For thousands of years, humans have been amazed at what we call flight but in the past hundreds of years, humans have been trying to make different machines fly. In 1903, Wright brothers had built a new type of flying machine called the airplane which they launched in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Although they were not the first to fly, the airplane was a new design that would forever change history. It was an innovation in technology that had never been seen before. The airplane, one of the fastest methods of transportation, has changed the way we travel, has changed fighting in wars, and has changed the way we transport goods.
The Wright brothers did not get everything right on their first try. It took three other models before they achieved what they were trying to. Starting Off in 1900 with a glider that would lay the foundation for their airplane a three years later. They understood mechanics because they had owned a successful bike shop in previous years. They had an issue though. They couldn’t find any gasoline engines that had enough horsepower or were light enough to meet the specifications of what they needed. To solve this problem, they decided to build an engine on their own.
The had an understanding of aerodynamics, but they still needed a consistent methods of steering the plane. They finally decided on a forward elevation to move its nose up or down, and a vertical tail rudder for more effective flight control. Most early airplanes were made from a wooden frame and fabric. This is very different from the materials that we use today. Most airplanes today are made from aluminum, a very strong yet lightweight metal, along with other metals such as titanium. The first airplanes were nothing like the ones you see today.
When we go on a commercial flight, we generally sit in relatively comfortable seats inside the fuselage. In the early days, many airplanes we only made for one or two people and uncomfortable benches for the seats. The first commercial airline trip took place on January 1st, 1914, in Tampa, Florida. Although it was short lived, over 4 months to be exact, it created the way to the intercontinental flights that we have today. The airplane has dramatically changed the way we travel and the way the world is connected.
The airplane also changed the whole experience of travel, by offering different luxuries that are not available in other types of travel such as boats, vehicles, or trains. Before airplanes, the only way to get to countries overseas was by boat. Taking a boat was a long and exhausting process. Not to mention that boats back then were much different from cruises and other transportation ships today. Most transportation boats were very unsanitary and had very poor and cramped living conditions. To make matters worse, they could last anywhere from a few days, to a couple months.
The airplane has changed this dramatically. Nowadays, you can get to pretty much anywhere in the world within a few hours. Because of this convenience, government leaders, army generals, and other important individuals could now more easily meet in person and because of this, some foreign relations are better than ever. Another way that airplanes has changed the world is by enabling connections on the planet. Because of the ability to connect, our planet is more globalized. They help to connect geographically isolated countries with the rest of the world.
For example, the country of Iceland is an island nation surrounded by many miles of water. Thanks to airplanes, people can easily get to and from Iceland, connecting it with other nations. Airplanes also have spread cultures and ethnicities throughout the Earth. Because they better move people throughout our world, they can bring cultures and traditions with them. Airplanes have helped spread people and their beliefs worldwide. Airplanes have not only changed transportation however; they have also changed the way we fight in wars.
The first military aircraft was purchased by the United States in 1909. World War One was the first time airplanes were used for military purposes. Before World War I, battles were fought on ground or at seas. It is hard to believe only 11 years earlier, the first airplane was designed. First of all, the battle in the skies would not win the first World War, but it did change military tactics. Airplanes put an end to trench warfare. The reason behind this was because airplanes could easily take multiple casualties in the trenches with the advancement of bombs.
Airplanes were a different type of weapon in the air that offered many advantages. Pilots in military aircraft had a visual advantage points compared to those on the ground. They can use planes to gather information on enemy positions and other information that was not previously available. The information was a huge advantage to military generals so they could better decide on a strategy to attack. Airplanes could also the fighting deep into enemy territory. They could attack hundreds of miles away from the homefront.
Thousands of tonnes of explosives were dropped, although they were not very effective. Early air raids sometimes missed their target by over a mile. Although airplanes were fairly experimental in World War I, it led to advancements that made them a huge factor in World War II. Without airplanes, it would have been nearly impossible for the United States to play a large role in World War II. They offered the quick overseas transportation that the United States needed to take on the war in Europe and the pacific. Many historic events happened because of this.
One example is December 7th, 1941 on August 6th, 1945, a Boeing B-29 bomber dropped the first ever atom bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. This was a major event in history that was brought on by the invention of planes. Planes could also drop needed war supplies in hard to reach areas. They could transport medical supplies or food to troops that needed it the most. Airplanes were also used for transporting troops and other military machines. It is a faster way to transport troops to the places where reinforcements are needed. With these factors, it could definitely determine whether or not a battle was won or lost.
Airplanes have also been used for transporting goods. They have increased international business. Importing or exporting goods is one area where airplanes again have made a huge difference. Products that were only available in one part of the world can now be used globally because of international shipping. Trading with other countries has never been easier. They have decreased shipping times dramatically. For example, online companies such as Amazon would never be able to function without the shipping capabilities of airplanes.
Because of airplanes, people have wanted to explore more, which has leaded to other advances in technology. Space travel would never have been possible without the invention of the airplane. Who would have guessed just 66 years after the invention of the airplane we would have landed on the moon. Without a question, airplanes have changed the way we live today. Without them, who knows where the world will be. Airplanes have changed the way we travel, the way we fight, and the way we transport goods.
