22720 Airline Bro Complete

Thirty-three years ago, One hundred years ago, From the sands of when astronauts Neil the promise of flying Kitty Hawk in 1903 Armstrong and “Buzz” machines and powered to the outer edges of Aldrin skillfully piloted airships was found our solar system in the lunar module exclusively in the minds 2003, no invention Eagle to a soft land- of dreamers. Most has made such an ing on the Moon, they believed powered flight indelible imprint on paid tribute to was a far-fetched idea, our world as the air- America’s aviation the stuff of myths and plane. Crafted by two heritage by bringing with them a piece of legends. On 17 December 1903, Orville ordinary men who were driven to achieve the original Wright Flyer’s fabric and pro- and Wilbur Wright dispelled those myths extraordinary results, the 1903 Wright peller. That incredible summer day in and propelled us into a new era of explo- Flyer represents an achievement of creativ- 1969, our moonwalkers demonstrated for ration and innovation. Flying a biplane ity, determination and courage. The national all time that the sky’s no longer the limit. made of wood and cloth from a Kitty Hawk Centennial of Flight: Born of Dreams— As flight’s second century begins, the sand dune, they transformed our dream Inspired by Freedom commemoration cele- ■ This photograph of the first flight at Kitty bicycle repair shop and factory in Dayton, work, both scientifically and historically. United States is still boldly pioneering the of flight into a breathtaking reality. brates the human desire for freedom, the Hawk, North Carolina, on 17 December 1903 Ohio. The brothers continued their flying Accordingly, they recorded their experimentsair and space frontier. And the National Since that first 20-second flight, the power of dreams and the astonishing reali- is one of the most recognized in the world. experiments in Ohio and in Fort Myer, Virginia, photographically and, later, on film. The Aeronautics and Space Administration, achievements of civilian and military aviation ties they can create. With Orville Wright at the controls, lying prone and were granted a patent for the plane in Wrights asked John T. Daniels of the Kill NASA,Devil is a proud leader in this effort. have far surpassed the dreams of those early Let us use the story of flight to build a on the lower wing with his hips in the cradle 1906. In 1908 and 1909, they traveled to Hills Life Saving Station, who was among theFittingly, NASA’s roots extend back to visionaries. Airmen have revolutionized new level of enthusiasm for perseverance that operated the wing-warping mechanism, Europe and drew attention to their invention spectators, to snap the camera for themaviation’s just infancy. In 1915, our predeces- travel and commerce, pioneered the devel- and resolve in the quest for ingenuity. The the first successful powered flight took place. by flying in France, Italy, England, and Germany. at the moment the machine had reachedsor, the the National Advisory Committee for opment of groundbreaking technologies, U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission is Wilbur Wright, seen running alongside to bal- In 1909, they started a company to manufac- end of the takeoff rail and had risen two feet Aeronautics, NACA, was formed to help redefined the way we defend our interests, and committed to providing educational material ance the machine, has just released his hold ture Wright airplanes and began their suc- into the air. Before attempting the flight, on the forward upright of the right wing. The cessful fight against patent suits by Glenn Orville had placed the camera on a tripod,improve aircraft performance, efficiency, helped shape a world in which our nation’s on the history and influence of flight. As starting rail, the wing rest, a coil box, and Curtis and other competitors. Wilbur died of aimed at a point he hoped the machine andwould safety. Today, NASA scientists, engi- safety and prosperity would flourish. Powered you read this brochure, I hope that you other items needed for flight preparation are typhoid fever in 1912, and Orville sold his reach when it left the track. The shot wasneers, and test pilots continue to push flight is and will continue to be one of human- find the information both informative and visible behind the machine. This flight was the interest in the Wright Airplane Company in successful, and the negative was developedthe envelope of flight technology. kind’s most significant accomplishments. If inspiring. Ask yourselves, and those around result of years of experiments and design by 1915. The Wright brothers were aware of the by Orville on his return to Dayton. (CourtesyNASA’s of vision for the next century of properly guided and nourished—with the you, “If we can fly, what can’t we do?” It is the Wright brothers, who were operators of a important relationship of photography to their the Library of Congress, Negative LC-W861-35)flight—to improve life here, extend life to same vision that characterized its creators— through this spirit of adventure and deter- there, and find life beyond—compels us the second century of flight will further mination that we will create the next cen- to improve and create all types of aircraft, advance the peaceful and productive inter- tury of aviation milestones. better understand Earth’s climate, probe action of nations, continue to protect our the universe’s mysteries, and send explor- cherished freedoms, and provide for the —J.R. Dailey, Chairman, U.S. Centennial of Cover photo: Since 1915, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), transformed into NASA in 1958, ers to the planets. This celebration of the benefit of all mankind. Flight Commission has performed cutting-edge research to solve the problems of flight. Using a Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat during World centennial of flight reminds all of us how The United States Air Force joins the world War II, NACA engineers at the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory (now Langley Research Center) in Hampton, Virginia, privileged we are to be engaged at just in celebrating the spirit of the Wright brothers’ used this aircraft to investigate the cuffs on the propeller blades to determine their efficiency. While not built to the full production standard of other Grumman Wildcats, research on this aircraft, the second F4F-3, proved most successful the start of an adventure without end. creativity and our nation’s aviation pioneers. in advancing knowledge of the aerodynamics of this engine and propeller system. This photo shows a close-up of the As we reflect on a century of flight, we reaf- propeller blades with Curtiss Electric Propellers’ logo. —Sean O’Keefe, Administrator, NASA firm our commitment to continue the dream started by those first airmen. We’ve come a long way in our first 100 years of flight . . . Acknowledgments: writers/historians/reviewers, Judy Baker, Roger Launius, Tom Crouch, Ned Preston,Roger Miller, imagine where the next 100 years will take us. Louise Alstork, Tony Springer, John Childress, Bill Anderson, Sherry Foster, Phil Milstead, Steve Garber, Leslye Mogford, and Mike Gorn; brochure concept, Thom Pinelli; editors, Susan Hurd and Lisa Jirousek; photo researcher, Mark Sutton; —John P. Jumper, General, designers, Heather Grimstead and Melissa Kennedy. Printed fall 2002. USAF Chief of Staff

The most beautiful dream that has haunted the heart of man since Icarus is today reality. —Louis1 Blériot Thirty-threeyearsago, One hundred years ago, From the sands of whenastronautsNeil the promise of flying Kitty Hawk in 1903 Armstrongand"Buzz" machines and powered to the outer edges of Aldrinskillfullypiloted airships was found our solar system in thelunarmodule exclusively in the minds 2003, no invention Eagleto a softland- of dreamers. Most has made such an ingontheMoon,they believed powered flight indelible imprint on paidtributeto was a far-fetched idea, our world as the air- America'saviation the stuff of myths and plane. Crafted by two heritagebybringingwiththemapieceof legends. On 17 December 1903, Orville ordinary men who were driven to achieve theoriginalWrightFlyer'sfabricandpro- and Wilbur Wright dispelled those myths extraordinary results, the 1903 Wright peller.Thatincrediblesummerdayin and propelled us into a new era of explo- Flyer represents an achievement of creativ- 1969,ourmoonwalkersdemonstratedfor ration and innovation. Flying a biplane ity, determination and courage. The national alltimethatthesky'snolongerthelimit. made of wood and cloth from a Kitty Hawk Centennial of Flight: Bom of Dreams Asflight'ssecondcenturybegins,the sand dune, they transformed our dream Inspired by Freedom commemoration cele- UnitedStatesisstillboldlypioneeringthe of flight into a breathtaking reality. brates the human desire for freedom, the airandspacefrontier.AndtheNational Since that first 20-second flight, the power of dreams and the astonishing reali- AeronauticsandSpaceAdministration, achievements of civilian and military aviation ties they can create. NASA,isa proudleaderinthiseffort. have far surpassed the dreams of those early Let us use the story of flight to build a Fittingly,NASA'srootsextendbackto visionaries. Airmen have revolutionized new level of enthusiasm for perseverance aviation'sinfancy.In1915,ourpredeces- travel and commerce, pioneered the devel- and resolve in the quest for ingenuity. The sor,theNationalAdvisoryCommitteefor opment of groundbreaking technologies, U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission is Aeronautics,NACA,wasformedto help redefined the way we defend our interests, and committed to providing educational material improveaircraftperformance,efficiency, helped shape a world in which our nation's on the history and influence of flight. As andsafety.Today,NASAscientists,engi- safety and prosperity would flourish. Powered you read this brochure, I hope that you neers,andtestpilotscontinueto push flight is and will continue to be one of human- find the information both informative and theenvelopeofflighttechnology. kind's most significant accomplishments. If inspiring. Ask yourselves, and those around NASA'svisionforthenextcenturyof properly guided and nourished_with the you, "If we can fly, what can't we do?" It is flightmtoimprovelifehere,extendlifeto same vision that characterized its creators_ through this spirit of adventure and deter- there,andfindlifebeyond--compelsus the second century of flight will further mination that we will create the next cen- to improveandcreatealltypesofaircraft, advance the peaceful and productive inter- tury of aviation milestones. betterunderstandEarth'sclimate,probe action of nations, continue to protect our theuniverse'smysteries,andsendexplor- cherished freedoms, and provide for the mJ.R. Dailey, Chairman, U.S. Centennial of erstotheplanets.Thiscelebrationofthe benefit of all mankind. Flight Commission centennialofflightremindsallofushow The United States Air Force joins the world privilegedweareto beengagedatjust in celebrating the spirit of the WriSt brothers' thestartof anadventurewithoutend. creativity and our nation's aviation pioneers. As we reflect on a century of flight, we reaf- mSeanO'Keefe, Administrator, NASA firm our commitment to continue the dream started by those first airmen. We've come a long way in our first 100 years of flight... imagine where the next 100 years will take us.

John R Jumper, General, USAF Chief of Staff

The most beautifu dream that has haunted the heart of man since Icarus is today reality.--Louis BI6riot 1000 B.C. The Chinese invented kites that carried scouts on recon- 1784 1785 3500 B.C. naissance missions. 1783 June 4 Elisabeth Thible was the first woman to make a January 7 Dr. John Jeffries, an King Etena of Babylonia was pictured on a coin, flying on June 4 Montgolfier brothers launched the first public balloon flight. American physician living in London, an eagle’s back. 1162 balloon flight. A man in Constantinople fashioned sail-like wings from a June 24 In a tethered flight from Baltimore, Maryland, accompanied the French aeronaut 2500 B.C. fabric gathered into pleats and folds. He plummeted from November 21 Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis D’Arlandes thirteen-year-old Edward Warren was the first to fly in Jean-Pierre Blanchard on the first flight a balloon from American soil. An Inca Founder (Auca) was “winged and could fly.” the top of a tower and died. were the first humans to fly in an untethered balloon. across the English Channel.

2560 B.C. Great Pyramid of Khufu built 1100 Gunpowder used to build rockets 1400 Printing press invented 1775 American Revolutionary War began 1797 First parachute jump

Copyright 2001, Jeff Dean, “Big Blue” flown by Above & Beyond Balloon Co., Carmel, Indiana, http://www.intheair-online.com With public enthusiasm approaching a Hot-air balloons peak, the Montgolfier brothers designed became popular once The a large balloon that carried the first again after World War II, Prehistory human passengers aloft. On 21 November when the advent of new Up, Up, 1783, Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis materials and propane- of Flight d’Arlandes fed a fire of burning straw fired burners offered that filled the canopy of the balloon with sportsmen a new way to ■ Human beings have always wanted and Away… hot air, lifting them about 330 feet into venture aloft. In 1999, after to fly. Evidence of our ancient desire to the Paris skies. Their flight lasted under a twenty-day, nonstop flight, ■ join the birds in the sky can be found in Human belonged to one of the leading paper- 30 minutes. J. A. C. Charles and a Bertrand Piccard and Brian our earliest legends of winged gods and beings have making families of France. Fascinated by companion, M. N. Robert Millbrook, Jones became the first balloonists heroes, flying horses, and magic car- dreamed of flight for new discoveries in science, Joseph became the first people to fly aboard a to complete a nonstop circumnaviga- pets. Then there are the hazy tales of centuries, but the first Montgolfier had begun to experiment gas balloon on 1 December 1783. tion of the globe. The last solo balloon real human beings who were carried creatures to venture aloft with paper and fabric bags filled with hot Balloons captured the imagination of hurdle was crossed in 2002 when Steve aloft by kites or who sought to fly with in a balloon were a duck, air in the early 1780s. With his younger Europeans and Americans alike. Peter Fossett circumnavigated the world by wings of their own design. All too often, a sheep, and a rooster. An brother Etienne, he launched a balloon Carnes, a lawyer and tavern keeper in balloon alone. Today, colorful hot-air bal- these intrepid souls suffered broken enormous crowd joined the King of measuring ten feet in diameter from the Bladensburg, Maryland, sent the first loons of fanciful designs are seen float- bones or worse. France, Louis XVI, his Queen, Marie town square on 4 June 1783. American, thirteen-year-old Edward ing in the skies all over the world. Those When the age of flight finally did arrive, Antoinette, and their children at the When news of what the two brothers Warren, into the air on a tethered flight who see them might agree with Joseph it came from an unexpected direction Versailles palace on 19 September had achieved in distant Annonay reached from Baltimore, Maryland, in June 1784. Montgolfier, who long ago instructed his that had nothing to do with wings. The 1783. The occasion was the flight of Paris, a prize was offered to the individ- Early the following year, another brother to prepare the materials for their invention of the balloon created a wave these three hapless animal passengers ual who could repeat the Montgolfier American, Dr. John Jeffries, accompa- first balloon—“and you will see one of of excitement that swept across Europe aboard a hot-air balloon constructed by experiment. Not sure how the brothers nied aeronaut Jean-Pierre Blanchard on the most incredible things in the world.” and America. Although the balloon would brothers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier. had accomplished the feat, J. A. C. Charles, the first flight across the English Channel. be put to good use by science and the After an aerial voyage lasting only eight a popular lecturer on scientific topics, Gas balloons continued in use military, it could only travel where the minutes and covering some two miles, constructed the first balloon filled with throughout the nineteenth and twentieth A Montgolfier-type balloon is depicted at the wind blew it. The age-old dream of the first three air travelers returned safely hydrogen, a gas very much lighter than centuries, offering scientists a means of time of launch in Paris in 1783. wings remained very much alive. to Earth, none the worse for wear. air. He launched the first gas balloon in exploring the upper atmosphere and pro- National Air & Space Museum #93-2342©2002 Smithsonian Institution The Montgolfier brothers, natives of Paris on 27 August 1783, near viding military officers with an aerial Annonay, in the south of France, the spot where the Eiffel Tower perch from which to observe the enemy. now stands. Not to be out- done, the Montgolfiers hur- Daedalus and Icarus Daedalus carefully instructed ried to the capital and his son to fly “a middle arranged the flight from who understood some of the basic prin- use of rubber-band-powered motors in a ■ The story of Daedalus and Icarus is the course,” safely between the Versailles in September. Winging It ciples of flight as early as the 1480s, small ornithopter built and flown in most famous of all flight myths. Minos, water that might weigh down could only dream of flying ornithopter 1874. Today, ornithopter designs are still the King of Crete, hired the talented the feathers if it sprayed on ■ For hundreds of years, human beings and helicopter designs that could never on the minds, as well as the drawing craftsman Daedalus to design a Labyrinth, them and the Sun, which could attached all manner of wing-like struc- have left the ground. He and others of boards, of adventurous and imaginative or maze, in which to imprison the Minotaur, melt the wax that held the feath- Hindu mythology tells of the bird tures to their arms, flung themselves his time failed to realize that human people determined to achieve the old a half-man, half-bull creature. Each year, ers in place. Icarus, thrilled by the deity Garuda, often depicted in art from the tops of towers and other high beings lacked the necessary muscle dream of flight with flapping wings. young people were sacrificed to appease freedom of his flight and curious to as having the body of a man but the places, and attempted to fly. Most of power to imitate bird flight. the monster. When Daedalus helped explore the heavens above him, head and wings of an eagle. This these would-be aviators Almost four hundred years after Drawings, left to right: da Vinci air screw Theseus, a young hero selected for the soared higher and higher, until the great and powerful flying god-bird lent sought to fly with Leonardo, French inventor Gustave sketch, Pénaud sketch. his body as a vehicle to the Hindu god sacrifice, to kill the Minotaur and escape, heat of the Sun destroyed his wings ornithopters, Trouvé designed an ornithopter that was National Air and Space Museum ©2002 Smithsonian Institution Vishnu, with whom he is worshiped. and he plunged to his death in the machines that beat powered by an internal combustion Minos imprisoned the inventor and his son, Garuda’s image can be seen in sculpture, their wings like Icarus. Realizing that flight was the only sea. The story of Icarus and Daedalus paintings, and architecture, especially that of engine. In 1870, Trouvé’s model suc- way in which he and Icarus could free was told and retold through the cen- royal residences. birds. Even the bril- cessfully flew a distance of 70 meters in themselves, Daedalus fashioned wings turies, inspiring human beings to fly and liant Italian artist, a demonstration before the French #92-15369 ©1993; image from the “WorldBank Collection CDROM,” by out of feathers and wax to carry them cautioning those who dared to dream of Aztech New Media Corporation, in cooperation with BC Pictures scientist, and engi- Academy of Sciences. Another French- across the sea, away from King Minos. trespassing on the domain of the gods. neer Leonardo da Vinci, man, Alphonse Pénaud, pioneered the

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2 A bird is an instrument working according to mathematical law . . . which it is within the capacity of man to reproduce. —Leonardo da Vinci 3 1000 B.C. The Chinese invented kites that carried scouts on recon- 1784 1785 3500 B.C. naissance missions. 1783 June 4 Elisabeth Thible was the first woman to make a January 7 Dr. John Jeffries, an King Etena of Babylonia was pictured on a coin, flying on June 4 Montgolfier brothers launched the first public balloon flight. American physician living in London, an eagle’s back. 1162 balloon flight. A man in Constantinople fashioned sail-like wings from a June 24 In a tethered flight from Baltimore, Maryland, accompanied the French aeronaut 2500 B.C. fabric gathered into pleats and folds. He plummeted from November 21 Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis D’Arlandes thirteen-year-old Edward Warren was the first to fly in Jean-Pierre Blanchard on the first flight a balloon from American soil. An Inca Founder (Auca) was “winged and could fly.” the top of a tower and died. were the first humans to fly in an untethered balloon. across the English Channel.

2560 B.C. Great Pyramid of Khufu built 1100 Gunpowder used to build rockets 1400 Printing press invented 1775 American Revolutionary War began 1797 First parachute jump

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2 A bird is an instrument working according to mathematical law . . . which it is within the capacity of man to reproduce. —Leonardo da Vinci 3 1794 1868 1884 1899 June 26 The French used a tethered balloon to observe Matthew Boulton obtained a British patent on a design Horatio Phillips of England designed a wing with a curved May 30 Wilbur Wright wrote the Smithsonian Institution a battlefield and direct artillery fire. for ailerons as control surfaces. airfoil shape. and affirmed his belief that human flight was possible. 1804 1878 1896 1900 Sir George Cayley, England’s “father of aeronautics,” built Bishop Wright gave his sons, Orville and Wilbur, a toy May 6 Samuel P. Langley launched the first reasonably The Wright brothers flew their first of several gliders, a and flew the world’s first successful model glider. helicopter. large, steam-powered model aircraft. biplane that soared for 300 feet.

1813 Steam locomotive invented 1868 First transcontinental railroad 1897 Spanish-American War 1899 Aspirin first manufactured

#89-10677 be controlled, they were the first powered, significantly large models to fly. Inventing Wings The War Department then provided Secretary Langley with $50,000 to ■ Aviation Early in the nineteenth century, the design and build a full-scale aerodrome age of dreams had given way to serious capable of carrying a pilot. He tested his attempts to understand the principles of machine in October and December of flight and to apply the lessons learned to 1903. On both occasions, the structure Pioneers #73-9669 the design of real flying machines. collapsed when catapulted into the air ■ Cautious experimenters tested their Sir George Cayley, a nineteenth- his coachman from a houseboat anchored in the ideas with powered models, while the century English baronet, richly deserves on a short glide Potomac River. It flew, one reporter more daring sampled the delights and to be remembered as the “father of across a shallow observed, “like a handful of mortar.” the dangers of gliding flight. Their suc- aeronautics.” His insatiable curiosity valley near his Pilot Charles Manly survived both trials, cesses and their failures helped move led him to conduct the first real experi- home, Brompton Hall, but the aeronautical career of Samuel human beings toward what some consid- ments designed to uncover the basic in 1853. Legend has it that the fright- Langley was at an end. ered impossible and others considered principles of flight. He discovered that ened servant resigned on the spot, inevitable—piloted, powered flight. the arched shape of a bird’s wing was explaining that he had been hired to one of the secrets of bird flight and drive, not to fly. Above left: Lilienthal blueprint depicting the glider Lilienthal considered the most successful. Above: Otto Lilienthal on one of his gliders. National Air and Space Museum ©2002 Smithsonian Institution Above, left to right: reasoned that a similar shape on a Sir George Cayley’s many contributions Sir George Cayley (1773–1857); fixed-wing machine might likewise to aviation include the understanding Octave Chanute (1832–1910); allow it to fly. that a successful heavier-than-air flying Octave Chanute, a self-taught American made in the field and then sharing it with Otto Lilienthal (1848–1896). Cayley designed, built, and flew the machine would have to feature separate engineer, became interested in aeronau- others who could carry on its develop- Samuel P. Langley flew the first Below: Sketch by George Cayley. world’s first model glider in 1804. He systems for lift, propulsion, and control. tics in the 1870s. Corresponding with ment, Chanute inspired and stimulated powered aerodrome models. National Air and Space Museum #96-15394, #A-21147-B, continued his experiments throughout He explained the importance of stream- flying machine experimenters around the other aviation experimenters, including a SI-A-39013, #00102 ©2002 Smithsonian Institution his long life and is said to have sent lining, described the way in which stability globe, he quickly emerged as the focal pair of brothers from Dayton, Ohio. and control could be achieved, and point of an international community of Octave Chanute attracted the American underscored the need for a lightweight engineers who were attempting to fly. An scientist Samuel P. Langley to aeronautics. power plant. The first person to link the admirer of Lilienthal, Chanute sponsored Appointed Secretary of the Smithsonian evolving processes of science and engi- a series of glider trials on the sand Institution in 1887, Langley conducted neering with aviation, he opened the dunes at the southern tip of Lake extensive research into the principles of door to the future. Michigan in the summer of 1896. The flight, then began his design experiments Otto Lilienthal built on both the experi- trials produced a triplane/biplane hang with small rubber-band-powered models ments and information provided by Sir glider that represented a distinct that he called “aerodromes.” In 1896, George Cayley. He published the results improvement over the Lilienthal designs. Langley completed two flights of up to of his ground-based research, “Birdflight A passionate promoter of aviation who 4,200 feet with model steam-powered as the Basis of Aviation,” in 1890; he believed in the importance of collecting aerodromes. While the aerodromes were then began to apply what he had learned information about the progress being too small to carry a pilot and could not to the design of the gliders with which he would continue his work. Between 1890 and the time of his death in a glider Interesting Reading Crouch, Tom D. The Bishop’s Boys: A Life Lopez, Donald S. Aviation: A Smithsonian crash in August 1896, Lilienthal made as of Wilbur and Orville Wright. New York: Guide. New York: Macmillan, 1995. W. W. Norton and Co., 1989. many as 2,000 flights in eighteen differ- Bilstein, Roger E. Flight in America: From the Millbrooke, Ann. Aviation History. Englewood, ent designs, including both monoplanes Wrights to the Astronauts. Baltimore, MD: Heppenheimer, T. A. A Brief History of Flight: Colorado: Jeppeson, Sanderson, 2000. (single-wing) and biplanes. All his craft Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001 (revised From Balloons to Mach 3 and Beyond. New Spangenburg, Ray, and Diane Moser. The were hang gliders, controlled in the air by paperback edition). York: John Wiley & Sons, 2001. Story of America’s Air Transportation. New movements of the pilot’s body, which Corn, Joseph J. The Winged Gospel: America’s Kolb, Rocky. Blind Watchers of the Sky: The York: Facts on File, 1992. hung beneath the machine. The work of Romance with Aviation, 1900–1950. People and Ideas That Shaped Our View of Wohl, Robert. A Passion for Wings: Aviation Otto Lilienthal provided the starting point Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University the Universe. Reading, MA: Helix Books, and the Western Imagination, 1908–1918. Press, 2002 (revised paperback edition). Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1996. Above: George Cayley’s sketches show a for the experimenters who would take New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1994. #85-18307 variety of glider designs. the final critical steps toward the inven- Launius, Roger D. Frontiers of Space Exploration. tion of the airplane. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998.

4 To invent an airplane is nothing. To build one is something. To fly is everything. —Otto Lilienthal5 1794 1868 1884 1899 June 26 The French used a tethered balloon to observe Matthew Boulton obtained a British patent on a design Horatio Phillips of England designed a wing with a curved May 30 Wilbur Wright wrote the Smithsonian Institution a battlefield and direct artillery fire. for ailerons as control surfaces. airfoil shape. and affirmed his belief that human flight was possible. 1804 1878 1896 1900 Sir George Cayley, England’s “father of aeronautics,” built Bishop Wright gave his sons, Orville and Wilbur, a toy May 6 Samuel P. Langley launched the first reasonably The Wright brothers flew their first of several gliders, a and flew the world’s first successful model glider. helicopter. large, steam-powered model aircraft. biplane that soared for 300 feet.

1813 Steam locomotive invented 1868 First transcontinental railroad 1897 Spanish-American War 1899 Aspirin first manufactured

4 To invent an airplane is nothing. To build one is something. To fly is everything. —Otto Lilienthal5 1906 1908 The Wrights finally began to receive credit and attention 1904 The Wrights were granted a patent for the airplane 1901 for their invention. Submitting a bid to the Army for a mil- 1903 Returning to Ohio, the Wright brothers experimented with control system. Using existing aerodynamics tables, the Wright brothers itary flying machine, Orville brought a Flyer to Fort Myer, 1902 December 8 Samuel P. Langley’s man-carrying Great new planes and motors and flew an improved Flyer II. constructed new wings for a larger glider. However, its Virginia; passed the trials; and won a contract for the Using tables created in 1901, the Wrights built a glider Aerodrome collapsed right after takeoff. 1907 flight was marginal, so they tested the tables by analyzing that had almost twice the efficiency of their previous 1905 November 13 Paul Cornu, a French inventor, flew the world’s first military airplane. Later that year, the plane crashed after a propeller failure, seriously injuring Orville model wings in a wind tunnel. The tables proved to be ones and made more than 1,000 flights that year at Kill December 17 The Wright brothers completed the first The Wrights’ Flyer III became the world’s first practical first helicopter. The flight lasted only 20 seconds and and killing his passenger, Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge. wrong, and the Wrights painstakingly computed new ones. Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. powered, piloted, heavier-than-air, controlled flight. airplane but attracted little attention. hovered just 1 foot (30 cm) above the ground.

1901 First transatlantic radio signal 1902 Aswan Dam in Egypt completed 1903 Ford Motor Company founded 1905 Albert Einstein published theory of special relativity1906 San Francisco earthquake occurred 1908 C. F. Cross invented cellophane

were, for the most part, wild and inaccu- had signed contracts for the sale of their manufacturer in the world. They also rate reports on the front pages of major machine. They ceased flying completely formed one of the earliest exhibition newspapers from coast to coast. When in the fall of 1905 and concentrated on teams, flying in various venues where they Two Ordinary Men, One they did not follow up with public flights finding buyers for their technology. could publicize and market their planes. in 1904, the press assumed that the Kitty In 1908, the Wright brothers finally Orville continued to fly through 13 May Extraordinary Dream Hawk story had been an exaggeration, if received due acclaim when Wilbur made 1918, six years after Wilbur’s death from not a hoax. public flights in Europe, amazing specta- typhoid fever. He sold his interest in their ■ Orville Wright Disappointed with the performance of Wilbur and Orville Wright pressed tors with his flying skill and the maneu- business in 1915 but remained actively once explained their early gliders, the brothers conducted ahead, moving their experiments closer to verability of the Wright Model A biplane. engaged in other related pursuits, among that he and his a series of wind tunnel tests in the bicycle their Dayton, Ohio, home. There, in 1904, That same year, Orville took a plane to them an ongoing disagreement with the brother, Wilbur, shop during the fall of 1901. On the in a meadow called Huffman Prairie, they Fort Myer, Virginia, where Smithsonian Institution over who had been were lucky to basis of those tests and their experience built the Wright Flyer II, the first airplane he demonstrated the the first capable of flight, the Wrights or have grown up with the gliders, they designed and built to fly a circle in the air. The Flyer III fol- Flyer. In 1909, they Samuel Langley. The Smithsonian had “in an environ- their third full-scale glider in 1902 and lowed in 1905, a plane that could stay returned to Fort Myer originally given the nod to Langley but ment where completed 1,000 flights with it, remaining in the air for over half an and sold the world’s later acquiesced in favor of the Wright there was always airborne for as long as 26 seconds and hour, turn, bank, and fly first military plane. brothers. When Orville Wright died in much encourage- covering distances of up to 622.5 feet. figure eights. The By 1909, the Wright 1948, he had seen many of the advances ment to children to pursue intellectual Now they were ready to attempt a Wrights were deter- Company was turning in aviation that were a direct result of the interests, to investigate whatever aroused piloted, powered flight. With assistance mined not to fly in out four planes a month, work he and his brother had accomplished. Above: Facsimile of the telegram sent by curiosity.” The sons of a church bishop from their machinist, Charles Taylor, they public until they had making it the largest airplane Orville Wright on 17 December 1903, and his mechanically inclined wife, the designed and built the aircraft and a received the protec- reproduced in commemoration of the Wright boys first became interested in four-cylinder internal combustion engine tion of a patent and Left: Orville Wright; right: Wilbur Wright. NASA Langley Research Center. ninetieth anniversary of piloted, controlled, flight as children when their father pre- that would deliver precisely the amount Below: Wilbur Wright attempted the first powered flight on 14 December 1903. powered flight. Note the error in the spelling sented them with a rubber-band-powered of power required. They also built the National Air and Space Museum #A-38618A ©2002 Smithsonian Institution of Orville Wright’s name and the error in helicopter toy of the sort designed by propellers, based on their wind tunnel listing the air time. The longest flight was Alphonse Pénaud. Although neither of data, that proved to be the most efficient actually 59 seconds. them attended college, Wilbur and Orville of the time. Success came on the morn- Wright were intellectual, intuitive, confi- ing of 17 December 1903. Orville Wright dent, and mechanically gifted. As young made the first flight at about 10:35 A.M., men, they operated both a print shop a bumpy and erratic 12 seconds in the and a bicycle shop in their hometown air. A few minutes later, Wilbur flew the of Dayton, Ohio. Still, their curiosity and plane 175 feet—just a few feet shorter Success! technical skills drove them to pursue than the wingspan of a Boeing 747. other challenges. The death of Otto Orville then flew again, a distance of ■ The great moment arrived on a windy Lilienthal reignited their boyhood passion 200 feet. During the final flight of the winter morning on a North Carolina for wings. day, piloted by Wilbur, the Wright Flyer beach, the result of the work of two The brothers launched their own aero- remained airborne for 59 seconds and brothers with a passion for bicycling and nautical effort in 1899 after correspon- flew 852 feet. an insatiable curiosity. The Wright broth- ding with both the Smithsonian Institution These four flights marked the first time ers introduced the era of powered flight, and Octave Chanute. They realized that that a powered, heavier-than-air machine and men and women everywhere were their first challenge was finding a way to had made a sustained flight under the anxious to follow them into the air. control a machine in the air. They tested complete control of the pilot. The Wright Steady improvements in the design of their notion of a wing-warping control brothers were not surprised by their suc- engines and aircraft structures produced system on a small kite flown from a hill in cess, for they had meticulously calculated a new generation of aircraft capable of Dayton. Between 1900 and 1902, they how their machine would perform and flying higher, faster, and farther. built three gliders, testing them over the were confident that it would fly once they sands of Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, had ironed out all the problems from North Carolina, a location that was ideal their previous tests. because of its high winds and tall dunes, Within a few days of these flights, the with plenty of sand for soft landings. Wright brothers were the subject of what

6 For some years I have been afflicted with the belief that flight is possible to man. —Wilbur7 Wright 1906 1908 The Wrights finally began to receive credit and attention 1904 The Wrights were granted a patent for the airplane 1901 for their invention. Submitting a bid to the Army for a mil- 1903 Returning to Ohio, the Wright brothers experimented with control system. Using existing aerodynamics tables, the Wright brothers itary flying machine, Orville brought a Flyer to Fort Myer, 1902 December 8 Samuel P. Langley’s man-carrying Great new planes and motors and flew an improved Flyer II. constructed new wings for a larger glider. However, its Virginia; passed the trials; and won a contract for the Using tables created in 1901, the Wrights built a glider Aerodrome collapsed right after takeoff. 1907 flight was marginal, so they tested the tables by analyzing that had almost twice the efficiency of their previous 1905 November 13 Paul Cornu, a French inventor, flew the world’s first military airplane. Later that year, the plane crashed after a propeller failure, seriously injuring Orville model wings in a wind tunnel. The tables proved to be ones and made more than 1,000 flights that year at Kill December 17 The Wright brothers completed the first The Wrights’ Flyer III became the world’s first practical first helicopter. The flight lasted only 20 seconds and and killing his passenger, Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge. wrong, and the Wrights painstakingly computed new ones. Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. powered, piloted, heavier-than-air, controlled flight. airplane but attracted little attention. hovered just 1 foot (30 cm) above the ground.

6 For some years I have been afflicted with the belief that flight is possible to man. —Wilbur7 Wright Airmail stamps. 1911 1915 1918 1909 September 29 Walter Brookins set American record by 1914 March 3 The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics May The United States July 25 The first flight across the English Channel by flying 192 miles from Chicago to Springfield, Illinois, 1912 January The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line became (NACA), the first U.S. government-sponsored organization in Post Office inaugurated Louis Blériot. making two stops. the world’s first regularly scheduled airline service. support of aviation research and development, was formed. April 16 American Harriet Quimby became the first airmail service from female pilot to fly a plane across the English Channel. The U.S. Army accepted delivery of the first military plane December 10 Cal Rodgers completed the first trans- Two-way radio contact was accomplished between pilot Orville Wright sold his interest in the Wright Company, the Polo Grounds, and paid the Wright brothers $30,000 for it. continental flight in the Wright EX Vin Fiz. May 30 Wilbur Wright died of typhoid fever. and ground control. then retired. Washington, DC.

1909 NAACP founded 1911 Ragtime popularized for mass audiences 1912 Girl Scouts chartered 1914 Panama Canal opened 1916 Lincoln Logs invented 1917 U.S. entered World War I World War I: The First Air War Flying the Mail The Origins of Airmail in the United States ■ Only eleven years old in August 1914, and military positions, reported transient from the cockpit. But the potential of the fragile airplane in its role as an targets, and provided direct control for destruction from the air quickly led to larger, ■ One of the first federal agencies to and mountain peaks meant that observer contributed significantly to the artillery batteries. Further, aircraft photo- more powerful, often multi-engine air- recognize the valuable role airplanes could only the most diligent of pilots murderous carnage that characterized graphs and reports enabled commanders planes designed specifically for bombing. play was the U.S. Post Office. Faster mail would prevail. combat in World War I. to identify the enemy’s position, deter- The size of the bombs themselves grew delivery and increased reliability were While it may sound romantic, The great killer of the war was artillery, mine his strength, surmise his intentions, rapidly, and mechanical sights enabled air- becoming increasingly important to busi- even exciting, this was a very ineffi- and aerial reconnaissance vastly increased and organize their response to best craft to hit targets more accurately and ness people across the country, and they cient way to deliver the mail, and artillery’s effectiveness. Observation air- effect. from higher altitudes. Most aerial bom- pressed the post office for the service. by the mid-1920s, with the advent of Brown, to reshape craft photographed and mapped trenches The need to protect one’s own obser- bardment targeted enemy troops and On 15 May 1918, the first official effective navigational aids, better and the air routes. vation aircraft or deny the air to the enemy facilities along the front, but the airplane airmail flight in the U.S. left Washington, more reliable communications and Exercising near-dic- quickly led to a quest for control of the also allowed the war to be carried to man- DC, heading for New York with 140 pounds weather reporting systems, and enclosed tatorial powers, air. In 1915, an asynchronization or ufacturing and population centers far behind The Fokker was flown of mail on board. Although the flight was aircraft with greater ceilings and all- Brown engineered the by the “Red Baron.” “interrupter” mechanism allowed machine the lines. In 1915, Germany began Zeppelin not flawless, it proved the concept. weather capability, things began to merger of several carriers to guns to fire through a spinning propeller, raids against England. The Zeppelins—large, National Air and Space Museum Within two years, a growing structure change. The emphasis was on safety and create a national air system. From these #00046729 ©2002 enabling the pilot to aim the entire airplane. slow, rigid airships filled with explosive connected cities along the Atlantic seaboard reliability as well as expansion as the mergers, the four major U.S. airlines— Smithsonian Institution This ability gave birth to the “pursuit” or hydrogen gas—ultimately proved vulner- with Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Chicago, postal service worked to increase effi- TWA, American Airlines, United Airlines, fighter. To gain superiority in the air, the able to aerial defenses and were gradually thereby developing a relatively efficient air- ciency. Their next step was to undertake and Northwest Airlines—emerged and airplane now hunted other airplanes. replaced by giant multi-engine strategic mail system in the eastern United States. night operations, which required special established an integrated transcontinen- Over time, this new role demanded bombers, the vanguard of future war. In 1921, a transcontinental airmail route searchlights to guide pilots, aircraft wingtip tal route system. more sophisticated machines and com- By 11 November 1918, the end of the between San Francisco and New York flares for forced landings, landing fields Income from airmail contracts breathed bat techniques, and the men who flew war, commanders had explored almost was also established. large enough to ensure adequate room for life into the country’s fledgling commer- The Flying Aces the machines, as well as the machines every role that the airplane would play in Although these flights between cities landings, searchlights actually mounted on cial aviation industry in the 1920s and themselves, became famous, dramatic the future except global air transport. occurred routinely, the pilots, flying in airmail airplanes, and radio communica- 1930s. Despite the Great Depression, ■ French newsmen crowned Adolphe symbols of knightly combat. Although the airplane was not the deci- open-cockpit aircraft, faced not only diffi- tions and other flight instruments. By 1924, the expansion continued through the Pégoud the first “flying ace” in 1915. In Soon, the airplane was also used as sive weapon of World War I, it had cult weather conditions, but also narrow the first coast-to-coast, day-and-night World War II era, partly as a result of France and England, the title came to a bomber. Initially, pilots simply tossed demonstrated its potential to change the mountain passes and rugged terrain. They airmail service had been established. technological improvements in aircraft identify a pilot who had shot down five small, handheld bombs or even darts way wars were fought. needed to climb thousands of feet above In 1930, Congress passed legislation that allowed more economical operations. enemy airplanes. The Germans adopted a sea level, heights at which sudden snow- that allowed President Herbert Hoover’s Today, airmail is still an important market similar system that required ten victories. Britain’s Sopwith Camel, a single-seat fighter introduced in 1917, was armed with two guns and storms, erratic winds, subzero temperatures, Postmaster General, Walter Folger for the air transport industry, and airliners could also carry four small bombs. The Camel scored more victories against German aircraft than In any case, the airmen, especially the continue to carry mail as part of their cargo. fighter pilots, quickly emerged as the any other Allied plane in World War I. National Air & Space Museum #85-11071 ©2002 Smithsonian Institution great heroes of an unheroic war. The German airman Manfred von Richthofen, NACA: A Tradition During the 1920s and 1930s, NACA every American aircraft produced during the “Red Baron,” led the pack with a total of Excellence engineers built a reputation for excellence this time. NACA engineers and scientists of 80 victories. The French ace René in research and achieved a host of critical were responsible for the basic and applied Fonck survived the war with 75 victories. ■ Spurred by the beginning of World War I breakthroughs resulting in increased per- research that led to the development of With 58 victories, Edward “Mick” and a heightened interest in aviation formance. The NACA contributed to victory aircraft structures, safety, fluid dynamics, Mannock was England’s most victorious research, the United States Congress in WWII and pioneered the postwar aerodynamics, ground test facilities (includ- ace, despite an infection that had caused created the National Advisory Committee research that transformed the airplane ing the slotted-throat wind tunnel), flight- him to experience temporary blindness for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1915. In its early into a high-speed, high-altitude aero- testing, high-speed flight from theory to and subsequent trouble seeing out of his days, the NACA concentrated on problems space vehicle. practice (including the area rule to the X-1 left eye. Captain Edward Rickenbacker, a related to military aviation. When the war NACA would expand to encompass three and lifting body aircraft). The NACA was to Medal of Honor winner and America’s ended, however, the engineers of the newly research centers: Langley, Ames Research make advancements and contributions in “Ace of Aces,” scored 26 victories during constructed Langley Memorial Aeronautical Center in California, and Lewis Research every field associated with aeronautics a relatively short career as a combat pilot Laboratory in Hampton, Virginia, turned Center in Ohio; by 1958, these would and the fledgling field of spaceflight. in 1918. their attention to the solution of a broad employ over 8,000 people with a budget range of problems in flight technology. of over $117 million. They would contribute to the development or improvement of

8 Airmail was an impractical sort of fad and had no place in the serious job of postal transportation. —Col. Paul Henderson, U.S. 2nd Asst. Postmaster 9General, 1919 Airmail stamps. 1911 1915 1918 1909 September 29 Walter Brookins set American record by 1914 March 3 The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics May The United States July 25 The first flight across the English Channel by flying 192 miles from Chicago to Springfield, Illinois, 1912 January The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line became (NACA), the first U.S. government-sponsored organization in Post Office inaugurated Louis Blériot. making two stops. the world’s first regularly scheduled airline service. support of aviation research and development, was formed. April 16 American Harriet Quimby became the first airmail service from female pilot to fly a plane across the English Channel. The U.S. Army accepted delivery of the first military plane December 10 Cal Rodgers completed the first trans- Two-way radio contact was accomplished between pilot Orville Wright sold his interest in the Wright Company, the Polo Grounds, and paid the Wright brothers $30,000 for it. continental flight in the Wright EX Vin Fiz. May 30 Wilbur Wright died of typhoid fever. and ground control. then retired. Washington, DC.

8 Airmail was an impractical sort of fad and had no place in the serious job of postal transportation. —Col. Paul Henderson, U.S. 2nd Asst. Postmaster 9General, 1919 1923 May 2–3 First nonstop coast-to-coast airplane flight 1927 took place between New York and San Diego—26 hours, May 20–21 Charles Lindbergh made the first solo flight 50 minutes. 1926 across the Atlantic aboard the Spirit of St. Louis. May 9 Commander Richard E. Byrd and pilot Floyd 1920 1921 June 27 First in-flight refueling occurred over 1924 Bennett announced the first flight over the North Pole. 1928 February 22 The first transcontinental mail service June 15 Bessie Coleman became the first African San Diego, California. September 28 The first round-the-world flight was com- May 31–June 9 Charles Kingsford Smith and arrived in New York from San Francisco. American woman to receive a Fédération Aéronautique pleted in Seattle, Washington, by three two-seat Douglas March 16 Robert Goddard built and flew the world’s first Charles T. P. Ulm made the first trans-Pacific flight Internationale (FAI) pilot’s license. World Cruisers of the U.S. Army Air Service. liquid propellant rocket near Worcester, Massachusetts. from California to Australia.

1927 Television invented 1924 First Winter Olympics 1926 First Winnie-the-Pooh book published

The Spirit of St. Louis. Lindbergh and his exploits inspired movies, NASA Langley Research Center books, plays, musical compositions, and all manner of other memorabilia. Poems were Air written, and hundreds of songs such as The “Lucky Lindy” became popular. Racing: Bella Landauer Sheet Music Collection, SIL7-1-023a Golden National Air and Space Museum ©2002 Smithsonian Institution Age of Aviation Flying’s ■ Once airplanes became an accepted Lindbergh— Golden part of both the American and the Bendix Trophy. Thompson Trophy. European landscapes, appreciated Age National Air and Space Museum National Air and Space Museum primarily for what they could do, a An American Eagle #93-5512©2002 Smithsonian Institution #93-5513©2002 Smithsonian Institution different kind of flying fever began to ■ Rheims, France, provided the setting male competitors. In 1936, Louise spread. The focus shifted to practical ■ Charles Lindbergh was only 22 months his flight, Lindbergh chose to use his for the first international aviation meet in Thaden flew between Los Angeles and uses for airplanes. As adventurous men old in 1903 when the Wright brothers lifted newfound fame to promote what he was 1909, a competition that attracted Cleveland in just under 15 hours to take and women soon learned, planes could their Wright Flyer off the ground at Kill most passionate about—aviation. After numerous flyers from Europe and one the prize. Jackie Cochran won the race in accomplish a lot of things. Devil Hills, North Carolina. That event returning from Paris, he flew the Spirit of American entry, Glenn Curtiss, who had 1938, beating nine men. Planes could be very entertaining. They For the Greatest shaped Lindbergh’s life. Twenty-four years St. Louis across the United States for his eye on the Gordon Bennett Trophy. Between 1929 and 1949, the could spin, dive, and fly upside down. later, Lindbergh forever changed avia- three months to promote aviation and In his Rheims Racer, Curtiss set a new Cleveland Air Races attracted such Daredevil men and women walked on Achievement: tion—and the world’s passion for flying— inspire support for its development. world record, making his speed run at names as Charles Lindbergh, Jimmy their wings and hung from underneath when he became the first person to fly Later that year, he toured Central and ■ The Collier Trophy was established in 46.5 miles per hour. By beating his clos- Doolittle, Jackie Cochran, Amelia Earhart, them, tempting fate and thrilling specta- solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. South America for Pan American Airways 1911 by Robert J. Collier, publisher and est competition, Frenchman Louis Blériot, and Wiley Post to the skies over this tors who watched, amazed, from the When he made the 3,600-mile flight with the same mission; while in Mexico, early president of the Aero Club of America. by a mere six seconds, Curtiss won the Ohio city’s airport. There, giants of the air grandstands. The skepticism so prevalent from New York to Paris, the young man he met his future wife, Anne Morrow. The trophy is awarded annually for “the trophy he desired. competed for the Thompson and Bendix just a few years earlier was over, and the from Minnesota became an instant hero. In the mid-1930s, the U.S. govern- greatest achievement in aeronautics or Other air races and trophies beckoned trophies, thrilling the crowds and helping race was on. He landed his high-wing monoplane, the ment asked Lindbergh to travel to astronautics in America, with respect to other pilots. In 1913, the Schneider to define aviation during its golden age. Competitions offered cash prizes and Spirit of St. Louis, in Paris on 21 May Germany to learn about German air improving the performance, efficiency, and Trophy lured high-speed seaplanes to Air races are still held throughout the trophies for speed, distance, and altitude. 1927 to the cheers of 100,000 people. power, and the famed aviator sent back safety of air or space vehicles, the value of a course that covered 350 kilometers. world today. World records were set and broken, often Blessed with movie-star good looks, detailed information. which has been thoroughly demonstrated With an average speed of 46 miles per by women competing not just against each resolute courage, and a passion During World War II, he by actual use during the preceding year.” hour, France won the first of these races. other but also against men. A number of for aviation, Lindbergh captured was a technical advisor It represents the most prestigious award American Jimmy Doolittle won in 1925 these men and women were made famous the world’s imagination. His in the South Pacific. offered in the United States for excellence with a speed of 233 miles per hour. When by their flying exploits—Charles Lindbergh, love for flying was infectious, While there, he also in aerospace research and development Great Britain won the trophy in 1931, the Amelia Earhart, Wiley Post, Jimmy Doolittle, and its impact on popular flew in a number of and is administered by the National average speed had increased to 340 and Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran. culture was legendary. combat missions and Aeronautic Association. It is named after miles per hour. The drive to win helped This new love affair with flying even Lindbergh and his exploits conducted training ses- Robert J. Collier, who stated, “The flying propel technical improvements and the inspired songs, poems, posters, and inspired everything from sions for Marine pilots. machine should be unselfishly and rapidly development of sleeker, faster aircraft. (later) movies. Everyone, it seemed, clocks and lamps to movies, After the war, developed to its potential for America’s The Pulitzer races of the 1920s were a was caught up in the excitement. books, plays, musical compo- Lindbergh became a economic advancement.” As a demonstra- showcase for the U.S. Armed Forces, but It was also an era of more firsts. sitions, tapestries, and consultant to several tion of his belief, he was the first person it was the Bendix races in the 1930s that Planes were now flying coast to coast, all manner of other commercial airlines and to purchase an airplane for private use gave female aviators their chance to shine across the Atlantic, over the North Pole, memorabilia. A popular aided in the develop- from the Wright brothers. The first and, in some cases, to outshine their then the South Pole, then around the dance called the “Lindy ment of commercial winner of the trophy was Glenn world—a world that was getting smaller Hop” was also named aviation. Later, in Curtiss, followed by the top indi- with each fantastic feat. During its golden Tickets and programs like after him. Charles A. Lindbergh, the “Lone Europe, he examined viduals and organizations in the age, aviation gleamed as brightly as these were prized by There is no doubt Eagle,” set records and affected enemy aircraft. aerospace industry. NACA aviation fans throughout anyone could have imagined, and the about Lindbergh’s popular culture as no other flyer did. received its first trophy in 1929 the 1920s and 1930s. airplane had become as versatile as it instant fame. Following National Air and Space Museum #89-10 for its research and develop- National Air and Space Museum was indispensable. ©2002 Smithsonian Institution ment of a new cowling. #93-15838, #2000-2373 Right: Collier trophy. ©2002 Smithsonian Institution

10 I don’t believe in taking foolish chances, but nothing can be accomplished without taking any chance at all. —Charles A. Lindbergh, after his transatlantic11 flight 1923 May 2–3 First nonstop coast-to-coast airplane flight 1927 took place between New York and San Diego—26 hours, May 20–21 Charles Lindbergh made the first solo flight 50 minutes. 1926 across the Atlantic aboard the Spirit of St. Louis. May 9 Commander Richard E. Byrd and pilot Floyd 1920 1921 June 27 First in-flight refueling occurred over 1924 Bennett announced the first flight over the North Pole. 1928 February 22 The first transcontinental mail service June 15 Bessie Coleman became the first African San Diego, California. September 28 The first round-the-world flight was com- May 31–June 9 Charles Kingsford Smith and arrived in New York from San Francisco. American woman to receive a Fédération Aéronautique pleted in Seattle, Washington, by three two-seat Douglas March 16 Robert Goddard built and flew the world’s first Charles T. P. Ulm made the first trans-Pacific flight Internationale (FAI) pilot’s license. World Cruisers of the U.S. Army Air Service. liquid propellant rocket near Worcester, Massachusetts. from California to Australia.

1927 Television invented 1924 First Winter Olympics 1926 First Winnie-the-Pooh book published

10 I don’t believe in taking foolish chances, but nothing can be accomplished without taking any chance at all. —Charles A. Lindbergh, after his transatlantic11 flight 1928 1931 June 28–29 Albert Hegenberger and Lester Maitland 1929 June 23–July 1 Wiley Post and Harold Gatty completed 1935 accomplished the first nonstop crossing of the Pacific. Fritz von Opel of Germany flew the first rocket-powered the first circumnavigation of the world by a lone aircraft. December The first Douglas DC-3 flew. By 1938, it car- plane for 1 minute, 15 seconds. 1935 ried the bulk of American air traffic. 1929 1932 November 22 Pan American Airways made the first 1939 November 28–29 Commander Richard E. Byrd completed William Green developed the first automatic pilot used onMay 20–21 Amelia Earhart became the first woman to Pacific mail service route, leaving San Francisco with December 1 The first airway traffic control center went June 28 Pan American Airways flew the first transatlantic the first flight over the South Pole. an airliner. fly solo across the Atlantic. 111,000 letters. into operation. passenger service.

1928 First scheduled television broadcast 1929 Great Depression began with stock market crash 1931 Empire State Building completed 1935 Watson Watt built RADAR device 1936 Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone with the Wind 1939 World War II began

Left: Bessie Coleman became the first African American female pilot when she First Ladies became the first woman to receive a In 1937, Earhart received her pilot’s license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. glider pilot’s license. embarked upon a jour- National Air and Space Museum #80-12873©2002 Smithsonian Institution But even before the considerable ney that, had it been of Flight accomplishments of these women, successful, would have Right: Eileen Collins was the first female pilot of the Space Shuttle (missions Alabama-born Katherine Stinson was given her the distinction STS-63 and STS-84) and the first female commander of the Space Shuttle U.S. government accepted the Wright aircraft in ■ The role women have played in the (mission STS-93). 1909. © Wright State University well on her way to a series of “firsts” of being the first woman progress of aviation is punctuated by the all her own. In 1912, Stinson became to fly around the world. Origins of the achievements, many of them “firsts,” of the fourth woman to be issued a pilot’s The mystery of her dis- as the first woman to cally taking up the hundreds of brave and determined aero- license. In 1913, she became the first appearance during that break the sound barrier; challenges to U.S. Air Force nautical pioneers. woman to carry the U.S. mail; in 1915, flight, along with that of she did that in 1953. which Harriet These pioneers included women like she became the first woman to perform her navigator and plane, Years before this, in Quimby opened ■ U.S. Army leaders were never as back- Juanita Pritchard Bailey, the first woman an aerial loop-the-loop. That same remains to this day a 1921, Bessie Coleman the door. Each of ward about accepting aviation as tradition to fly a plane solo from the United States year, Stinson became the first woman matter of debate. It was broke the color barrier them has helped claims. Many, in fact, had long maintained to Panama, and Evelyn “Bobbi” Trout, to skywrite. Geraldine Mock who, in and became the first prove what an interest in lighter-than-air and heavier- who, in 1929, became the first woman The honor of being the first woman to 1964, flying a single-engine Cessna 180, African American female pilot. Texas-born President than-air craft. The Signal Corps established to complete an all-night flight. fly across the Atlantic belongs to Amelia completed this circumnavigation, becom- Coleman, who had grown up amidst Roosevelt said in a balloon section in 1892 and deployed a The following year, Amy Johnson, con- Earhart, although on the first trip, she ing the first woman to do so. poverty and discrimination, overcame two 1935 when Amelia balloon to Cuba in 1898 during the sidered by many to be Britain’s most was a passenger. In 1932, however, she Amelia Earhart also has the distinction major hurdles in her goal to become a Earhart became Spanish-American War. Signal Corps bal- famous female pilot, became the first was at the controls and became the first of being the first president of The Ninety- pilot: she was a woman and she was the first woman to successfully fly from loonists competed in contests and set woman to fly alone from England to woman to make the trip solo. Later, she Nines, an organization that was formed in African American. Undeterred, she went Hawaii to California: “Aviation is a sci- records. Notably, Lieutenant Frank Lahm Australia. In 1931, Anne Morrow was also the first woman to earn the 1929 and still exists today. The name to France, where a more liberal outlook ence which cannot be limited to men won the first Gordon Bennett balloon race Lindbergh, wife of Charles Lindbergh, Distinguished Flying Cross. comes from the total number of the group’s prevailed. In 1921, the Fédération Aéro- only.” And it hasn’t been. in 1906. The Army also developed semi- charter members, licensed female pilots nautique Internationale awarded her the rigid dirigibles beginning with Signal Corps Amelia Earhart, nicknamed “Lady Lindy,” proved her skill by becoming the first woman to fly solo who came together to create an entity pilot’s license she had dreamed about. Dirigible No. 1 in 1908. across the Atlantic. National Air and Space Museum #381-1431 ©2002 Smithsonian Institution that would help advance aviation and pro- For Earhart, Cochran, Coleman, and As for heavier-than-air craft, Army lead- vide a vehicle for female pilots to support the many other women who achieved ers gave Samuel P. Langley $50,000 for each other. Today, The Ninety-Nines, Inc., so much in aerospace—from Valentina construction of a full-sized “aerodrome” in boasts over 6,500 members worldwide. Tereshkova, the first woman in space, to 1898. Langley failed to fly, but Army inter- Jackie Cochran, a former beautician Eileen Collins, the first female pilot and est in aviation continued. Its leaders began from Florida, served as president of the commander of the Space Shuttle—per- correspondence with the Wright brothers in Ninety-Nines between 1941 and 1943. haps it is Harriet Quimby to whom they May 1907, established an Aeronautical She was also the first female pilot to ferry all owe a debt of gratitude. In 1911, Division in August, and prepared require- a bomber across the Atlantic, and in Quimby became the first American ments for a military airplane in December. 1943, she was appointed director of the woman to receive a pilot’s The Army accepted the Wrights’ bid in Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). license. In 1912, she February 1908. Trials began later in the The WASPs were approximately 1,000 was the first woman year, but a crash delayed the results. The civilian women who, as the United States to fly across the U.S. Army ultimately accepted Signal Corps entered World War II, delivered aircraft to English Channel, a No. 1 on 2 August 1909. combat areas all over the world. Though trip she made in Today’s global U.S. Air Force grew from the program was deactivated only sixteen just over an hour. the Aeronautical Division and this first air- months after its inception, it was and still Today, of the plane, but the road to independence was is considered a success. Cochran was approximately 635,000 tortuous. The U.S. Army established the Air awarded the Distinguished Service Medal pilots in the United States, over Service in May 1918, and in 1926, the Air and the USAF Legion of Merit for her service. 37,000 of them are women, enthusiasti- Service became the U.S. Army Air Corps. Rightfully called America’s leading Creation of the U.S. Army Air Forces in female pilot, Cochran is also remembered 1941 provided the autonomy necessary for Jackie Cochran was awarded medals for her work with the WASPs. Referring to her victory during World War II. The U.S. Air experience with the group, she said, “We landed planes like the Hurricane and the Force achieved full independence on 18 Spitfire in fields where I wouldn’t land my Lodestar today if I could avoid it.” September 1947. National Air and Space Museum #80-16081 ©2002 Smithsonian Institution

12 Flying might not be all plain sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price. —Amelia Earhart13 1928 1931 June 28–29 Albert Hegenberger and Lester Maitland 1929 June 23–July 1 Wiley Post and Harold Gatty completed 1935 accomplished the first nonstop crossing of the Pacific. Fritz von Opel of Germany flew the first rocket-powered the first circumnavigation of the world by a lone aircraft. December The first Douglas DC-3 flew. By 1938, it car- plane for 1 minute, 15 seconds. 1935 ried the bulk of American air traffic. 1929 1932 November 22 Pan American Airways made the first 1939 November 28–29 Commander Richard E. Byrd completed William Green developed the first automatic pilot used onMay 20–21 Amelia Earhart became the first woman to Pacific mail service route, leaving San Francisco with December 1 The first airway traffic control center went June 28 Pan American Airways flew the first transatlantic the first flight over the South Pole. an airliner. fly solo across the Atlantic. 111,000 letters. into operation. passenger service.

12 Flying might not be all plain sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price. —Amelia Earhart13 1943 General Motors January Franklin D. Roosevelt boarded a Boeing 314 fly- FM-1 Wildcat. 1941 ing boat in Miami, Florida, and became the first chief June 20 The United States Army Air Forces were formed. executive to make a wartime flight while in office. National Air and Space Museum 1942 #76-1722 The Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black fighter squadron in July 19 The Messerschmitt 262, the world’s first opera- The Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) was formed ©2002 Smithsonian Institution the United States Armed Forces, was formed. Until that tional jet-powered fighter, took to the air with Fritz to ferry military planes and perform other noncombat time, Blacks had been forbidden to receive pilot training. Wendel at the controls. operations for the U.S. military in World War II.

1941 Cheerios invented 1942 Electronic computer developed in U.S. 1943 Slinky toy invented

Although outnumbered in the early really recovered from this defeat. The Tuskegee Airmen months of the war in the Pacific, American Subsequently, General Kenney’s Allied Air Air Power in airmen of the USAAF and U.S. Navy Forces, under theater commander General ■ In July 1941, the Army Air Corps began fought gallantly against the Japanese in Douglas MacArthur, supported the drive a program to train Black Americans as mil- the Philippines and the Southwest Pacific. north and westward along the north coast itary pilots. The military selected Tuskegee On 18 April 1942, the U.S. struck back of New Guinea and then played a major Institute to train pilots because of its com- World War II when Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle role in the invasion of the Philippines. mitment to aeronautical training. The pro- led sixteen USAAF B-25s from the deck This was the famous “island-hopping” gram was titled the “Tuskegee Experiment.” of an aircraft carrier and bombed Japan. campaign, which left substantial Japanese ■ Air power played a crucial role in almost attacked the Third Reich, with B-17s, B- Once a cadet completed primary training, Meanwhile, in China, the American forces isolated on islands, only to “wither Tokyo Raiders: every aspect of World War II. Germany’s 24s, and RAF Lancasters and Wellingtons he was sent to nearby Tuskegee Army Air Volunteer Group, the “Flying Tigers,” on the vine.” air force, the Luftwaffe, supported the Nazi pounding Germany’s industry, transporta- Field to complete flight training and transi- under General Claire Chennault, flying The final act was the bombing of the The Doolittle Raid ground forces early in the war as they dev- tion, and communications around the tion to combat-type aircraft. “Tuskegee shark-mouthed Curtiss P-40s, bested Japanese homeland by B-29 Super- astated western Europe. The scream of clock. The strategic bombing campaign Airmen” included pilots, navigators, bom- ■ the Japanese air force. It was in China, fortresses, a strategic offensive that, along After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Stuka dive-bombers heralded Blitzkrieg, devastated the Nazi transportation system bardiers, maintenance and support staff, too, that U.S. transport aircraft flew “the with the naval blockade, brought Japan to War Department planners hit upon the idea which dominated the early war conflict. and cut the enemy’s oil production. In instructors, and all the personnel who kept Hump” over the highest mountains of the the brink of catastrophe in the summer of of bombing Japan by launching B-25 The Luftwaffe was ill-equipped to fight February 1944, during “Big Week,” the the planes in the air. world, keeping China in the war and 1945. With the dropping of atomic bombs bombers from an aircraft carrier. In April England, however, and the tide began to Luftwaffe contested the European skies, The Tuskegee Airmen exemplified dramatizing the importance of global air by B-29s on Hiroshima and 1942, as flight crews boarded the carrier turn when Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) and as a result, the American escort courage, skill, and dedication in combat. transport, perhaps the greatest develop- Nagasaki, Japan was forced to sur- USS Hornet, planes were being lashed to defeated it during the now-famous Battle fighters took a heavy toll on the German They flew more than 15,000 sorties, com- ment of air power during the war. In June render on the decks. When Navy radar spotted of Britain. “Achtung, Spitfire!” became ter- Air Force—a turning point in the air war pleting over 1,500 missions during the 1942, the Japanese suffered a key 2 September 1945, thereby writing Japanese ships ahead of the carrier, rible words for German pilots. over Europe. war. Equipped with their red-tailed P51 defeat in the Battle of Midway Island, in a final, dramatic chapter to World Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle was The United States entered World War II Moreover, allied strategic and tactical Mustangs, the pilots of the 332nd Fighter which U.S. Navy dive bombers sank four War II. ordered to launch even though the ship on 7 December 1941, when the Japanese air forces, as Supreme Commander Group never lost an escorted bomber to Japanese aircraft carriers. The Battle of was 700 miles from Japan, instead of the conducted a surprise air attack on the Dwight D. Eisenhower emphasized, made enemy fighters—a record only the Midway and subsequent fighting at planned 400. American naval base at Pearl Harbor, safe the invasion of the Continent on Tuskegee Airmen can claim. Guadalcanal, which broke the back of The mission successfully hit targets in Hawaii. However, although the Japanese 6 June 1944 by defeating the Luftwaffe American bomber crews reverently Japanese air power, proved decisive. Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagoya drew the U.S. into the war, early planning prior to D-Day and by reducing the referred to them as “The Black Redtail During the first before turning toward landing fields in made Germany the primary foe. enemy’s ability to reinforce the battlefield. Angels” because of the identifying red week of March China. With low fuel reserves and strong The RAF began with a bombing cam- In his words, “Unless we had faith in air paint on their tail assemblies. Feared and 1943, Japan was head winds, the crews knew they wouldn’t paign conducted mostly at night against power as a fighting arm to intervene and respected by the Germans, the Airmen dealt a crushing blow reach the designated landing fields. Fifteen German cities. It was soon joined by the make safe that landing, it would have were known as the “Schwartze in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, of the sixteen planes crashed or ditched at mighty Eighth Air Force of the U.S. Army been more than fantastic, it would have Vogelmenschen”—Black Birdmen. when aircraft of General George Kenney’s sea with one diverting to Russia. Of the Air Forces (USAAF), been criminal.” At the end of the war, the Tuskegee Fifth Air Force destroyed an entire eighty fliers, three died in landings, eight which specialized in In addition to the strategic bombing Airmen returned home with numerous Japanese convoy. The Japanese never were captured by the Japanese, high-altitude, daylight campaign, the Allied tactical air forces awards for gallantry. Their heroics in the air and the crew that landed in and dignity on the ground won them the attacks on German made a major contribution to the European The Hawker Hurricane is a Russia was interned before industrial targets. Over victory through their enormous support of British fighter plane. highest honors. eventually escaping. All the oth- National Air and Space Museum #00186467 the skies of northwest the ground forces as they fought their way ©2002 Smithsonian Institution ers bailed out over China and Europe, great bomber eastward into Germany. Victory in Europe eventually found their way to safe fleets of the Combined on 8 May 1945 was in so many ways a ground. These volunteer civilians kept a Because spotters never knew from haven in Chungking. Bomber Offensive victory for air power. Eye on America had hit back. News close watch for enemy aircraft that might which direction airplanes would come, reports stateside flashed word that the Sky appear in the skies overhead, skies that they were trained to quickly look for the Doolittle and his Raiders had were sometimes filled with planes flying shape of the wing, the number of Not all bombs that fell from airplanes during the war were destructive. ■ During World struck Tokyo, and morale started One in particular, the “Monroe Bomb,” named after its inventor, U.S. from one point to another on training engines, the forward profile, and any War II, the air- rocketing upward. Army Air Force Captain James Monroe, employed the weapons of psy- missions or to and from bases. It was an other markings on the plane that would chological warfare—propaganda leaflets—dropping hundreds of thou- craft spotter important aspect of defense to be able to enable them to quickly identify it. sands of them over broad areas from planes like the B-17 and B24. provided an distinguish quickly and accurately Each spotter card showed several per- invaluable serv- “By Day and by Night, with United Strength,” from the World War II propaganda leaflet collection between friendly and enemy aircraft. spectives of the plane it represented, of Hans Moonen; see http://www.cobweb.nl/jmoonen/ ice on the Spotters used “spotter cards” to help along with the plane’s markings. them do the job.

14 Air power is like poker. A second-best hand is like none at all—it will cost you dough and win you nothing. —General George15 Kenney 1943 General Motors January Franklin D. Roosevelt boarded a Boeing 314 fly- FM-1 Wildcat. 1941 ing boat in Miami, Florida, and became the first chief June 20 The United States Army Air Forces were formed. executive to make a wartime flight while in office. National Air and Space Museum 1942 #76-1722 The Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black fighter squadron in July 19 The Messerschmitt 262, the world’s first opera- The Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) was formed ©2002 Smithsonian Institution the United States Armed Forces, was formed. Until that tional jet-powered fighter, took to the air with Fritz to ferry military planes and perform other noncombat time, Blacks had been forbidden to receive pilot training. Wendel at the controls. operations for the U.S. military in World War II.

1941 Cheerios invented 1942 Electronic computer developed in U.S. 1943 Slinky toy invented

14 Air power is like poker. A second-best hand is like none at all—it will cost you dough and win you nothing. —General George15 Kenney 1954 1944 1947 1948 The U.S. Air Force Academy was created. V-2 rocket first used in combat. September 18 United States Air Force formed as a The Berlin Blockade and airlift proved the power of air- 1953 1957 separate service. planes to help resolve diplomatic crises. November 20 Scott Crossfield became the first pilot to July 15 The Boeing “Dash 80” (prototype of 707) first January 15–18 A jet flew around the world for the 1945 fly at Mach 2 in the D-558 research plane. test flight occurred. first time. October 14 Captain Charles E. Yeager flew faster than August 6 B-29 Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb 1949 the speed of sound for the first time in the rocket- on Hiroshima. March 2 Lucky Lady II: This Boeing B-50A made the first Jackie Cochran became the first woman to fly faster 1955 October 4 The Russians launched Sputnik I, the first powered Bell X-1. nonstop around-the-world flight. than sound. August 4 The U-2 reconnaissance prototype first flew. artificial Earth satellite.

1945 World War II ended 1950 Korean War began 1953 Color television introduced in the U.S. 1955 Disneyland opened in California 1957 Dr. Seuss published The Cat in the Hat Choppers. Copters. Passenger Whirlybirds. Jets Boeing 757 aircraft. ■ No matter what nickname they go by, United States. Igor Sikorsky, a Russian- ■ Through the 1940s, the modern helicopters are amazingly versa- born U.S. citizen who is known as the F86-Sabre. U.S. led the passenger transport busi- tile aircraft with the ability to lift directly “Father of the Helicopter,” flew his VS- ness; however, in 1952, British Airways off the ground and fly without the need 300 and launched a lucrative business challenged that lead with the introduction the Comet in 1954, not only The Lockheed L-1011, McDonnell for a runway. that provided helicopters for World War II, of the world’s first jet airliner. addressing the structural problems that Douglas DC-10, and Airbus A300 followed. The concept of vertical flight can be Korea, and Vietnam. The Comet was designed to fly at doomed the first jetliner, but also boast- The Boeing 777 is the most recent Into the traced to the Chinese top, a toy first Today, helicopters are used for trans- 35,000 feet and higher, thus dramatically ing a newly designed airframe that offered entrant into the wide-body aircraft market. used around 400 B.C. By the mid- porting accident victims, crop seeding, reducing fuel consumption. But at these a smoother, faster ride with room for The Concorde supersonic transport was Jet Age 1500s, Leonardo da Vinci was sketching traffic reports, aerial photography, fighting altitudes, there was another problem to more passengers. This airliner sparked the result of a partnership between the helicopter-like machines. forest fires, rescues at sea, lifting heavy be solved: creating a pressurized cabin in Douglas Aircraft to produce the DC-8, a French and British governments. Only 16 ■ With the advent of jet technology, the In 1907, French engineer Paul Cornu construction materials for skyscraper con- which passengers could breathe without plane with greater range and more cabin Concordes were built, but given its ability world of aviation was again on the edge of managed to lift a helicopter he designed struction, and hundreds of other practical oxygen masks. Once the issue of cabin width, which allowed an extra passenger to travel at Mach 2.2 (over twice the change. This time, the changes would rev- into the air for 20 seconds. Though not a applications. This fascinating machine pressurization was resolved, the Comet seat in each row. speed of sound) at an altitude of 50,000 olutionize military as well as civilian air- long flight, it was enough to stimulate that can take off and land vertically; was ready to be introduced to the public, With a seating capacity of up to 550 feet, flying the Concorde became an craft and turn the business of passenger other designers, who made great hover in midair; and fly forward, back- and they loved it. The original Comet’s passengers, Boeing’s 747 was the incredible experience for its passengers. transport into a race to see which airline advances in helicopter design. ward, sideways, or straight up and down lifespan was cut short because of struc- world’s first and largest commercial Today, aircraft manufacturers continue could carry the most people the greatest It was not until 1939 that the first suc- is as indispensable as it is versatile. tural problems. jumbo jet, a plane over 230 feet long to adapt their machines to the market’s distance in the least amount of time. cessful helicopter flight took place in the The Boeing 707, based on a jet tanker with a wingspan of almost 200 feet. desire to get there faster, more efficiently, Both the Allies and the Germans were design built for the U.S. Air Force, followed and more comfortably. engaged in building jets as World War II In 1939, the first successful flight of a helicopter was accomplished in the United States by Igor Sikorsky. was drawing to a close; by the time the National Air and Space Museum #00089138©2002 Smithsonian Institution Korean conflict began in 1950, the speed of jet fighters was considered a necessity to win air combat engagements. Engineers continually worked to modify Breaking the Sound Barrier these planes, each change allowing the ■ Air Force Test Pilot Captain Charles E. of sound varies with pressure and aircraft to fly higher and faster while also “Chuck” Yeager broke the “sound barrier” temperature, so at sea level, Mach improving its stability and maneuverability. for the first time by flying Mach 1.06 on 1 is about 760 miles per hour, These developments eventually led to 14 October 1947. This first supersonic, or and at 35,000 feet, it is about supersonic bombers like the B-58 and above Mach 1, flight occurred at 43,000 660 miles per hour. wide-body cargo planes with the capacity feet above California’s Mojave Desert in to carry troops, tanks, and tons of sup- the bright orange air-launched, plies into battle. rocket-powered Bell X-1 aircraft One of the greatest beneficiaries of jet named Glamorous Glennis development was commercial aviation, in honor of his wife. and by the 1960s, passenger jets were Mach is the ratio of eclipsing ships and trains as the dominant the speed of an object to mode of passenger transport. the speed of sound. The speed The Bell X-1 named Glamorous Glennis.

16 The flying machines will eventually be fast; they will be used in sport, but they should not be thought of as commercial carriers. —Octave Chanute,17 1910 1954 1944 1947 1948 The U.S. Air Force Academy was created. V-2 rocket first used in combat. September 18 United States Air Force formed as a The Berlin Blockade and airlift proved the power of air- 1953 1957 separate service. planes to help resolve diplomatic crises. November 20 Scott Crossfield became the first pilot to July 15 The Boeing “Dash 80” (prototype of 707) first January 15–18 A jet flew around the world for the 1945 fly at Mach 2 in the D-558 research plane. test flight occurred. first time. October 14 Captain Charles E. Yeager flew faster than August 6 B-29 Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb 1949 the speed of sound for the first time in the rocket- on Hiroshima. March 2 Lucky Lady II: This Boeing B-50A made the first Jackie Cochran became the first woman to fly faster 1955 October 4 The Russians launched Sputnik I, the first powered Bell X-1. nonstop around-the-world flight. than sound. August 4 The U-2 reconnaissance prototype first flew. artificial Earth satellite.

16 The flying machines will eventually be fast; they will be used in sport, but they should not be thought of as commercial carriers. —Octave Chanute,17 1910 The X-15 rocket-powered aircraft under the 1959 wing of a B-52, waiting to be air-launched. September 15 Scott Crossfield first flew the Helios prototype, a high-flying, 1958 fastest and highest flying aircraft in history, the rock- January 31 Explorer 1 successfully orbited Earth. This photo was taken from an observa- et-powered X-15. solar-powered craft. October 1 NASA was established. tion window in the B-52 shortly before dropping the X-15. 1960 December 19 First voice radio broadcast from May 17 YF4H-1 Phantom fighter and Douglas space occurred. DC-8 were unveiled.

1958 Public schools integrated in Little Rock, Arkansas 1960 John F. Kennedy elected U.S. President

Unconventional nearly 100 miles. On Dawn of the 3 April 1988, the 69- Methods of Flight pound Daedalus 88 made Space Age the flight between the island of Crete and ■ A bird’s ability to fly, powered by its the island of Santorini, a distance of ■ The National Aeronautics and Space own unique musculoskeletal system, 115.11 kilometers, or 71.53 miles. Testing the Administration (NASA) was formed with has, for thousands of years, inspired Over the next 15 years, the lightweight President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s signing humanity’s desire to fly and especially human-powered aircraft evolved into Boundaries of the National Aeronautics and Space Act to achieve flight without the use of any- lightweight, high-altitude, solar-powered of 1958. The NACA and parts of other thing other than muscle power. aircraft. This series of research aircraft set ■ A desire to expand the capabilities of agencies formed its core; its purpose was gap, and provided the impetus for Paul B. MacCready envisioned, designed, numerous records, culminating in the aircraft led airplane designer Burt Rutan research and development for the explo- increased spending for aerospace endeav- The X-15: and built the human-powered Gossamer recordbreaking flight of the Helios aircraft to the ambitious idea of building an airplane ration of space. NASA also emerged in ors, technical and scientific educational Condor, a 70-pound craft with a wingspan to 96,863 feet over Hawaii during 2001. that could fly around the world without some measure because of the pressures programs, and the chartering of new fed- Bridging the Gap of 96 feet, made of aluminum, mylar, This lightweight, unpiloted, propeller-driven, refueling. His Voyager achieved the task. of national defense during the Cold War eral agencies to manage research and corrugated cardboard, and styrene foam. solar-powered, 247-foot-long aircraft is a Rutan used an ultralight graphite com- ■ with the Soviet Union, a broad contest development. In the X-15 program, the Air Force, In 1977, the Condor flew 1.35 miles in prototype for future long-duration, high- posite for the plane, designing it with long, over the ideologies and allegiances of the The United States launched its first NASA, Navy, and North American Aviation just under eight minutes, its average speed altitude flights spending days aloft using knifelike wings that would, along with nonaligned nations of the world in which Earth satellite on 31 January 1958, when embarked upon a new frontier—exploring between 10 and 11 miles per hour. only the Sun for power, either directly or other frame areas, be filled with fuel. In space exploration emerged as a major Explorer 1, launched atop a modified the possibilities of a piloted, rocket- In 1979, the Gossamer Albatross was through new advanced fuel cells that store fact, three-fourths of the Voyager’s total area of contest. Redstone, documented the existence of powered, air-launched aircraft capable “pedaled” from England to France, mak- the Sun’s energy. This high-flying wing could weight was composed of fuel. The space age actually began before the radiation zones encircling Earth. These of speeds about five times that of sound. ing it the first completely human-powered significantly enhance scientific missions On 23 December 1986, Voyager com- creation of NASA. From the latter 1940s, zones, shaped by Earth’s magnetic field, Between 1959 and 1969, in 199 flights, aircraft to cross the English Channel. studying Earth, assist farmers, act as a pleted a nine-day flight that ended in the Department of Defense pursued came to be called the Van Allen Radiation the X-15 program demonstrated the human Inspired by the Greek myth of Daedalus telecommunication platform, enhance California. The Voyager had circumnavi- research, rocketry, and upper atmospheric Belt. This mission began a series of flights desire to fly higher, faster, and beyond and Icarus, the Daedalus Project was con- weather observation, and provide disaster gated the world, a nonstop trip of 25,000 sciences as a means of ensuring American to the Moon and planets. Earth’s atmosphere. On 22 August 1963, ceived to fly a human-powered aircraft monitoring and emergency response. miles, without refueling. leadership in technology. A major step the X-15 set an altitude record of forward came when President Eisenhower JPL Director William Pickering, astrophysicist 354,200 feet (67 miles). Four years later, approved a plan to orbit a scientific satellite James Van Allen, and rocketeer Wernher von the aircraft set a speed record of Mach as part of the International Geophysical Braun hold up a mock-up of Explorer 1. 6.7 (4,520 miles per hour). Guy Bluford Year (IGY), a cooperative effort to gather The vehicle provided the platform for served on four A Typical Day in Space Shuttle mis- scientific data about Earth, for an eighteen- many scientific and technological studies. sions—STS-8, month period from 1957 to 1958. The With an exterior skin of a nickel-chrome ■ Surprisingly enough, many aspects of a exercising, doing nothing (yes, “breaks” STS-61-A, Soviet Union quickly followed suit, alloy that could withstand extreme heat, typical day in the life of an astronaut are are also scheduled), and eating. STS-39, and announcing plans to orbit its own satellite. (over 1,000˚F) and a structure specially quite similar to those of a typical day at a Some astronauts even like the food, STS-53. The Naval Research Laboratory’s Project designed for the harsh unknown environ- more Earthly job. Being in orbit does, of though it does have to be reconstituted Vanguard was chosen on 9 September ment encountered at hypersonic speeds, course, present some different chal- from its dehydrated state. Menu items 1955 to support the IGY effort, largely the vehicle was able to carry out scientific lenges, as well as different perks. There is like shrimp cocktail, scrambled eggs with because it did not interfere with high-priority research and survive. This research helped the weightlessness to consider, but the bacon, and beefsteak burritos are pretty ballistic missile development programs, prove that a pilot could master the skills views are amazing. normal fare while in orbit. while an Army proposal to use the required for flight into space, even the According to former astronaut Dr. Guion Being an astronaut means Redstone ballistic missile as the launch ability to function in a weightless environ- “Guy” Bluford, the first African American being well trained and vehicle waited in the wings. The technologi- ment. The program also resulted in the in space, each astronaut’s day is heavily ready to perform whatever cal demands upon the Vanguard program first full-pressure suit to protect pilots in scheduled by ground control. “Every task the mission com- were too great and the funding levels too space, metal alloys that could survive high minute is accounted for,” said Dr. Bluford, mander assigns. Just like small to ensure success. temperatures, new electronic and control “and each astronaut is responsible for jobs on Earth, there’s a A full-scale crisis resulted when the methods including a reaction control sys- multiple tasks, whether it’s deploying a boss. This one, however, Soviets launched Sputnik 1, the world’s first tem to effect maneuvering in the thin satellite, conducting experiments, helping probably doesn’t mind artificial satellite, on 4 October 1957. This atmospheres of near space, and knowl- to fly the Shuttle, or maintaining the vehicle.” too much when employ- had a dramatic effect on American public edge of high-speed flight. In addition to the time allotted for work, ees are seen staring off opinion, creating an illusion of a technological there is also time set aside for sleeping, into space.

18 It’s human nature to stretch, to go, to see, to understand. Exploration is not a choice, really; it’s an imperative. —Michael19 Collins The X-15 rocket-powered aircraft under the 1959 wing of a B-52, waiting to be air-launched. September 15 Scott Crossfield first flew the Helios prototype, a high-flying, 1958 fastest and highest flying aircraft in history, the rock- January 31 Explorer 1 successfully orbited Earth. This photo was taken from an observa- et-powered X-15. solar-powered craft. October 1 NASA was established. tion window in the B-52 shortly before dropping the X-15. 1960 December 19 First voice radio broadcast from May 17 YF4H-1 Phantom fighter and Douglas space occurred. DC-8 were unveiled.

1958 Public schools integrated in Little Rock, Arkansas 1960 John F. Kennedy elected U.S. President

18 It’s human nature to stretch, to go, to see, to understand. Exploration is not a choice, really; it’s an imperative. —Michael19 Collins 1960 April 1 Tiros I was the first weather satellite launched. 1963 1967 August 22 The X-15 aircraft set an altitude record of Astronauts Gus Grissom, Roger Chaffee, and Ed White 1969 67 miles. died in the Apollo 1 capsule fire during a ground test in 1961 The Concorde prototype and Boeing 747 first flew. April 12 The first human being to travel in space preparation for their launch. (Major Yuri Gagarin) completed one full orbit of Earth. 1966 July 20 Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. March 16–17 Neil Armstrong and David Scott performed1968 May 5 Alan Shepard was the first American in space. the first orbital docking. December Apollo 8 circumnavigated the Moon. March 2 The first Concorde flight occurred.

1961 DNA molecule structure determined 1963 President Kennedy assassinated 1968 Civil rights activist Martin Luther King assassinated 1969 Woodstock Pop Festival held in upstate New York

the surface, telling millions on Earth who Higher and Faster To the Moon: saw and heard him that it was “one small step for [a] man—one giant leap for ■ Flight has fired the world’s imagination Apollo mankind.” Aldrin soon followed him out, with two words: speed and altitude, the and the two plodded around the landing pantheon of flying. The attainment of these 1 ■ As an effort to offset world perception site in the lunar gravity ( /6 of Earth’s) and feats depends on multiple complex factors. of Soviet leadership in space and technol- planted an American flag. Generally, the reasons to strive for faster ogy, President John F. Kennedy made a Five more landing missions followed at planes capable of greater altitude are public commitment on 25 May 1961 to approximately six-month intervals through practical, rather than heroic or poetic. land an American on the Moon by the end December 1972 (in addition to the aborted After the first successful supersonic flight Pilot Bill Dana looks up at the B-52 “mothership” cruises over the HL-10 lifting body on Muroc of the decade. Following the devastating Apollo 13 flight), each of them spending in 1947 by the X-1, a series of milestones Dry Lake in California. Apollo 1 capsule fire in January 1967, the an increasing amount of time on the were accomplished by research pilots flying USAF test pilot school in the 1950s. (USAF) first Apollo mission of public significance Moon. The scientific experiments placed aircraft designed to test the boundaries of reached a record peak altitude of 125,907 Force and other organizations and developed was the circumlunar flight of Apollo 8. on the Moon and the lunar soil samples speed and altitude. Later, the Navy and feet. X-2 research resulted in new construc- and flew a series of prototypes or models As that mission orbited the Moon on returned have provided grist for scientific NACA developed the D-558, which first flew tion techniques that contributed to the of future spacecraft that could land like an Test Pilot School Christmas Eve 1968, the nation united as investigations ever since. Mach 2 on 30 November 1953. development of advanced materials for high- airplane after enduring the searing heat of one, if only for a few moments, to witness Apollo left several important legacies: With the Bell X-2 of the mid-1950s, speed aircraft such as the XB-70 bomber, reentry from space—as the Space Shuttle ■ The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at this epochal event. it accomplished its political goals; it was pilots had a vehicle whose powerful rocket the SR-71 spy plane, and the Space Shuttle. does today. Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave The flight of Apollo 11, lifting off on 16 a triumph of management in meeting the engine could reach speeds in excess of One of the most unusual research efforts The lifting body configurations varied Desert was established to improve weapon July 1969, made the epic voyage to land enormously difficult systems engineering Mach 3. At such high speeds, air friction was the “lifting body”—a vehicle with no considerably. Some of these configurations systems testing. The fundamental key to on the Moon. On 20 July 1969, the and technological integration requirements; heats the aircraft’s skin to high tempera- wings that flew because of the aerodynamic pushed the limits of both design engineers’ success in aerospace flight testing and Lunar Module, with astronauts Neil A. and it enabled the people of the world, tures; therefore, it was made of an advanced, lift generated by the body. Beginning in the and test pilots’ capabilities. This work led evaluation is the capability, knowledge, and Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin aboard, landed for the first time, to see their home from lightweight, heat-resistant steel alloy. The X-2 early 1960s, NASA partnered with the Air to the Space Shuttle of today. skill of the flight test pilot. Without him— on the lunar surface while Michael Collins afar—a tiny, lovely, and fragile “blue marble” and, increasingly, her—the work of the Air orbited overhead in the Apollo command hanging in the blackness of space. Force Flight Test Center would be impossible. module. These astro- Air Power and service in the late 1950s, and rockets like spending faced by the Soviet It is through flight testing that test pilots nauts were the first Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, and Peacekeeper Union and its satellites, which determine whether an aircraft will be suit- humans ever to reach the Cold War played roles in deterrence. maintained huge ground armies able for its intended mission. The school another world. Armstrong Air power served the U.S. as a platform throughout the Cold War and, at teaches flight test techniques for evaluat- was first to set foot on ■ The Cold War began in the aftermath for electronic and photographic intelli- the same time, attempted—with Buzz Aldrin on the Moon ing aircraft performance, flying qualities, of World War II as a struggle between the gence. Aircraft flew at the periphery of the considerable success—to match during the Apollo 11 and systems characteristics. Today’s test Soviet Union and the United States over U.S. strategic power. The Soviets mission, July 1969. Soviet Union, photographing installations, pilots are responsible for determining the the future of Europe, and ultimately spread collecting signals, and locating radar sys- achieved military parity by the viability of a new generation of extremely to most parts of the globe. The opponents tems. Aircraft like the U-2 and SR-71 1970s, but at terrible cost to the sophisticated aircraft weapon systems that sought to influence events through non- achieved fame until reconnaissance satel- Soviet economy. Militarization of include lasers capable of destroying mis- military means, but at times, as in Korea lites during the 1960s took responsibility the Soviet Union and its satel- siles, unpiloted craft that drop bombs and in the early 1950s and Vietnam in the for many of these dangerous missions. lites stunted economic develop- eavesdrop inside enemy lines, and air- 1960s, it flared into armed conflict. Through- The U.S. also developed global air ment and undermined political craft that fly like cargo planes but take out, air power played a defining role. transport, enabling it to project power stability. The decision of the U.S. off like helicopters. U.S. air power and its ability to deliver around the world and provide humanitarian and its allies to entrust their As part of their training, pilots and engi- nuclear weapons counterbalanced the airlift to peoples in distress using C-130, security to nuclear weapons and neers fly about twenty different aircraft. massive Soviet ground forces. Following C-141, and giant C-5 aircraft. Global air air power paid off with the col- Graduates will fly the newest prototype World War II, the U.S. continued to develop transport demonstrated its importance lapse of the Soviet bloc and Air Force aircraft and weapon systems, the strategic air power that had dominated early during the Berlin Airlift in 1948–49, end of the Cold War in 1991. including fighter, attack, bomber, recon- the skies over Europe and Japan. The when it gave the West its first great victory naissance, cargo, and helicopter aircraft. massive B-36 provided early deterrence, of the Cold War. Some alumni become NASA astronauts. giving way during the 1950s to the B-47, The U.S. nuclear advantage and devel- The U.S. Navy operates a similar school B-52, B-58, and, much later, the swing- opment of air power allowed the econ- Right: Titan II ICBM rocket. in Maryland. wing B-1 and stealthy B-2. Intercontinental omies of the western nations to grow Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) began entering without the excessive burden of military

20 We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming. —Attributed to Wernher von21 Braun 1960 April 1 Tiros I was the first weather satellite launched. 1963 1967 August 22 The X-15 aircraft set an altitude record of Astronauts Gus Grissom, Roger Chaffee, and Ed White 1969 67 miles. died in the Apollo 1 capsule fire during a ground test in 1961 The Concorde prototype and Boeing 747 first flew. April 12 The first human being to travel in space preparation for their launch. (Major Yuri Gagarin) completed one full orbit of Earth. 1966 July 20 Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. March 16–17 Neil Armstrong and David Scott performed1968 May 5 Alan Shepard was the first American in space. the first orbital docking. December Apollo 8 circumnavigated the Moon. March 2 The first Concorde flight occurred.

1961 DNA molecule structure determined 1963 President Kennedy assassinated 1968 Civil rights activist Martin Luther King assassinated 1969 Woodstock Pop Festival held in upstate New York

20 We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming. —Attributed to Wernher von21 Braun Proposed box wing 1971 1979 aircraft concept. 1970 April 19 Soviet Union placed the world’s 1973 1977 June 13 The Gossamer Albatross human-pow- April Apollo 13 became a “successful failure” when, first space station, Salyut 1, in orbit. NASA launched the Skylab orbital workshop into orbit. The Gossamer Condor became the first human-powered ered aircraft crossed the English Channel. despite a ruptured oxygen tank that crippled the space- airplane. craft, the crew returned safely. 1972 1975 The F-16 became the first production military NASA launched Landsat 1, the first remote sensing Soviet and American spacecraft docked in orbit during the 1978 aircraft to incorporate a fly-by-wire flight October 24 The X24A lifting body exceeded Mach 1. control system. satellite. Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. October 30 The Airline Deregulation Act was signed into law.

1970 Bar codes introduced for retail use in England 1972 2.5-million-year-old human skull discovered 1973 TCP/IP (Internet protocol) designed 1977 The movie Star Wars was released 1979 M. Thatcher first female elected Prime Minister (U.K.) Small, Personal Aircraft Biplane of ■ Imagine being able to plan an entire currently involved in a research project to the Future trip, home to destination, on the Internet: determine the possibility of using small, you drive to your local airport—not the personal aircraft to create a safe alterna- ■ One of many efficiency-increas- X-45 Uncrewed Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV). major hub of today; board a small jet air- tive for both business and personal air ing designs for future aircraft is craft; and, in a matter of hours, arrive at travel. At the 99 percent of all airports that the box wing. This modern- your destination. NASA and industry are are currently underused, small aircraft day biplane is more efficient The Future could be used to carry people and prod- than today’s aircraft; at ucts safely and affordably from one local the same time, it pro- vehicle with very large lifting capacity community airport to another. Delays and vides a higher level of and range). Another possibility is covering of Flight travel time would be reduced as a result of comfort and safety. It the upper surface of the wing with a great could also take up less many tiny, ultrasimple turbine engines that ■ Today, visionaries around the world are creating greater air access into more com- space at the gate than can run on compressed hydrogen. Theo- working on innovative technologies that munities in less time. conventional planes because of its shorter retically, by using these many hydrogen- will determine the future of flight. This This provides the flying wingspan. Other designs include the burning engines, they could allow a 747 exciting work is leading to new types of public with jet-like perform- blended wing body (a large, nearly all-wing to take off in an extremely short distance. aircraft and aircraft systems and will ance at an affordable cost. greatly improve the way we fly. The future: new small, efficient jet airplanes Working with airlines and industry leaders, that are easy to fly like the Eclipse 500. © Eclipse NASA is developing new technologies that their wing-mounted engines and pro- will bring about improved safety and larger F22 Raptor. (USAF) Looking Up pellers, enabling them to take off aircraft that transport more passengers fluids for control. NASA and industry and land much like a helicopter, using less fuel. New systems and tools for Morphing Aircraft researchers are looking closely at the ■ As the nation’s air traffic increases, the thereby reducing the need for runway pilots and air traffic controllers will enable ■ The future of flight may include aircraft characteristics of flight in birds to develop ability of the airspace system to handle space to become airborne. The ver- airlines to increase the number of flights capable of responding to changes in a new generation of flying machine that F-22 Raptor the traffic is being stressed. Realizing that satility of tiltrotors would meet the while dramatically decreasing delays. speed or environmental conditions by changes itself to fly more efficiently. This we will soon be operating at capacity, NASA needs of short-haul and commuter Business and personal travel could benefit altering or “morphing” their shape. The new type of aircraft would be capable of ■ The most advanced fighter aircraft in the and the aviation industry are investigating flights and would free up valuable from this change with more choices and wings of these aircraft would sweep back various modes of flight from supersonic world, the F-22 Raptor, is now being tested solutions to the problems of airspace and time on the runway for large aircraft. lower fares. Improvements to systems that and reconfigure to minimize drag and to hover. at Edwards Air Force Base. The Raptor is a runway congestion. The Civil Tiltrotor air- NASA and industry have developed support small and personal aircraft could sonic boom. The engine inlets and noz- Some of the current areas of research revolutionary leap in aircraft technology craft may provide an answer. Regardless of advanced technologies to make lead to a future in which personal planes zles would change to adapt to new condi- include developing smart materials, adap- that unites advanced capability with size, all airplanes require valuable runway tiltrotor aircraft easier to operate, are used much like today’s automobiles. tions. Small jets of air and feather-like tive structures, and biologically inspired reduced maintenance costs and support space for takeoff and landing. These quieter, more efficient, and safer to At the other end of the spectrum are surfaces would provide additional control. flight systems. Instead of the traditional requirements. The F-22’s combination of unique aircraft fly like an airplane but tilt use than previous tiltrotors. unpiloted aerial vehicles such as the Morphing would include small and large jet engine location on an aircraft’s body stealth, advanced avionics, and maneuver- Helios Prototype (p. 19) and uncrewed changes using or wings, scientists are investigating the ability will give pilots a first-look, first-shot, combat air vehicles whose use could pre- structures and effects of using multiple small first-kill capability against the aircraft of Bell/Agusta BA 609 Tiltrotor. Tiltrotors can land in engines to power these aircraft. The any potential enemy. a parking lot and cruise at over 300 miles per hour. vent losses of personnel in extremely haz- © Bell/Agusta ardous situations. Additionally, the results from this The F-22 combines advanced supersonic “Morphing Project” is exploring highly adapt- research may provide flight with the ability to fly at slow speeds able airplanes with flexible, bird-like wings technologies for aero- during combat, pointing its nose in any that will allow for even greater safety, effi- space vehicles that direction without loss of control. Integrating ciency, and versatility. efficiently adapt to systems like radar and friend-or-foe identi- The future of flight is as full of promise the diverse and vary- fication into one cohesive platform, the and excitement as it must have been ing conditions of flight. Raptor is designed to provide air superiority decades ago, to those who first took to and dominance to allow quick, decisive the skies in powered flight. The possibili- Airplanes of the future victories with few U.S. and allied casual- ties are boundless. will have wings that ties. This impressive aircraft will replace change shape for greater the F-15 as America’s front-line air fighter. efficiency, mimicking the flight of birds.

22 The aeroplane has unveiled for us the true face of the earth. —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry23 Proposed box wing 1971 1979 aircraft concept. 1970 April 19 Soviet Union placed the world’s 1973 1977 June 13 The Gossamer Albatross human-pow- April Apollo 13 became a “successful failure” when, first space station, Salyut 1, in orbit. NASA launched the Skylab orbital workshop into orbit. The Gossamer Condor became the first human-powered ered aircraft crossed the English Channel. despite a ruptured oxygen tank that crippled the space- airplane. craft, the crew returned safely. 1972 1975 The F-16 became the first production military NASA launched Landsat 1, the first remote sensing Soviet and American spacecraft docked in orbit during the 1978 aircraft to incorporate a fly-by-wire flight October 24 The X24A lifting body exceeded Mach 1. control system. satellite. Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. October 30 The Airline Deregulation Act was signed into law.

22 The aeroplane has unveiled for us the true face of the earth. —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry23 1989 The B-2 Stealth bomber made its first flight. 1981 1984 1986 April 12–14 The first Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, flewDecember 14 The X-29 forward swept wing aircraft’s December 23 Voyager aircraft completed the first 1990 1991 into Earth orbit. maiden flight occurred. nonstop flight around the world. September 29 The first flight of the YF22 fighter August 27 The first flight of the YF23 V-22 Osprey prototype was made by Lockheed test pilot Dave Ferguson. tiltrotor occurred. 1983 1986 1988 Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly in space;January 28 Space Shuttle Challenger exploded April 22 Daedalus 88, human-powered aircraft, flew from October 11 The first flight of the X-31, YF22, and September 17 The first flight of the McDonnell Douglas Guy Bluford became the first African American to fly in space.73 seconds into its flight, killing seven crewmembers. Crete to Santorini. YF23 took place. C-17 military cargo transport took place.

1981 IBM introduced the first personal computer 1989 Berlin wall opened; torn down in 1990 1984 Macintosh computer with mouse released 1988 CDs outsold vinyl records for the first time 1991 Gulf War began Flying to and from Earth Orbit: The International Space Station The Space Shuttle ■ From virtually the beginning of the an effort to reinvigorate the twentieth century, those interested in the space program, the develop- ■ As the Apollo lunar landing missions The Space Shuttle has launched numerous exploration of space viewed as central the ment of a new, permanently occu- came to a close, NASA’s major effort in scientific satellites and undertaken scientific building of a massive Earth-orbital space pied space station was begun. In human spaceflight involved the develop- and technological experiments ranging station to serve as the jumping-off point December 1998, the first elements of the ment of a reusable Space Shuttle that from Spacelab to a dramatic three-person for travel to other planets and to the International Space Station (ISS) were could travel back and forth between Earth spacewalk to retrieve a multimillion-dollar Moon. Always, space exploration enthusi- assembled in orbit. A succession of missions and space more routinely and economically communications satellite and deploy it for asts believed, a permanently occupied since that time have continued the effort than had ever been done before. After use. The Shuttle is also instrumental in the space station was a necessary outpost in to construct the Space Station. Now, at Artist’s conception of Artist’s conception of a proposed launch vehicle. nearly a decade of development, on servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope. the new frontier of space. the beginning of the new millennium, the the International Space 12 April 1981, the first operational orbiter, Between April 1981 and the end of 2002, NASA deferred this dream during Project United States has joined with fifteen other Station in orbit. Columbia, was launched from the Kennedy the Space Shuttle carried approximately Apollo, but on 14 May 1973, it launched nations to make into reality the long-held Future Launch Systems Space Center, Florida. Five short years 2.9 million pounds of cargo and more than a small orbital space platform, Skylab. vision of a space station in Earth orbit. On later, in 1986, NASA had chalked up 800 major payloads into orbit. Skylab became home to three crews during 31 October 2000, the first crew left Earth The International Space Station promises ■ In the early days of flight in the twentieth twenty-four successful Shuttle flights. In the beginning of the twenty-first century, 1973–74 for periods of 28, 59, and 84 to set up residence aboard the ISS, and to become the anchor tenant of a research century, the U.S. government fostered avia- With each flight, NASA increased the the Space Shuttle is still the only vehicle in days, respectively. In orbit, the crew con- with this accomplishment, the spacefaring park in space, contributing critical knowl- tion. As the nation marks the hundredth number of people who could fly in space the world with the capability to deliver and ducted solar astronomy and Earth resources nations of the world intend that no future edge necessary to make life on Earth more anniversary of powered flight, NASA is con- and contribute to a revolution in scientific return large payloads to and from orbit. It experiments, as well as medical studies. At generation will ever know a time when rewarding and to aid humanity’s move- tinuing this historic tradition with an invest- understanding of the effects of long-dura- is the most reliable launch system now in the conclusion of the Skylab 4 mission, there is not some human presence in ment beyond this planet. It is an idea ment in the development of future launch tion, near-weightless conditions on all service, with a success rate of better than the orbital workshop was powered down space. Once in orbit, this Space Station whose time has come. systems. This will ultimately help move the types of organisms. 99 percent. The Space Shuttle remains and allowed to burn up on reentry in 1979. will enhance human understanding of the nation from the pioneering era of the Mer- Unfortunately, during the twenty-fifth one of the most successful and impressive Skylab served as a predecessor for a full- rigors of spaceflight as no other research cury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle Shuttle launch on 28 January 1986, a technologies in American history. It is a reli- fledged space station. In 1984, as part of laboratory has been able to do. programs to a future in which people are leak in the joints of a Solid Rocket Booster able, mature, and flexible system on which more routinely traveling, working, and living attached to the Challenger orbiter detonated stunning scientific experiments are in space. the main liquid fuel tank. Seven astronauts launched and conducted. M2P2 concept. NASA’s goal is to design a safe, more died in this tragic accident. Out of this Space Frontiers affordable, more reliable reusable space tragedy, an extensive evaluation and ■ transportation system that can accommo- redesign effort placed the Space Shuttle on There are certain ideas that many beyond,” NASA is studying date the needs of the nation’s space-science- the road to becoming the safest and most believe to be inherent in the human psyche advanced technologies driven missions and provide technologies reliable space system. and integral to American culture: ambition that enable the safe, beneficial to commercial industry and the The redesigned Space Shuttle system for progress, curiosity about the unknown, rapid, and affordable Department of Defense. The Shuttle has returned to flight on 29 September 1988. the need to pose profound questions and exploration of our solar been flying for more than twenty years, Since returning to flight, the four orbiters, to answer them, the concept of new fron- system by humans and and it will continue to fly until a new system Atlantis, Columbia, Discovery, and tiers that—once achieved—promise a bet- robots. Mini-Magneto- is ready. This research will lead to a new Endeavour, have made more than ter quality of life for all people. Space is spheric Plasma Propulsion generation of launch technologies for a eighty-five flights into space. such a frontier: Earth orbit, the Moon, (M2P2) is an example of complete space transportation system while Throughout the Shuttle era, the Earth’s neighborhood, Mars and the aster- a transportation technology advancing the technologies needed to build four orbiters have been work- oids, eventually the moons of the giant that not only attains much and operate that system. horses of space exploration planets of the outer solar system, and higher speeds than are Early next decade, a new generation of for both international and someday, more distant worlds—these are now possible, but also launch vehicles could be flying. These new domestic projects. collectively the endless, ever-expanding provides an artificial mag- vehicles will significantly reduce cost and frontier of the night sky under which the netic field to protect the dramatically increase safety for the human human species evolved and toward which vehicle and its crew from exploration and development of space. the human spirit is inevitably drawn. harmful radiation. Launch of the Space As part of NASA’s vision to “improve life Shuttle Columbia. here, extend life to there, and find life

24 Space isn’t remote at all. It’s only an hour’s drive away if your car could go straight upwards. —Sir Hoyle Fred, British astro25nomer 1989 The B-2 Stealth bomber made its first flight. 1981 1984 1986 April 12–14 The first Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, flewDecember 14 The X-29 forward swept wing aircraft’s December 23 Voyager aircraft completed the first 1990 1991 into Earth orbit. maiden flight occurred. nonstop flight around the world. September 29 The first flight of the YF22 fighter August 27 The first flight of the YF23 V-22 Osprey prototype was made by Lockheed test pilot Dave Ferguson. tiltrotor occurred. 1983 1986 1988 Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly in space;January 28 Space Shuttle Challenger exploded April 22 Daedalus 88, human-powered aircraft, flew from October 11 The first flight of the X-31, YF22, and September 17 The first flight of the McDonnell Douglas Guy Bluford became the first African American to fly in space.73 seconds into its flight, killing seven crewmembers. Crete to Santorini. YF23 took place. C-17 military cargo transport took place.

24 Space isn’t remote at all. It’s only an hour’s drive away if your car could go straight upwards. —Sir Hoyle Fred, British astro25nomer Aqua—Observing the interactions among 1994 1996 1997 1999 Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, land, ice, snow Jeannie Flynn, the first female combat pilot in the U.S. AirJanuary 4 The Boeing Sikorsky Comanche helicopter May 17 The first flight of a subscale remotely piloted X- March 20 The first nonstop circumnavigation of the globe Force, finished flight training in the F-15. was unveiled. 36 tailless research aircraft took place. via a balloon took place. cover, and vegetation. 1995 March 22 Shannon Lucid began her historic journey to Mir.1998 2000 Norm Thagard was the first American astronaut to serve Her stay established the United States single-mission space-The first elements of the International Space Station were The first crew of the International Space Station arrived on the Russian space station Mir. flight endurance record. assembled in orbit. in orbit.

1997 First Harry Potter book published in the U.K. 1994 South Africa held first interracial national election 1998 Frank Sinatra died 2000 Closest presidential election in U.S. history Revolution in Space Science Understanding the Changing Earth ■ Since the dawn of the space age, NASA ■ Why do weather patterns function as disturbances, and track movements and produce more has sent numerous scientific probes to all they do? Why are there cycles of hot and patterns. It provided new levels of preci- detailed land-use of the planets of the solar system (except cold, wet and dry seasons? How is the sion to the evaluation of pressure fronts data than the last. Pluto) and peered into the depths of climate changing over time? What are and air masses that are so critical in By the 1990s, Earth system science space to discover galaxies, black holes, the causes and consequences? These weather forecasting. Likewise, meteorolog- had come of age, and a variety of Earth- satellites are and planets outside our solar system. and myriad other questions have motivated ical research beyond weather forecasting observing spacecraft enabled scientists to measuring atmospheric These explorations will change how sci- scientific study about this planet for cen- took on new life as climatological research obtain sophisticated data about this plan- chemistry, biomass burning, and land ence textbooks are written. turies. With the advent of the space age, contributed significant insights to our et’s physical characteristics. Among oth- surface changes in regions as diverse as The first probes went to the Moon, however, new space-based instruments— understanding of Earth. ers, these spacecraft include the Upper Greenland and the Pacific Ocean. With Mars, and Venus in the 1960s; since that especially remote sensing satellites—have NASA launched the first Earth science Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) the launch of Terra in 1999, NASA was time, succeeding generations of scientific allowed humans to monitor Earth as satellite, Landsat 1, on 23 July 1972 to missions, the QuikScat and on its way to deploying Earth’s first simul- spacecraft have made revolutionary dis- never before. provide data on vegetation, insect infesta- TOPEX/Poseidon ocean studies missions, taneous view of all the major components coveries. For instance, Mars has been the Using Earth-observing satellites, scientists tions, crop growth, and associated land- the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view of the Earth system—to understand and target of several missions, including two have produced immense benefits to the use information. Since that time, six more Sensor (SeaWiFS) mission, Tropical protect our home planet. Viking spacecraft landings in 1976 that nation, yielding new knowledge for improved Landsat spacecraft have been placed in Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), and yielded a wealth of scientific information, weather forecasting, agriculture, urban orbit, each with greater capabilities to the ACRIMSAT. Instruments from these the 1996 analysis of the Martian mete- HST Cone Nebula. NASA, H. Ford [JHU/APL], G. Illingworth and land-use planning, and many other orite that suggests that past life might related areas. In concert with other agen- have existed on Mars, and the Mars cies, the global research community, and Pathfinder mission that landed on 4 July of humanity’s understanding of the largest commercial partners, space-based resources 1997. Pathfinder’s rover provided the planet in our system and its moons. have provided the scientific foundation Space Research first-ever in situ measurements of Mars More recently, the Hubble Space needed for complex policy choices leading rocks and raised questions about other Telescope, although initially impaired, has to sustainable development. ■ Throughout most of history, we human • What must we do to enable humans aspects of the planet’s global system of returned exceptional images providing crit- Meteorological science has also bene- beings viewed gravity as an inescapable to live and work safely in Earth orbit transporting volatiles such as water vapor, ical data on the origins and development fited greatly from the opportunity to study constant in anything we designed or did. and to venture beyond Earth orbit? clouds, and dust. Later Mars probes, of the universe. As only one example of the Earth with satellites. The perspective Even from the start, gravity profoundly In the search for answers to these ques- especially Mars Global Surveyor (1997) the Hubble’s important contributions, in afforded by satellite imaging was a great affected the way life on Earth evolved. But tions, NASA has sponsored a multitude of and Mars Odyssey (2001), have confirmed early 1997, NASA scientists announced boon to scientists, who were then able with the dawn of the space age, access to experiments to increase our understand- that the red planet was once a watery the discovery of three black holes in three to locate distribution and types of cloud the microgravity environment of Earth orbit ing of both the human experience and place where life may have flourished. normal galaxies, suggesting that nearly all formations, find and measure weather allowed scientists to cancel most of gravity’s nature’s forces in space. We also devote NASA has also been involved in several galaxies may harbor supermassive black effects and conduct unprecedented part of our budget to education and out- robotic expeditions to the outer planets. holes which once powered quasars research, thus providing a new tool to reach to help inspire and educate the For example, Voyagers 1 and 2, launched (extremely luminous nuclei of galaxies). apply to long-standing questions in sci- next generation of scientists. in 1977, conducted a “grand tour” of our At the beginning of the twenty-first ence and technology. Space also poses Our total effort is transforming the tech- solar system, returning stunning knowl- century, several key spaceflight missions physical challenges to explorers, who nological foundations not only of the edge about those giant worlds and their are seeking to answer age-old astronomi- must find ways to withstand space envi- space program, but also of our society. moons. They discovered rings around cal questions. As part of the “NASA ronment hazards for which our evolution Knowledge from space will make a differ- Jupiter, volcanoes on Io, shepherding Origins Program,” a series of missions on Earth never prepared us. ence in the health industry. Advances in satellites in Saturn’s rings, new moons will collectively seek to answer such To meet these opportunities and chal- biology, medicine, physics, and chemistry; around Uranus and Neptune, and geysers questions as how the universe was lenges, NASA has led the world in peer- associated analytical tools; and informa- on Triton. One striking image was Voyager 1’s formed, what evolutionary process it has reviewed, interdisciplinary, fundamental, tion systems are opening an era of portrait of most of the solar system, which followed, and whether we are alone in and applied research in microgravity. unprecedented opportunities to benefit showed Earth and six other planets as the cosmos. The future is exciting, for Throughout, NASA and its science human life on Earth and to extend our sparks in a dark sky lit by a single bright humanity has, for the first time in its teams have been guided by two funda- reach into space. star, the Sun. Additionally, beginning in history, the tools necessary to explore mental questions: 1995, the Galileo probe has spent years the answers to these enticing questions • What is gravity’s role in biological and TOMS image of largest-ever ozone hole Representation of DNA struck by radiation, studying the physical characteristics of more thoroughly than ever before. physical processes? over Antarctica. a key concern for long-duration space travel. Jupiter. The result promises a reinterpretation NASA, TOMS Science Team, and GSFC Science Visualization Studio

26 The air, as well as the earth and the ocean, has been subdued by science, and will become a common and convenient highway for mankind. —Edgar27 Allen Poe Aqua—Observing the interactions among 1994 1996 1997 1999 Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, land, ice, snow Jeannie Flynn, the first female combat pilot in the U.S. AirJanuary 4 The Boeing Sikorsky Comanche helicopter May 17 The first flight of a subscale remotely piloted X- March 20 The first nonstop circumnavigation of the globe Force, finished flight training in the F-15. was unveiled. 36 tailless research aircraft took place. via a balloon took place. cover, and vegetation. 1995 March 22 Shannon Lucid began her historic journey to Mir.1998 2000 Norm Thagard was the first American astronaut to serve Her stay established the United States single-mission space-The first elements of the International Space Station were The first crew of the International Space Station arrived on the Russian space station Mir. flight endurance record. assembled in orbit. in orbit.

26 The air, as well as the earth and the ocean, has been subdued by science, and will become a common and convenient highway for mankind. —Edgar27 Allen Poe Wanted: Online Adventure Seekers Aviation Fun! Do You Wonder Why? http://spacelink.nasa.gov/celebratingflight 1. Why do they push the plane from the gate? 2. Why do we need oxygen masks in case of emergency? 3. Why do my ears pop as we go up to and come down from cruising altitude? 4. Why do we need to have tray tables up and seats in their upright position for takeoff and landing?

(Find answers at bottom of page.)

This wing demonstrates the great room there is for Ring Wing Glider aeronautics innovation. Can you design a better wing?

11"

8.5" 1 2 3

1. Fold 8.5 x 11-inch paper 2. Make a half-inch fold 3. Make a second diagonally as shown. along the previously half-inch fold. 4 folded edge.

The folds in the paper make an airplane 5. Gently grasp the “V” between the wing where the front end is heavy and the 4. Curl the ends of the paper to two “crown points” with your thumbs back end is light. Curling the ends to make make a ring and tuck one end and index fingers and toss the glider a ring changes the shape of the wing and into the fold of the other. lightly forward. improves the wing’s flight performance.

Scavenger Hunt!! Find the answers to each of these in the previous pages. • Why was Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, chosen for the test flights of the Wright brothers? • What type of flying vehicle is credited to the “father of aeronautics?” • Who was the first African American woman to receive a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) license? • Who pioneered rubber-band-powered motors called aerodromes in the 1800s? • What total distance did the first four powered flights of the Wrights’ 1903 flyer travel on December 17? • What is the name of the remotely piloted aircraft that is being developed to fly at a high altitude for a long duration? • How long was Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic? • Name two early flight pioneers who used birds as the inspiration for flights using solar power. • Who were the first passengers aboard a hot air balloon? • Who was the first person to step on another world and when?

• What was the first commercial jet aircraft?

could exit the row and airplane quickly and safely in an emergency. an in safely and quickly airplane and row the exit could

Even though the cabin is pressurized, there are still slight changes in pressure as the airplane’s altitude changes. changes. altitude airplane’s the as pressure in changes slight still are there pressurized, is cabin the though Even 3. oxygen. needed So you and others in your row your in others and you So 4.

pressurized so passengers have the correct mix of air in the cabin. If there is a sudden change in the aircraft’s pressurizatio aircraft’s the in change sudden a is there If cabin. the in air of mix correct the have passengers so pressurized n, a mask would drop to give passengers give to drop would mask a n,

Most airplanes do not move in reverse and so they need a push. push. a need they so and reverse in move not do airplanes Most 1. Answers There is less oxygen in the atmosphere at higher altitudes. Airplanes are airtight and airtight are Airplanes altitudes. higher at atmosphere the in oxygen less is There 2.

28 Wanted: Online Adventure Seekers Aviation Fun! Do You Wonder Why? http://spacelink.nasa.gov/celebratingflight 1. Why do they push the plane from the gate? 2. Why do we need oxygen masks in case of emergency? 3. Why do my ears pop as we go up to and come down from cruising altitude? 4. Why do we need to have tray tables up and seats in their upright position for takeoff and landing?

(Find answers at bottom of page.)

This wing demonstrates the great room there is for Ring Wing Glider aeronautics innovation. Can you design a better wing?

11"

8.5" 1 2 3

1. Fold 8.5 x 11-inch paper 2. Make a half-inch fold 3. Make a second diagonally as shown. along the previously half-inch fold. 4 folded edge.

• What was the first commercial jet aircraft?

could exit the row and airplane quickly and safely in an emergency. an in safely and quickly airplane and row the exit could

28 http://www.nasa.gov http://www.centennialofflight.gov http://www.centennialofflight.af.mil

NASA Publication SP-2002-09-511-HQ National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Aerospace Technology NASA Headquarters Washington, DC 20546

NASA and its predecessor, In its more than 50 years The U.S. Centennial of the National Advisory of existence, the Air Force Flight Commission was Committee for Aeronautics, has become the world’s created by Congress to have charted the course of premier aerospace force. expand interest in the aviation and space technol- Its mission is simple in commemoration of the ogy since 1915. NASA’s words, yet awesome in centennial of powered world-renowned achieve- meaning—defend the flight and the Wright ments, representing a suc- nation through the control brothers’ achievement. cessful investment in the future of all Americans, and exploitation of air and space. To learn more The Commission is coordinating a national outreach are accomplished using less than one percent of about opportunities within the Air Force, call campaign and advising the President, Congress, the Federal budget. http://www.nasa.gov 1-800-423-USAF or visit http://www.airforce.com and federal agencies on the most effective ways to encourage participation in 2003. http://www.centennialofflight.gov