Journey Into Aviation History

Lesson 1-1

Discovering Flight

Early Ideas about Flight

• People wanted to fly as far back as 2,000 years before Christ (B.C.)

• At first fantasy, magic, and legend used, later trial-and-error method

• In the past 500 years people with interest in flying began to develop machines that would carry them through the air

Ancient Chinese Legends

• Emperor Shun escaped prison by putting on work clothes of a bird and flying to freedom

• Kei Kung, Chinese god of thunder and lightning, was believed to be able to fly using bat wings

• Ki-Shun-Shi flew on a chariot--levitation

Chinese Contributions to Flight

• Two significant Chinese inventions:– Kites invented around 1000 B.C.

• Used in 17th century to carry soldiers

– Gunpowder developed in the ninth century

• Wan Hoo, fastened 47 rockets around a large chair to fly to the moon

Greek and Roman Legends

• Greek god, Hermes and Roman god, Mercury had wings on their sandals by which they could travel through the heavens

• Eros, the Greek god of love, and Cupid, the Roman god of lovehad wings

Greek and Roman Legends

• Pegasus, the winged horse

Other Legends

• In the 4th century B.C.,Alexander the Great,King of Macedonia was believed to have ridden in a cage pulled by griffins(half eagle and half lion)

Griffin

Daedalus and Icarus

• Imprisoned by Minos, theKing of the Greek island of Crete

• Daedalus made two pairs of wings and covered them with bird feathers and wax; he and his son flew away from the prison

Daedalus and Icarus

• Despite his father’swarnings, Icarus flewtoo close to the sun and the wax they used to attached the wings to their shoulders meltedcausing the wings tofall off and Icarusfell to his death inthe sea

Desire to Fly

• People had the desire to fly, but didn’t understand the science necessary to fly

• As time progressed, a glimmer of understanding began to surface

• Franceso de Lana developed an “aerial boat” using evacuated hollow copperspheres to provide lift

Aerial Boat

Ancient Attempts to Fly

• In A.D. 852, Armen Firman, a Moor, donned a huge cloak and jumped to his death from a high tower in Cordoba, Spain

• Several attempts were made to fly by means of strapped-on wings and bat-like garments made of cloth and wood

• All were failures due to lack of scientific knowledge and power

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

• Considered by some the first aeronautical engineer

• Designed parachute, model helicopter, and ornithopter

• It wasn’t until 300 years after his death that his manuscripts were found and made known to the world

Work of Leonardo da Vinci

Early Parachute

Ornithopter (powered by arms and legs of passenger)

Helicopter Design

Leonardo da Vinci Contributions to Aeronautical Engineering

• Center of Gravity• Center of Pressure• Streamlining