DOCSLIB.ORG

California Aviation Pioneer to the Space Age 1858 - 1911

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
California Aviation Pioneer to the Space Age 1858 - 1911 JOHN J. MON'l'GO?l.t.ERY . California Aviation Pioneer to the Space Age 1858 - 1911 A tribute to John J. Montgomery, native son of California. He made mankind's first successful flight with controlled and safe landing in a heavier-than-air craft at Otay Mesa, San Diego County, California, August 28, 1883. CALIFORNIA DAY August 19, 1975 Revision and supplement to 1963 compilation prepared by Arthur Dunning Spearman, S.J. from Documentary Materials Archives, University of Santa Clara A TRIBUTE TO JOHN J. MONTGOMERY 1858 - 1911 DEDICATED "To the pioneer, to whose rare vision and splendid genius it was given, more than to any other, to wrest from the inscrutable mysteries of force and matter the greatest marvel of engineering perfection and practical significances, which ever has loomed upon the horizon of human endea\.'"!' - To Professor John James Montgomery, whose lifelong devotion and final martyrdom to the tremendous problems of aerial navigation will be a never-forgotten inspiration to those who were honored with his steadfast friendship, and will remain an unfailing example to the few in each generation who ignore the discouragements of doubt and dare . the summits of human achievement." 1 Victor Lougheed 1 Dedication of Victor Lougheed, Aeroplane Desi~ for Amateurs (Chicagos The Reilly & Britton eo.-;-1912). Victor Lougheed was older half-brother of Allan H. Lockheed (born Allan Loughead), founder of Lockheed Aircraft Companies. JOHN J. MON'ffiOMERY - CALIFORNIA AVIATION PIONEER The possibility of flight to the moon started with the conquest of air in John Joseph Montgomery's gullwinged glider at Otay Mesa, 1883. This reality was the focus of Rear Admiral Leslie E. Gehres, .USN (ret).2 during his address made at the foot of the Montgomery monument on Otay Mesa rim where Montgomery made his first fli ght in 1883. Rear Admiral Gehres gave the principal address at the annual commemo ra tive program sponsored by the San Ysidro Business and Professional Women's Club, held on the site of the flight of the Mon tgomery gullwinged glider, August 22, 1971. John J. Montgomery ma de the fir_st controlled vehicle for flight. The flight to the moon was of a more r efined technology but without Montgomery• s beginning, there would have been no flight. Montgomery's development of a gullwinged glider with cambered wing made leaving the ground possible. The moon flight of course, had many new refinements to make f l i'ght possible to the moon. 2Rear Admiral Leslie E. Gehres, USN (ret). Navy's First Aviation Commodore, Commander u.s. Naval Air Sta tion, North Island, 1945-1948. In "Peace for the Skyways, 11 Annual John Joseph Montgomery Memorial service sponsored by the San Ysidro Business and Professional Women's Club, August 22, 1971. 1. ----------------------------CHRONOLOGY OF JOHN J. MONTGOMERY ACHIEVEMENTS ·-·- Among the pioneers of the air, John J. Montgomery was one whose work in certain details was fundamental and whose life was one of color and controversy. John was a Californian born at Yuba City, on February 15, 1858. He lived in Santa Clara, 1897 - 1911. From childhood he was interes ted in flying. In boyhood he began studying bird flight, and experimented sailing flat pieces of sheet iron. EARLY SnJDY OF BIRD FLIGHT ~ WINGS. He projected them five fee t large on his workshop screen to study structure pattern by means of his homemade sunlight "solar microscope" in 1875. GULL t,.lINGS. He watched the sea gulls f.rom the ferryboats, Oakland to San Francisco, and wonde red how they could hover overhead, riding the wind, or flap their wings and rise. CHICKEN HI NGS . As a child he l ay down on his back to watch the wing movement while his sis ter Jane chased his mother's chickens (and geese) over the fence. GEESE WI NGS. He wondered why wild geese flew better than tame geese. FLYI NG TOPS. Still a boy, he wondered why flying tope with rotor blades w~uld rise from the ground. He changed the blade pitch to make them rise faster or higher. CLOUDS. As a small boy he asked how they could float in the air with all that heavy water in th~~ . A FLIGHT OF GEESE. His mother's geese weighed around twelve 2. CHRONOLOGY OF JOHN J. MONTGOMERY ACHIEVEMENTS pounds. His young mind wondered how the flight of one hundred geese he counted overhead weighing altogether at least twelve hundred pounds could stay and fly in the high air. He measured the wing surface of geese in proportion to their weight. A man, too, could fly, he thought. OAKLAND and SAN TA CLARA July 4, 1869. John's father, Zack, took him to see the steam­ engine powered AVITOR built as a dirigible balloon with basket and propellers. It flew July 3-4, 1869, at Shellmound Park, Emeryville beside Oakland. Bad winds pushed it around. John went home and built his own model of it. EDUCATION OF THE INVENTOR. John attended St. Joseph's grade school, Oakland; then St. Mary's High School. D.iring his freshman year at Santa Clara College, 1874-75, he took great interest in the science classes and l earned from Rev. Aloysius Brunengo how to build a solar microscope, then so-called. B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees were gained by John in 1879 and 1880 at St.Ignatius College, San Francicco, under the brilliant Rev. Joseph Neri who first introduced electric lighting in the City for the Centennial Celebration, 1876. WORK BETI1EEN COLLEG E YEARS . Finances were always a problem in ~large Montgomery famITy. John lea rned the hard way, and well. His uncle, John J. McCa rtney, ex-navy blacksmith and mechanic, t aught John lathe work and parts machining in the nearby McCartney shop in Oakland. John's hands and mind were well educated. 3. CHRONOLOGY OF JOHN J. MON'IGOMERY ACHIEVEMENTS OTAY MESA THE WORKSHOP AT OTAY MESA. John's family moved in December 1861 tc>a new ranching try near Otay and the Mexican border town of san Ysidro, San Di ego County. John followed i n t he spring of 1882. He set up his lathe and workshop and wa s allowed t he barn loft for construction of his airplane designed i n 1882, and built with the help of his si ster J ane pumpin t he belows to f i re his steam boile r for f ashioning ash wood strips into parabolic cambered wing ribs like those of the birds. AUGUST 28, 1883. John's f riends and neighbo rs had lea rned of his idea offlying. They joshed him, and among thern selv s shook their heads. Was the young man (now a ged 25) crazy? 11 HP. wants to fly! '1 they laughed among themselves. "Tetched" was a wo rd used for t he imagined condition of the resolute i nventor. !tall hu r t John, and made him very secretive. Only his brother J am es helped John load the newly constructed bird- like a irpl ane i nto t heir farm wagon , cover it with hay against. pryi ng eyes, hitch the hor ses and start well before dawn for the two miles away Otay Hesa rim. There was a good drop of fourteen f eet, then a long slope down to the Otay creek. Jim held a rope jus t below the rim. It was attached to the keel longeron of t he plane to help start against any sudden gu s t. A fine breeze was blowing from seaward up the slope. "Now! 11 shouted John. John jumped his frail craft of twenty-four pounds i nto the wind; Jim jerked and then l~t go. John rode the ai r for 603 feet. His wo r ds l a ter are a classic description. "I took this apparatus (twenty foot spre{!d of wings ••• depth fore and aft of four and one-half f eet) to the top 4. CHRONOLOGY OF JOlU-1 J- MONTGCMERY ACHIEVEMENTS of a hill facing a gentle wind. There was a little run and a jump and I found my:se lf launched in the air. I proceeded against the wind, gliding down hill for a distance of about six hundred feet. In this experience I was able to direct my course at wi 11. A peculiar sensation came over me. The first f eeling in placing myself at the mercy of the wind was that of f ear. Immediately after came a f eeling of security when I realized the solid support given by t he wing surface. There was a cushiony softness about it, yet it was firm. When I found the machine would follow my movements in the seat for balancing, I felt I was self-bouyant." John's 1884 machine had hinged "aelerons", flexible wing tips, and rear stabilizer. His basic principles are built today into every aeroplane. 1883-1889. John Montgomery improved his designs and built a n'uinS"er of additional airpl anes and flew them. Earning a living as deputy customs inspector at the Mexican border interrupted his work. ROHNERVILLE 1893, CHICAGO. Richard and James helped John go to the Aeronautical Convention held there in July. He met Octave Chanute and read his paper on "Soaring Flight" embodying basic laws of aerodynamics to doubting listeners. In September he began teaching at St. J osephe s College, Ro hnerville (eighteen miles south, seven miles east, of Eureka, Ca liforni )& The re he quietly continued experiments with water and air currents on cambe red surfaces, and his sma ll mod el airplane which he flew secretly nearby was found hidden in bushes by a nei ghbor farmer, Charles Carr, who stated he had also seen it fly.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Shelf List 05/31/2011 Matches 4631
    Shelf List 05/31/2011 Matches 4631 Call# Title Author Subject 000.1 WARBIRD MUSEUMS OF THE WORLD EDITORS OF AIR COMBAT MAG WAR MUSEUMS OF THE WORLD IN MAGAZINE FORM 000.10 FLEET AIR ARM MUSEUM, THE THE FLEET AIR ARM MUSEUM YEOVIL, ENGLAND 000.11 GUIDE TO OVER 900 AIRCRAFT MUSEUMS USA & BLAUGHER, MICHAEL A. EDITOR GUIDE TO AIRCRAFT MUSEUMS CANADA 24TH EDITION 000.2 Museum and Display Aircraft of the World Muth, Stephen Museums 000.3 AIRCRAFT ENGINES IN MUSEUMS AROUND THE US SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIST OF MUSEUMS THROUGH OUT THE WORLD WORLD AND PLANES IN THEIR COLLECTION OUT OF DATE 000.4 GREAT AIRCRAFT COLLECTIONS OF THE WORLD OGDEN, BOB MUSEUMS 000.5 VETERAN AND VINTAGE AIRCRAFT HUNT, LESLIE LIST OF COLLECTIONS LOCATION AND AIRPLANES IN THE COLLECTIONS SOMEWHAT DATED 000.6 VETERAN AND VINTAGE AIRCRAFT HUNT, LESLIE AVIATION MUSEUMS WORLD WIDE 000.7 NORTH AMERICAN AIRCRAFT MUSEUM GUIDE STONE, RONALD B. LIST AND INFORMATION FOR AVIATION MUSEUMS 000.8 AVIATION AND SPACE MUSEUMS OF AMERICA ALLEN, JON L. LISTS AVATION MUSEUMS IN THE US OUT OF DATE 000.9 MUSEUM AND DISPLAY AIRCRAFT OF THE UNITED ORRISS, BRUCE WM. GUIDE TO US AVIATION MUSEUM SOME STATES GOOD PHOTOS MUSEUMS 001.1L MILESTONES OF AVIATION GREENWOOD, JOHN T. EDITOR SMITHSONIAN AIRCRAFT 001.2.1 NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM, THE BRYAN, C.D.B. NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM COLLECTION 001.2.2 NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM, THE, SECOND BRYAN,C.D.B. MUSEUM AVIATION HISTORY REFERENCE EDITION Page 1 Call# Title Author Subject 001.3 ON MINIATURE WINGS MODEL AIRCRAFT OF THE DIETZ, THOMAS J.
    [Show full text]
  • South Bay Historical Society Bulletin October 2018 Issue No
    South Bay Historical Society Bulletin October 2018 Issue No. 21 RSVP today to visit Ream Field on Friday! Ream Field, A History part of the short-lived boom town of Oneonta in the 1880s. One advantage of the area was good weather. by Steve Schoenherr Aviation enthusiasts could experiment with their One hundred years ago, the Great War transformed machines all year, taking advantage of the gentle the South Bay. Farms and lemon groves covered ocean winds and the occasional gusts from the inland most of the sparsely populated area. Only a few deserts in the fall. John Joseph Montgomery was the hundred people lived in the area between the border first American to design and fly a controlled glider, and the bay. Imperial Beach was just a small strip of making his flight in 1883 from a hill on Otay Mesa land three blocks wide along the ocean. Hollis above his father's ranch at the southern end of San Peavey raised hay and barley on his 115-acre ranch Diego Bay. In 1910 Charles Walsh built a biplane in on the north bank of the Tijuana River that had been Imperial Beach and made his first public flight on 1 Charles Walsh at Aviation Field in 1910. Note the South San Diego School in the upper right that was built at Elm and 10th Street in 1889. April 10, cheered on by a crowd of about a hundred wanted to give his flying school to the Navy, but in spectators. In the following weeks, similar flights 1912 the Army took up his offer instead.
    [Show full text]
  • John Joseph Montgomery 1883 Glider
    John Joseph Montgomery 1883 Glider An International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark Designated by ASME International The American Society of Mechanical Engineers May 11, 1996 at Hiller Aircraft Museum and Santa Clara University INTERNATIONAL HISTORIC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LANDMARK JOHN J. MONTGOMERY HUMAN PILOTED GLIDER 1883 THIS REPLICA THE FIRST HEAVIER - THAN - AIR CRAFT TO ACHIEVE CONTROLLED. PILOTED FLIGHT. THE GLIDER'S DESIGN BASED ON THE PIONEERING AERODYNAMIC THEORIES AND EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES OF JOHN JOSEPH MONTGOMERY (1858-1911). WHO DESIGNED, BUILT, AND FLEW IT. THIS GLIDER WAS WAY AHEAD OF ITS. TIME . INCORPORATING A SINGLE PARABOLIC. CAMBERED WING. WITH STABILIZING AND CONTROL SURFACES AT THE REAR OF THE FUSELAGE. WITH HIS GLIDER'S SUCCESS, MONTGOMERY DEMONSTRATED AERODYNAMIC PRINCIPLES AND DESIGNES FUNDAMENTAL TO MODERN AIRCRAFT. THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERINGS 1996 2 Historical Background Montgomery was the first to incorporate On Aug. 28, 1883, at Otay Mesa near San Diego, a manned successfully the wing glider left the surface of the earth and soared in a stable, con- airfoil parabolic shape trolled flight. At the controls was John Joseph Montgomery, in a heavier-than-air aged 25, who had designed and built the fragile craft. After the man-carrying aircraft. launching, John and his brother James, who had helped launch His glider also had its the glider, paced off the distance of the flight as 600 feet. In ad- stabilizing and con- dition to James, several local ranchers and others in John’s fam- trol surfaces at the ily witnessed the construction and flight of the 1883 glider. rear of the aircraft, This 1883 flight of Montgomery’s glider was the first manned, the placement of controlled flight of a heavier-than-air machine in history.
    [Show full text]
  • John J. Montgomery Collection
    http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf5j49n7wp No online items Inventory of John J. Montgomery Collection Processed by University Archives staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Xiuzhi Zhou University Archives Santa Clara University 500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, California 95053-0500 Phone: (408) 554-4117 Fax: (408) 554-5179 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.scu.edu/archives © 1999 Santa Clara University. All rights reserved. Inventory of John J. Montgomery 1 Collection Inventory of John J. Montgomery Collection Collection: PP-Montgomery University Archives Santa Clara, California Contact Information: University Archives Santa Clara University 500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, California 95053-0500 Phone: (408) 554-4117 Fax: (408) 554-5179 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.scu.edu/archives Processed by: University Archives staff Date completed: 1978 Updated: 1990, 1992, 1999 Encoded by: Xiuzhi Zhou © 1999 Santa Clara University. All rights reserved. Descriptive Summary Title: John J. Montgomery Collection Creator: Montgomery, John J. Extent: 6 cubic feet Repository: Santa Clara University Archives Santa Clara, CA 95053 Language: English. Access Santa Clara University permits public access to its archives within the context of respect for individual privacy, administrative confidentiality, and the integrity of the records. It reserves the right to close all or any portion of its records to researchers. The archival files of any office may be opened to a qualified researcher by the administrator of that office or his/her designee at any time. Archival collections may be used by researchers only in the Reading Room of the University Archives and may be photocopied only at the discretion of the archivist.
    [Show full text]
  • Report Summary Property Information & Applicable Criteria
    "At-a-Glance" Report Summary Property Information & Applicable Criteria Resource Address: 2528 Island Ave, San Diego CA 92113 APN: 535-272-26-00 Resource Na111e (per HRB naming policy): ________________________ Resource Type: Building/Single Family Will you be Submitting a Mills Act Application Following Designation? Y □ N Iii Architect/Builder: None Discovered/None Discovered Date of Construction: ---------1 904 Prior Resource Address (ifrelocated): _________________________ Date of Relocation: __________ Applicant's Name: _S_t_e_v_e_N_u_r_d_in_g______ _ Owner's Name: Paula Development, Inc. Address: 812 F Ave. Address: 1206 10th St. Coronado CA 92118 Coronado, CA 92118 Phone#: 619.993.7665 Phone#: 619.721.3431 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] The resource is being nominated for designation as a historical resource under: □ HRB Criterion A as a special element of the City's, a community's or a neighborhood's D historical development D archaeological development □ cultural development D social development D economic development D political development D aesthetic development D engineering development D landscaping development D architectural development for the following reason(s): _N_IA___________________________ _ □ HRB Criterion B for its association with _N_/_A___________ who/which is significant in local, state or national history for the following reason(s): -----------~------- D HRB Criterion Casa good/excellent exarhple of _N_/_A__________________ _ □ HRB Criterion Das a notable work of_N_/_A___________ ~ a Master _______ □ Previously established as a Master □ Proposed as a Master D HRB Criterion E as a property which has been determined eligible by the Nation;:tl Park Service for listing on the National Register of Historic Places or is listed or has been determined eligible by the State Historical Preservation Office for listing on the State Register of Historical Resources.
    [Show full text]
  • SI History; Olym- Coordinator Gill Haskell
    Spiritus 150 Years of St. Ignatius MAGIS College Preparatory by Paul Totah ’75 For SI’sSI’s sesquicentennial, this issue of Genesis IV, In the fi rst installment, we learn how SI grew from and the next two, will offer excerpts from a new a one-room schoolhouse in the sand dunes on history of SI, which will be available for sale at the Market Street into one of the leading schools on June 4, 2005, Day on the Boulevard Celebration. the WestWest Coast, despite debt, earthquake and fi re. I. The Founding of the St. Ignatius College (1849–1861) ix years Diocese of Califor- after the nia, in a letter writ- J e s u i t s ten four months after the discovery of gold, arrived in wrote of his diffi culty California, St. Ignatius in ministering to these SCollege appeared on newcomers: Market Street as a “Day by day we see one-room schoolhouse that our circumstances with the mixed grow in diffi culty; that help and resources blessing of Archbishop have shrunk to almost Alemany. What makes nothing; that the the history of SI so hope of supplying the remarkable is that needed clergy is now six years after the almost extinguished; construction of this and, worst of all, that through lack of means small school, SI built and priests, divine an impressive college The fi rst St. Ignatius School and Church, built at Market and 5th Streets in 1855. worship throughout right next door and the whole diocese built an impressive stands upon the brink faculty, as some of the best Jesuit minds Gold Rush Beginnings of total ruin… Oh! How we should fear, of Europe, fl eeing anti-Catholic sentiment dearly Beloved, a chastisement so dread! magine San Francisco before the Gold A chastisement the greatest assuredly in Europe, found their way to teach at Rush: only a few low scrub oaks, only that could befall us from Heaven’s anger, this outpost college on the edge of the a few settlers’ homes, only a ship or which, it would seem, we already begin continent.
    [Show full text]
  • Preparation of Papers for AIAA Technical Conferences
    Motivation for Air-Launch: Past, Present, and Future John W. Kelly,* Charles E. Rogers,† Gregory T. Brierly,‡ J. Campbell Martin,§ and Marshall G. Murphy** NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, 93523 “Air-launch” is defined as two or more air-vehicles joined and working together, that eventually separate in flight, and that have a combined performance greater than the sum of the individual parts. The use of the air-launch concept has taken many forms across civil, commercial, and military contexts throughout the history of aviation. Air-launch techniques have been applied for entertainment, movement of materiel and personnel, efficient execution of aeronautical research, increasing aircraft range, and enabling flexible and efficient launch of space vehicles. For each air-launch application identified in this paper, the motivation for that application is discussed. Nomenclature AAF = Army Air Forces AFB = Air Force base AFRC = Armstrong Flight Research Center (Edwards, California) ALT = approach and landing test ASAT = antisatellite CRV = Crew Return Vehicle D.C. = District of Columbia ESA = European Space Agency FICON = Fighter Conveyor project FRC = Flight Research Center HiMAT = Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology ICBM = inter-continental ballistic missile ISS = International Space Station IXV = Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle KST = Kelly Space & Technology, Inc. (San Bernadino, California) NACA = National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration NBC = National Broadcasting Company NOTS = Naval Ordnance Test Station RAF = Royal Air Force SBIR = Small Business Innovative Research SNC = Sierra Nevada Corporation (Sparks, Nevada) TGALS = Towed-Glider Air-Launch System U.S. = United States USS = United States Ship USAF = United States Air Force VMS = Virgin Mothership VSS = Virgin Spaceship WS-199 = Weapon Systems 199 WWI = World War I * Project Manager, Exploration & Space Technology Directorate, Senior Member.
    [Show full text]
  • Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 59 Number 1, Spring 2018 Santa Clara University
    Santa Clara University Scholar Commons Santa Clara Magazine SCU Publications Spring 2018 Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 59 Number 1, Spring 2018 Santa Clara University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/sc_mag Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons, Business Commons, Education Commons, Engineering Commons, Law Commons, Life Sciences Commons, Medicine and Health Sciences Commons, Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Santa Clara University, "Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 59 Number 1, Spring 2018" (2018). Santa Clara Magazine. 33. https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/sc_mag/33 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the SCU Publications at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Santa Clara Magazine by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Santa Clara Magazine A global effort based at Nobel origins: Hersh Grief, loss, and Poet Dana Gioia on SCU to restore trust in Shefrin and behavioral recovery in the wake true crime and a journalism. Page 22 economics. Page 28 of disaster. Page 32 cowboy ballad. Page 50 TRUST 09/08/17 BRACING FOR IRMA: The hurricane barreled through the Turks and Caicos Islands en route to Florida. It was one of several major hurricanes in the Atlantic last season—along with Harvey, Maria, and Jose. Why was the season so destructive? Climate change was likely a factor. Though scientists are careful to avoid pointing to one event and saying, “See? We told you so!” notes Iris Stewart-Frey, an associate professor of environmental studies and sciences whose research focuses on water cycles.
    [Show full text]
  • Analysis and Design of a Morphing Wing Tip Using Multicellular Flexible Matrix Composite Adaptive Skins
    Analysis and Design of a Morphing Wing Tip using Multicellular Flexible Matrix Composite Adaptive Skins by Tyler Lee Hinshaw Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering Dr. Michael K. Philen, Chair Dr. Rakesh K. Kapania Dr. William H. Mason July 1, 2009 Blacksburg, Virginia Keywords: Morphing Wing, Skins, Intelligent Structures Copyright 2009, Tyler Lee Hinshaw Abstract The material presented in this thesis uses concepts of the finite element and doublet panel methods to develop a structural-aerodynamic coupled mathematical model for the analysis of a morphing wing tip composed of smart materials. Much research is currently being performed within many facets of engineering on the use of smart or intelligent materials. Examples of the beneficial characteristics of smart materials might include altering a structure’s mechanical properties, controlling its dynamic response(s) and sensing flaws that might progressively become detrimental to the structure. This thesis describes a bio-inspired adaptive structure that will be used in morphing an aircraft’s wing tip. The actuation system is derived from individual flexible matrix composite tube actuators embedded in a matrix medium that when pressurized, radical structural shape change is possible. A driving force behind this research, as with any morphing wing related studies, is to expand the limitations of an aircraft’s mission, usually constrained by the wing design. Rather than deploying current methods of achieving certain flight characteristics, changing the shape of a wing greatly increases the flight envelope.
    [Show full text]
  • First Aeronautical Engineers and Test Pilots
    WRIGHT BROTHERS: FIRST AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERS AND TEST PILOTS F.E.C. Culick California Institute of Technology Forty-Fifth Annual Symposium The Society of Experimental Test Pilots 26-29 September, 2001 The Westin Bonaventure Hotel Los Angeles, California Acknowledgements This work was supported in part by the California Institute of Technology and by the Los Angeles AIAA Wright Flyer Project (1978–present). 2001 by F.E.C. Culick All Rights Reserved WRIGHT BROTHERS: FIRST AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERS AND TEST PILOTS F.E.C. Culick California Institute of Technology ABSTRACT Sir George Cayley invented the conventional configuration of the airplane at the turn of the 19th century. Otto Lilienthal realized that building a successful aircraft meant learning how to fly: he became the first hang glider pilot and also the first flight fatality. The Wright Brothers absorbed all that was known in aeronautics before them, but then added their own discoveries and developed the first successful airplane. Technically, their greatest and fundamental achievement was their invention of three-axis aerodynamic control. Less obviously, their success was a consequence of style, their manner of applying their ideas and of progressing systematically to their stunning achievements. They were indeed the first aeronautical engineers, understanding as best they could all aspects of their aircraft and flying. They were thinkers, designers, constructors, analysts and especially flight test pilots. Their powers of observation and interpretation of the behavior of their aircraft in flight were remarkable, an intimate part of their research and development program. This paper has two purposes: to trace the Wrights’ program from 1899 to 1905 and interpret their work in modern terms; and to summarize the progress of a project to build a flyable replica of the Wrights’ 1903 Flyer.
    [Show full text]
  • Soaring Magazine Index for 1960 to 1969/1960To1969 Organized by Subject
    Soaring Magazine Index for 1960 to 1969/1960to1969 organized by subject The contents have all been re-entered by hand, so thereare going to be typos and confusion between author and subject, etc... Please send along any corrections and suggestions for improvement. Advisory Circular W.E. Rogers, Subject: Shoulder Harnesses,March, 1967 Aerodynamic Design F.X. Wortmann and K. Schwoerer, Summary of the influence of the airfoil polar on the performance of sailplanes,January,1964, pages 1,, F.X. Wortmann, Some laminar profiles for sailplanes,January,1964 G.B. Moffat, Jr., The modern sailplanes,June, 1964, pages 1,8 Aerodynamics B.H. Carmichael, Carmichael’sDefense,April, 1960 J. Greenbaum, Greenbaum gets specific,April, 1960, pages 1,25 J. Greenbaum, Greenbaum gets specific, concl..,May,1960, pages 1,25 A. Raspet and D. Gyorgyfalvy, The Phoenix as a solution to optimum cross-country soaring,August, 1960, pages 1,25,42 A. Raspet, Biophysics of birdflight,August, 1960, pages 1,5 B. Paiewonsky, The handling characteristics of sailplanes - part 1,January,1961, pages ,1 O-M. Bilaniuk, Shockabsorbent wing suspension for gliders,January,1961, pages 1,5 B. Paiewonsky, The handling characteristics of sailplanes - part 2,February,1961, page 1 C.D. Cone, Jr., The theory of soaring flight in vortexshells - part 1,April, 1961, pages 1,6,,55 C.D. Cone, Jr., The theory of soaring flight in vortexshells - part 2,May,1961, pages ,1,6,,55 C.D. Cone, Jr., The theory of soaring flight in vortexshells - part 3,June, 1961, pages ,6,,55,1 B.H. Carmichael, Possibility for a one foot per second sinking speed,January,1962, pages 1,1 A.A.
    [Show full text]
  • Hang Glider Design and Performance
    Originally presented and published as AIAA 2010-9300 10th AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations (ATIO) Conference 13 - 15 September 2010, Fort Worth, Texas Hang Glider Design and Performance Paul Dees1 Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Seattle, WA, 98124 Hang gliding represents a less known but sizable segment of the sport aviation community. This sport experienced a rebirth in popularity during the 1970s with the advent of new, simple wings developed by pioneers like John Dickensen based on a wing concept developed through NASA engineer Francis Rogallo’s work. This paper will summarize hang glider technical development from the late 1800s to the current generation of designs. Hang glider structural and aerodynamic design features differ significantly from those of traditional aircraft design. This paper discusses these differences, including sail flexibility, structural design philosophy, and wing twist. Current hang glider design falls into two primary genres: Flexible and rigid wings. The flex-wings are the most popular and are direct descendents of the wings developed by Francis Rogallo and John Dickensen. Since the 1970s they have evolved into much safer, higher performing wings. They now have very pleasing handling qualities, and are capable of multiple-hour flights over great distances. The rigid wings have structural design features more similar to traditional aircraft, offer improved glider performance, and utilize composite materials extensively in their structure, all at increased cost and weight. The flex-wing product line of the Wills Wing company was evaluated in depth with a detailed build-up of drag and glide performance estimates shown. 1 USHPA Advanced pilot, Boeing Associate Technical Fellow and AIAA Associate Fellow, contact at [email protected] 1 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Copyright © 2010 by Paul Dees.
    [Show full text]