THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODEL AVIATION - Page 2
PARALLEL TO THE HOT AIR BALLOON, CHARLES, ANOTHER FRENCHMAN WAS WORKING ON THE HYDROGEN BALLOON. THIS FLEW IN MODEL FORM ON AUGUST 27TH 1783 WHEN A 13 FT. DIAMETER DEVICE BECAME AIRBORNE. A MANNED HYDROGEN BALLOON WAS FLOWN ON DECEMBER 1ST 1783.
HELICOPTERS
BASED ON LEONARDO DA VINCI' S ORIGINAL DESIGN, TWO FRENCHMEN, LAUNOY AND BIENVENU IN 1784 BUILT A HELICOPTER. IT CONSISTED OF A STICK ON TOP OF WHICH WAS A FIXED PROPELLER. AT THE OTHER END OF THE STICK WAS A BOBBIN, FREE TO ROTATE, WHICH CARRIED A SIMILAR,PROPELLER, BUT OF THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF ROTATION. ROUND THE BOBBIN WAS WOUND A STRING, THE ENDS OF WHICH WERE CONNECTED TO A BOW. WHEN THE LOWER PROPELLER WAS WOUND, THE STRING PULLED THE BOW IN, AND WHEN RELEASED THE BOBBIN ROTATED, TURNING THE LOWER PROPELLER AND ALSO THE TOP PROPELLOR DUE TO TORQUE REACTION.
GLIDERS
IN 1804 SIR GEORGE CAYLEY DESIGNED MID FLEW HIS MODEL GLIDER. THIS CONSISTED OF A STICK ON WHICH WAS MOUNTED A FLAT KITE, AT AN ANGLE OF INCIDENCE, AS A MAINPLANE, MID A TAIL UNIT SIMILAR TO THE FLIGHTS OF AN ARROW WAS FITTED. THIS WAS THE FIRST TRUE AIRCRAFT OF HISTORY.
IN 1849 HE DESIGNED MID FLEW A MUCH LARGER MODEL GLIDER WHICH AGAIN HAD THE MAINPLANE FORWARD. CAYLEY IS CREDITED WITH THE FIRST MANNED GLIDER FLIGHT WHEN IN 1852 - 53 HE BUILT A LARGE GLIDER WHICH CARRIED FIRST A BOY, THEN CAYLEY'S COACHMAN.
AMONGST HIS OTHER INVENTIONS ARE THE HOT AIR ENGINE, GUNPOWDER ENGINE, THE TENSION WHEEL (THE FORE RUNNER OF THE BICYCLE WHEEL) AND THE CATERPILLAR TRACTOR.
CAYLEY'S GREATEST CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCE WAS TO ESTABLISH THE THEORY OF AERODYNAMICS AND TO STATE THE BASIC FORMULAE THEREOF.
POWERED AIRCRAFT OF THIS PERIOD
IN 1842 W S HENSON DESIGNED HIS 'AERIAL STEAM CARRIAGE'. IT WAS OF THE SAME LAYOUT AS THE CAYLEY GLIDERS - I.E. THE MAINPLANE BEFORE THE STABILISING SURFACES MID HAD TWIN PUSHER PROPELLERS BEHIND THE MAINPLANE.
WITH HIS FRIEND JOHN STHINGFELLOW, HENSON BUILT AND TESTED A 20FT. SPAN MODEL AIRCRAFT WHICH WAS STEAM-DRIVEN, MID AGAIN HAD TWO PUSHER PROPELLERS. THIS MACHINE WAS BUILT BETWEEN 1844 MID 1847.
IT WAS PROVED IN 1847 THAT THE MACHINE WOULD NOT SUSTAIN ITSELF AIRBORNE, BUT SLOWLY DESCENDED IN A POWERED GLIDE.
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HELICOPTERS
BASED ON LEONARDO DA VINCI' S ORIGINAL DESIGN, TWO FRENCHMEN, LAUNOY AND BIENVENU IN 1784 BUILT A HELICOPTER. IT CONSISTED OF A STICK ON TOP OF WHICH WAS A FIXED PROPELLER. AT THE OTHER END OF THE STICK WAS A BOBBIN, FREE TO ROTATE, WHICH CARRIED A SIMILAR,PROPELLER, BUT OF THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF ROTATION. ROUND THE BOBBIN WAS WOUND A STRING, THE ENDS OF WHICH WERE CONNECTED TO A BOW. WHEN THE LOWER PROPELLER WAS WOUND, THE STRING PULLED THE BOW IN, AND WHEN RELEASED THE BOBBIN ROTATED, TURNING THE LOWER PROPELLER AND ALSO THE TOP PROPELLOR DUE TO TORQUE REACTION.
GLIDERS
IN 1804 SIR GEORGE CAYLEY DESIGNED MID FLEW HIS MODEL GLIDER. THIS CONSISTED OF A STICK ON WHICH WAS MOUNTED A FLAT KITE, AT AN ANGLE OF INCIDENCE, AS A MAINPLANE, MID A TAIL UNIT SIMILAR TO THE FLIGHTS OF AN ARROW WAS FITTED. THIS WAS THE FIRST TRUE AIRCRAFT OF HISTORY.
IN 1849 HE DESIGNED MID FLEW A MUCH LARGER MODEL GLIDER WHICH AGAIN HAD THE MAINPLANE FORWARD. CAYLEY IS CREDITED WITH THE FIRST MANNED GLIDER FLIGHT WHEN IN 1852 - 53 HE BUILT A LARGE GLIDER WHICH CARRIED FIRST A BOY, THEN CAYLEY'S COACHMAN.
AMONGST HIS OTHER INVENTIONS ARE THE HOT AIR ENGINE, GUNPOWDER ENGINE, THE TENSION WHEEL (THE FORE RUNNER OF THE BICYCLE WHEEL) AND THE CATERPILLAR TRACTOR.
CAYLEY'S GREATEST CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCE WAS TO ESTABLISH THE THEORY OF AERODYNAMICS AND TO STATE THE BASIC FORMULAE THEREOF.
POWERED AIRCRAFT OF THIS PERIOD
IN 1842 W S HENSON DESIGNED HIS 'AERIAL STEAM CARRIAGE'. IT WAS OF THE SAME LAYOUT AS THE CAYLEY GLIDERS - I.E. THE MAINPLANE BEFORE THE STABILISING SURFACES MID HAD TWIN PUSHER PROPELLERS BEHIND THE MAINPLANE.
WITH HIS FRIEND JOHN STHINGFELLOW, HENSON BUILT AND TESTED A 20FT. SPAN MODEL AIRCRAFT WHICH WAS STEAM-DRIVEN, MID AGAIN HAD TWO PUSHER PROPELLERS. THIS MACHINE WAS BUILT BETWEEN 1844 MID 1847.
IT WAS PROVED IN 1847 THAT THE MACHINE WOULD NOT SUSTAIN ITSELF AIRBORNE, BUT SLOWLY DESCENDED IN A POWERED GLIDE.
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