Reference no: EM133415001
Question: Summarize on how each of the inventory failed their work and how the Wright Brothers successfully invented the first powered flight. Also include the date and place each of them.
The lack of a suitable powerplant was a major obstacle in the progress of powered flight. Thanks to discoveries of Nikolaus Otto and refinements by Gottlieb Daimler, the internal combustion engine was fairly reliable, but the power-to-weight ratio was the main drawback to its use in an airplane. By the turn of the century, a powerplant specifically for aircraft had not yet been developed.
One of the first to experiment with such an engine was Sir Hiram Maxim, the American-born British subject who invented an early version of the machine gun. Another was a French electrical engineer named Clement Ader.
As the 19th century drew to a close, Maxim was already rich and fa-mous. After many experiments with wing shapes and propellers, he proceeded to build a giant flying machine. Maxim approached the problem on a grand scale. He constructed several steam engines that developed more than 300 horsepower to be used in a heavier-than-air flying machine.
By 1894, Maxim had designed and built a huge three and one-half ton aircraft that was 104 feet long and was powered by two 180-horsepower steam engines. Maxim also designed a long track for the engine-driven flying machine to move on. The tracks were constructed so that the huge aircraft was captive to the track. While testing the machine, Maxim gradually increased the steam pressure until the aircraft attained enough speed to lift off. Then, the control surfaces, consisting of two elevator-like devices, were moved to a lifting position.
Although maxim's efforts were generally considered unsuccessful, he did demonstrate two of the requirements for powered flight sufficient power and lift. However, he did not achieve a third requirement - control. The experiments by Ader met with a similar fate. He also used a steam-powered machine, but during trials before French official in 1897, the craft failed to leave the ground. Financial backing was withdrawn, and Ader terminated his experiments.
Samuel Langley, previously mentioned in relation to gliding activities, was another who worked diligently to build a powered heavier-than-air machine. He used the same method of experimentation that he had used with gliders- the practice of scaling.
While associated with the Smithsonian institution, Langley succeeded in obtaining a government grant of $50.000 in 1898 for the construction of a flying machine, provided that it met certain criteria. Once again, a major problem was finding a suitable engine. The governinent required that the machine include a gasoline-powered engine which could develop 12 horsepower and not exceed 100 pounds in weight.
Initially, Langley had difficulty finding someone who would accept the job of constructing an engine to government specifications. A Cornel engineer named Charles M. Manley agreed to take on the task and became Langley's chief engineer and pilot. He not only succeeded in constructing such an engine, but also produced a radial design engine that weighed 207.45 pounds and developed 52.4 horsepower. A radial engine consists of a row, or rows, of cylinders arranged around a central crank. case. Manley's engine was bench-run three times for 10 hours each time without a major mechanical failure, however, the airframe of Langley's airplane, which he called the "aerodrome" did not measure up in quality to the engine produced by Manly. The tail assembly was fixed, and two wings were mounted on the open fuselage in tandem rather than in a biplane configuration. Directional control was provided by a rudder located behind the two large pusher propellers. The aerodrome was to be launched by a catapult from the top of a houseboat anchored in the Potomac River.
During a test flight on October 7, 1903, the aerodrome was catapulted into the Potomac River with Manly at the controls. The aircraft and Manly were retrieved and repairs and modifications were mads to the aircraft. A final attempt was made on December 8, 1903, this time before the press and government officials. Again, the aerodrome plunged to the bottom of the Potomac. Newspaper reporters observing the accident used the opportunity to discredit Langley and the United States Government for wasting money and for getting involved in such a foolhardy scheme. Although Langley's attempts ended in failure, aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss flew this model in 1914 after making a few modifications.
Two of history's more renowned pioneers in heavier-than-air flight differed in many ways from their predecessors. They were not engineers, held no academic degrees, and they did not possess fortunes to follow their aeronautical pursuits. However, they were among the most successful in applying theories, including lift and drag formulas, to practical use. These two men were Orville and Wilbur Wright, Sons of a clergy-man, they owned a small bicycle manufacturing shop in Dayton, Ohio. Heavier-than-air flight had excited the Wright brothers since mid-1890.
To his credit, Octave Chanute was very supportive of the efforts by the Wright brothers. They wrote to Chanute before they achieved notable success in gliding and, characteristically, he aided them in every way he could. After considerable correspondence, Chanute even went to Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, to help conduct gliding experiments with the Wrights. Kill Devil Hills was selected by the Wrights after carefully checking with the U.S. Weather Bureau in Washington, This site was likely to have the most suitable winds for gliding experiments.
In September 1903, the Wrights were ready to begin testing their powered airplane, which closely resembled their gliders. The wings were light and fragile, with wires or cables attached to the tips so that one or the other of the wings could be warped. They could make coordinated turns by manually warping the wing in conjunction with rudder deflection. Unlike today's conventional airplanes, the Wright's "Flyer" had the elevator ahead of the aircraft and the rudder behind, Although the Wright brothers had no previous experience in power. plants, they designed and built a lightweight, four-cylinder, water-cooled gasoline engine that produced about 12 horsepower. The engine was assembled in the Wright's bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, with the help of one of their mechanists. In view of the state of engine development in the early 1900's, this alone was a remarkable feat.
Next, they built two pusher propellers which were unique because they were designed with a profile like a wing. The propellers were connected to the engine by bicycle chains and turned in opposite directions to counteract torque. The Wright brothers realized that propeller efficiency was essential because of the limited engine power. They also were aware of other critical factors, including the distribution of weight and the controllability of their fragile aircraft.
The takeoff was effective without the aid of a catapult or other booster device. These aids were not incorporated by the Wright brothers until 1904. It is interesting to note that the first flight, covering 120 feet, was actually shorter than the wingspan of a Boeing 747.
The Wrights' success was not met with immediate acclaim, Some Dayton papers ran the announcement, but it was not headline news. Most papers throughout the country dismissed the flight as a hoax. In 1904, the Wrights moved their flying activities to a pasture near Dayton and continued experimenting to improve their machine.
In March 1903, the Wrights had applied for a patent of the unique features of the airplane, particularly the wing-warping device. It was not until they demonstrated their achievement in 1906 that the patent was granted. The Wrights were also met with rejection when they tried to sell their airplane to the United States Government. After exhausting every possibility to sell their ideas in the United States, the Wrights concentrated on France. Wilbur Wright went to France in 1907, taking one airplane with him, while Orville took care of matters at home. Negotiations dragged on in France, possibly because some of the Europeans were having limited success in developing their own airplanes during this period.
In late 1907, the United States finally became interested in purchasing an airplane. Considering the state of technological development and the time involved in filing a bid, the required specifications were very rigid. The aircraft was to have a minimum speed of 36 miles per hour, and it was to carry two persons and enough fuel to fly 125 miles.
While Orville was building a new airplane for the U.S. Army tests, Wilbur performed exhibition flights in France for European governments and businessmen. This proved to be rewarding financially, as well as in the honors received. In March 1908, Wilbur signed a $100,000 contract to form a French company for the purpose of building airplanes using the Wright's patented ideas. In September, 1908, Orville made a series of public demonstration flights at Fort Meyer, near Washington, D.C. To climax a generally successful year, Wilbur won the 20,000-franc Michaelin Prize in France for remaining aloft for 2 hours, 20 minutes during a flight of 77 miles.
While Orville and Wilbur Wright were trying to sell their airplane, another pioneer, Glenn Curtiss, began experimenting with aviation. Curtiss also had a background in the bicycle business and he advanced the bicycle by adding an engine. Since all motorcycle engines traditionally produced high power for their weight, they were exactly what airplane designers needed. The first aircraft engine that Curtiss produced was actually for a lighter-than-air ship. The powerplants he designed were based on his motorcycle-building experience. In addition to being powerful and lightweight, they were also dependable.
In 1907, Curtiss and Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the tele-phone, founded the Aerial Experiment Association for the purpose of developing and building airplanes. Curtiss provided most of the engines for the various airships and airplanes designed and built by this experimental group. While working as an engine builder for the group, Curtiss also learned a considerable amount about building airframes. He was a person who could visualize a completed project and was extremely good at making improvements to existing models and methods of construction.
The first airplane he built and designed for the association contained many important improvements. One of the most significant was the addition of ailerons as separate control surfaces located between the wings of his biplane design.