Igor Sikorsky's Impact On Aviation

The purpose of this background paper is to inform the reader on the C-130 Hercules. The first paragraph will cover the mission and characteristics of the C-130. The second paragraph will delve into the role of the aircraft in current missions. The third paragraph will cover the role that the C-130 played in the Vietnam War.

     The name General Carl ‘Tooey’ Andrew Spaatz has become synonymous with the phrase air power and strategist. Air power has come along way since Wilbur and Orville launched the first airplane in 1902 in the city of Kitty Hawk. Famous engineers have taken the Wright-Brothers design and made great improvements to them while slowly integrating these new powerful means of transportation, weaponry and communication aids into the military. Since the onset of World War I there has been a debate on how to most effectively use these new airplanes in the Army’s collection. Most individuals believed that airplanes should be under control of the Army theater commander, while very

The first flight occurred in 1903 when the Wright brothers famously took their airplane for a final test flight in December. In the years after this historic flight many people start to see the potential for airplanes in war, transportation, and shipping. Other builders disregarded previous doubt about flying and began to replicate the ideas of the Wright brothers in creating planes with three axes. In addition, the approach of WWI prompted military personnel to pursue uses of airplanes as a war machine. The airplane influenced many aspects of American culture after it’s invention including civilian life, war technology, and individual possibility.

The introduction of aircraft had begun a new era in warfare. No longer were military powers limited to the boundaries of vehicles that were restricted to land. The evolution of aircraft technology helped pioneer a new type of combat strategy that played a significant role in determining the outcome of a battle. Air combat also influenced the economies of the participating countries. The whole cycle of airplanes from the assembly line to the pilot became factors that added up to become an advantage or disadvantage.

Hewson, has a passion about and that is, “Innovation with a Purpose”. Lockheed Martin just acquired helicopter builder-Sikorsky. Although Kim does not see her teams of IT technicians working with Sikorsky just yet, she knows that some of her equipment can be retrofitted to work with the Blackhawk helicopter. Things like her loudspeakers systems that the civil affairs Soldier’s use to inform the noncombatant civilians in the affected areas of the possibly of danger and to take the necessary steps to take shelter and to safeguard themselves and their

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress, a 4 engine propeller driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing, flown by the US during WWII and the Korean War. 3,970 of these planes were built, at a costly $639,188 each. A 99ft long, 28ft tall, 141ft wide super-plane decorated with four wright r-3350-23 duplex cyclone supercharged radial engines at 2200hp each, was a plane of it’s time. A high altitude strategic bomber, also carrying out low altitude night incendiary bombing missions, the plane known for also performing the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The B-29 was one of the largest planes to see service during World War II.

Towards the end of the War the airplane becomes a practical device of war being able to carry weapons. Anthony Fokker and Louis Bleriot create the most successful of early modern biplanes known as the D-VII and D-VIII. Biplanes are eventually taken over by the monoplane, or one wing. This new design allowed for faster flight and better visibility for the pilot. Air-cooled engines lead the way for commercial aircraft, and Boeing introduces the first modern airliner the 247. Airplanes are effected the greatest by supply and demand of war. New styles of war begun to emerge so did new and improved types of aircraft. The population of the U.S. also begun to grow which leads to the modern most sophisticated commercial airliner the 777. Most aircraft improvements are found in the military and intelligence field. The most high tech aircraft known today for such things as spying are the SR-71 Blackbird, and the U-2 Spy plane. The most complicated and best aircraft performance is still held by the space shuttle and probably always will be. The last 200 years have seen incredible changes in aircraft from the man with wings to heavier than air flying machines that can travel at supersonic speeds.

However with the success came shortcomings, simply bolting on weapons to the existing aircraft was effective but proved to limit these new gunships airspeed and maneuverability. The upgraded UH-1s had sufficient firepower but lacked the airspeed to keep up with the aircraft that they were supporting and once engaged they had to remain oriented on the target to remain effective. This problem sparked the attention of the engineers at Bell Helicopter who in 1962 began to design an entirely new aircraft. Their work produced the D255 which was at the infancy stage of development and just a mock up. Later the engineers produced a flying test bed called the model 207 or the OH-13X. The Army was impressed with the idea of an all new dedicated attack helicopter and initiated the competition to create the Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS).

This books purpose is to give the perspective of Walter Dornberger, the director of the V-2 research program, on the development of the V-2 missile and other rockets. One of its values is that it provides a unique perspective of the development and use of the V-2 from one of its creators. Another value is that it was written with hindsight, meaning that the writer has been given time to reflect on the events. One of the limitations of the article is that it only provides one perspective. Another is that the author would be less likely to speak ill of his own

Aviation technology was advanced to a great extent because of World War One. From the aircraft’s primitive beginnings in 1903, a number of significant advances were made during wartime. The intense hardship of the war tested the effectiveness of airplanes in World War One, and from these advances aircrafts developed further into the machines of today. The Wright brother’s unsophisticated machine was not intended for use as a weapon, but these purposes changed due to the war, and changed the future developments that would occur. The fierce competition produced by countries fighting for domination of the skies caused neither side to gain a permanent advantage in the air; forcing militaries to work even harder on improving their technology.

Since the dawn of aviation in the United States Navy, training aircraft have played an integral role in the progression of both the aviation program and the pilot’s making the system run smoothly. These planes can not only be seen as stepping stones in a pilot’s aviation timeline, but can also be viewed through history as landmarks on the evolution of the Naval Aviation program as a whole. The shifts in technology and needs of the program can be seen when the history of the multitude of training aircraft is analyzed.

Kelly “Clarence” Johnson is one of the greatest aeronautical and systems engineer to ever live. His contributions to militarized aircraft changed the way we fly to the present day. His success at a younger age made it known that he strived for nothing less than perfection. This motive helped him to not only fit in, but to be a true leader at Skunk Works. His innovation for stealth reconnaissance aircraft lead him to create the fastest high altitude planes the military has every seen. The ingenuity and genius that he had was the pinnacle of his career and what made him change the face of the flight game.

The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is manufactured by Sikorsky and has been in operation since 1978. It is primarily used as a troop personnel carrier and provides a logistical capability.

The US Navy and Marine Corp procured the Sikorsky S-51 or HO3S-1 in 1947. The Navy recorded the first military rescue by a helicopter on February 9, 1947 by a S-51 flown by Sikorsky’s chief pilot Jimmy Viner assisted by LT Joe Rullo, USN. The S-51 helicopters featured a 48 foot 3 bladed fully articulated main rotor and a three bladed tail rotor powered by the Pratt and Whitney 450 HP R985-AN5 radial engine. The S-51 had the pilot in the cockpit with a three-man bench seat across the back of the cabin. The S-51is manufactured in three sections and framed in aluminum with Plexiglas windows the tail cone was magnesium skinned with a monocoque design. The S-51 had an empty weight of 4,050 Ibs with a maximum gross weight of 5,500 Ibs. The S-51 had a 48-foot rotor diameter and the main rotor blades with metal spars with plywood ribs covered in layers of fabric, all metal blades became integrated in later models. The S-51 was 42 feet long and 13 feet tall. The S-51 were also equipped with a rescue hoist and an auxiliary fuel tank. External litters would be fastened on the left or right of the fuselage for MedEvac Operations. The HO3S required relatively little maintenance of you compared it to other helicopters of the day. The HO3S had significant shortfalls as a combat aircraft. The tricycle landing gear and its high center of gravity made the HO3S unstable on all but flat terrain it also could not handle interior stretchers, and it lacked backlit

The Boeing AH-64 Apache is one of the most advanced attack helicopters in the world. It has been in service since 1986 in the US Army. It fills multiple combat roles in different configurations, and is commonly used as an anti-armor aircraft, or to support friendly infantry. It was originally designed to replace the AH-1 Cobra, and has since been upgraded and adapted to the Apache Longbow.