Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T12:35:20.338Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Flight Control

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

C. S. Draper
C. S. Draper*
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary:

Flight before the Wright brothers demonstrated their powered man–carrying flying machine was based on the philosophy of vehicles with high inherent stability combined with pilots whose only duty was to steer. This combination resulted in low controllability and poor manoeuvrability, with a strong response to the disturbances of rough air. The Wright brothers broke with the high–inherent–stability concept and combined inherently unstable aircraft with three–axis control operation by human pilots to achieve stable flight systems with good controllability and good manoeuvrability. This change from inherently stable to inherently unstable aircraft was the basic contribution made by the Wright brothers to start the age of flight.

In this paper, a picture of the state of flight control before the Wright brothers is built up from references to the literature. A similar picture is drawn for flight control developments after the Wright brothers, and the effect of their efforts on the progress of events is discussed. Plots with time as the independent variable and non–dimensional ordinates are used to illustrate the overall pattern of past developments in flight control and to indicate the course of future progress.

Type
The Forty–Third Wilbur Wright Memorial Lecture
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 59 , Issue 535 , July 1955 , pp. 449 - 477
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1955

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Bryan, G. H. Stability in Aviation. Macmillan & Co., London, 1911.Google Scholar
2. Lanchester, F. W. Aerodonetics. Archibald Constable & Co. Ltd., London, 1908.Google Scholar
3. Bairstow, Leonard. Applied Aerodynamics. Longmans, Green & Co., London, 1939.Google Scholar
4. Warner, E. P. Airplane Design: Aerodynamics. McGraw–Hill Book Co., Inc., New York, 1927.Google Scholar
5. Perkins Courtland, D. and Hage Robert, E. Airplane Performance, Stability and Control. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1949.Google Scholar
6. Rauscher, Manfred. Introduction to Aeronautical Dynamics. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1953.Google Scholar
7. Bryan, G. H. and Williams, W. E. The Longitudinal Stability of Aeroplane Gliders. Proc. Royal Society, June 1903.Google Scholar
8. Glauert, H. A Non–Dimensional Form of the Stability Equations of an Aeroplane. R. & M. No. 1093, Aeronautical Research Committee, March 1927.Google Scholar
9. Gates, S. B. A Survey of Longitudinal Stability Below the Stall, with an Abstract for Designers’ Use. R. & M. No. 1118, Aeronautical Research Committee, July 1927.Google Scholar
10. Jones, B. Melvill. Research on the Control of Airplanes. N.A.C.A.T.M. No. 485, from Nature, May 12 1928.Google Scholar
11. Koppen, Otto C. Airplane Stability and Control from a Designer's Point of View. Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, Vol. 7, No. 4, February 1940.Google Scholar
12. Milliken, W. F. Jr., Progress in Dynamic Stability and Control Research. Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 1947.Google Scholar
13. Seamans, R. C. Jr., Bromberg, B. G. and Payne, L. E. Application of the Performance Operator to Aircraft Automatic Control. Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, Vol. 15, No. 9, September 1948.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Lyons, D. J. Present Thoughts on the Use of Powered Flying Controls in Aircraft. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society.Vol. 53, No. 459, March 1949.Google Scholar
15. Seacord, C.L. Jr., Application of Frequency-Response Analysis to Aircraft-Autopilot Stability. Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, Vol. 17, No. 8, August 1950.Google Scholar
16. Seamans, R. C. Jr., Blasingame, B. P. and Clementson, G. C. The Pulse Method for the Determination of Aircraft Dynamic Performance. Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, Vol. 17, No. 1, January 1950.Google Scholar
17. Bollay, W. Aerodynamic Stability and Automatic Control (The 14th Wright Brothers Lecture). Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, Vol. 18, No. 9, September 1951.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18. Seamans, R. C. Jr., Barnes, F. A., Garber, T. B. and Howard, V. W. Recent Developments in Aircraft Control. Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, Vol. 22, No. 3, March 1955.Google Scholar
19. Beard, M. G. and Halpert, P. Automatic Flight Control in Air Transportation. Preprint No, 523, presented at 23rd Annual Meeting. Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences, January 24—27 1955.Google Scholar
20. Cook, F. R. Automatic Flight Control Requirements. Preprint No. 512, presented at 23rd Annual Meeting. Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences, January 24-27 1955.Google Scholar
21. Milliken, W. F. Jr. Dynamic Stability and Control Research. Third Anglo-American Aeronautical Conference 1951. Royal Aeronautical Society 1952.Google Scholar
22. Bassett, P. R. The Control of Flight. Fourth Anglo–American Aeronautical Conference 1953. Royal Aeronautical Society 1954.Google Scholar
23. Magoun, F. A. and Hodgins, Eric. A History of Aircraft. McGraw–Hill Book Co., Inc., New York, 1931.Google Scholar
24. Means, James (Editor). The Aeronautical Annual, No. 1. W. B. Clarke & Co., Boston, Mass., 1895.Google Scholar
25. Means, James (Editor). The Aeronautical Annual, No. 2. W. B. Clarke & Co., Boston, Mass., 1896.Google Scholar
26. Means, James (Editor). The Aeronautical Annual, No. 3. W. B. Clarke & Co., Boston, Mass., 1897.Google Scholar
27. Langley, S. P. Experiments in Aerodynamics. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1891.Google Scholar
28. Langley, S. P. and Manly, C. M. Memoir on Mechanical Flight. Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, Part I (by S. P. Langley), 1887 to 1896; Part II (by C. M. Manly), 1897 to 1903.Google Scholar
29. Routh, E. J. Advanced Rigid Mechanics, fourth edition. Macmillan … Co., London, 1884 Google Scholar
30. Routh, E. J. Elementary Rigid Mechanics, fifth edition. Macmillan … Co., London, 1891.Google Scholar
31. J. Laurence., Pritchard, SirCayley, George,Bart., The Father of British Aeronautics. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Vol. 59, February 1955.Google Scholar
32. maxim, H. S. Aerial Navigation, the Power Required. Century Magazine, Vol. 42, No. 6, pp. 829–836, 1891.Google Scholar
33. Maxim, H. S. A New Flying Machine. Century Magazine, Vol. 49, No. 3, pp. 444–456, 1895.Google Scholar
34. Maxim, H. S. Artificial and Natural Flight. London, 1908.Google Scholar
35. Magoun, F. A., and Hodgins, Eric. A History of Aircraft, pp. 288–294. McGraw–Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, 1943.Google Scholar
36. Means, James (Editor). Wise Upon Henson. The Aeronautical Annual, No. 1, pp. 131–133. W. B. Clarke & Co., Boston, Mass., 1895. (An excerpt, with commentary, from John Wise. A System of Aeronautics. Philadelphia, 1S50.)Google Scholar
37. Ader, Clément. L'Aeroplane “ Éole.” Revue de I'Aeronautique. Vol, 6, Book 4, pp. 66–99, Paris, 1893.Google Scholar
38. Ader, Clément. L'Aviation Militaire. Paris, 1910.Google Scholar
39.Mensier. Report on Trials of M. Clément Ader's Aviation Apparatus. Paris, 21st October 1897.Google Scholar
40. Magoun, F. A., and Hodgins, Eric. A History of Aircraft, pp. 301–304. McGraw–Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, 1943.Google Scholar
41. Wright, Orville. How We Made the First Flight Ten Years Ago. Flying and the Aero Club of America Bulletin. Vol. II, No. 11, December 1913.Google Scholar
42. Turner, C. C. The Romance of Aeronautics. Seeley, Service & Co. Ltd., London, 1912.Google Scholar
43. Kelly, Fred C. The Wright Brothers. Harcourt, Brace & Co., New York, 1943.Google Scholar
44. Kelly, Fred C. Miracle at Kitty Hawk. Farrar, Straus & Young, New York, 1951.Google Scholar
45. Mcfarland, , Marvin, W. (Editor). The Papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright, Vol. I, 1899-1905; Vol. II, 1906-1948. McGraw–Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, 1953.Google Scholar
46.“Sees End of Fog Peril,” New York Sun, 28th May 1929.Google Scholar
47. Nesbitt, F. G. The Sperry Integrated Instrument System. Sperryscope, Vol. 13, No. 7, Fourth Quarter, 1954.Google Scholar
48. White, R. J. Investigation of Lateral Dynamic Stability in the XB-47 Airplane. Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 133–148, March 1950.Google Scholar
49.Beach Gyroscopic Monoplanes. Scientific Aeroplane Co., New York, undated pamphlet published early in 1910.Google Scholar
50.“ Curtiss, Glenn H. Announces Successful Gyroscope Device to Balance Aeroplane,” New York Herald, 2nd October 1912.Google Scholar
51.“ Mr. Curtiss to Show Use of Stabilizer.” New York Herald, 3rd October 1912.Google Scholar
52.“ Aviators Seek Prize in France.” New York Herald, 10th January 1914.Google Scholar
53.“ Ship Aeroplane for Big Safety Contest in France.“ New York Herald, 20th January1914.Google Scholar
54.“The Sperry Gyroscopic Stabilizer.” Aeronautics, 14th February 1914.Google Scholar
55. L'Aero, Paris, 19th June 1914.Google Scholar
56. Le Matin, Paris, 24th June 1914.Google Scholar
57.“ Refuses to Sell Air Safety Device.” New York Herald, 4th July 1914.Google Scholar
58.“ To Try Stabilizer in Flights Here.” New York Herald, 8th July 1914.Google Scholar
59.“ ‘Foolproof Aeroplane’ is Here with New Automatic Stabilizer.” New York Herald. 9th July 1914.Google Scholar
60.“Consider Use of New Stabilizer on The America.” New York Herald, 10th July 1914.Google Scholar
61.“Gyroscopes Freed for Ocean Flight.” New York Herald, 21st July 1914.Google Scholar
62.“Aviator to Test Stabilizer Here.” New York Herald, 12th November 1914.Google Scholar
63.“Gyroscope Makes Air Flight Safe.” New York Herald, 4th December 1914.Google Scholar