The Early Days of Flight Overview & Objectives Know developments of “Lighter-than-air” craft from Leonardo da Vinci to Wright brothers Know ways balloons were used in US Civil War & Spanish-American War Know developments of “Heavier-than-air” from Leonardo da Vinci to Wright brothers Chapter 1, Lesson 2

Problems to Overcome How to get up in the air How to stay up in the air How to control where they are going once in the air

Developments in “Lighter-Than-Air” Flight Balloons How do they work? If air or gas inside a balloon is lighter than the air around it, it will float - Principle of: Hot air takes care of the first challenge of flight: getting up into the air Buoyancy Chapter 1, Lesson 2 Taken from wikipedia.com

Hot Air Balloons Laurenço de Gusmão - a Jesuit priest Credit for inventing the hot-air balloon In 1709, demonstrated it to King of Portugal Chapter 1, Lesson 2

The Montgolfier Brothers Joseph & Étienne Montgolfier First balloon flight w/ humans aboard Lit a fire in fireplace Held open a small silk bag over fire Bag swelled & rose to the ceiling New gas? Observed a principle of physics: Hotter air rises above cooler air Chapter 1, Lesson 2

The Montgolfier Brothers French King Louis XVI & his Queen, Marie Antoinette, asked to see it Eventually, led to first manned balloon flight, on 21 Nov 1783 How to keep it up? (2nd challenge) Keep balloon hot – problems? Dangerous Fuel is heavy Chapter 1, Lesson 2

Balloons & Lift Meanwhile, young scientist J. A. C. Charles experimented with hydrogen Lighter than air gas Provided much more lift than hot air Lift - Upward force on an aircraft against gravity Benefits of hydrogen? Didn’t need to carry fire or fuel aloft Chapter 1, Lesson 2

Hydrogen Balloons Risks of Hydrogen ? Very flammable Hindenburg Risks of Hydrogen ? Very flammable Many people were killed before started using Helium (a safer gas) Charles & a passenger made the first manned hydrogen balloon flight on 1 Dec 1783 Lasted more than 2 hours, flew over 27 miles Chapter 1, Lesson 2

Military Use Benjamin Franklin saw one of Charles’s balloons in 1783 Immediately wrote home, stressing the military importance of the balloon In 1793, French Army started using balloons for aerial reconnaissance Looking over battlefields from the sky Chapter 1, Lesson 2

Dirigibles Control The Dirigible Still needed to solve the 3rd problem of flight: Control Eventually, inventors designed a steerable airship The Dirigible Chapter 1, Lesson 2

Dirigibles These new airships had 2 things that helped pilots steer: Rudders Movable surface attached to the rear Turns the craft left or right Power sources / propellers Now airships could move through the air much as sea ships move through water Chapter 1, Lesson 2

First Dirigible In 1852, Henri Giffard of France built first cigar-shaped dirigible 3-horsepower steam engine pushed it through the sky at about 5 mph Chapter 1, Lesson 2

Dirigible Improvements Alberto Santos-Dumont Santos-Dumont’s built 82 feet long NONRIGID airship 3-horsepower gas motor Reached altitude of 1,300 feet Steered w/ rudder Flew 14 of these dirigibles In 1901, around the Eiffel Tower Won a big cash prize Sparked interest in aviation worldwide Chapter 1, Lesson 2

Count von Zeppelin July 1900, a German inventor built & flew…. First RIGID dirigible - the LZ-1 Led to world’s first commercial airships The Zeppelins were luxurious: Roomy, wood-paneled cabins for over 20 passengers Flew at speeds over 40 mph

Aeronauts Aeronaut - people who travel in airships or balloons One named Thaddeus Lowe tried to interest Gen Winfield Scott—head of Union Army—in balloons Scott saw no military need for balloons But Lowe didn’t give up Eventually, he convinced President Lincoln w/ a demonstration Lowe was finally allowed to organize a Balloon Corps of the Union Army

Balloons & Battle of San Juan Hill 1898, US at war w/ Spain… Battle of San Juan Hill proved to Army what balloons could do! Lt Col George M. Derby moved Army’s only spy balloon close to action From there, observers in the balloon could see a new trail leading to the Spanish forces US commanders then divided soldiers into 2 forces to advance a/g Spain

Battle of San Juan Hill The balloon observers also directed artillery fire from El Pozo Hill a/g San Juan Hill trenches Historians say this led to the US’s victory

Gliders – “Heavier than Air Flight” George Cayley John Stringfellow Otto Lilienthal Sam Langley

Sir George Cayley 1850 built first successful full-size manned glider Englishman Used Leonardo da Vinci’s glider ideas His glider designs are like today’s Wings in front, tail in back Radical “Fixed wing” designs Separate system for propulsion Identified 3 aviation forces: Lift Drag Thrust 1850 built first successful full-size manned glider

John Stringfellow 1843, Patented the “Ariel” glider that theoretically could carry a man Steam engine drove 2 propellers Never actually built But 1848, Stringfellow did build a steam-driven model that did fly 1st successful powered flight of a “heavier-than-air” craft

Otto Lilienthal “Father of Modern Aviation” German Learn to fly “by flying” >2000 glides

Otto Lilienthal Also designed powered Biplane - Double wing plane On eve of the test flight of his biplane, he decided to fly his glider one more time It stalled 50 feet up & he fell to his death - Double wing plane

Sam Langley Knew that power was key 1st to try to build flying machine w/ motor Strong political figure Received $50,000 grant “The Aerodrome” Built 9 models One flew ¾ mile Never succeeded in gaining control

Samuel Langley Engine worked well, but on takeoff it caught on the launch car & fell into river Gov’t withdrew support, so Langley gave up Historians fault Langley for focusing: Too much on power Too little on control Even so, for his contributions to aviation, Langley Air Force Base in VA is named after him