Flight Goes Mainstream Overview & Objectives Know about the significant milestone flights: Charles Lindberg – Transatlantic Amelia Earhart – Female Milestones Jimmy Doolittle – Instrument Flying Carl Spaatz – Air Refueling Know about other significant contributions that helped flight become mainstream Air Mail, Federal Regulation, Airlines Know about early developments in commercial flight Know about development of helicopters Chapter 3, Lesson 2 Chapter 3, Lesson 2 & 3

Charles Lindbergh 1st person to make a solo transatlantic flight Flew nonstop from NY to Paris Opened people’s minds to more possibilities of air travel In July 1927, toured country in his Spirit of St. Louis Made 72 speeches in cities Encouraged people to become pilots Promoted civil aviation Efforts Led to construction of 100s of airports Courtesy of the Hill Aerospace Museum

Significance of the First Transatlantic Flight The Wright brothers’ flight was a milestone flight Date: So was Lindbergh’s transatlantic solo flight In early 20th century, such milestone flights came one after another 17 Dec 1903 Chapter 3, Lesson 2

Amelia Earhart 1st woman to fly across the Atlantic First as a passenger Public didn’t accept her as a hero On 20 May 1932 became 1st woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean From Newfoundland to Ireland in 15 hrs In her Lockheed Vega She reached another milestone in 1935 1st pilot to fly from Hawaii to California What next? Felt only goal left was a “true” round-the-world flight

Earhart’s Disappearance Earhart took off 2 Jun 1937, w/ copilot Frederick Noonan First 40 days all well - 22,000 miles But on longest leg of the trip, New Guinea, to an Island in the Pacific, the plane disappeared President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered a massive search, but was unsuccessful US Navy declared Earhart & Noonan lost at sea Video

Chapter 3, Lesson 2

1st Lt James Doolittle 24 Sep 1929 1st Lt James “Jimmy” Doolittle made a milestone flight 1st successful blind flight Took off and landed relying solely on instruments inside the cockpit Because of his work, manufacturers started equipping planes with instruments and two-way radios

First Aerial Refueling Another hurdle to mainstream aviation was providing enough fuel for long-distance runs Pilots needed a system for aerial refueling In 1923, 1st Lt Lowell H. Smith & 1st Lt J. P. Richter, were able to stay airborne for 37 hours & 15 mins Chapter 3, Lesson 2

The Question Mark On New Year’s Day 1929, Maj Carl Spaatz took off in the Question Mark Fokker C-2 Tri-motor By time he landed—almost a week!! later—he had set an endurance record Stayed up 150 hours, 40 mins They had refueled 37 times! Video – (7:24-9:36) Chapter 3, Lesson 2

Airmail 15 May 1918, Post Office Department started 1st airmail service Used a few planes borrowed from the Army Regular airmail service started 1924 Airmail not only sped up mail delivery—it contributed a great deal to the development of the airlines

Airlines On 20 May 1926, the Air Commerce Act was passed which provide the first federal safety regulation of aviation for pilots & aircraft Beginnings of government control of aviation Eventually led to the FAA Sparked the growth of commercial airlines Chapter 3, Lesson 2

William Boeing At end of WWI… Govt. cancelled many aircraft contracts Many aircraft companies fell on hard times Despite setback, Boeing kept his company going Good position when govt. began to support aviation again Opportunity came in the form of the new airmail service In 1925 the govt. decided to let private firms carry mail New companies sprang up to do the job The government offered subsidies Subsidy – govt. money paid to a person or company that serves the public Chapter 3, Lesson 3

Passenger Service After a few years, the govt. began to support passenger service, too New rules gave airlines incentives to fly larger planes w/ more passenger space These rules also encouraged the use of planes that could fly in all types of weather Chapter 3, Lesson 3

The Boeing 247 In 1933 Boeing rolled out the Boeing 247 1st all-metal airliner Low wings, could cruise 189 mph Could carry 10 passengers & 400 pounds of mail “Same-day” service b/w NY & San Francisco now possible Chapter 3, Lesson 3

The First Airlines By late 1920s, Charles Lindbergh’s vision of civil aviation was taking form Building & flying airplanes became country’s most profitable business By 1929, there were 44 scheduled airlines: Transcontinental & Western Airlines (TWA) - 1934 American Airways - 1936 DC-3 carried 95% of commercial traffic in U.S. Pan American Airways (Pan Am) Florida, Atlantic Coast, South America Chapter 3, Lesson 3

The C-47 During WWII, McDonnell Douglas developed a military version of the DC-3—the C-47 Skytrain “Gooney Bird” (Another name for albatross—a large sea bird that can fly long distances without tiring) Over 10,000 built for the Army Air Force Some still in service today! Chapter 3, Lesson 3

Aircraft Design Improves During WWII, aircraft design made great strides 4-engine land planes improved New runways appeared around world As a result, seaplanes lost their competitive edge They gave way to new types of land-based aircraft Chapter 3, Lesson 3 Courtesy of Clipart.com

Developing the Helicopter Chapter 3, Lesson 3

Developing the Helicopter Involved several inventors in different countries and even in different centuries Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) Aerial Screw 1842 Steam powered model helicopter But many improvements were needed to create a practical helicopter Early inventors didn’t understand the forces facing the helicopter Chapter 3, Lesson 3

First Successful Flight in an Autogiro 1923, Juan de la Cierva built & flew an autogiro Looked like an airplane but had an overhead rotor instead of wings - Had serious drawbacks For example, it couldn’t move in all directions During the 1930s - designers continued to experiment Video Chapter 3, Lesson 3

The Problem of Control Had overcome torque of the rotor blade Helicopter gets “lift” from But when the rotor turns, the rest of the machine wants to spin in the opposite direction Ways to overcome torque: 2 rotors spin in opposite directions Video Or a tail rotor: Small propeller on tail Offsets main rotor torque spinning rotor blades Chapter 3, Lesson 3 CH-47 Chinook UH-1 Huey

First Practical Helicopter Igor Sikorsky’s VS-300 Had one main rotor & a tail rotor Early experiments were tethered Sep 1939, made 1st vertical takeoffs & landings Could carry a useful load & perform work The pilot could control it well Video From this small aircraft, the helicopter developed into the workhorse of the skies Chapter 3, Lesson 3

Military Uses of Helicopters 1st use in WWII Workhorse of Korean & Vietnam Wars Carry the wounded & rescue downed pilots Well suited for the jungle warfare of Vietnam Since then, helicopters have been an important part of US military tactics Chapter 3, Lesson 3

Civilian Use of Helicopters Crucial in search-and-rescue US Coast Guard relies on them to save fishermen & sailors in distress at sea Used for medical transport, police, broadcast news, Hwy-traffic reports Play important roles in the construction, timber, offshore oil industries, fire fighting