SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND MATHS

HISTORY OF THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY

TRIP TO THE RAF MUSEUM (COSFORD)

SUBMITED TO: DR. S. J. BOND.

SUBMITED BY: JUAN CARLOS GARCIA DIAZ.
DATE: 23 NOVEMBER 2007.
COUNT WORD: 1485

CITY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

 Aircraft Development

The world has changed and evolved much over the last a hundred years and so has the
aircraft industry. Changes in all aspects of the industry have taken place, making
flying not only the safest mode of transport but also one of the strongest industries in
the world to the point that even governments take part of it. Those changes have led
the aircraft manufacture to be on the top list of technology research and development.
In the early days flying was regarded as a dangerous sport rather than one the
mankind most important achievements; however that idea soon changed with the
arrival of WWI. Although even today flying can still be dangerous it is deemed to be
one of the key areas of development for many countries since its potential is now well
acknowledged.

The first flight took off in 1903 when the Wright brothers managed to fly with a
powered propelled aircraft made of wood and canvas, marking the beginning of
practical aviation industry; a few years later there was already a small but promising
industry that has not stopped its growth since then. The military has always been an
important part of the industry and has had such an impact that many of the
developments made in the field are due to the demand created by it. In fact the US
government paid the Wright brothers for the first military plane.

Changes in aircraft speed and altitude performance, range, structure and material and
reliability and airport operations have remained a constant. One of the Wright
brother’s first airliners flew 70 pounds of silk in 1910 being in theory the first
airfreight shipment in history. The first aircraft were built of rudimentary material
such as wood, canvas and some weak metallic structures. As in the early days the
industry was not well established, many seaplanes were in use since not many
airfields had been constructed and it was relatively easier to find a place to land, the
development of airfield came along with the beginning of important historic events
such as the WWI and the requirements it brought about. Such requirements were for
instance the introduction of seaplane carriers and all the manoeuvres needed to make
a successful take off and landing which required pilots to improve their skills to
perform under difficult conditions.

Already in the early days flying at high altitudes was one of the ambitions by many of
the pilots such as the Peruvian Jorge Chavez who in 1910 managed to fly above
2,479m (8,127ft) and breaking the world’s record at that time. Chavez managed to
rich such an altitude but died in his attempt to land, at the time safety was not an issue
and a remarkably low accident rate gave clear indications that flying would be one of
the safest mean of transport.

With the beginning of WWI a new era of aircraft development started, aviation was to
meet the challenge and in fact aircraft found their first practical use as instruments of
war. The introduction of more powerful engines and stronger airframes had a very
significant impact on performance, reliability and range; all this induced a rapid
expansion in aircraft line production as thousands of aircraft were needed. At the
beginning of the war the most powerful engine had around 80hp, by 1918 it grew to
400hp, reaching up to 230kph (143 mph). There has been so much advancement has
in aircraft engines development that in relatively short periods of time big changes
took place.

After the WWI many aircraft manufacturers struggled to survive as the demand of
aircraft by air forces was null besides the great economic depression, however
People’s mentality had changed and more were willing to get onto a plane to see the
world from the sky. In 1927 the first transatlantic flight between New York and Paris
took place, by this time there where then engines capable of achieving such a
remarkable performance. 33 ½ hours in the air was a dream come true. This event
attracted the public attention and more long-distance aircraft started to be designed,
having a great effect on the industry. New technologies were developed and safety
instruments introduced to both new and existing models from the WWI, for instance
the introduction of navigators to enable pilots to fly in low cloud or fog, improving
safety standards. With the 1930’s came a revolutionary aircraft design era as well as
improvements in engine reliability. The new planes were far superior in terms of
range, engine power, carrying capacity and reliability.

Just a decade after the first transatlantic flight men were able to fly non-stop from
anywhere in Europe to the US in a matter of a bit more than a day. Many of these
planes were converted four-engined bombers, however with new technologies in
engines from Boeing twin-engined and innovative all-metallic aircraft era started.
The WWII saw the introduction of much bigger engine of up to 2180hp each and top
speeds of 650kph (404mph). One of the main novelties at the end of the war was the
introduction of jet aircraft, revealing what would come for the industry in the coming
years. Jet engines would enable larger aircraft to fly long distances at higher speeds.

As the passengers market started to grow and take importance immediately after WWI
and WWII, the manufacture of bigger airliners took grater importance especially in
the US where there were already four major domestic airlines (American, Eastern,
Transcontinental and Western Air) and one international (Pan Am). This certainly had
a greater effect on the production and was also a key factor in terms of payload.
Aircraft manufacturers have been able to meet the requirements of the industry,
adjusting through time to different environments and the demands of the market.

By the mid fifties aircraft were able to reach speeds of 1822kph (1132mph) and by the
mid seventies 2193kph (3529mph). In only fifty years the aircraft design industry
developed like no other industry.

Towards the end of the WWII a British major manufacturers developed larger non-
stop transoceanic aircraft for commercial airlines with many new features, such as:
pressurized cabins for safety and comfort, increased passenger capacity (100
passengers) and speeds of over 800kph (500mph) such as the “De Havilland Comet”,
however there were a few accidents where this aircraft model was involved.

Other American manufacturers (Boeing and Douglas) had also began to developing
airliners that could carry several hundred passengers or 45 to 90 metric tones of cargo
which paved the way for the first commercial jumbo jet, the Boeing 747 which could
carry more that four hundred passengers, flying more that fourteen hours without
refuelling.
The way aircraft is develop has also changed, for instance the Boeing 777 was fully
designed and developed using three-dimensional drawing programs, saving time and
money.

The development of aircraft is and will be an ongoing process. Today supersonic

aircraft are being developed although in the seventies huge progress was already
being made with the introduction of the Concorde. The Concorde could fly between
London and New York in around three hours. This was great achievement for the
European aircraft industry given that the Americans have on many occasions led in
terms of innovation.

Huge improvements in aerodynamics brought about better performance in terms of

speed and operational cost. With so many improvements, achievements and new
standards being introduced in the industry the safety factor has taken more and more
importance in the last centuries. Today’s targets in terms of development do not only
have to do with speed and range but also with noise regulations, safety procedures,
accident statistics, regulations. Not only the manufactures and airlines have to care
about the performance of the industry but everyone who is involved in it. The industry
engages many other parties and it is now fully acknowledged that it is everyone’s
responsibility to keep it a safe industry.

The main worries in the industry now have led manufactures to worry more about
how cost effective new planes are but more importantly how safe they are and also
how safe their environment is, today there are new factors that also need to be looked
at, such as: airfields and airports in general, airport operations, airport maintenance,
training of all parties involved and many other.

In conclusion, aircraft development is one of the few industries in the world to

develop and mature so rapidly. In a hundred years the changes have so significant and
have had an impact on today’s life like no many other industries. The development of
aircraft not only brought about faster and more reliable planes but also the creation of
a more professional and specialised industry. High skilled professionals have
simultaneously developed their understanding and knowledge of the subject, reducing
the chances of things going wrong. It is most likely that the rate of development goes
up in line with new needs just as it happened a hundred years ago.