History of the Propeller - 1574 Words

The aircraft propeller looks like a simple mechanism to the uneducated individual. To the educated, an aircraft propeller represents the highest sophistication in aerodynamics, mechanical engineering and structural design. This report will touch on the history of the propeller, from early pioneers/experiments, advancement during/after the war, all the way up to current applications of the propeller. The creation of the propeller can be traced back to Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci’s â€Å"helical screw† helicopter is believed to be the ancestor of the air propeller and the helicopter rotor. The first idea of a propulsive airscrew, however, belongs to J.P. Paucton, a French mathematician. Paucton envisioned a flying machine that had two†¦show more content†¦This dilemma made designing the propeller one of the Wright brothers most challenging problems. Despite the lack of previous information to consult, the brothers were able to learn, through investigation and trial/error, that large propeller diameters would produce high thrust for a given power input. The brothers also determined that high torque produced by large, slow turning blades adversely affected the flying qualities (p-factor). On their first aircraft, they utilized 8  ½ ft propellers installed behind the wind to minimize airflow disturbance, incorporated counter-rotating propellers to eliminate t he problems associated with torque, and gained thrust efficiency by reducing the blades’ rotational speed using a chain and sprocket transmission. The Wright brother’s propeller was 66% efficient which was much higher that any other propeller of the time. The foundations of a disciplined approach to propeller design evolved soon thereafter. With the advancements and refinements made by early inventors, engineers could use those test results to design propellers with better performance and structural reliability. These advancements led to the development of the first generation of well-designed propellers. One of the first designs was the â€Å"Integrale†, developed by Lucien Chauviere, the world’s first industry standard propeller manufacturer. By 1910, the number of propeller producers multiplied, and numerousShow MoreRelatedSpeech: History of Bmw999 Words   |  4 Pagestrust in a company that has a long and successful history. This being said, BMWâ₠¬â„¢s heritage and branding plays a significant role in their success; they have one of the world s most recognized and revered commercial symbols. Thesis: Today I’d like to share with you some history behind the BMW brand. Logical Orientation: I’m going to share with you a little of BMW’s heritage, and how their brand symbol (the roundel) came to be. 1. a. BMW’s history stretches out almost a century; it’s important toRead MoreLiterature Review : History Of The Swamp Boat1323 Words   |  6 PagesLiterature Review: History of the swamp boat: The first swamp boat, also known as an airboat or fanboat was built in 1905 in Canada by a team led by Alexander Graham Bell. The classic design of a swamp boat consists of a flat bottomed hull powered by an aircraft or car engine driving an aircraft propeller. They are a popular means for fishing, hunting and touring the environment in the southern states of America. Hull Design: The classic swamp boat design utilizes a flat bottom hull with an inclinedRead MoreEssay Electric Powered Aircraft1148 Words   |  5 Pagesefficient during cruising altitudes and use only the battery and electric motor to provide the extra power needed for takeoff and climbing, in addition the battery can recover the energy from the small fuel driven engine during descent when the propellers spin a generator to produce electric power to charge the batteries. The recent grown in motivation for the study and developing of alternative propulsion systems is in great part of the clearly growth of the air transportation industry and thisRead MoreAerodynamics of Planes Essay1639 Words   |  7 Pagesof my paper is to give me more insight on my future career as an aeronautical engineer. This paper was also to give me ideas of the physics of flight and be to apply those physics of flight to compete in a high school competition. History of Flight The history of flying dates back as early as the fifteenth century. A Renaissance man named Leonardo da Vinci introduced a flying machine known as the ornithopter. Da Vinci proposed the idea of a machine that had bird like flying capabilities. Read MoreAccident Investigation Analysis And Findings Essay1030 Words   |  5 Pageswhen an engine failure occurs (National Transportation Safety Board, 2012). As a failed engine is being shut down, the auto-feather system automatically rotates the propeller blades to zero degree angle of attack which reduces drag over the disabled engine. Additionally, the system energizes a relay that prevents the opposite propeller on a functioning engine from accidently being feathered during an engine shutdown emergency (National Transportation Safety Board, 2012). The third factor contributingRead MoreEssay about The Fokker Eindecker During World War One1237 Words   |  5 Pagesattached to its propellers. Fokker went above and beyond the German’s request by creating a more reliable aircraft that wouldn’t allow the propellers to be damaged by the gun.6 What made Fokker’s E-series revolutionary was the synchronized machine gun attached to the propellers. The gun attached to the French plane had metal plates to protect it from the bullets but Fokker realized that they were not one hundred percent protected. By devising a synchronizing machine gun with the propeller, there wouldRead MoreIn The Late 1890S They Would Begin To Experiment With Gliders1476 Words   |  6 Pagesfor their mechanical flyer to eventually come to creation. They figured a propeller system like ones used on boats would be the next step. They theorized the propels had to be tapered like the wings if they were going to work correctly. Others now thought flat wings were they did little to power the craft. Once again keeping up with the common theme, the Wright brothers were way ahead of their time. The idea of propellers had been proposed but with their knack for problem solving figured out theRead MoreThe Wright Brothers Essay1380 Words   |  6 Pagesthings, a very resourceful woman. The same year that the Wrights moved to Cedar Rapids Milton returned home from one of his journeys with a gift for his two youngest sons. The gift was a toy helicopter made of bamboo, cork, and paper. â€Å"The twin propellers on the helicopter were activated by a twisted rubber band, a type of propulsion popularized by a young Frenchman named Alphonse Penaud.† (Howard, 1987,1998, p. 18) The gift that Wilbur and Orville’s father gave to them was not only a small toy helicopterRead MoreThe World Of The Redemptora Construction1008 Words   |  5 Pages notwithstanding new technological changes on the horizon caused by a crescent industri alism. By this time new experiments with auxiliary propulsion of ships had already been carried out for many years and resulted in improved steam engines and propellers. Both steam and sailing ships were subjected to improvements and innovative construction methods, such as composite hulls (of which the Cutty Sark is a famous example), and later iron/steel. Although steamships had already been present in sea transportationRead MoreThe Vietnam War : A Close Family Friend Of Mine, By The Name Of Federico1527 Words   |  7 PagesAdrian Jaimes 11/30/15 C-Block U.S History Mr. Morgan Recollection of Vietnam War A close family friend of mine, by the name of Federico â€Å"Fred† Garcia recounts his experience and memories of the Vietnam War era. Fred was born on September 11th, 1949 in Mission, Texas. He attended all four years of high school and two years of college before making his decision to join the United States Air Force, at the age of twenty one. He began his service to the Air Force on June 8th, 1970 until January