Insights into Aerospace Engineering and Aviation
On December 17, 1903 the bicycle mechanic Orville Wright successfully piloted the first heavier-than-air machine, his brother Wilbur running alongside him to prevent the wing tip from touching the floor. The Wright Flyer was constructed mainly from wood and canvas with a 12 horse-power petrol engine powering two large propellers. This flying machine lifted 10 feet into the air and flew erratically for 12 seconds before landing rather clumsily 120 feet from the starting point. Astoundingly, just 66 years later Neil Armstrong walked on the surface of the moon!
Besides the computer, the invention of the modern airplane is the invention that revolutionised the 20th century. Modern jumbo jets have shrunk the world and have made international travel possible for anyone. Just consider the awesome engineering achievement of the original Boeing 747. Its wing span is longer than the original flight of the Wright Flyer, and since its inauguration in 1970, the 747 has transported more than 3.5 billion passengers—half the world’s current population.
The technical story of flight is, and continues to be, of incredible human effort and ingenuity, and requires tremendous advances in science and engineering.
This blog discusses the dream of human flight and the past and present ordeals to perfect it. On this website you’ll find articles on a broad range of aerospace topics and a podcast interview series with aerospace pioneers. I hope you enjoy the blog, and if you would like to support what we do, please head over to our Patreon page.
Thank you for this Blog, I am a Senior in High School looking into engineering and piloting. It took some digging to find this website but it was well worth my time. looking forward to more entries and I will spread the word.
Thanks Again,
Mitchell
Cheers! I’m glad you like it. Engineering is an incredibly rewarding career. Best of luck!
Hey, I’m writing a paper for my class and I really enjoyed reading some of these posts. The problem is I don’t really know your name or anything so I can’t really cite your blog properly… Is there anywhere I can find your basic info?
Hi, I created a contact page just for you :). https://aerospaceengineeringblog.com/contact/
Thank you very much! this blog is really helpful for my research paper.
I’ve a dilemma at choosing my career path in aerospace industry. I was looking for a blog where I can post this dilemma and hope to get some good positive response that cane help me make a decision.
I’ve had a 10+ engineering experience on various rotorcraft groups and one Satellite R&D project experience with avionics integration and test, design-analysis and systems engineering experience. I then decided to try understanding the patent laws by working for a federal government patent and trademark office. That didn’t last long. Now I want to get back to aerospace industry and having difficulty because I spread myself thin on working on so many disciplines before I left the aerospace industry.
I’ve had few interviews lately. One with F-35 test and evaluation group, P-8i test and evaluation group and electric boat (makes submarines for navy) group. The submarines would be completely different since it’s not an aircraft but, I’ve heard it’s going to be very stable for a long time and it’s similar to aerospace except it’s water instead of air. And since they’re hiring a lot, there is lots of flexibility on the types of work you would like to do….again, that’s what I hear…not sure?
My ultimate goal is to find my way to either Tesla, NASA or other space programs later based on either of the above work experience.
If you were me…which one of the programs would you work for? knowing…you would like to someday make it to NASA, tesla space programs.
Your input and guidance will be well appreciated
Nick
Hi, I am trying to track down the source of an image you’ve used in one of your pages: “Boundary layer separation over the top surface of a wing.” on https://aerospaceengineeringblog.com/boundary-layer-separation-and-pressure-drag/
It looks like it’s been taken from a book, could you do me a solid and tell me where it came from?
Sorry, that came from my undergrad lecture notes on aerodynamics, not a textbook.
Ah, thanks, I appreciate the reply. I have a horrid feeling it only exists in paper form, and the detective trail ends with you – you may be pleased to hear this site is cited for that image several times. 🙂