Historical Developments
Why Do Aerospace Vehicles Look the Way They Do?
Engineering Contexts• We can look at designs of anything in
terms of their context.• What made these objects the way they
are?– Roman Aqueducts– Pyramids of Egypt– Nintendo DS
Things to Consider
• What is going on in history?• What is the need? • What problems does the need create?• What customers will want to buy the
product? • How much money do they have?• What technology is needed to make it happen?• What are the resulting products?
Keep Asking “Why?”
• Why do objects look the way they do?• What made them like that?
Let’s Look at Aerospace Vehicles
Why Would You Use a Seaplane?
• Land on water– Patrol– Fishing– Submarine hunting
• What is unique about these aircraft? • Why aren’t these components on all aircraft? • Wouldn’t it be nice to always have the option to
land on water?
Why Would You Use a Helicopter?
• Land and take off vertically– Saving lives– Delivering supplies– Maintaining law and order– Maneuvering into small locations
• What is unique about these aircraft? • Why can’t all aircraft do this? • Wouldn’t it be nice to always have the
option to land vertically?
Why Would You Use a Sailplane?
• No motor– Recreation– Assault (WWII assault gliders)– Returning space shuttles
• What is unique about these aircraft? • Why can’t all aircraft do this?
Why Would You Use an Airship?
• Lighter-than-air gases are added to a big bag to provide lift– Carry large payloads– Fly quietly– Advertisements
• What is unique about these aircraft?
• Why can’t all aircraft do this?
Why Would You Use a Rocket?
• High speed and high power transportation both within the Earth’s atmosphere and in space– Military– Research– Launching probes and satellites– Space travel
• What is unique about these aircraft?
• Why can’t all aircraft do this?
Why Would You Use a Hot Air Balloon?
Why Would You Use an Airplane?
Why Would You Use a Rocket or Space Shuttle?
Why Would You Use an Unmanned Aerospace Vehicle
(UAV)?
Image Resources
Lockheed Martin. (2009). Products. Retrieved June 3, 2009, from http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/
Microsoft, Inc. (2009). Clip art. Retrieved June 4, 2009, from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/default.aspx
