Questions tagged [aviation-history]
Questions about aviation history, starting from kites, balloons, airplanes, helicopters and rockets.
570
questions
16
votes
1
answer
5k
views
In 1982 Admiral Grace Hopper said "I still haven't found out why helicopter rotors go the way they do". If she were here today, how might one answer?
After about 24:50 in the video NSA Releases Internal 1982 Lecture by Computing Pioneer Rear Admiral Grace Hopper Admiral Hopper says:
...Now when it comes to carousels at airports I can see a good ...
- 6,168
4
votes
1
answer
152
views
Is there a Amelia Earhart anniversary late August 2024?
Today it came to my attention that in the last few days (late August 2024), there have been two concept albums centred on Amelia Earhart's last flight announced and shortly to be released by Laurie ...
- 309
3
votes
5
answers
565
views
Had there ever been civil aircrafts with more than four engines?
The Boeing 747 have four engines, the 737 two, and the 727 three. Most modern commercial jet airliners today have two engines. I know that some military aircrafts, (like the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress)...
- 1,550
2
votes
2
answers
284
views
Lightoff to speak about an engine start
Why is the term lightoff (or light-off) used to describe the moment an engine ignite/is started ? I'm wondering why the suffix 'off' is used in an 'ON' sense (start, ignition) ? Is there a ...
- 21
19
votes
5
answers
6k
views
Has there ever been a transfer of occupants from one aircraft to another while airborne?
Similar to the mechanism used in aircraft tankers (picture below), has there ever been a transfer of occupants from one aircraft to another using some sort of "air bridge"?
Crazy idea: How ...
- 4,935
7
votes
2
answers
156
views
When was the word "aerodynamics" first used?
Aerodynamics comes from two Greek words: aer (air) and dinamike (dynamics).
In this link it says
The word “aerodynamics” itself was not officially documented until 1837
I don't know if that is ...
- 1,958
5
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Which aviation flight computer is Spock using aboard the Enterprise (as a prop)?
In the recent Undecided with Matt Ferrell video Why the Future of AI & Computers Will Be Analog after about 05:44, the Original Star Trek TV show's Mr. Spock is shown holding an analog flight ...
- 6,168
20
votes
1
answer
4k
views
What type of aircraft do Tintin and Captain Haddock use on their way to Peru in "The Seven Crystal Balls"?
At the end of Hergé's The Seven Crystal Balls (first published 1943-1944), Tintin and Captain Haddock fly to Peru in a relatively big seaplane (or flying boat?).
Is it a real aircraft? If so, what ...
- 405
17
votes
1
answer
2k
views
First airplane with software?
What is the first airplane equipped with software system? Any type of avionics with the computer code, probably the compiled file.
I searched in Google, and it sounds like the F-8C Crusader jet ...
- 273
1
vote
0
answers
49
views
What was the Sperry "Follow Up and Comp. Mech. (Type K9)"
I found online a "Computing Gun-sight" used in WWII B-24 and B-26 bombers:
Source
Sperry Gyroscope Co., Brooklyn, NY, part # 655432:
Source
I have looked through the Sperry Corp. Archives ...
- 11
5
votes
2
answers
665
views
What happened to the Japanese aviation industry after WW2?
The Empire of Japan had a domestic aviation industry supplying the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force up until the end of WW2.
The USSR and Western Europe, which saw large parts of their production ...
- 541
1
vote
0
answers
116
views
By how much did the content of the Airbus A320 FCOM expand over the last 40 years?
The Airbus A320 has been in service for almost 40 years now. I imagine that the current manuals are much larger than the manuals provided in the 80s, mainly for three reasons:
The newer models ...
- 763
18
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Soviet (Eastern bloc) aircraft innovations?
From my Western perspective as a non-aviation person, it appears that most aircraft innovations throughout history (whether commercial or military) were pioneered by Western countries/corporations. ...
- 1,789
3
votes
3
answers
342
views
Have two similarly sized aircraft ever hard-docked with each other while in flight?
This question is looking for a precedent in aviation related to the futuristic idea of maintaining a permanent fleet of solar-powered aircraft in the upper atmosphere on the sunny side of Venus (which ...
- 233
1
vote
1
answer
682
views
RB-77C Destroyer on March 10th, 1964 over Magdeburg
It is claimed that a spy plane with the registration RB-77C Destroyer was shot down near Magdeburg on 10 March 1964. Does anyone know anything about this?
- 113
2
votes
2
answers
189
views
Origins and Efficiency of the Phonetic Alphabet in Aviation
I’m curious about the history and practicality of the phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, etc.) used in aviation communication. While I recognise its universal application in ...
- 3,196
8
votes
2
answers
590
views
Advantages of an inverted sesquiplane?
A biplane whose lower wing is significantly shorter in span than the upper is sometimes called a sesquiplane, from sesqui "one and a half." One whose upper wing is shorter (even slightly, ...
- 12.6k
3
votes
0
answers
98
views
What was the penultimate flight of the TCA plane that crashed near Vancouver in 1947?
In his 1975 book An Almanac of Words at Play, Willard R. Espy recounts the following:
En route from Montreal to Vancouver in 1947, we sat down in Calgary, where a wire from my boss changed my ...
- 211
7
votes
1
answer
596
views
Is it correct to say that the expected behaviour at a Fly-by/Fly-over waypoint derives from when there was no GPS, but rather just VOR/DMEs?
I was re-looking at Fly-by/Fly-over waypoints:
and discussing with a colleague the topic of how these came about.
Is it correct that this definitions were put in place so that a human pilot could fly ...
- 32.6k
2
votes
0
answers
380
views
Are there other examples of Brown-Stigler incident?
I have just finished reading A Higher Call and wondered if there are other cases where a pilot showed his mercy to the foe when they are in desperate situation. Looked through several B17 related-webs,...
- 133
1
vote
1
answer
602
views
Could "Lady Be Good" Incident Prevented by the Technology of its Time?
For those who don't know, Wiki page of the incident sums up. I don't have much knowledge about communication systems of WWII, but I know how radio communication work. This page has
The aircraft flew ...
- 133
21
votes
1
answer
3k
views
What plane was most likely used for this TWA transatlantic flight in 1954?
This is the manifest for my grandaunt (she is #9). She most likely took a train from Paris to Croatia to visit her mother. The family was not wealthy, so this was an extravagant expense for them.
Can ...
- 313
-3
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How did novice pilots hit the Twin Towers?
I know people don't like discussing this, and I don't ask out of morbid curiousity. But conspiracy theories will naturally arise about such great and consequential events, and I don't think it's fair ...
6
votes
2
answers
510
views
What was the first law requiring licensing or certification for pilots?
What was the first law passed by a government (e.g. not a private organization's policy) requiring some kind of licensing or certifications for civilian pilots?
- 7,117
25
votes
1
answer
7k
views
Were there any planes used in WWII that were able to shoot their own tail?
In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, there's a scene where Indiana is piloting a plane and his father is acting as gunner. While shooting at incoming enemy planes, he accidentally shoots his own ...
- 813
-6
votes
2
answers
371
views
Has any aircraft in history ever pulled 7g for 15 or more seconds?
According to this post "no aircraft has ever pulled 7g for two seconds"
If the interpretation of the video is correct, has any aircraft in history ever pulled 7g for fifteen seconds?
- 1
3
votes
0
answers
380
views
Why did two of the development Concordes have red cabin doors?
The second British Concorde 101 G-AXDN at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow
(Photo by: Richard Vandervord source: www.airliners.net via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Three of the six development ...
- 1,312
0
votes
3
answers
246
views
Historical Number of Aircraft in Service (by Airline)
I am looking for historical data on the number of commercial passenger aircraft in service, ideally with additional information on the associated airline.
My search so far has turned up one scientific ...
- 1,714
8
votes
1
answer
981
views
Are there any variable-diameter propellers?
Have there been any known tests or prototypes of variable-diameter propellers?
There's this paywalled paper from 2014 that seems to have made a virtual prototype model, have there been any physical ...
user21228
3
votes
1
answer
280
views
Why do acronyms aviation often have words in orders unusual?
"Airplane Single Engine Land" (rather than "Single Engine Land Airplane"
"Certified Flight Instructor Instrument" (rather than "Certified Instrument Flight ...
- 7,117
0
votes
2
answers
186
views
Private Plane security United States 1975
in 1975 Famous Teamster Boss Jimmy Hoffa disappeared after being picked up at a local restaurant.
One of the theories is that men from New Jersey boarded a plane, landed in Detroit, and assisted with ...
- 17
3
votes
1
answer
149
views
Energy Maneuverability Theory Applied to WW1 Fighters
I am trying to test the Fokker D.VII, Spad S.XIII, Sopwith Camel, Nieuport 28, and the Se5a using the model in this paper:
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA066034.pdf
It's called Combat Performance ...
0
votes
2
answers
234
views
Was the first US government-issued pilot license issued in 1927 or '28?
The top image says it was issued April 6, 1928, while the bottom one says April 6, 1927. Are these two different documents issued a year apart, or is there a discrepancy?
- 7,117
5
votes
2
answers
586
views
When did the United States stop issuing pilot "licenses" (and start issuing "certificates")?
The first document issued by the US federal government authorizing a person to fly an aircraft was issued on April 6, 1927 by the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce, and it is called a ...
- 7,117
4
votes
1
answer
376
views
Is it possible to use Morse code for communication?
Let's say your radio fails, but luckily you brought your keychain Morse code transmitter as a backup! Is there any way to use it?
ICAO defines Q-codes for aviation use. Q-codes were initially ...
- 1,599
1
vote
0
answers
420
views
What is the origin of the ‘six pack’ flight instrument arrangement?
I was wondering who came up with the modern ‘six pack’ flight instrument arrangement, when I realized that the old British blind instrument flying panel that was the standard across many airplane ...
- 11
7
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why has structural efficiency (OEW / MTOW) not improved despite increasing use of carbon fiber?
Where can I find information on the weight breakdown of civil aircraft? I am interested primarily in trying to understand why structural efficiency (OEW/MTOW) has not improved despite increasing use ...
- 1,714
12
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Were contrails different in the 80s?
My parents insist they remember contrails being significantly shorter around 1980s.
From my research it seems this might be the result of several factors such as climate change, advancements in ...
- 231
11
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Who was the first person to fly above 20,000 feet, and what aircraft was used?
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You ...
- 7,117
1
vote
2
answers
126
views
Is there an aerodynamic benefit of covering the underside of wings?
What is the nature and extent to the benefit of covering up the bottom of an airfoil?
It seems like all the early airplanes just had ribs and spars that were wrapped only on top, but then pretty soon ...
- 125
0
votes
1
answer
98
views
Aircraft progress: Evolution or design? [closed]
This video of a Curtiss Pusher is stunning. Had I been around when it was new, I would have stopped there!
Question: What processes led to the aircraft of today?
...
- 1,925
3
votes
1
answer
296
views
Were European single-engine fighters considered superior to U.S. designs at the start of WW2?
There was a wide consensus in U.S. military circles about 1940 that U.S. pursuit fighters were substantially less capable in terms of performance than their equivalent European counterparts. ...
- 974
2
votes
2
answers
410
views
Who was the third person to fly a powered airplane?
The first person to fly a powered airplane was Orville Wright on December 17, 1903. The second was Wilbur Wright on that same day.
The Wright Flyer was destroyed before anyone else flew it. The Wright ...
- 121
23
votes
2
answers
4k
views
How was altitude calculated before the invention of the altimeter?
I just read David McCollough's "The Wright Brothers," and was surprised to find several references to the exact altitude attained by various Wright airplanes. For example, on page 235:
The ...
- 333
4
votes
1
answer
251
views
What was the first programmable computer used in a flight-related role on an aircraft?
What was the first programmable digital computer, or device containing a programmable digital computer, used on an aircraft or spacecraft for a purpose related to flight? To use modern devices as an ...
- 7,117
3
votes
1
answer
176
views
Was there any attempt on making a turbofan for mach 1-2 with a "decelerator" air intake?
What made me ask this question is the SR-71 hybrid engines and the efficiency difference between certain engines.
Here is an article from wikipedia showing the efficiency of the engines accordingly to ...
- 131
0
votes
0
answers
165
views
What are the aerodynamic characteristics of the flying saucer?
It seems that Canadian VZ-9 Avrocar was aerodynamically unstable. Particularly at high altitudes, and so the project was cancelled. IIRC there was considerable interest in flying saucers in the 1950s ...
- 217
0
votes
1
answer
174
views
Are there any aircrafts that use the same "ballooning effect" of spiders to fly?
For those that aren't aware, the "ballooning" effect that spiders use to glide (not necessarily fly) explaining in a simple way, some small invertebrates throw a bunch of long strings (in ...
- 131
6
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Does “balls to the wall” mean “full speed ahead” or “full speed ahead and nosedive”?
Full speed ahead: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/balls_to_the_wall
Full speed ahead and nosedive: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2006/02/why-we-say-balls-to-the-wall.html
- 61
0
votes
0
answers
253
views
What was the story of a serious incident with Galaxy C5 in about 1973
I am guessing it was a flight in support of the Yom Kippur War in October of 1973 that due a pitot tube failure that Galaxy C5 had to do an emergency landing on Azore with assitance from another plane ...
- 572