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Post-War Aircraft Development
Aerospace Technology I
Facilitator-Mr. Lee
Adapted from- Aerospace: The Journey of Flight
Objectives • Describe several aviation advances that
were made during World War II.
• Identify why the Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed Constellation were popular commercial airliners after WWII.
• Identify the first “pure” jet commercial airliner.
• Describe the problems encountered when attempting to break the sound barrier.
Wartime Advances • There were many advances in aircraft
design, instrumentation, navigation, electronic systems, engines, and armor protection during the war
FIGHTER ADVANCEMENTS P-51D P-40C Maximum weight 11,600 lb. 8,058 lb. Maximum speed 437 mph 345 mph Maximum range 2,300 mi 945 mi Service ceiling 41,000 ft 29,500 ft Rate of climb (ft/min) 3,500 2,690
Wartime Advances… • Jet propulsion
o Frank Whittle designed the first turbojet engine in 1937, but England didn’t fly her first jet aircraft until 1941.
o Germany flew the first jet aircraft in 1939.
o US flew its first jet in 1942 but didn’t produce a jet fighter until 1944, the Lockheed F-40, Shooting Star.
Wartime Advances… • Before the end of the war, Germany had
produced 22 different models of jet aircraft.
o The most famous jet of WWII was the Messerschmitt ME-262A.
Top speed of 550 mph.
o Fourteen hundred of them were produced during the war, but only 100 were ever used as fighters.
Civil Aviation Development • Because of WWII, millions of people had
been exposed to aviation and were now aviation enthusiasts.
• Many veterans publicized the merits of aviation.
Commercial Aircraft Development
• Developments in aircraft design occurred during the war:
o Better instrumentation, navigation
o Increased safety
o Radar was developed
o There were also larger and better airports available because of wartime requirements
• There were more and better pilots available than prior to World War II.
Commercial Aircraft Development…
• New and better planes were developed.
o Douglas DC-4
Over 1,100 made during the war
Many were converted to carry 44 passengers
Commercial Aircraft Development…
o Lockheed Constellation
Pressurized, which allowed passengers to be taken above 10,000 feet
About 100 mph faster
Commercial Airliners Adopt Jet Engines
• First jet airliners were British
• There were two types of propulsion:
o Turboprop
o Pure jet
• World’s first jet turboprop airliner was the Vickers Viscount.
Commercial Airliners Adopt Jet Engines…
• DeHavilland Comet I was the world’s first pure jet airliner.
o The Comet revolutionized commercial travel because it flew at 500 mph and at higher altitudes (25,000 – 30,000 feet).
Commercial Airliners Adopt Jet Engines…
• In 1945, about 3 million passengers flew commercially in America.
• By 1950, about 17 million did.
• By 1958, when commercial jets were introduced, 30 million passengers flew.
• In 2011 there were 730 million!
o 640 million domestic
o 92 million international (on US airliners)
Breaking the Sound Barrier • In 1945, Bell Aircraft Company was
contracted to explore the problems of high-speed flight.
• They experienced several problems as they approached the speed of sound.
o Aircraft would vibrate and become hard to control
o Aircraft breaking apart
Breaking the Sound Barrier… • The aircraft, X-1, first flew in January 1946.
o The X-1 was dropped from an airborne B-29.
o In October 1947, Chuck Yeager penetrated the sound barrier.
He flew at 670 mph at 42,000 feet.
Bell X-1
Review • Describe several aviation
advances that were made during World War II.
• Identify why the Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed Constellation were popular commercial airliners after WWII.
• There were advances in aircraft design, instrumentation, navigation, electronic systems, engines, and armor protection during the war.
• Douglas DC-4:
o Over 1,100 made during the war.
o Many were converted to carry 44 passengers.
• Lockheed Constellation:
o Pressurized, which allowed passengers to be taken above 10,000 feet.
o About 100 mph faster.
Review… • Identify the first “pure”
jet commercial airliner.
• Describe the problems encountered when attempting to break the sound barrier.
• DeHavilland Comet I was the world’s first pure jet airliner.
• Aircraft would vibrate and become hard to control.
• Aircraft breaking apart.
Learn Long Live Long