Innovation And The Development Of Flight

Perhaps no technological development in the century has more fundamentally transformed human life than the airplane and its support apparatus. The nature of flight, and the activities that it has engendered throughout the world, makes the development of aviation technology an important area of investigation. Why did aeronautical technology take the shape it did? Which individuals and organizations were involved in driving it? What factors influenced particular choices of technologies to be used? More importantly, how has innovation affected this technology? Innovation and the Development of Flight, a first strike at the "new aviation history," represents a significant transformation of the field by relating the subject to larger issues of society, politics, and culture, taking a more sophisticated view of the technology that few historians have previously attempted. This volume moves beyond a focus on the artifact to emphasize the broader role of the airplane and, more importantly, the entire technological system. This suggests that many unanswered questions are present in the development of modern aviation and that inquisitive historians seek to know the relationships of technological systems to the human mind. Some of the subjects discussed are early aeronautical innovation and government patronage; the evolution of relationships among airports, cities, and industry; the relationship of engine development to the entire aviation industry; the Department of Commerce's influence on light plane development; pressure in the Air Force for the development of jet engines; and lessons of the National Aerospace Plane Program. Aviation historians and historians of technology will find Innovation and the Development of Flight a valuable examination of aeronautical innovation providing foundations for continued explorations of this field.

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "A History of Aeronautics" by Evelyn Charles Vivian, W. Lockwood Marsh. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

This document is intended to be a companion to previous books by the author: Partners in Freedom: Contributions of the Langley Research Center to U.S. Military Aircraft of the 1990's, and Concept to Reality: Contributions of the Langley Research Center to U.S. Civil Aircraft of the 1990's. Material included in the previous volumes provides informative and significant examples of the impact of applications of aeronautics research conducted by the NASA Langley Research Center on important U.S. civil and military aircraft of the 1990s. These contributions occurred because of the investment of the Nation in the innovation, expertise, and dedication of a staff of researchers and their unique facilities at Langley. Within that research environment, literally thousands of revolutionary concepts and advanced technologies for aeronautics have emerged, directed at challenges and barriers that impede the advancement of the state of the art in aircraft design and mission capabilities. Unfortunately, in the world of technology only a handful of advanced concepts are ever applied, due to a number of reasons. Factors that inhibit the application of advanced research technology are numerous and varied in nature, including cost, environmental impact, safety, complexity, reduced or inadequate funding and human resources, world events, perceived or actual risk, technical barriers, and others. The objective of this publication is to discuss the importance of innovation and the role of revolutionary advanced concepts within the aeronautics research community, and to provide information on typical advanced research projects conducted by Langley and its partners on topics that have not yet been applied by the military or civil aviation industry to production aircraft. Detailed information is first provided to describe each advanced concept, the projected benefits that could be provided if the technology is applied, and the challenges faced by the NASA research team to reduce the risk of application. Next, descriptions of specific research activities on the concepts identify the key projects, accomplishments, personnel, and facilities involved in the development of each concept. Finally, perspectives are provided on the current status of the subject concepts, including discussions of factors or future events that might intensify interest in their use for future applications. Many of the concepts described herein are subjects of ongoing NASA research thrusts, for which significant technical challenges are in the process of being addressed. Some of the research activities discussed were conducted and completed in past NASA projects; however, evolving requirements for military or civil aircraft systems demand a reexamination of the potential and current feasibility of the principles involved. This document is intended to serve several purposes. As a source of collated information on revolutionary concepts, it will serve as a key reference for readers wishing to grasp the underlying principles and challenges related to specific revolutionary concepts. Hopefully, such information will provide valuable background that can serve as starting knowledge bases for future research efforts and minimize the so-called “reinvention of the wheel” syndrome. The information identifies major obstacles to advanced aeronautics technology, thereby providing a sensitivity for multi-faceted research projects to ensure a higher likelihood of application. A definition of current barriers to application is extremely valuable for use in the future, when new breakthroughs in various technical disciplines may eliminate or minimize some of the critical barriers that have traditionally blocked the application of some of these specific revolutionary concepts. Finally, a review of the material will hopefully inspire the nontechnical (as well as technical) communities that aeronautics is not a “mature science” and that considerable opportunities exist to revolutionize the future.

Many business sectors have been, and are being, forced to compete with new competitors-disrupters of some sort-who have found new ways to create and deliver new value for customers often through the use of technology that is coupled with a new underlying production or business model, and/or a broad array of partners, including, in some cases, customers themselves. Think about the disruption created by Apple by the introduction of the iPod and iTunes, and by Netflix within the entertainment sectors using partners within the ecosystem; think of Uber that didn’t build an app around the taxi business but rather built a mobility business around the app to improve customer experience. Airline Industry considers whether the airline industry is poised for disruptive innovations from inside or outside of the industry. Although airlines have a long history of continuous improvements and innovation, few of their innovations can be classified as disruptive innovations. The few disruptive innovations that did emerge were facilitated, for example by new technology (jet aircraft) and government policy (deregulation). Now there are new forces in play-customers who expect to receive products that are more personalized and experience-based throughout the entire journey, new customer interfaces (via social media), advanced information systems and analytics, financially powerful airlines based in emerging nations, and the rise of unencumbered entrepreneurs who think differently as well as platform-focused integrators.

The Early Development of the Aviation Industry: Entrepreneurs of the Sky provides an introduction to the world of the early aviation industry and the business endeavours of the original aviators. Many of the first pioneers who flew heavier-than-air planes went on to develop considerable industrial concerns. In doing so they exhibited a number of entrepreneurial qualities, which provide useful case studies for those interested in studying how successful entrepreneurs create or develop opportunities at the inception and emergence of high-tech industries. This book looks at the careers of pioneer aviators in the United States, Britain and France such as A.V. Roe, Thomas Sopwith, Glenn Curtiss and William Boeing. It examines this group of entrepreneurs during the start-up and early development stages of an emerging industry undergoing considerable technological change, and relates this experience to contemporary studies and experiences of entrepreneurship. The book explores what made these men successful in their entrepreneurial endeavours to help promote a better understanding of what makes an entrepreneur and what business and economic conditions are needed to allow such men to be successful. This book makes a major contribution to our knowledge of the development of the twentieth century economy and is essential reading for students and academics who are interested in the development of aviation and the nature of entrepreneurial behaviour.

National security decision makers face an uncertain world where the accelerated growth of knowledge has changed the character of technological advance and destabilized long-standing relations within and among the military services. Dr Mandeles separates the principles that guide decision making from the proverbs through a case study of decision making in the early post-World War II period. This study examines the impact of organization on the invention and development of jet propulsion-in the form of the B-52-and illustrates both the organizational conditions conducive to developing new operational concepts and the organizational innovations necessary to implement new technology. This study also examines how the Air Force organized to learn and acquire new technology, how the Air Force conceived or identified problems, and how it organized to ensure management would respond to program failure or errors. Attention is devoted to the origins of the weapons system operational requirement, the initial concept of operation, the evolution of technology, organizational structure, and implementation.

Innovation in aerospace design and engineering is essential to meet the many challenges facing this sector. Innovation in aeronautics explores both a range of innovative ideas and how the process of innovation itself can be effectively managed. After an introduction to innovation in aeronautics, part one reviews developments including biologically-inspired technologies, morphing aerodynamic concepts, jet engine design drivers, and developments underpinned by digital technologies. The environment and human factors in innovation are also explored as are trends in supersonic passenger air travel. Part two goes on to examine change and the processes and management involved in innovative technology development. Challenges faced in aeronautical production are the focus of part three, which reviews topics such as intellectual property and patents, risk mitigation and the use of lean engineering. Finally, part four examines key issues in what makes for successful innovation in this sector. With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors, Innovation in aeronautics is an essential guide for all those involved in the design and engineering of aerospace structures and systems. Explores a range of innovative aerospace design ideas Discusses how the process of innovation itself can be effectively managed Reviews developments including biologically-inspired technologies, morphing aerodynamic concepts, jet engine design drivers and developments underpinned by digital technologies