Table of Contents

Table of Contents......................................................................................................................................................1 Objectives and Introduction......................................................................................................................................2 Time Line for the History of Aerodynamics............................................................................................................3 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................................8

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Objectives and Introduction

This report is to show the advance in the aerodynamics field, from the early beginnings, to the real successful trials and experiments. Aerodynamics is the branch of dynamics that treats with the motion of air and of the forces acting on bodies in motion relative to the air. The story of aerodynamics is dynamic itself, replete with smashing successes, and abject consequences. Here we will discuss the achievements of the greatest scientists in the field of aerodynamics.

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Time Line for the History of Aerodynamics

1732 Henri Pitot Invention of the Pitot tube.

1738

Daniel Bernoulli Initial statement of the pressure-velocity relationship.

1742

Benjamin Robins

Development of the ballistic pendulum and the whirling arm.

1755

Leonhard Euler

Derived the governing equations of the ideal fluid.

1759 1763 1789 1799

John smeaton Jean Charels Laplace George Cayley

Studied the forces on flat panels normal to an airstream and introduced the Smeaton coefficient for calculation of airforces. The first to observe the effects of aerodynamic interference between two closely spaced bodies. Laplace equation, was also the first to calculate the speed of sound in air. Introduced the concept of the modern configuration airplane via an etching silver disk.

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1832 1845 1845 1883 1858 1899

Navier Stocks Euler Euler Helmholtz Lord Rayleigh

Physical mathematical formulation of hydrodynamic equation motion. Arrived independently at Navier equations. Accepted Navier-Stocks equation as a description of fluid motion Eulers equation is a special case of Navier-Stocks equation. The strength of a vortex is constant along it. Fluid initially with zero vorticity, remains with zero vorticity. Introduced the concept of circulation which allowed computing lift from potential flow motion.

1904

Ludwig Prandtl

Boundary layer theory.

1907 1908 1908 1908 1908 1910 1915 1922

Ludwig Prandtl Ludwig Prandtl Blasius Sommerfield Von mises Richardson Ludwig Prandtl Max Munk

Introduced compressibility effects and supersonic nozzles. Super sonic and expansion wave theory. Solved boundary layer equations over a semi infinite flat plate. Coined the Reynolds number. Introduced a family of airfoils. Started to solve the equations empirically. Lifting line theory. Thin airfoil theory.

1925

Prandtl-Glauert

Compressibility correction.
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1933 1935 1936 1944

NACA Ludwig Prandtl NACA NACA

Report 460, the characteristics of 78 related airfoil from tests in the variable-density wind tunnel Introduced a solution to compute drag. Thermal ice prevention systems were created to investigate effective countermeasures to the problems of ice formation on aircraft. Ames 40x80 full-scale wind tunnel became operational. It allowed whole aircraft to be wind-tunnel-tested.

1945 1951

Robert T. jones Richard T. Whitcomb

Developed in the U.S. the Swept Wing Concept, in which he identified the importance of swept-back wings in efficiently achieving and maintaining high-speed flight. Determined the transonic Area Rule that explained the physical rationale for transonic flow over an aircraft. This concept is now used in designing all transonic and supersonic aircraft. Flied D-558-2, the first aircraft to break Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound.

1953

Scott Crossfield

1953 1970 1976

NACA Richard T. Whitcomb NASA

Report R1135, Equations, Tables, and Charts for Compressible Flow,. Invented the Supercritical Airfoil to delay the drag rise that accompanied transonic airflow. Army Bell XV-15 tiltrotor research aircraft hovered (1976) and then demonstrated conversion and forward flight (1978) as the first tilting rotor vehicle to solve the problems of prop whirl. Its success directly led to the V-22 Osprey development.
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19811980 19861994

NASA

NASA

X-29 Flight Research Aircraft demonstrated forward swept wing technology and provided data on aeroelastic tailoring, active controls, and canard effects. First flight was December 14, 1984. Laminar Flow Control project research on active flow control over all speed regimes was developed to produce laminar flow over 65 percent of the wing of the aircraft, generating less drag and promoting better fuel efficiency. Improvements in the configuration of aircraft to reduce sonic boom intensity were formulated in a sonic boom study.

19942000

NASA

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Conclusion
The early developments in the aerodynamics field were progressing pretty fast, especially at the end of the nineteenth century, and the first four decades of the twentieth century. These achievements were made by men (the scientists of aerodynamics), the history will never forget, as they made the dream of mankind to come true, they make us capable of flying, nowadays people may take this for granted; as they see tens of airplanes flying over their heads everyday, however it took as we saw about a century to make this airplane safe and efficient to carry people. Ludwig Prandtl was the most one to contribute in the development of aerodynamics field, his name repeated more than one time in this report. George Cayley is the godfather of the modern aerodynamics, with his concept etched on the famous silver disk. The rapid progress after using the CFD made the design and analysis of aircrafts cheaper, easier than ever. Soon we are going to see the BOEING 787, the most aerodynamically efficient airliner ever, which is a good result of the high development in the aerodynamics field. The Aerodynamics field will never stop going on, progressing, giving us better, efficient and low fuel consumption designs.

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References
http://books.google.com.eg http://history.nasa.gov/centtimeline/index.html Prof. Dr. Atef Sherif, Lecture Notes, lecture number three, on Wednesday 7th of October, 2009, Aerospace Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University.

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