Tracing the Growth of U.S. Air Power and the Aircraft Involved

Abstract

The first acknowledged flight of a manned, powered aircraft took place in the United States in 1903. However, several years went by before the airplane was recognized and accepted in the U.S. as having any practical applications. Then in 1907, the U.S. military recognized aviation with the establishment of an Aeronautical Division in the U.S.Army Signal Corps. The U.S. Navy acknowledged a role for aviation in 1910. U.S. airpower was in its infancy when World War I broke out in Europe. Following the war, however, the U.S. airpower began to grow rapidly based on the lessons learned and on new techno logy. This paper traces the development of some of the aircraft involved in the growth of U.S. air power over the first century of its existence. The paper will consider many of these airplanes with a view toward the relation of aerodynamic research findin gs and the requirements for effective airpower. The research findings will be drawn from that conducted at the NACA/NASA aeronautical laboratories since the early 1920’s. The paper also draws on the experience of the author who for over 65 years was involv ed in aerodynamic research with the NACA/NASA. I. Introduction HE U.S. was slow to adapt to the use of aircraft in the early !900’s because there was no apparent market for such a vehicle. At that time it is likely that the general public was more attracted by the automobile than by the airplane. In fact, the Ford Motor Company was organized in 1903 – the same year as the Wright Brothers successful flight at Kitty Hawk. While there was little activity related to aircraft in the U.S. in the early 1900’s, there was a considerable amount of activity in European countries. It was this disparity that was to lead to events in the U.S. that would alleviate the di fference in the growth of aviation between the U.S. and the rest of the world. These events included acceptance of the airplane as a part of the military; the creation of aeronautical research facilities; the establishment of an aircraft industry; and an increase in the education and training of personnel in the field of aeronautics. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the influence of these events on the establishment of military aviation and to trace the subsequent growth of U. S. airpower.