History of Aircraft Evolution
The invention and development of the first aircraft are arguably one of the three craziest and most high-level technical discoveries of the 19th century; the other innovations that changed the history of the 19th century are the atom power unleashing and the electronics revolution. From the first designed and developed aircraft, human life has never been the same, especially trade and transportation has evolved to a level that otherwise could not have reached. For instance, with the development of commercial aircraft, challenges of intercontinental trade have been a thing of the past; traders can conveniently trade on precious commodities across continents within hours. The transportation sector has equivalently advanced over the years due to the evolution in the aviation industry; with high capacity and speed flights, the world has become a global village where one can move from the furthest east side of the world to the extreme west-end in hours. The evolution of the aircraft and aviation industry has transformed life experience since the early 19th century, and the transformation continues as more advanced innovative technologies keep streaming in the sector.
The aircraft did not just happen; it took bold innovations and great risks of ancient scientists to develop the conceptual idea and develop the ideas through a series of stages to a point where the first aircraft was tested in 1903. For an aircraft to float above in the air, it’s the science of natural law that defy the laws of gravity and propel the plane forward through unimaginable distance. The science of natural law that governs a plane’s flight did not come easily, but rather took time and great efforts and these aerodynamic principles have evolved over the past 2000 years, right from ancient Greek science. The idea of a device floating on air was actualized in 1903 when Wilbur Wright and Orville (the Wright brothers) harnessed the laws of natural science to a sufficient degree to permit a heavier than air, engine-powered machine to fly through air successfully. Even though the first flight made by the Wright brother was for a short while, it became the foundation of aerodynamics and the evolution of the aviation industry. Therefore, the history of the development and design of aircraft began in 1903
The aviation or aircraft developments during interwar period, between 1920s and 1930s was based on the previous improvements made on da Vinci’s aircraft concepts and Wright Brother’s first flying aircraft. it is also imperative to mention that the commercialization of aviation industry was pioneered during interwar period by private jet-owners who decided to venture into airline travel business. The interwar period did not just happen, the developments were inspired by the preceding aviation evolution phases such as pre-wright, and strut-and-wire phase, the developments of interwar period also inspired other evolution phases like jet-propelled and modern aircraft.
Aircraft Development Between 1920s to 1930s
Interwar period was the re-inventio period in aircraft development where aviation sector experienced series of remarkable technological inventions based on scientific generation. The aircraft technology underwent spontaneous development progress in terms of structural designs and performance experience that has transformed the aviation. The aviation designs developed significantly in several ways in America, Europe and Asia a decade after the first aircraft flight at Kitty Hawk by Wright Brothers. These development and design changers lead to the re-invention of aircrafts aimed at addressing the flight challenges experienced in the first decade of aircraft technology as well as the performance challenges experienced during the First World War. Most of the development changes made between 1920s and 1930s are still relevant and evident up to date, and due to this, Hansen argues that the aircraft experienced spontaneous re-invention during interwar period between 1920s and 1930s.
According to Hansen, he introduces the interwar period as the most phenomenal and ingenious revolutionary period in the history of aircraft and aviation industry. The developments during this period is clearly evidenced by the impact of aerodynamics in the structural designs of aircrafts, especially the American airplanes such as X-1, 747 and DC-3 aircraft series. The interwar period also reorganized the individuals, engineers, scientists and designers to have transformative inventions that led to development of airplanes during this period. For example, individual contributions that led to the transformation of aviation industry during interwar period was the aerodynamic concepts in designs that transformed the laminar-flow airfoils, flutters and streamline designs in aircrafts. In Germany, the transformation was equally evident during this period, for example, the aircraft designs transformed from the frail wooden biplanes and hand-curved wooden propellers to the all-metal strut-and-stud wing planes and engine powered aircrafts.
The introduction of aviation programs and establishment of aviation centers emerged during interwar period in Europe and United States. For instance, the University of Michigan and Massachusetts Institute of technology (MIT) introduced the aeronautical engineering courses to train students on the aeronautical skills. Through to 1930s, aircraft design and aeronautical skills became substantive intuitive practice with bold speculations in technological aspects. However, these developments made the process of aircraft design quite expensive to individual scientists, designers and engineers. From experimentations, designers and inventors took the risk to experiment series of flights to determine the best or desirable engine drag that would improve aircraft’s performance and this led to the redesign of aircraft wings with sufficient drag to enable planes move longer distances. Further inventions led to the development of landing gears that greatly improved the landing experience in aircraft unlike the previous designs where aircraft landing was a nightmare.
The “Re-invention Period”
In summary, the aircraft re-invention period between 1920s and 1930s paved the way for the development of the modern aircraft systems that aviation industry relies on today. The discovery of lighted and efficient aircraft engines, streamline designs that improved on the drag, redesign of aircraft wings, development of retractable landing gears is some of the remarkable changes that occurred on airplanes in the interwar period. These design developments improved the efficiency, and performance of aircrafts enabling them to cover considerably longer distance than it was in the first decade of first aircraft flight, thus prompting the emergence of air travel industry. The need to equip learners with aeronautical skills become a major concern during this period and led to the introduction of aeronautical engineering in universities and colleges across Europe, Asia and America.
From Wright’s first aircraft, the fledging aviators and inventors started designing and developing their aircraft based on the aerodynamics of the first plane to fly. In the early years of the 1900s, designed aircraft were made of fabrics and wood panels with struts and wire to support the wing structures. The aircraft used in the First World War were designed and developed based on the Wright’s Flight of 1903, solders experienced numerous challenges ranging from efficiency, landing, structural performance to engine power. Therefore, it is these challenges experienced on aircrafts in the first decade of first flight that propelled designers, engineers and scientist to re-invent on mechanisms that would enhance and improve flight experience. The availability of stronger power engine favored the re-invention of design and construction of airplanes with sufficient drag and thrust for improved flights.
On other hand, the need and desire to improve on the operational characteristics of aircraft like speed, safety, altitude and efficiency triggered these advancements on aircraft and aviation industry between 1920s and 1930s thus earned it the name “golden age of aviation”. The period became the maturity era of the aviation sector due to eight major structural and technical advancements, all of which transformed aircraft aerodynamics.
The period between the 1920s and 1930s is known as the golden era in aircraft and aviation development. After the fights successful flight made by Wright Brothers, several advancements were made in the industry that led to the design and fabrication of aircrafts for different purposes. For instance, during World War 1, early aircraft were majorly used by waring fronts on battlefields and consequently resulted in the development of military aircraft. The two decades between the 1920s and 1930s are also known as the formative decade in the aircraft and aviation sectors. People realized the benefits of the aeroplane and thus inspired the sprung of civil and commercial aviation, and the rapid advancement in flight technology necessitated these developments. In the 1920s, after the end of World War I, flight jets were left idling while most countries sold their war aircraft to private owners (celebrities). The majority of private jet owners spent the early 1920s barnstorming, flying from town to town, showing off their landing skills by landing on firms, roadsides and airstrips.
Factors Behind Spontaneous and Significant Changes
Between 1923 and 1926, after private owners had improved their flight and piloting skills, they reorganized into groups and started airshows. During this time, aircraft were used in airshows, flight competitions, mock combat battles and acrobatic stunts since there world was peaceful and no war to use the planes. The stunt shows that pilots learnt more about aerodynamics and flight mechanisms and enabled them to identify faults and weaknesses in their crafts. In the efforts to improve on the flaws, better aircraft were designed and developed across Europe, Asia and the United States. The desire to compete better in the airshow events led to more advancements in aircraft’s structural designs, speed, and performance during the interwar period.
In 1929, Clyde Cessna, Beech Walter and Lloyd Stearman decided to transform the aviation industry from mainly warcraft to travel aeroplanes by forming the first air travel company known as Travel Air Manufacturing Company. Their first-ever travel air was 100 designed and developed along the famous lines of Curtiss Jenny. Due to the success of Travel Air Manufacturing Company, other air travel companies like Stinson Airline Company were formed in 1941 by E.L Cord, who was the owner of Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Company. After that, other investors ventured into the airline sector by providing travelling services across Europe and US but was over a short distance. With aircraft advancements in wing technology, aerodynamics, control and technical aspects, distance travel also increased as airline companies could do inter-regional flights. For example, the first flight across the Atlantic transporting passengers was in 1939 by Pan American Airways. However, the development of airlines was brought to a halt due to the emergence of World War II in the 1940s. During WW II, most airline companies went underground, but they were advancing on their flight during this period. After WW II, they reemerged even better than they were before the war. For instance, Pan American Airline emerged stronger and started operating the now-famous Boeing airline series with it Boeing 307 being its first series
Conclusion
The aviation industry had undergone a series of “advancement metamorphosis” starting from early 200 BC when the idea of flying objects was conceived to the early 16th century when da Vinci expressed his vision of aircraft to Cayley’s 1799 streamline Kite, to Wrights Brothers first flying aircraft through to modern military and civil aircraft. The historical evolution of the aviation industry can be expressed in four distinct periods; pe-wright era, strut-and-wire era, propeller-driven planes, and jet-propelled or modern aircraft. These evolution phases were characterized by outstanding innovations either on structural design, wing development, propulsion, technical specification, or performance improvements. The analysis presented herein focused on the “golden era” or “interwar period” between the 1930s and 1940s. It falls between the end of the First world war and before the Second World War. During this period, commercial and civil aviation was started with several airline companies coming into existence to enhance transportation by air across continents.
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