Atmospheric Flight in the Twentieth Century

Atmospheric Flight in the Twentieth Century
Author: P. Galison
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 389
Release: 2013-03-07
Genre: Science
ISBN: 940114379X

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All technologies differ from one another. They are as varied as humanity's interaction with the physical world. Even people attempting to do the same thing produce multiple technologies. For example, John H. White discovered more than l 1000 patents in the 19th century for locomotive smokestacks. Yet all technologies are processes by which humans seek to control their physical environment and bend nature to their purposes. All technologies are alike. The tension between likeness and difference runs through this collection of papers. All focus on atmospheric flight, a twentieth-century phenomenon. But they approach the topic from different disciplinary perspectives. They ask disparate questions. And they work from distinct agendas. Collectively they help to explain what is different about aviation - how it differs from other technologies and how flight itself has varied from one time and place to another. The importance of this topic is manifest. Flight is one of the defining technologies of the twentieth century. Jay David Bolter argues in Turing's Man that certain technologies in certain ages have had the power not only to transform society but also to shape the way in which people understand their relationship with the physical world. "A defining technology," says Bolter, "resembles a magnifying glass, which collects and focuses seemingly disparate ideas in a culture into one bright, sometimes piercing ray." 2 Flight has done that for the twentieth century.

Russian Aviation and Air Power in the Twentieth Century

Russian Aviation and Air Power in the Twentieth Century
Author: John Greenwood
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 367
Release: 2014-06-11
Genre: History
ISBN: 113525186X

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In the light of new archival material the editors take a fresh look at Russian aviation in the twentieth century. Presenting a comprehensive view of Russian aviation, from its genesis in the late czarist period to the present era, the approach is essentially chronological with a major emphasis on the evolution of military aviation. The contributions are diverse, with appropriate attention to civilian and institutional themes.

Space and Astronomy

Space and Astronomy
Author: Marianne J. Dyson
Publisher: Infobase Publishing
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2014-05-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1438109814

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Contains a history of the subjects of space and astronomy, providing definitions and explanations of related topics, plus brief biographies of scientists of the twentieth century.

The History of Human Space Flight

The History of Human Space Flight
Author: Ted Spitzmiller
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Total Pages: 693
Release: 2017-02-21
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0813059704

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Military Writers Society of America Awards, Gold Medal for History Highlighting men and women across the globe who have dedicated themselves to pushing the limits of space exploration, this book surveys the programs, technological advancements, medical equipment, and automated systems that have made space travel possible. Beginning with the invention of balloons that lifted early explorers into the stratosphere, Ted Spitzmiller describes how humans first came to employ lifting gasses such as hydrogen and helium. He traces the influence of science fiction writers on the development of rocket science, looks at the role of rocket societies in the early twentieth century, and discusses the use of rockets in World War II warfare. Spitzmiller considers the engineering and space medicine advances that finally enabled humans to fly beyond the earth's atmosphere during the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. He recreates the excitement felt around the world as Yuri Gagarin and John Glenn completed their first orbital flights. He recounts triumphs and tragedies, such as Neil Armstrong's "one small step" and the Challenger and Columbia disasters. The story continues with the development of the International Space Station, NASA's interest in asteroids and Mars, and the emergence of China as a major player in the space arena. Spitzmiller shows the impact of space flight on human history and speculates on the future of exploration beyond our current understandings of physics and the known boundaries of time and space.

A Century of Triumph

A Century of Triumph
Author: Christopher Chant
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 406
Release: 2002
Genre: Aeronautics
ISBN: 0743234790

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On December 17, 1903, on the windswept beaches of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville Wright piloted the world's first powered flight, in one of the most famous moments in history. Within a few short years, airplanes of various designs were lifting into the air over Europe and America. Soon, the entire world was caught up in the fevered advance of flight and airplanes, Zeppelins, autogyros and helicopters were making the world a much smaller place. To celebrate the first full century of powered flight premier aviation historian Christopher Chant and world-famous illustrator John Batchelor have joined forces to showcase an astonishing march of progress. From the early experiments of gliderman Otto Lilienthal to the moon walk of Neil Armstrong, it has indeed been A Century of Triumph. From the golden age of Zeppelins to the extreme design experiments of World War II to the fierce modernism of supersonic fighter jets, A CENTURY OF TRIUMPH demonstrates the full richness of mankind's flying craft. In addition to Batchelor's illustrations, the book features never-before-published vintage watercolour posters of pre-World War I aviation races and a treasure trove of photographs. Chant's text combines full histories of the planes themselves with biographical essays on some of the great figures of the twentieth century: the Barnstormers, Igor Sikorsky, Amelia Earhart, Chuck Yeager, and the Apollo XVII astronauts, among others. A CENTURY OF TRUMPH is a visual and factual feast for anyone who marvels at the majesty of flying.

Make It Rain

Make It Rain
Author: Kristine C. Harper
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 328
Release: 2018-06-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 022659792X

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Weather control. Juxtaposing those two words is enough to raise eyebrows in a world where even the best weather models still fail to nail every forecast, and when the effects of climate change on sea level height, seasonal averages of weather phenomena, and biological behavior are being watched with interest by all, regardless of political or scientific persuasion. But between the late nineteenth century—when the United States first funded an attempt to “shock” rain out of clouds—and the late 1940s, rainmaking (as it had been known) became weather control. And then things got out of control. In Make It Rain, Kristine C. Harper tells the long and somewhat ludicrous history of state-funded attempts to manage, manipulate, and deploy the weather in America. Harper shows that governments from the federal to the local became helplessly captivated by the idea that weather control could promote agriculture, health, industrial output, and economic growth at home, or even be used as a military weapon and diplomatic tool abroad. Clear fog for landing aircraft? There’s a project for that. Gentle rain for strawberries? Let’s do it! Enhanced snowpacks for hydroelectric utilities? Check. The heyday of these weather control programs came during the Cold War, as the atmosphere came to be seen as something to be defended, weaponized, and manipulated. Yet Harper demonstrates that today there are clear implications for our attempts to solve the problems of climate change.

Expanding the Envelope

Expanding the Envelope
Author: Michael H. Gorn
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 488
Release: 2014-10-17
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 081315894X

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Expanding the Envelope is the first book to explore the full panorama of flight research history, from the earliest attempts by such nineteenth century practitioners as England's Sir George Cayley, who tested his kites and gliders by subjecting them to experimental flight, to the cutting-edge aeronautical research conducted by the NACA and NASA. Michael H. Gorn explores the vital human aspect of the history of flight research, including such well-known figures as James H. Doolittle, Chuck Yeager, and A. Scott Crossfield, as well as the less heralded engineers, pilots, and scientists who also had the "Right Stuff." While the individuals in the cockpit often receive the lion's share of the public's attention, Expanding the Envelope shows flight research to be a collaborative engineering activity, one in which the pilot participates as just one of many team members. Here is more than a century of flight research, from well before the creation of NACA to its rapid transformation under NASA. Gorn gives a behind the scenes look at the development of groundbreaking vehicles such as the X-1, the D-558, and the X-15, which demonstrated manned flight at speeds up to Mach 6.7 and as high as the edge of space.

A History of Aerodynamics

A History of Aerodynamics
Author: John David Anderson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 498
Release: 1998
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780521669559

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From the Foreword: 'John Anderson's book represents a milestone in aviation literature. For the first time aviation enthusiasts - both specialists and popular readers alike - possess an authoritative history of aerodynamic theory. Not only is this study authoritative, it is also highly readable and linked to the actual (and more familiar) story of how the airplane evolved. The book touches on all the major theorists and their contributions and, most important, the historical context in which they worked to move the science of aerodynamics forward.' Von Hardesty, Smithsonian Institution From the reviews: 'Something of the unexpected quality of this book can be inferred from its full title A History of Aerodynamics and Its Impact on Flying Machines. Pilots tend to suppose that the science of aerodynamics began empirically, somewhere around the time of Lilienthal and the Wrights, and that aerodynamics and manned flight are roughly coeval. It is therefore surprising to come upon a photograph of the Wright Flyer as late as page 242 of the 478-page volume.' Peter Garrison, Flying 'This book successfully straddles the boundary that separates a text book from a history book. It is of equal interest to both the aerodynamicist and the layman. The textual balance achieved by the author has resulted in a book that is enjoyable and educational.' Earl See, American Aviation Historical Society Newsletter

Flight in America

Flight in America
Author: Roger E. Bilstein
Publisher:
Total Pages: 408
Release: 1994
Genre: Science
ISBN:

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When first published in 1984, Roger Bilstein's Flight in America was widely hailed as the foremost history of what is arguably the most remarkable achievement of the twentieth century--human flight. Now, in this newly revised and expanded edition, Bilstein continues his comprehensive history to the closing decade of the present century and offers a glimpse of developments in the next. "The most comprehensive survey of the history of American aeronautics and space flight yet published."--Technology and Culture. "Bilstein casts wide and far to net virtually everything from technological trends and research and development to the effect of air travel on the expansion of major league baseball in the 1950s and early 1960s... A superior work that will satisfy aero buffsand professionals alike."--Journal of American History.

Black Wings

Black Wings
Author: Von Hardesty
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2008-01-22
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0061261386

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Colin Powell once observed that "a dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work." This sentiment is mirrored dramatically in the story of African Americans in aerospace history. The invention of the airplane in the first decade of the twentieth century sparked a revolution in modern technology. Aviation in the popular mind became associated with adventure and heroism. For African Americans, however, this new realm of human flight remained off-limits, a consequence of racial discrimination. Many African Americans displayed a keen interest in the new air age, but found themselves routinely barred from gaining training as pilots or mechanics. Beginning in the 1920s, a small and widely scattered group of black air enthusiasts challenged this prevailing pattern of racial discrimination. With no small amount of effort—and against formidable odds—they gained their pilot licenses and acquired the technical skills to become aircraft mechanics. Over the course of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, African Americans have expanded their participation in both military and civilian aviation and space flight, from the early pioneers and barnstormers through the Tuskegee airmen to Shuttle astronauts. Featuring approximately two hundred historic and contemporary photographs and a lively narrative that spans eight decades of U.S. history, Black Wings offers a compelling overview of this extraordinary and inspiring saga.