1. Evolution of Human Flight
Cause and Effect

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

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

12. 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

13. Early Aircraft Lighter than air flight
Archimedes ( BCE) described the principle of buoyant flight
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

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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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?

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 1903 to Present Day
How has the world changed since 1903?

23. 1903 to Present Day
How has education changed since 1903?

24. 1903 to Present Day How has science changed since 1903?
How has technology changed since 1903?
How has human flight changed since 1903?