Chapter 3
Early Flight (1904 – 1914)
Section A – Airplanes and Airmen in Europe
Section B – American Developments
Section C – Flying Competitions
Section D – Aviation Industry
Section A
Airplanes and Airmen in Europe
The Wright brother had achieve powered flight in 1903
and demonstrated its practicality, but were reluctant to
share their technology. Despite, the brothers’ refusal to
cooperate with other inventors, development work in
aviation continued without the Wright’s technology and
without detail knowledge of the technology. Octave
Chanute helped to inspire some of the European
efforts by lecturing in Paris in 1903 on his and the
brothers’ gliders. He talked about wing warping and
the use of the rear rudder. He spurred the pride of the
French.
European Developments
Robert Esnault-Pelterie
– Tried to reproduce the 1902 Wright glider
Reproduction included wing warping
– Without the Wright’s Technology and
knowledge, he failed.
– In 1904
Pelterie devised his own glide, it flew in October
Used ailerons in front instead of wing warping.
European Developments
In 1905, Gabriel Voisin and attorney Ernast
Archdeacon organized the Syndicat d’Aviation,
the first company organized to make heavierthan-air craft. The company produced two
gliders, one for Archdeacon and one for
engineer Louis Bleroit.
Both gliders flew successfully; Bleriot-Voisin
Company was born., but the broke up in 1906.
That same year Voisin established his own
factory
With Bleriot, he built a biplane with a little
Antoinette motor, used for boats.
European Developments
France was on it’s way in aviation, but other
countries were making developments in airplane
too.
Trajan Vuia
– Romanian aviator, who called his monoplane ‘No. 1’
– His aircraft featured variable wing incidence and
pneumatic tires.
Incidence- the angle between the airplane’s longitudinal axis
and the wing’s chord line.
Chord line- the imaginary line from the leading edge of an
airfoil to the trailing edge.
First Airplane Flight in Europe
Alberto Santos-Dumont
Brazilian aviation pioneer living in Paris.
– Turned attention from dirigibles to airplanes.
– Designed a biplane he called ‘14-bis’ and hired
Gabriel Voisin to build the plane
– 50-hp Antoinette engine
– Won the Archdeacon Prize for the first flight of 25
meters.
– November 12, 1906- first official recognized airplane
flight in Europe.
Production
Production began by the Voisin Freres.
– Influenced by the Wright brothers, they
developed a pusher biplane with a forward
elevator and tail rudder.
– They produced about 20 planes by 1914,
WWI.
– Most European aircraft makers were
influenced by Wilbur’s European Tour in 1908.
Henry Farman
Ordered a plane from Voisin and made
improvements to it by modifying the tail and
adding ailerons.
– The plane was Europe’s first flight around a circular
route in 1908 and won the Grand Prix D’Aviation.
Started his own airplane production company
after he ordered a second plane and Voisin sold
it to someone else.
1909 Rheims International Air Meet, he became
the first pilot to fly more than 100 mile (111.8
miles) and was top prize winner at the air meet.
Short Brothers
Horace, Albert, and Hugh Short
– Established an airplane manufacturing
company in Great Britain in 1908.
– Obtained a license from the Wright brother’s
to build six Wright airplanes the next year.
The first in the world to produce airplanes in a
series.
Louis Bleriot
Built the Bleriot XI (1909), became the first
airplane to fly across the English Channel, after
ditching the first attempt.
Flew across the E.C. for the prize money and to
promote his company.
– Wilbur Wright considered the feat, but decided not
due to the risk involved, plus he need his plane for
continued marketing.
He crashed in Romania in December of 1909,
his 32nd crash, where he was seriously injured
was eventually stopped flying.
Igor I. Sikorsky
Believed that a flying machine could be lifted not
by wings, but by propeller.
– Back in Russia, he built a helicopter, but it failed.
He figured that he should learned to fly first.
– He built the S-1, but it lacked horsepower,
– but the S-2 flew and he taught himself to fly.
The S-5 was controlled by pedals for the rudder
and by a single wheel instead of two sticks from
the elevator and ailerons.
1911, qualified for a pilot’s license, number 64.
German Airplanes
Germany entered aviation a bit later than
the U.S., France, and Great Britain, but
obtained licenses to bulid foreign airplanes
Established about 25 production
complanies before WWI.
End of Section A
Section B
American Developments
The Wright brothers were number one in
American aviation, but they were not alone.
They lead American aviation through 1908
and even 1909, but they increasingly faced
competition. Competitors challenged the
Wrights in technological matters, commercial
sales, and popular opinion.
Aerial Experiment Association
AEA
– Founded and led by Alexander Graham Bell
Purpose was to build a practical airplane.
Members included:
–
–
–
–
J.A.D. McCurdy of Canada
Lt. Thomas Selfridge, US Army
Thomas Baldwin (dirigibles)
Glenn Curtiss (Bike and motorcycle maker)
Most notable was the development and patent
for their wingtip aileron. Curtiss continued the
aileron legacy in his aircraft manufacturing
company
Curtiss Airplanes
First Manufactured pusher airplanes with
ailerons
– The ailerons were placed midway between
the wings
Brought on a legal battle with the Wright Bros.
He tried to get orders from the US Navy
– He designed hydroplanes and flying boats
Landplanes with floats in place of wheels, usually
only one float
– Flying boat went under testing Jan. 1912 at
San Diego, California.
Exhibition and Stunt Flying
Curtiss decided to form an exhibition team
– Two pilots and two planes
Curtiss performed stunts, pilots did not
Earned Commission, earned 50% of take
The Wright Bros.
– The Wright Fliers Exhibition Team
Earned Salaries
Earned less money
End of Section B
Time to take a break!!!