Air Travel (Summary)

These days most people like air travel, because it is fast, comfortable and safe means of journey. It takes a few
hours to travel to a place thousands of kilometres away. But there is not much excitement in it because we can
not see much of the world from the height at which aeroplanes fly.

Endeavours of fly have been made by man since long the first man who tried to fly was a Frenchman, Pilatre de
Rozrer, who went up in a hot-air balloon on October 15, 1783. He had another person with him Marquis d’
Arlandes who fed dry straw to the fire which filled the balloon with hot air. In the same year of December 1st,
1783 two other Frenchman went up in a balloon filled with hydrogen which is lightest of all gases.

The balloon flights were quite an important step towards the invention aeroplane. But balloons where found to
be useless for his purpose unless they were made navigable. Mechanical power was needed for this purpose. An
Englishman achieved remarkable success in this regard in 1848. He made an aeroplane fitted with a steam
engine, but it proved too heavy to fly. In 1852 a Frenchman installed a steam engine in an airship but it also did
not work swiftly. The French engineers Renard and Kerb used electric power in their airships, but batteries were
too heavy.

The solution was provided by the invention of internal combustion engine in 1876 by a German named Otto.
This piston – driven, engine worked on vaporized petrol. In 1886 Wolfert a German installed this engine in an
airship, designed by count Vonzeppline whose first airship was manufactured in 1908. These airships were
known as “Zeppelins”. London was bombed by Germans with these airships during First World War. With this
engine the potentialities of aeroplanes for heavier than air machines has become evident. In 1896 an American
Langley successfully flew a model aeroplane. Two American brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright turned their
attention towards solving the problems of control. The Wright brothers made a successful attempt on December
17, 1903. Their 13 attempts failed but with 14th attempt they became successful and flew across the English
Channel.

Developments in this regard continued in 1909 a Frenchman Bleriot designed an aeroplane and flew across the
English Channel. A rapid development in the designs and manufacture of air craft took place during the First
World War. It was development of fighter planes in 1916. Ever since then the development of planes have been
in direction of high speed and high altitudes.

Air ships were used for passenger services after First World War. But were abandoned due to unsafe conditions.
The giant hanger at Karachi is relic of those days. When the Second World War started, the regular aeroplane
flights for passengers has become quite common. After the end of war there had been two developments the
invention of Radar and Jet propulsion. The Radar has made it possible to avoid air collisions, while the jet
propulsion has given aeroplanes quite a high speed.

Now the problem for air navigation is to cross the limit of speed of sound. It is expected that in a few years the
speed of aeroplanes will approach 3260 kilometres per hour

Air Travel (Questions and Answers)

Q.1: When, where and by whom was the first aerial journey made?
Ans: The first aerial journey was made over Paris by a French man, Pilatre de Rozier on October 15, 1783.

Q.2: What is the essential difference between an airship and an aeroplane?

Ans: The essential difference between an airship and an aeroplane is that an airship is lighter than air machine,
while an aeroplane is heavier than air machine.
Q.3: Who invented the internal combustion engine? Why was this type of engine so important to the
development of flight?
Ans: The internal combustion engine was invented in 1876 by a German named Otto. This type of engine
transformed the world by making possible the development of the motor car and the aeroplane.

Q.4: Who was the first man to fly in an aeroplane? What was the date of his first flight and how long did it last?
Ans: The first man to fly in an aeroplane was an American Orville Wright. He flew on December 17, 1903. He
stayed in the air for twelve seconds.

Q.5: What in brief are the respective functions of the reconnaissance aeroplane and the fighter?
Ans: A reconnaissance plane is built to survey the enemy territory while a fighter built to shoot dawn enemy
bombers on its territory.

Q.6: How were the first bombing attacks on London made?

Ans: The first bombing attacks on London were made during World War I by a type of German airships called
zeppelins.

Q.7: How did civil aviation benefit from rapid development of the bomber during the First World War?
Ans: Bombing attacks by airships turned the attention of Government and people to the development of fighter
aircrafts, because anti aircraft guns had not proved very effective. This necessitated research into high speed and
high altitude fights and led to the rapid development of aircraft manufacture.

Q.8: Why was it more difficult to fly from Europe to North American than from North America to Europe?
Ans: Flying across the Atlantic was more difficult from Europe to North America then from North America to
Europe because on the west bound flight the aircraft had to make tremendous struggle against head winds and
stood in danger of running out of fuel.

Q.9: Why was the use of airships for passengers transport abandoned?
Ans: The use of airships for passenger transport was abandoned in favour of air craft because they had proved
to be very unreliable.

Q.10: What new means of propulsion had greatly increased the speed of airliner in recent year? What kind of
radio device contributes to their safety?
Ans: Jet propulsion has greatly increased the speed of airliners in recent years. Radar is the wonderful radio
device that contributes to their safety.