With the invention of the radio in 1895 and the airplane in 1903, it would not be until the 1920s that the two groundbreaking inventions would be meaningfully incorporated into one another. Therefore, during the 1920s, engineers continually evolved and redesigned radio and the airplane in order to be a mutual benefit. This evolution would continue up to modern day, though the capabilities of radio use in airplanes made some of its greatest progress from its initial invention to the end of WWII in 1945. Through this evolution of technology, the radio has been used in numerous different capacities during air travel, for broadcasting, navigation, war strategy and various practical efforts. Springing from the invention of both the airplane and …show more content…
Also, these experiments were intended to perfect the ability of pilots and passengers to get messages from the air to radio listeners. In an experiment conducted by “Station WJZ of the Radio Corporation of America,” not only was the airplane pilot able to send messages to listeners on the ground, but also radio experimenters alongside listeners communicated back to the pilot (“Talk with Aviator”). After the experimenters on the ground received a message from the plane flying above New York City, they were able to send a message back to the pilot with complete clarity on both sides (“Talk with Aviator”). The ultimate goal of this experiment was to determine how to communicate, by radio, to and from airplane pilots across great distances and with high levels of …show more content…
During WWI, Dr. Conrad, soldier and founder of KDKA radio station, created a radio set for warplanes (“Airplane Radio Used in War”). This apparatus could be used when navigating warplanes because pilots would now have the ability to communicate with others outside the cockpit (“Airplane Radio Used in War”). The invention was a great tactical advantage as allied soldiers could communicate about the location and strategies of enemies. Also during WWI, the Army Corps was successfully able to develop the “Radio Range,” an in-airplane device in which only a “simple radio receiver,” was required; a radio transmitter was not needed (Rankin 631). This invention was used during the war to send messages to pilots about war strategy while flying (Rankin 631). The importance of a transmitter not being necessary was vital to the design because without the need for it, it would free up room for other war equipment, such as increased artillery (Rankin 631). Along with using radio as a method to get messages to pilots while in-flight, WWI was also the first time in which militaries experimented with radio-controlled weapons. One of the first countries to experiment with this new technology was France in 1917 (Germain 1090). This research was inspired by the desire to preserve human life, as the life expectancy of a French fighter pilot was “six weeks at most” (Germain 1090). Ultimately, the planes were able