Airplanes
Airplanes are fixed-wing aircraft that use forward motion and lift from wings to fly. They are a key mode of transportation for both passengers and cargo, and have revolutionized global connectivity and travel. Airplanes are designed with advanced engineering and technology to ensure safety, efficiency, and performance in various flight conditions.
5 Key excerpts on "Airplanes"
eBook - ePubIntroduction to Aerospace Engineering
Basic Principles of Flight
- Ethirajan Rathakrishnan(Author)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
...3 Aircraft Configurations Aircraft con figurations, which describe the aerodynamic layout or specific components of an aircraft, vary widely. Aircraft configurations, in general, include fuselage, tail, and power plant configurations. This type of aircraft is referred to as fixed wing Airplanes. Another category of flying machine with rotating wing is called rotary‐winged aircraft or simply rotorcraft. Helicopter, cyclogyro/cyclocopter, autogyro (or gyrocopter, gyroplane, or rotaplane), gyrodyne, and rotor kite (or gyro glider) are all rotary‐winged aircraft. An aircraft is a machine that is able to fly by gaining support from the air or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or dynamic lift of an aerofoil or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines. The human activity that surrounds aircraft is called aviation. Crewed aircraft are flown by an onboard pilot, but unmanned aerial vehicles may be remotely controlled or self‐controlled by onboard computers. Aircraft may be classified by different criteria, such as lift type, propulsion, usage, and others. In general, powered aircraft are classified as propeller aircraft, jet aircraft, and rotorcraft. The key parts of an aircraft are generally divided into the following three categories: The structure : The main load‐bearing elements and associated equipment. The propulsion system (if it is powered) : The power source and associated equipment. The avionics : The control, navigation, and communication systems, usually electrical in nature. 3.1 Structure Structural design varies widely between different types of aircraft. For flying machines such as paraglider, the structure is made of flexible materials that act in tension and rely on aerodynamic pressure to hold their shape. A balloon similarly relies on internal gas pressure but may have a rigid basket or gondola slung below it to carry its payload...
eBook - ePubAir Transport Management
An International Perspective
- Lucy Budd, Stephen Ison, Lucy Budd, Stephen Ison(Authors)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...CHAPTER 16 Aircraft manufacturing and technology Andrew Timmis LEARNING OBJECTIVES ● To identify the scale, scope and location of aircraft manufacturing and technological development. ● To understand the evolution of commercial aircraft manufacturers from component and sub-assembly producers to system integrators. ● To recognise the role of outsourcing in aircraft manufacturing and development. ● To appreciate the role of changing materials and manufacturing processes in new aircraft programmes. ● To examine the future challenges facing the aircraft manufacturing sector. 16.0 Introduction The global aerospace technology and manufacturing industry is worth in excess of $800 billion per year and employs over 1.2 million people worldwide in high-skilled engineering, design and manufacturing roles (ATAG, 2018). The commercial aircraft industry is often seen as a symbol of a country’s export leadership in product markets that require a high level of design and engineering innovation. Aircraft manufacturing has been a leading export sector in many countries for more than six decades. In 2017, China’s aircraft manufacturing and repair industry generated $39 billion, while in 2018, the US aerospace sector exported $150 billion of products to international markets (US Department of Commerce, 2019). An aircraft consists of two principal components: the airframe and the power plants (engines). Each of these in turn consists of multiple components and sub-systems; the airframe, for example, includes the fuselage, wings, tail assembly and landing gear. It is estimated that a Boeing 747–800 consists of over 6 million individual parts which are sourced from all over the world and then assembled on the final assembly line (FAL) outside Seattle in Everett, Washington. Since the first heavier-than-air powered flight in 1903, aircraft designers and manufacturers have sought to develop ever safer, more reliable and efficient aircraft. The rate of technological change has been rapid...
eBook - ePubTechnology and American Society
A History
- Gary Cross, Rick Szostak(Authors)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...18 Airplanes and Atoms in Peace and War Civilian and military technologies have often advanced together. Although internal combustion was first developed for the factory and private transport, the military soon applied internal combustion to aircraft and tanks. Earlier, the Wilkinson boring machine, which made the Watt steam engine possible, was in large part developed for the manufacture of cannon. In the twentieth century, defenders of substantial government expenditures on military research pointed to significant civilian spillovers—although, in recent years these crossovers appear to be smaller in number, as military and civilian technologies diverge. Military research on both Airplanes and atoms solved complex technical problems and made widespread civilian application possible. Both stories start outside the military sector. The airplane was developed to facilitate travel, photography, and thrill-seeking. Only after private innovators had solved the most fundamental problems of flight did armies become interested—and this was only as war loomed on the horizon. Both World War I and World War II led to massive increases in research expenditure, which advanced airplane technology by leaps. The role of Airplanes in war quickly became so central that even in peacetime the military devoted vast sums to improving aircraft performance—though airpower would only prove decisive in war when one side had a significant advantage over the other. Civilian aircraft borrowed heavily from fighters and bombers, and later would adopt the jet engine, also developed for the Air Force. Indeed, most airplane manufacturing enterprises survived on military contracts until after 1945. Applied nuclear research in the military built on decades of scientific inquiry. The emergence of aerial bombing in World War I, and its widespread use on industrial and civilian sites in World War II, set the stage for the dropping of the atom bomb on two Japanese cities in August 1945...
eBook - ePub- Gordon Lamont(Author)
- 2007(Publication Date)
- Perlego(Publisher)
...One definition which was passed out to us in Canada was, "An airplane is a machine...." At this point the flight sergeant in charge of rigging would look dreamily into the distance. "An airplane is a machine...." he would begin again with an air of utter despondency. That was certainly no news to cadets. They had an idea that it might be a machine, and wanted to know more about it. "An airplane is a machine with lift-generating surfaces attached to a frame which carries an engine, fuel, aviator, and devices by which he steers, balances, and controls his craft," the mournful flight sergeant was finally able to convince them. Lift-generating surfaces—these are the bases of all flying. Every one knows, for instance, that a paper dart, instead of falling directly to the floor, sails in a gliding angle for some distance before crashing. Lift is generated under those plane surfaces moving through the air—and the lift keeps that paper dart gliding. Little eddies of air are compressed under its tiny wings. Imagine an engine in the dart, propelling it at some speed. Instead of having to nose down to get enough speed to generate lift under its wings, the dart would be able to fly on the level, or even climb a bit. Just so with an airplane. A gliding airplane about to land with power shut off is that paper dart on a large scale. The airplane flying is the dart with power. To make the airplane safe to fly, to give control to the pilot so that he may steer it where he wants to, there is a rudder, moved by a rudder-bar under the foot of the pilot. It is impossible to turn a swiftly moving airplane in the air by the rudder alone. It must be banked to prevent skidding, even as a race-track is banked high on the turns. On its side an airplane will cushion its own bank of proper degree by the use of ailerons. These ailerons are sections of the wing-tips which may be moved either up or down. They are counterbalanced so that movement of the left down gives you the right aileron up...
eBook - ePubSmall Unmanned Aircraft Systems Guide
Exploring Designs, Operations, Regulations, and Economics
- Brent Terwilliger, David C. Ison, John Robbins, Dennis Vincenzi(Authors)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc.(Publisher)
...Chapter 1 History of UAS: Where did they come from and where are they headed? Introduction Although unmanned aircraft may seem like a relatively recent development, these systems have been in use for quite some time, dating back to as early as the late nineteenth century. Many of the technologies and principles required for operation of modern systems were first envisioned, uncovered, and developed by various scientists and inventors in these early eras. This chapter contains an examination and discussion of crucial pioneers of technology and aeronautics, periods of technological development and operational expansion, the changing role in the modern era, and the technological and regulatory landscape influencing application of unmanned aviation. Early Predecessors Early aeronautics pioneers and their precursor models and technologies eventually led to the development of early unmanned aircraft, which were used for a range of functions, such as aerial research platforms, weapons, and targets. While the list of contributors to the success of unmanned aircraft provided here is not exhaustive, it does highlight some of the significant research and experimentation that has led to the technologies necessary to successfully operate such unmanned systems. ▮ Sir George Cayley Born in 1773, Sir George Cayley was an early pioneer of aeronautical vehicle design and aerodynamics research. In 1804, he designed a monoplane glider that appears sophisticated even by today’s standards. Cayley is credited with discovering that curved surfaces generate lift more effectively than flat ones. Also, he found that some modifications to wings, such as canting them upwards (commonly referred to as dihedral), added stability to his aircraft. In 1849, he created a glider with space for a pilot, which he successfully flew with a young boy as the occupant. Several years later, Cayley built a larger glider, which also successfully flew (see Figure 1-1)...
