preview

Background Information : Airport Security

Decent Essays

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Airport security is currently seen as one of the biggest inconveniences attributed to travel. However a brief look back in history to some of the conditions frequent flyers were subjected to makes modern air travel look like a breeze. Some of the earliest attempts at flying required an excess of manpower. Leonardo da Vinci is credited to be the first to design basic flying machines called ornithopters, that gave man mechanical wings. Through a system of pulleys the wings could be moved imitating bird’s flight but ultimately was unsuccessful as a human being lacks the power necessary to keep these contraptions in the air. [1] Gases were then discovered that were lighter than air such as hydrogen and helium popularising balloons and airships. These balloons soon deflated stranding expeditioners in water or remote areas often drowning or dying from exposure to the elements. An improvement on this design utilised multiple cells but large masses of flammable gases caused disastrous deaths when they went up in flames. [2] Advancing technology lead to the discovery that fixed wings for airplanes were much more practical. Again looking to birds for inspiration the Wright Brothers are credited as the first to design wings with adjustable panels built in, imitating how birds change direction with the tips of their wings. Incorporating an engine provided the power to accelerate to speeds necessary to take flight and so the modern airplane was born. Engineers

Get Access