Aerospace Components history

By 1874, he had developed a lightweight steam-powered monoplane which flew short distances under its own power after takeoff from a ski-jump.

Aircraft remained experimental apparatus for five years after the Wright brother’s famous first flight in December 1903.

The first recorded business transaction of the aerospace industry occurred in May 1906 when J.P. Morgan and Company in New York City paid the Wright brothers the forfeited deposit.

In 1908 the Wrights secured a contract to make a single aircraft from the United States Army, and also licensed their patents to allow the Astra Company to manufacture aircraft in France.

In 1909, when the Wright Company was incorporated with a capitalization of $1,000,000, the Wright brothers received $100,000, 40 percent of the stock, and a 10 percent royalty on every plane sold.

The Wright Brothers opened the nation’s first commercial flight school in a Montgomery cotton field in 1910, just seven years after their groundbreaking flight at Kitty Hawk.

By 1911, pilots were flying in competitive races over long distances between European cities, and this provided enormous incentives for companies to produce faster and more reliable aircraft.

The United States lost its lead in aeronautics as the combined civil and military market for American airplanes was insufficient to permit the industry to grow significantly; only 49 aircraft were produced in 1914.

National governments funded testing laboratories — like the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics established in May 1915 in the United States — that also disseminated scientific information of explicit use to industry.

American aircraft designers formed a patent pool in July 1917 — administered by the Aircraft Manufacturers Association — whereby all aircraft firms cross-licensed key patents and paid into the pool without fear of infringement suits.

In 1925, Henry Ford acquired the Stout Metal Airplane Company, utilizing the all-metal design principles proposed by Hugo Junkers, Ford developed the Ford Trimotor, nicknamed the “Tin Goose.” The “Tin Goose” propelled the race to design safe and reliable engines for airline travel.

In 1928 — in a mix of stock market euphoria and aviation enthusiasm following Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight — Wall Street financiers formed holding companies that integrated airlines with the manufacture of aircraft and engines.

In 1929 United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (see United Technologies Corporation) was formed in the United States, merging a number of aircraft manufacturers and airlines under William E. Boeing’s chairmanship.

By the 1930’s, the use of wood became obsolete and all-metal aircrafts were produced for their durability.

The United States Navy placed the first large order in 1931 for the Link Trainer, which, with aircraft-specific changes, became the standard for highly sophisticated simulators.

United’s subsidiary, Boeing Airplane Company (see Boeing Company), produced its Model 247, an all-metal, twin-engine, low-wing monoplane first flown in 1933 and regarded as the first “modern” airliner.

The Douglas DC-3, introduced in 1935, gave airlines their first shot at solvency by carrying people rather than mail.

The first practical helicopter, the German Focke-Wulf Fw 61, flew for the first time in June 1936.

In the United States in 1939, Russian émigré Igor Sikorsky designed, built, and flew the experimental helicopter Vought Sikorsky VS-300, which used a single three-bladed main rotor for lift and a small vertical rotor mounted on the tail to counteract torque.

The demand for aluminum was so great that in 1942, WOR-NYC broadcast a radio show “Aluminum for Defense” to encourage Americans to contribute scrap aluminum to the war effort.

In 1943, the aviation industry was America’s largest producer and employer — with 1,345,600 people bent to the task of making aircraft.

With an order from the United States Army in 1944, Sikorsky’s R-4 became the world’s first production helicopter.

Also symbolizing this conflict was the needle-thin rocket-powered Bell X-1 which, in December 1947, became the first aircraft to break the sound barrier.

Intercontinental ballistic missile programs, started in 1954, fueled the micro-level restructuring of the industry.

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first satellite, the Sputnik 1, which was made from an aluminum alloy.

The space program in the 1960’s brought together illustrious minds to solve the seemingly impossible feat of being the first country to put mankind on the moon, thus, the great race for space began.

The Boeing 747, a jumbo jet with 360 seats, took international air travel to a new level of excitement when introduced in January 1970.

By 1971, fourteen nations could build short-range and air-defense missiles.

The Airbus A300 first flew in September 1972, and European governments continued to subsidize the Airbus Industrie consortium as it struggled for customers.

Besides being lightweight, plastics offered increased safety with their resistance to high impact, and their proven ability to withstand chemically harsh environments. For example, in 2009, the 787-8 Dreamliner made its first maiden flight, becoming the first aircraft to have wings and fuselage made from carbon-fiber plastics.