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