1 / 43

Aviation Development 1904-1911: Wrights, Curtiss, & Innovations

Explore significant aviation events between 1904-1911, engine advancements, Louis Bleriot’s contributions, WWI air power, WWI aces, and US aviation developments including Wrights' achievements, Curtiss's innovations, and notable events like Eugene Ely's naval landing and Harriet Quimby's achievements. Discover the progress in Europe, multiengine airplanes, engine improvements, vertical flight challenges, commercial flight beginnings, and the looming role of aviation in warfare.

jasper-flynn
Download Presentation

Aviation Development 1904-1911: Wrights, Curtiss, & Innovations

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Chapter 2 Adolescence of Air Power

  2. Objectives • List significant events in aviation occurring between 1904-1911 • Describe the development of new engines • Recall Louis Bleriot’s contributions • Discuss air power during WWI • Identify several WWI aces

  3. Preview Questions • How was the Wright’s first flight received? • How did the government react to their airplane? • What are some important features an airplane back then should have?

  4. US Developments • First flight went almost unnoticed • Only one article, misleading and poorly written • 1904-1905, Wrights perfected design by testing craft in pasture in OH • 1905, Wrights wrote letter to US government offering to build an aircraft of their specification • Little interest/response • War Department still embarrassed after Langley failures

  5. Wrights go abroad for sales after 3 refusals from the US • President Teddy Roosevelt finally took interest • Directed Secretary of War to solicit bids • Aircraft had to do 7 things: • Carry pilot • Carry passenger • Fuel enough for 125 mile trip • 36 mph under perfect control • Takeoff and land in any likely warzone without damage • Able to be disassembled • Reassembled in 1 hour

  6. Wrights got the US contract • Orville stayed to build US test plane • Wilbur went to France to demo plane to other governments and businesses • French paid Wrights $100,000 to form French aircraft building company • Orville & Army testing planes in VA • 12 very successful flights • 13th flight resulted in crash, Orville injured • Passenger, Lt. Selfridge killed, first to die in powered airplane

  7. August 2, 1909, Army buys first airplane from Wrights for $30,000

  8. Glenn Curtiss • Built gasoline engines for motorcycles as a teenager • Brilliant engineer • 1907, became known as “worlds fastest man” by setting motorcycle speed record of 136mph • Curtiss engines were light and powerful • Balloon and dirigible manufacturers started buying his engines for their craft

  9. Aviation soon became his passion • 1907, formed Aerial Experiment Assoc. with Alexander Graham Bell • Goal was to build/improve airplane design • Built first American aircraft to have ailerons • Built first seaplane • 1910, Wrights and Curtiss open separate flight schools

  10. Other Notable Events • 1910: • Eugene Ely, first to land on Naval ship • Pres. Roosevelt, first pres. to fly • Wm. Randolph Hearst offers $50,000 to anyone who can fly across US in 30 days • Calbraith Perry Rodgers accepts challenge • Flies a Wright airplane • Sponsored by “Vin Fiz” soda • Flight took 49 days, 68 stops, 4,251 miles

  11. 1911, Harriet Quimby, first licensed female pilot • April 6, 1912, first woman to fly English Channel solo • Died in plane crash, June 1912

  12. Discussion • Why was the government uninterested in airplanes? • Why did many of the airplanes built in the 1910s and 1920s look so much alike? • Who seems more influential the Wrights or Glenn Curtiss?

  13. Exit Slip • 5 min • Index card • Name • Of all the “accomplish this aviation feat first and win a prize” promotions around back then, which would you chose to do? • Ex: Cross US, cross English Channel, Atlantic, Pacific, you can even make one up

  14. Preview Questions • Who was the first to fly in Europe? • Hint: Frenchman famous for dirigibles • Who built the world’s first monoplane? • What are 2 good reasons to build multiengine airplanes? • What was the major difficulty when flying VTOL aircraft?

  15. Progress in Europe • Robert Esnault-Pelterie • Frenchman • First to design/build glider with ailerons • Enclosed fuselage • Alberto Santos-Dumont • First to fly in Europe • October 23, 1906 • Paris

  16. Aviation got a lot of positive press in Europe • Caused a lot of excitement • Louis Bleriot, 1907 flew first monoplane • 1909, first to fly across English Channel • Built 11 planes before perfected English Channel flight model, 50 crashes

  17. Multiengine • 2 reasons to have more than one engine • Increase power • Improve reliability and safety • 1911, Short brothers granted patent for first multiengine airplane • First four engine airplane built by the great engineer and pilot, Igor Sikorsky • LeGrand, also had enclosed cockpit

  18. Engine Improvements • Engines very heavy • Made of steel, iron or brass • Water cooled • 10 pounds per hp • Laurent and Gustav Seguin, 1907 • Developed air cooled engine • Cooling fins on cylinders • 3 pounds per hp

  19. Vertical Flight • Rotary aircraft (rotating wings) • Early helicopters • Struggled with control once in flight

  20. Commercial Flight • January 1, 1914 • First regularly scheduled airline service • St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line • Pilot, Tony Janus • Plane, Twin Benoist XIV flying boat • Cost, $5 and took 20 minutes

  21. War is Coming • By 1912, all major modern nations have military flying service • By name only in US • We had 1 plane, that was our “Air Force” • 1913, 19 planes and 29 pilots in US military • 1914, start of war • Germany 200 planes • Britain and France 450 planes

  22. 1917, Congress appropriates $64 million for aircraft • Boasted that we would “darken the skies over Europe with US aircraft” • Promised 263 squadrons with 22,625 aircraft by June 1918 • When the war ended in November 1918 only 45 squadrons in action, none flying US planes • Not a single American designed combat aircraft saw action

  23. Discussion • In your opinion, who was more influential, Alberto Santos-Dumont, Louis Bleriot, or Igor Sikorsky? • Why? • Had anyone ever heard of the St Pete – Tampa Airboat Line?

  24. Exit Slip • 5 min • Index card • Name • Why was the US Government so ill prepared for the start of WWI? • How did the US deliver on promises to assist Britain with air support? • 5 min • Discuss with neighbor

  25. Preview Questions • What is the military role of the airplane? • The addition of what turned the airplane into an active attack weapon? • What is an “ace”? • Who were the “aces” of WWI?

  26. World War I • Airplanes used for observation • No guns • Bombs eventually carried • In the lap of the pilot • By 1915, Germans bombing France and England with dirigibles and airplanes • 1917, twin-engine Gotha IV replaced dirigibles as German bombers

  27. German air-raids on England caused the formation of the RAF or Royal Air Force

  28. Fighter Development • Brought upon by increased bombing raids • Just gave pilot a gun • French pilot Roland Garros mounted automatic rifle on cowling to fire through prop. • Had to put steel plates on back of prop • Garros shot down and captured • Germans tasked Anthony Fokker with improving firing design

  29. Fokker’s Design • Fokker incorporated an interrupting gear • The gun would only fire when the prop was out of the way • Reliability and safety • For a year the Germans were the only ones with this advantage, which gave them air superiority • 1916, allies captured German plane with interrupting gear and copied it

  30. Fighters had to be light, fast and maneuverable • Some famous fighters developed during WWI: • Sopwith Camel and the SE-5A, British • Spad VII and Nieuport 28, French

  31. Fokker Dr-I and D-VII, German

  32. Insignia • German • French • American • Britain

  33. Fighter Aces • French coined term “ace” • Given to pilots who downed 5 enemy aircraft • French • British • Americans • Germans required 10 • “Ace of Aces” given to pilot with most kills from each nation

  34. Ace of Aces • America, Eddie Rickenbacker • 26 kills • Britain, Edward Mannock • 73 kills • France, Rene Fonck • 75 kills • Germany, Baron Manfred von Richthofen • 80 kills • Red Baron

  35. US in WWI • War began in 1914, US did not enter till 1917 • Many Americans did not wait • Joined French Foreign Legion as pilots • When war broke out 7 wealthy Americans in Paris joined French Air Corps • Called themselves the Lafayette Escadrille • By 1917, only one of the original seven was still alive • Escadrille incorporated into US Army Air Corps in Feb 1918

  36. American Aviators • Raoul Lufberry • French born American citizen • 17 kills • Jumped out of airplane on fire and died • Eddie Rickenbacker • Former racecar driver • Named Commander of 94th Squadron after 4 kills • Gave pilots parachutes • 26 kills in 5 months

  37. Billy Mitchell • Youngest student at George Washington Univ. • 2nd Lt. at 18 • 1st Lt. by 19 • 1903, youngest Capt. In Army at 23 • Became pilot at 36, old for industry • Advocated separate “Air Force” branch of military • Chief of Air Service, under Amy command • Thought of planes as the future of offensive combat

  38. Discussion • Why were German “ace” criteria more restrictive than everyone else? • What invention allowed Germany to have air superiority for over a year? • Who was aviations biggest up and coming advocate?

  39. Videos • Glenn Curtiss • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33rS9Vf_5DQ • Alberto Santos-Dumont • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro5wkljLn7k • Louis Bleriot • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLUG_ZR9a0U • Igor Sikorsky • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YHlBq3pW7I

  40. Quiz • Who was the “fastest man on earth” for setting a motorcycle speed record? • Who built the “Vin Fiz” airplane? • Who was the 1st woman to fly the English Channel solo? • Who flew the first airplane in Europe? • Who built the 1st 4-engine airplane? • What was the airplanes 1st role in warfare? • How many “kills” must a German pilot have to receive the “ace” status? • Who invented the interrupter gear? • Who was America’s “ace of aces”? • Who was Germany’s “ace of aces”?

More Related