successfully built the first flying glider. Then the name of the Wright brothers appears in the world of aviation, as they are credited with the progress of the modern aviation industry. In 1903, they succeeded in setting records for flying machines heavier than air, and they recorded the longest flight time at that time, which was 75 minutes at a height of 100 meters from the surface of the earth (Montgomery& Millspaugh,2013).

The periods of the First and Second World Wars were considered as the peak of the use of aircraft. Where all countries competed to own, modernize, and use warplanes in the field of warfare. Heavy weapons and interception weapons such as rocket, and long-range bombers have been added. After the end of World War II, the warplanes that were decommissioned from service were used for commercial purposes, such as carrying goods and people, and the aircraft industry was greatly developed, and new types appeared, such as the Conrad, Boeing, Airbus, and others. Since then, the aircraft race has not stopped, and humans are still seeking to reach the ends of the earth in a jiffy.

Invention of Wings

The wings, or airfoil, are the most critical structure on an airplane because it produces the lift that allows it to fly. The structure, height, and the wing's thickness, as well as its location on the fuselage and how it was angled outward from the fuselage, were all taken into consideration by the airplane designers. They also found out that the wing components like flaps and ailerons, controlled aircraft performance, so they incorporated flaps and other related devices to enhance aircraft performance and control. All these studies were done by meticulous analysis using the three elements of aeronautical research: ground-based experiments using wind tunnels, computer simulation, and theoretical studies. Throughout much of the twentieth century, the quest for the ideal and effective airplane has been underway. Man's inability to grasp the physical powers of aerodynamics has cost him not only financially, but also in terms of human lives. Designers and builders of aircraft have always had to contend with the fundamental forces of lift, weight, and thrust drag at the construction and testing periods. Furthermore, whether for profit or for war, global politics has had a major impact on the production of modern aircraft. Europe was the birthplace of the real flying-wing aircraft design. Experiments by the German Otto Lilienthal, who considered as the father of gliding, are thought to have influenced the development of the flying wing. His experiments helped to develop the concept of gliders and wings. Then in 1909, Czechoslovakian inventor Igo Etrich designed and flew the first true flying wing, which was shaped like an elliptical seed. He ditched the true wing idea in favor of a tail for additional stability. The majority of European planes produced during this period were not true wing planes. Vertical fins and horizontal stabilizers were also flimsy. There were, however, exceptions. Following that, in 1910, the British built the Dunne D.6 monoplane, which featured downward-sweeping wingtips. John K Northrop, rather than anybody else in the United States, was responsible for the invention of the flying wing. Northrop is credited with designing the Northrop Alpha, an all-metal-skinned plane that was a success. Northrop's pursuit of the flying wing continued, and his first attempt at a controlled flying wing plane, the Experimental No1, took place in 1929 (Schwader, 1997). Wide aspect ratios and thick airfoils were popular in powerful wing designs by the 1930s. With its aesthetically appealing high wing aspect ratio of 9.14 and sleek 15 percent thick airfoil, the popular Douglas DC-3 is an outstanding example. Thick airfoils had both structural and aerodynamic benefits. With the introduction of jet aircraft in the 1950s, which were capable of speeds approaching and beyond the speed of sound, airfoil and wing forms underwent yet another drastic transformation. Subsonic planes could accelerate closer to the speed of sound before encountering harmful shock waves over the wing because of thinner airfoils. The Lockheed F-104, the first airplane built for continuous Mach 2 speeds, is an excellent example. New and complex flight conditions continue to accelerate the evolution of wing and airfoil forms today. To achieve higher lift-to-drag ratios, new and improved wing designs and airfoil forms are being designed to achieve greater fuel economy in flight (Anderson, 2011).

Invention of Engines

The engine is the aircraft's second most critical component. The thrust that propels an aircraft forward is given by the engines. Designing a powered aircraft that could fly was difficult before the internal combustion piston engine became usable in the late 1800s. Engines from the past were either too heavy or did not provide enough fuel. A propeller, which was essentially a twisted wing fixed on a spinning shaft, powered early aircraft. Its pitch, or the angle at which it slices through the air, influences its performance, and hence the performance of the airplane. Different angles performed well for different parts of the flight, engineers discovered. One angle may be ideal for takeoff or landing, while another may be better for level flying. Wind tunnel experiments may be used to evaluate these angles. However, all early planes had fixed-pitch propellers, which could not be adjusted during flight. In 1933, the variable-pitch propeller was invented, allowing the plane's propeller to operate at optimum efficiency. Since efficiency is not as critical in small planes as it is in large planes, and the expense of installing variable-pitch propellers and the process to operate them will be prohibitive, many small planes do have fixed-pitch propellers. This is an example of where the gain in output is insufficient to justify the expense of doing it. Piston engines were available in a number of configurations. The rotary engine, in which the whole engine rotated, was an early form. The engine was cooled as a result of this motion. However, it had so many limitations that by the end of World War I, most designers had given up on the project. The reciprocating engine, which was stationary but had some moving parts, took its place. NACA cowling was developed to help solve this dilemma. So, it's easy to see how technological advancements are linked: a shift in one region, in this case a preference for the air-cooled engine, necessitated a shift in another—reducing the engine's drag (Rumerman).

The jet engine is a second form of aircraft engine that was developed by a number of individuals, but Frank Whittle in England and Hans von Ohain in Germany are credited with the bulk of the credit. During World War II, the jet engine was used on a small basis, but by the late 1940s, it was widely used in military aircraft. The German Messerschmitt Me 262, which entered service in 1937, was the first production jet aircraft. Engineers and aerodynamicists benefit from a multitude of techniques as a result of nearly all of these technical advancements. The wind tunnel is one of the most commonly used. Inventors used wind tunnels to research wings and propellers long before the Wright brothers. These tunnels have grown to the point that they can now measure aircraft and their components at high speeds. Computers are also commonly used in aircraft construction to assist in the control of planes in flight and navigation to their destinations. Designers will also use simulation simulations instead of wind tunnel experiments due to the theory of computational fluid dynamics. Beginning in the 1970s, the computerized fly-by-wire control system allowed pilots to fly planes that would otherwise be difficult to control. Another instrument used in flight preparation, emergency procedures testing, and the construction phase is the simulator (Rumerman). An air inlet, compressor, combustion chambers, turbine component, and exhaust make up today's aircraft turbine engines. The velocity of the air passing through the engine is increased to produce thrust. Turbine engines are in high demand as aircraft engines. They are known for their smooth running and high power-to-weight ratio, as well as the fact that they run on readily available jet fuel. Turbine engines in small/light production aircraft were previously prohibitively expensive due to recent advancements in material, engine architecture, and manufacturing processes. Several aircraft manufacturers are either manufacturing or preparing to develop small/light turbine-powered planes. These smaller turbine-powered planes normally carry three to seven passengers (FAA, Pilot's handbook of aeronautical knowledge 2008).

References

Montgomery, J., & Millspaugh, B. (2013). In Aerospace: the journey of flight (3rd ed., pp. 04–18). essay, Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters. http://lacapnm.org/Cadets/resources/Journey%20of%20Flight%203rd%20Edition.pdf.

Ralph L. Schwader. (1997). THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FLYING WlNG. Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education &amp; Research, 8, 7-13. Retrieved 1997, https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1212&amp;context=jaaer<

Anderson, J. (2011, December 17). WINGS: From the Wright brothers to the present. Retrieved April 01, 2021, https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/wings-wright-brothers-present<

Rumerman, J. (n.d.). The evolution of technology. Retrieved April 02, 2021, from https://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Evolution_of_Technology/TechOV2.htm<

FAA. (2008). Pilot's handbook of aeronautical knowledge. In Pilot's handbook of aeronautical knowledge (pp. 181-183). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration.