Robert Stengel’s Post

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Professor Emeritus at Princeton University

AVIATION HISTORY: Mythology to the Present Fascinating developments from the fabled past, beginning with Daedalus and Icarus in 1400 BC (https://lnkd.in/eWNETMK5). Millenia passed before fictional accounts of human flight were augmented by "natural philosophers", theorists, and experimentalists, who explored the science of flight. The pace quickened in the 19th century. Visionaries proposed commercial air transportation, and daredevils glided from hilltops. By the end of the century, powered flight was almost a reality. Powered human flight became real just a few years later, when the Wright brothers flew 37 m (120 feet; https://lnkd.in/es3QXMZ4) at an average speed of 3 m/s (10 ft/s). In less than a hundred years, commercial airliners had wingspans longer than that flight and airspeeds over 100 times faster (https://lnkd.in/e-xYwjmG). See how commercial, military, and personal aviation progressed in the attached slide set, and imagine what the next century will bring.

History teaches aircraft stability, then control, usually by toleration of consequent drag. Next chapter: exceptional stability and efficient control, but by means of induced drag reduction. High span efficiency is not being practiced nor taught, nearly two decades after its first practical examples. I bet the Mayans and other competitive experimenters would have bet their wax feathers on it.

Iain McOnie

Helping people live better

9mo

It really is quite amazing how quickly things progressed after it was shown it was possible. Reminds me of Roger Bannister, and the 4min mile. Soon we may see a sub 2hr marathon!

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