Adolescence of Air Power

List significant events in aviation occurring between 1904-1911

Describe the development of new engines Recall Louis Bleriot’s contributions Discuss air power during WWI Identify several WWI aces

How was the Wright’s first flight received? How did the government react to their

airplane? What are some important features an

airplane back then should have?

First flight went almost unnoticed◦ Only one article, misleading and poorly written

1904-1905, Wrights perfected design by testing craft in pasture in OH

1905, Wrights wrote letter to US government offering to build an aircraft of their specification◦ Little interest/response◦ War Department still embarrassed after Langley

failures

Wrights go abroad for sales after 3 refusals from the US

President Teddy Roosevelt finally took interest◦ Directed Secretary of War to solicit bids

Aircraft had to do 7 things:◦ Carry pilot◦ Carry passenger◦ Fuel enough for 125 mile trip◦ 36 mph under perfect control◦ Takeoff and land in any likely warzone without

damage◦ Able to be disassembled◦ Reassembled in 1 hour

Wrights got the US contract Orville stayed to build US test plane Wilbur went to France to demo plane to

other governments and businesses◦ French paid Wrights $100,000 to form French

aircraft building company Orville & Army testing planes in VA

◦ 12 very successful flights◦ 13th flight resulted in crash, Orville injured

Passenger, Lt. Selfridge killed, first to die in powered airplane

August 2, 1909, Army buys first airplane from Wrights for $30,000

Built gasoline engines for motorcycles as a teenager

Brilliant engineer 1907, became known as “worlds fastest

man” by setting motorcycle speed record of 136mph

Curtiss engines were light and powerful Balloon and dirigible manufacturers started

buying his engines for their craft

Aviation soon became his passion 1907, formed Aerial Experiment Assoc. with

Alexander Graham Bell◦ Goal was to build/improve airplane design◦ Built first American aircraft to have ailerons◦ Built first seaplane

1910, Wrights and Curtiss open separate flight schools

1910:◦ Eugene Ely, first to land on Naval ship◦ Pres. Roosevelt, first pres. to fly

Wm. Randolph Hearst offers $50,000 to anyone who can fly across US in 30 days◦ Calbraith Perry Rodgers accepts challenge◦ Flies a Wright airplane◦ Sponsored by “Vin Fiz” soda◦ Flight took 49 days, 68 stops, 4,251 miles

1911, Harriet Quimby, first licensed female pilot

April 6, 1912, first woman to fly English Channel solo

Died in plane crash, June 1912

Why was the government uninterested in airplanes?

Why did many of the airplanes built in the 1910s and 1920s look so much alike?

Who seems more influential the Wrights or Glenn Curtiss?

5 min◦ Index card◦ Name◦ Of all the “accomplish this aviation feat first and

win a prize” promotions around back then, which would you chose to do?

◦ Ex: Cross US, cross English Channel, Atlantic, Pacific, you can even make one up

Who was the first to fly in Europe?◦ Hint: Frenchman famous for dirigibles

Who built the world’s first monoplane? What are 2 good reasons to build

multiengine airplanes? What was the major difficulty when flying

VTOL aircraft?

Robert Esnault-Pelterie◦ Frenchman◦ First to design/build glider with ailerons◦ Enclosed fuselage

Alberto Santos-Dumont◦ First to fly in Europe◦ October 23, 1906◦ Paris

Aviation got a lot of positive press in Europe◦ Caused a lot of excitement

Louis Bleriot, 1907 flew first monoplane◦ 1909, first to fly across English Channel◦ Built 11 planes before perfected English Channel

flight model, 50 crashes

2 reasons to have more than one engine◦ Increase power◦ Improve reliability and safety

1911, Short brothers granted patent for first multiengine airplane

First four engine airplane built by the great engineer and pilot, Igor Sikorsky◦ LeGrand, also had enclosed cockpit

Engines very heavy◦ Made of steel, iron or brass◦ Water cooled◦ 10 pounds per hp

Laurent and Gustav Seguin, 1907◦ Developed air cooled engine◦ Cooling fins on cylinders◦ 3 pounds per hp

Rotary aircraft (rotating wings) Early helicopters Struggled with control once in flight

January 1, 1914◦ First regularly scheduled airline service◦ St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line◦ Pilot, Tony Janus◦ Plane, Twin Benoist XIV flying boat◦ Cost, $5 and took 20 minutes

By 1912, all major modern nations have military flying service◦ By name only in US◦ We had 1 plane, that was our “Air Force”◦ 1913, 19 planes and 29 pilots in US military

1914, start of war◦ Germany 200 planes◦ Britain and France 450 planes

1917, Congress appropriates $64 million for aircraft◦ Boasted that we would “darken the skies over

Europe with US aircraft”◦ Promised 263 squadrons with 22,625 aircraft by

June 1918◦ When the war ended in November 1918 only 45

squadrons in action, none flying US planes◦ Not a single American designed combat aircraft

saw action

In your opinion, who was more influential, Alberto Santos-Dumont, Louis Bleriot, or Igor Sikorsky?◦ Why?

Had anyone ever heard of the St Pete – Tampa Airboat Line?

5 min◦ Index card◦ Name◦ Why was the US Government so ill prepared for

the start of WWI?◦ How did the US deliver on promises to assist

Britain with air support? 5 min

◦ Discuss with neighbor

What is the military role of the airplane? The addition of what turned the airplane

into an active attack weapon? What is an “ace”? Who were the “aces” of WWI?

Airplanes used for observation◦ No guns

Bombs eventually carried◦ In the lap of the pilot

By 1915, Germans bombing France and England with dirigibles and airplanes

1917, twin-engine Gotha IV replaced dirigibles as German bombers

German air-raids on England caused the formation of the RAF or Royal Air Force

Brought upon by increased bombing raids Just gave pilot a gun French pilot Roland Garros mounted

automatic rifle on cowling to fire through prop.◦ Had to put steel plates on back of prop

Garros shot down and captured◦ Germans tasked Anthony Fokker with improving

firing design

Fokker incorporated an interrupting gear The gun would only fire when the prop was

out of the way◦ Reliability and safety

For a year the Germans were the only ones with this advantage, which gave them air superiority◦ 1916, allies captured German plane with

interrupting gear and copied it

Fighters had to be light, fast and maneuverable

Some famous fighters developed during WWI:◦ Sopwith Camel and the SE-5A, British

◦ Spad VII and Nieuport 28, French

◦ Fokker Dr-I and D-VII, German

German

French

American

Britain

French coined term “ace” Given to pilots who downed 5 enemy

aircraft◦ French◦ British◦ Americans

Germans required 10 “Ace of Aces” given to pilot with most kills

from each nation

America, Eddie Rickenbacker◦ 26 kills

Britain, Edward Mannock◦ 73 kills

France, Rene Fonck◦ 75 kills

Germany, Baron Manfred von Richthofen◦ 80 kills◦ Red Baron

War began in 1914, US did not enter till 1917

Many Americans did not wait◦ Joined French Foreign Legion as pilots

When war broke out 7 wealthy Americans in Paris joined French Air Corps◦ Called themselves the Lafayette Escadrille◦ By 1917, only one of the original seven was still

alive◦ Escadrille incorporated into US Army Air Corps in

Feb 1918

Raoul Lufberry◦ French born American citizen ◦ 17 kills◦ Jumped out of airplane on fire and died

Eddie Rickenbacker◦ Former racecar driver◦ Named Commander of 94th Squadron after 4 kills◦ Gave pilots parachutes◦ 26 kills in 5 months

Youngest student at George Washington Univ.

2nd Lt. at 18 1st Lt. by 19 1903, youngest Capt. In Army at 23 Became pilot at 36, old for industry Advocated separate “Air Force” branch of

military Chief of Air Service, under Amy command Thought of planes as the future of offensive

combat

Why were German “ace” criteria more restrictive than everyone else?

What invention allowed Germany to have air superiority for over a year?

Who was aviations biggest up and coming advocate?

Glenn Curtiss◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33rS9Vf_5DQ

Alberto Santos-Dumont◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro5wkljLn7k

Louis Bleriot◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLUG_ZR9a0U

Igor Sikorsky◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YHlBq3pW7I

1. Who was the “fastest man on earth” for setting a motorcycle speed record?

2. Who built the “Vin Fiz” airplane?3. Who was the 1st woman to fly the English Channel

solo?4. Who flew the first airplane in Europe?5. Who built the 1st 4-engine airplane?6. What was the airplanes 1st role in warfare?7. How many “kills” must a German pilot have to

receive the “ace” status?8. Who invented the interrupter gear?9. Who was America’s “ace of aces”?10. Who was Germany’s “ace of aces”?