Aviation has been the most vital mode of transportation in these modern times. It plays an important part in the economy – it creates jobs, it allows businesses to spread into other countries, and it helps other industries such as the tourism industry grow. Additionally, aviation brings people around the world together and makes stronger bonds among cultures and countries.
It is such a beneficial invention to the whole world. But as unlikely as it seems, just about two centuries ago, people thought aviation airplanes were impossible to achieve by mankind. The Wright Brothers proved them wrong.
On the 17th of December 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright did the impossible. Covering 852 feet for 59 seconds, the Wright Brothers made the first ever successful flight in human history. This breakthrough gained the attention of governments and automotive enthusiasts around the world.
Over the next decade, the technology of aviation airplanes continued to grow in a fast pace. During this time, engineers replaced old engines with better ones. Pilots strived to reach greater heights, beating the best records in aviation as they achieved faster speeds, higher altitudes, and longer flights. For them, sky is really the limit.
Airplanes in the WWI
When World War I began, aircraft were recognized heavily as military equipment. This sparked the rise of the demand for airplanes. However, the most significant development of airplanes was during this period when the motors were upgraded. The aircraft then can soar with a speed of 130 mph, doubling the speed of pre-war airplanes.
In 1914, the airplane was tested in battle for the first time. In the minds of the many, aviation airplanes mean bombs, aerial combats, and surveillance. Moreover, when the war ended, the surplus of aircraft was so huge that building companies shut down and the demand for these aircraft went down to zero.
Airplanes were further used in military operations. In fact, these have become the primary tools in World War II, which gave birth to the term “fighter planes”. In 1937, the Germans were able to produce and test the very first jet aircraft in history. Because it did not perform how the Germans initially thought it would, it took them five years more to produce a decent-performing jet – which was too late to change the result of the World War II.
The Birth of Commercial Airlines
It was in 1976 when the commercial airline was introduced by France and Great Britain. The first commercial plane carried more than a hundred passengers with almost two times the speed of sound. This made the 3.5-hour duration of the London to New York flight, which is considerably short. However, the cost was too expensive that flights back then were for the rich and privileged only.
From 1996-1998, Russian and American aerospace companies collaborated with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in a research program which aimed to develop a 2nd generation supersonic aircraft.
Today, aviation airplanes flights are affordable already, and can be used for leisure or corporate travels. Airplanes are everywhere, and people take them for granted now. However, it is important to remember that this great invention was brought forth by the courage of not-so-long-ago antecedents to defy the traditional beliefs of people at that time.
[ad_2]Source by Terence Zweni