Assignment #5 Wings

Chapters 12-14

Answer three of the following questions:

1. Discuss the beginning of supersonic flight research in the United States and whether or not this technology was a priority.

The origins of supersonic flight go back farther than one might expect, all the way to 1918, when the first clues that this type of flight were possible occurred during propeller research at McCook Field. When high-speed aircraft began exceeding speeds of 400mph, it became necessary to thoroughly investigate supersonic flight. This technology was not a priority for established manufacturers, who chose to focus on standard propellers and thrust systems. MIT engineer John Stack actually had to violate NACA law to design a supersonic wind tunnel at Langley; his project was, in fact, discovered and shut down. It took the 1942 death of a Lockheed test pilot in a plane which came too close to the sound barrier and subsequently crashed to spur the US industry into seriously pursuing transonic flight.    

2. How did the U.S. view the launch of the Russian satellite Sputnik and what was the reaction?

The American reaction to the launch of Sputnik was mass dismay and shock. In the government, it spurred the development of a civilian space program, as distinct from a military and defense-centered program, thus leading to the birth of NASA.  

3. What effect did the invention of the computer have on aviation technology?

It allowed researchers to calculate faster and more accurately the huge numbers necessary for the advances in ever-more-complex aviation technology. It also allowed human beings to spend their time on more valuable industry labor than simply crunching numbers. It allowed computational fluid dynamics to develop as a field and it pushed airplane design forward, saving time, paper, space and manpower in this labor-intensive and time-consuming task. Finally, by giving rise to machine-driven CNC (computer numerically controlled) manufacturing, it saved skilled labor and time in the process of assembling airplanes.