The aviation industry has come a long way since Orville and Wilbur Wright built the first functional airplane in 1903. Since then, we’ve broken the sound barrier, built airports in just about every major city, created passenger planes that carry hundreds of people, and even flown to the moon.
These are just a few of the many major milestones in the history of aviation that illustrate how far we’ve come. It’s been nearly 120 years since the Wright brothers first took flight and advancements in technology have played a major role in the evolution of aviation. In this article, we look at a few of the most innovative ideas in the history of aviation that revolutionized modern day air travel.
The Jet Engine
Before the jet engine, piston engines were typically used to power flight. These rudimentary engines were built from hundreds of interacting parts and required constant maintenance to keep them from breaking down. Then in 1930,
Sir Frank Whittle obtained the first patent for a turbo-jet engine and in 1937, tested his first prototype on the ground, and in doing so, forever changed commercial and military aerospace.
With a jet engine, air is sucked through forward-facing compressor blades then mixed with fuel and set on fire. The burning gasses expand and rush to the end of the tailpipe creating thrust to drive the jet forward. Compared to piston-driven aircrafts, jet engine aircrafts can fly faster at higher altitudes and avoid overhead weather systems. The modern turbojet engine used today in many military and commercial aircrafts is based on the original jet engine prototype and is considered one of the most important innovations in aviation history.
Compared to piston-driven aircrafts, jet engine aircrafts can fly faster at higher altitudes and avoid overhead weather systems
Fly-By-Wire Technology
One of the most notable advances in aviation has been the introduction of
fly-by-wire (FBW) technology. FBW replaces manual aircraft control with electronic aircraft control. Originally developed for military aviation, FBW technology uses electronically controlled actuators that enable movement of an aircraft’s flight control surfaces, including spoilers, ailerons and flaps on the wings and the rudder and elevators on the tail.
The
Airbus A320 family was the first
airliner to feature a full glass cockpit and digital fly-by-wire flight control system.
Innovative Ideas Need Custom Components to Get the Job Done
From engines to fly-by-wire technology, and everything in between, designing for the aerospace industry requires world-class components that can perform under the most demanding environments, like speed, weather, pressure, or temperature. While we may not be in the business of some of the aerospace innovations on this list, our components play a big role in making flight possible.
Our Insider’s Guide to Customizing Hermetic Connectors will tell you everything you need to know about market trends driving decisions, key issues impacting the customization process, and questions to ask to accelerate the design process.
Since 1945, Hermetic Seal has been the go-to premier designer and manufacturer of high-reliability custom hermetically sealed electrical interconnection devices. Our products are used in sensing and actuating systems by the aerospace and defense, oil and gas, and medical device industries worldwide.
Hermetic Seal Corporation designs, engineers, and manufactures custom hermetically sealed connectors to meet the needs of innovative systems that require proprietary designs and connector customization.
Contact us today to learn how our custom products can help your innovative idea take flight.