Aviation Industry Case Study

Aircraft Performance

Through the chaos and mayhem of World War 2, the aviation industry made significant advancements in its technology. After the war ended, this technology stretched and expanded to the farthest reaches of the world. Frank Whittle of England and Hans von Ohain of Germany both created the world of aviation that we live in today. Both men did it without the knowledge of each other throughout the 1930s and 1940s. This invention was the start of the Jet Age.

Aviation industry took some time to rebuild after WWII. Jet aircraft saw combat on the German side of the war, and the U.S military immediately showed interest in this technology. However, post-war budget cuts prevented the military from investing in this venture. There was

There was a widespread concern that jets would produce less power and consume more fuel than its piston counterpart. A short while later, it was determined that jets operate better and are more economical at higher altitudes. Once this was determined, the industry started to thrive. It also was noted that there was longer times in-between maintenance checks per aircraft. The less need for maintenance hours was simply due to the design of the engines. Jets operate at a continuous rate; whereas reciprocating engines caused more pounding and mechanical issues. Jet engines have more of a concern for corrosion and molecular decay, which is a long term issue. Around the same time that jet engines started to become popular is when the reciprocating engines and their propellers seemed to reach their technological limit. Propellers were reaching supersonic tip speeds which subsequently decreased their efficiency significantly. Reciprocating engines that operate above 3,000 horsepower require complex maintenance and other issues. With the development of the jet engine; the design of aircraft wings was changed as well. Wings were given a more “swept” design in order to reduce the overall drag of the aircraft. Drag is the force that counteracts the thrust component of aircraft flight. This new wing design was also more structurally sound. This allowed for the variations of pressure on

Great Britain at first deferred operations with jet aircraft. It was determined that the Commonwealth route structure that was in place was not efficient for jet operations. Aircraft companies opted for the more efficient turboprop aircraft. These aircraft proved more efficient for the much shorter routes the country had verses their American counterparts. France developed the first rear mounted engine design in the SE 210 Caravelle from Sud Est. It was originally designed as a 3 engine aircraft until Rolls Royce developed a new engine; negating the need for the third. Russia developed the Tu-104 since the need for jet aircraft was high due to the large area of the country. The Tu-104 was operational after the Model 367-80 but well before the Boeing 707 took