Evolution of Human Flight Cause and Effect

Why Human Flight? The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who . . . looked jealously on the birds soaring freely through space . . . on the infinite highway of the air. Wilbur Wright

Mystery and Beliefs of the Unknown Ancient civilizations, regardless of geographic location, held a common belief Beings possessed the ability to fly Chinese emperors flew with wings and in chariots King of Persia rode a flying throne carried by eagles Griffin – half eagle / half lion Egyptian gods had wings

Mystery and Beliefs of the Unknown Greek god Hermes and Roman god Mercury had winged sandals Eros and Cupid were winged children Daedalus and Icarus – created wings from wax and feathers Flying dragons and winged horses

Mystery and Beliefs of the Unknown Ancient cultures believed that only gods and powerful past leaders had the ability of flight. What caused this belief? High importance on religion, history passed on by verbal story telling, lack of education, lack of experience, repression of self-thought, etc. What changed this belief? Acceptance of self-thought, life experience, choice, etc.

From Mystery to Reality As societies changed, what specific human factor still used today in flight design pushed flight from mystery to reality? Imagination The ability to mentally conceptualize an idea or concept How did imagination turn into flight? Science and trial-and-error

Early wing imagination Trial-and-Error Early wing imagination Feathers have lifting power Flight was achieved by flapping Wing reality Wings don’t equal flight Wings aid in the creation of lift

Trial-and-Error First documented human attempt of flight was in Spain in 852 by Armen Fiman What did Fiman’s attempt consist of? Jumping from a tower wearing a cloak with a wooden support structure For centuries flight was attempted by attaching large wings to one’s body and jumping from high places. Why? All flight observations were of animals with wings

When wing imagination meets reality Trial-and-Error When wing imagination meets reality Humans are heavy and require a large amount of lift Human-made wings produced little lift What philosophy or mindset had to change before human flight was made possible? Science, technology, understanding, and trial and error created flight theory and experimentation

Theory and Experimentation What experiments could be created to validate wing theories? Experiment results can lead to what possible outcomes? Theory is validated or discredited

Early Aircraft Before the invention of the reliable internal combustion engine, could humans fly? Yes How? Lighter than air flight

Early Aircraft Why did it take nearly two thousand years to accomplish the first lighter than air flight? What inspired winged flight? Birds and insects What inspired lighter than air flight? Smoke

Early Aircraft Lighter than air flight Archimedes (287-212 BCE) described the principle of buoyant flight 1709 - First documented lighter than air flight How was lift obtained? Montgolfier Brothers Developed the first practical hot air balloon. 1783- first non tethered flight in Paris 25minutes & 5.6 miles

Early Aircraft Henry Cavendish identified hydrogen in 1775 How did hydrogen affect lighter than air flight?

Theory and Experimentation In 1799 Sir George Cayley created the first sketch of a flying machine that used wings for lift and not propulsion Cayley developed a whirling arm wind tunnel to test wing lift, drag, and stability

Theory and Experimentation While utilizing the whirling arm wind tunnel, Cayley concluded that Wing surfaces experience different pressures which cause lift Low pressure on the upper surface High pressure on the lower surface Curved wings produce greater lift than a flat plate 1809 Cayley built the first successful glider, the flying parachute

Theory and Experimentation What was the most widely used power source until the mid 19th century? Muscle power – human or animal What was a major non-muscle power source from the early 18th century through the mid 20th century? Steam power

Theory and Experimentation What are the limiting factors of muscle power? Endurance Weight to power ratio Movement limitations What are the limiting factors of steam power? Mid-19th century steam engine produced 1 horsepower per 3,000 pounds of weight How did these factors affect human flight?

Cause and Effect What technology or invention overcame the limiting factor of power in human flight? 1876 Nikolaus Otto developed a reliable internal combustion engine - Improved power to weight ratio - Adapted to aircraft

1903 – The Birth of Modern Flight December 17, 1903 “It was only a flight of 12 seconds, and it was an uncertain, wavy, creeping sort of flight . . . but it was a real flight at last and not a glide.” Orville Wright

The Birth of the Aerospace Industry Government and private industry dedicated to Research and development Design and evaluation Manufacturing Operations of systems relating to the travel of vehicles in Earth’s atmosphere and surrounding space

1903 to Present Day How has the world changed since 1903?

1903 to Present Day How has education changed since 1903?

1903 to Present Day How has science changed since 1903? How has technology changed since 1903? How has human flight changed since 1903?