Early Efforts Flashcards
Who is known as the Father of Aviation?
Cayley, who invented the science of aerodynamics and designed the first glider to carry a person aloft.
What did Cayley discover about curved surfaces?
Curved surfaces generate lift better than flat ones.
What did John Stringfellow experiment with?
Light steam engines and counter-rotating propellers.
What innovation did Alphonse Penaud contribute to aviation?
He harnessed the power of rubber bands to power props and rotors, creating children’s toys.
What was Nikola Tesla known for?
Developing electrical components essential to modern radios and contributions to AC current.
What happened to Nikola Tesla’s many discoveries in aviation?
They were lost due to raids on laboratories and his killing.
What did Guglielmo Marconi achieve in 1896?
He developed the transmission of radio messages using radio waves.
What significant transmission did Marconi accomplish in 1899?
He transmitted across the English Channel and soon after sent Morse code across the Atlantic Ocean.
What was Marconi’s role in radio communication?
He owned radio communication rooms that were not owned by the ships using them.
What type of monopoly did Marconi develop?
A monopoly that prevented communication with other businesses, leading to a duopoly with a German company.
What was the significance of the Titanic disaster in relation to Marconi?
It highlighted the importance of distress signals in radio communication.
What did Octave Chanute design?
Automatic flight controls and moveable flight controls.
Who almost beat the Wright Brothers to manned, powered flight?
Samuel P. Langley in 1891.
What did Archibald Low work on in 1917?
Unmanned aircraft that used gyroscopes to maintain stability, becoming the father of radio-guided systems.
When did the Wright Brothers achieve their first flight?
December 17, 1903.
When did the Wright Brothers’ flyer show promise of practical flying?
In 1905.
What capability did the Wright Brothers’ flyer have by 1910?
The ability to carry a passenger.
What innovation did Elmer Sperry experiment with in 1907?
Invented gyroscopes to utilized them to stabilize vehicles.
What was developed in 1915?
Radio-controlled unmanned aircraft.
What types of experimentation ramped up from the 1920s to 1940s?
Targets for gunnery practice and flying bombs with timed release.
