Aviation history

Humanity's desire to fly probably dates back to the first time prehistoric man observed birds as illustrated in the legendary story of Daedalus and Icarus. Daedalus was trapped on the island of Minos, and so built wings out of feathers and wax for himself and his son. His son Icarus flew too close to the sun, the wax melted destroying his wings and he was killed by falling into the sea. The legend was designed to be a cautionary tale about attempting to reach heaven, similar to the Tower of Babel story in The Bible. Nevertheless, it exemplifies man's desire to fly.

Related Topics:
Fly - Daedalus - Icarus - Tower of Babel - The Bible

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Aircraft designers have struggled to make their planes go faster, fly higher, and be controlled more easily. So engines have moved towards being more compact and more powerful, beginning with steam engines and ending with jet and rocket engines. Planes have become more streamlined and made of stronger and lighter materials. Initially airplanes were made of canvas and wood but today airplanes are made of aluminium, and increasingly, carbon fiber, which is prized for its lightness and strength. The methods used to control planes have advanced significantly as well. Initially planes were controlled by moving your entire body (gliders) or warping the planes' wings (Wright brothers). Modern planes are controlled by computers, which can make planes that were otherwise unstable able to fly, such as the F-117.

Related Topics:
Aircraft - Steam engine - Jet - Rocket engine - Canvas - Wood - Aluminium - Carbon fiber - Glider - Wright brothers - Computer - F-117

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