From Dream to Reality: Aviation in the Modern World
From the Wright Flyer to supersonic transport in 44 years — what was it that generated such rapid progress.
For centuries, man has dreamed of flying. As he watched an eagle soaring hundreds of feet over the mountain tops, or a homing pigeon preparing to land, he imagined how it must be to take to the air. As early as in ancient Greek times-illustrated in the myth of Daedalus and Icarus humans pondered the possibility of flight and emancipation from the bounds of earth. Flight meant freedom. Freedom from the bounds of the Earth.
Nevertheless, until the early 20th century, no form of reliable, powered flight had been achieved. Then in a short one hundred years, aviation technology was transformed from the often unreliable wooden, cloth-covered biplanes to supersonic jets and international airliners. What was it that provoked such rapid progress?
The first powered, controlled, heavier-than-air flight was achieved on December 17, 1903 by Orville Wright. The flight lasted twelve seconds and covered 36 metres. Later flights by Orville, and brother Wilbur, covered greater distances and by 1905, they were making flights of thirty minutes, and astonishing incredulous reporters all over the world.
In the years between 1903 and the First World War, aviation was in its infancy. Aeroplanes were novelties, and were constructed in wildly differing designs, which flew with varying degrees of success, but the traditional monoplane or biplane design was soon accepted as the most practical. These were usually powered with a single, wooden, twin-bladed propeller; which was mounted on the nose (tractor), or behind the pilot (pusher). It was in this period, from 1903 to 1914, that Louis Bleriot made his historic flight across the English channel in his twenty-five horsepower monoplane on July 25, 1909. From this landmark achievement onwards, aviation began advancing rapidly; as daring men and women in aircraft that rapidly pushed the envelope of technological advancements, tested the limits of human endurance. What driving force motivated these unique individuals we can only guess.
Several events during the 20th century boosted the development of aviation. The first of these was World War One. This was the first human conflict in which heavier-than-air, flying craft were utilised. (Anchored hot-air balloons, called the Zeppelin, were used as observation platforms in several 19th century wars.) WWI sped up the advances that were already being made in aviation, as both sides raced to build faster, more maneuverable, and more reliable fighting craft. The war also introduced the use of bigger, mainly twin-engined aircraft capable of carrying heavy loads, and excellent for use as bombers. The English plane, the Vickers Vimy was one example. It was a twin-engined biplane with a double tail, equipped with machine-guns to fend off attacking German fighters.
It was during the First World War that such legendary fighter-planes as the English Sopwith Camel and the German Fokker Dr 1 Triplane were developed. The war also helped the development of trainer aircraft such as the American Curtiss JN-4 Jenny, which, after the war, became famous as the perfect “barnstormer”s’ aeroplane. It was in two of these craft that Tex Marshall and Frank Palmer made their famous crossing of the USA from Florida to Ohio in 1920.
The development of civilian uses for aviation progressed rapidly after the First World War. Aeroplanes were regularly used for the delivery of mail, and airline services began in 1919. Early airlines operated biplanes that carried only a limited number of passengers, but soon larger aircraft such as the Farman Goliath began service in the 1920s. The period of general prosperity that followed the war and came before the Great Depression helped ensure a good start to civilian aviation.
By the 1930s, civil aviation had progressed to such a degree that metal-skinned, twin-engined passenger planes such as the famous Douglas DC-3 were in operation. Huge flying boats-aeroplanes whose hulls were designed for landing on water-equipped with up to four engines carried mail and passengers during the these years. One of these was the Pan American Airways’ Martin M-130, a four-engined flying boat. The advancements in aviation during the inter-war years portray man’s urge to conquer one of the last frontiers of human civilisation.
Then came World War Two. This halted the operation of many civil airlines, but it also acted in much the same way as the earlier conflict, in boosting the growth of both military and civil aviation. By the time war broke out, military aircraft had entered an entirely new realm. Single-engined fighters capable of speeds of over 300 miles per hour were already in service in air forces before 1939. Faster, and more maneuverable than WWI fighters, these aircraft show-cased the years of development between the wars. Famous aeroplanes such as the British Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire, the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 and later the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, and the American P-51 Mustang heralded a new kind of warfare, as these planes had far greater potential in war than ever before. They were equipped with machine-guns initially, and later wing cannon were added. Some WWII fighters could also carry bombs on external bomb racks, giving many fighters a broader tactical role.
World War Two saw the introduction of large multi-engined bombers such as the British Avro Lancaster, and the American Consolidated B-24 Liberator. The German counterparts included the Junkers Ju 87B, and the Dornier Do 17Z. The war also utilised large numbers of cargo planes-and continuously developed them, thus helping to advance technology, creating the ability to transport larger amounts of cargo over longer distances.
The end of WWII marked the introduction of jet propulsion, first exploited by Nazi Germany. The development of the Messerschmitt Me 262 was among the first of the jet fighters. This was a cutting edge development that has become a turning point in aviation history. Jet propulsion has made faster and more reliable flight a normal part of modern life.
In 1947, man first flew above the speed of sound. This major break-through meant that future fighters and tactical strike bombers could travel faster, and over longer distances. Chuck E. Yeager, flying the Bell X-1 rocket plane, achieved supersonic flight over Roger’s Dry Lake in southern California on October 14. This was an undreamt of achievement when the Wright brothers first achieved controlled, sustained flight just 44 years before. If in less than fifty years aviation progressed that far, what will aviation be like fifty years from now?
Five years after the end of WWII came the Korean War in 1950. By this time, jet fighters had become the leading edge in air warfare. The Korean War was the first conflict to see regular combat between jet fighters. American F-86 Sabres engaged North Korean MiG-15s in the skies over Korea. These aircraft travelled at even higher speeds than those of WWII, and were equipped with ejector seats-emergency escape measures that enabled pilots of damaged fighters to bail out and parachute to the ground.
Since then, military aircraft have become more and more sophisticated, so that now, jet fighters travel at supersonic speeds, and fire air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles as well as the more traditional rapid-fire cannon.
Civil aviation has also progressed rapidly. In the years following WWII and the Korean War, airlines emerged with propeller-driven aircraft capable of travelling long distances. These, however, were soon superseded by early jet-propelled craft, capable of higher speeds and greater efficiency. Soon the multi-engined jet passenger aeroplanes we know today had become the leaders in civil air transport. The modern jet airliner, the Boeing 747-400, travels at 565mph (910kph), and seats 568 passengers.
In the first half of the 20th century, two World Wars and a growing interest in aviation helped create the technological advances that evolved so rapidly. One indicator of this is the fact that Orville Wright, the first man to achieve powered, controlled flight, was still alive when supersonic flight achieved in 1947.
In the second half of the 20th century aviation progressed beyond the bounds of earths atmosphere when on October 4, 1957, the USSR launched the first artificial satellite in orbit above the earth. Since that historic date, aviation entered the next stage of development-beyond the bounds of the earth.
The advances that have been made in recent years in the realm of space exploration beg one enigmatic question: what next? What limits will the human race have surpassed in the next few generations? Only time will tell.
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One Response to “From Dream to Reality: Aviation in the Modern World”
On August 21, 2008 at 2:57 am
Wow! Thanks for this informative and -good looking- piece.
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