The Complete History of Aviation by Britannica Educational Publishing

Author:Britannica Educational Publishing [Publishing, Britannica Educational]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: eBook
Publisher: Britannica Educational Publishing
Published: 2012-06-27T07:00:00+00:00

GENERAL AVIATION

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Following World War I, a number of adventurous pilots began using airplanes for “utility aviation”—commercial photography, surveying, law enforcement, agricultural purposes such as seeding and crop dusting, and myriad other activities. In the United States, huge numbers of war-surplus engines and training aircraft, as well as larger planes such as the DH-4, offered a cheap and easy way to enter the flying business. Although barnstormers and acrobatic fliers all too often tarnished the image of aviation by performing foolhardy stunts in worn-out military castoffs, the phenomenon of utility aviation attracted increasing numbers of users. By the late 1920s, as the supply of war surplus aircraft and engines dried up, new companies began to offer improved engines and planes, including aircraft with enclosed cabins that could seat two to five people, bringing an end to open cockpits, helmets, goggles, and considerable engine noise.

Throughout the 1930s, despite the Great Depression, improvements continued, and the practice of using personal aircraft to conduct business became a recognized aspect of modern commerce, especially as American industry continued its pattern of geographic diversity and scattered divisions. In order to save time and expensive personnel costs, business aviation provided the means to deliver key people to locations where airlines did not fly and road or rail travel was indirect and time-consuming. Among the most popular private aircraft models were the two-seat Piper Cub, powered by a 65-horsepower engine that enabled a cruising speed of about 85 miles (140 km) per hour; the four-seat Cessna Airmaster, powered by a 145–165-horsepower engine that enabled a cruising speed of about 160 miles (260 km) per hour; and the seven to nine passenger Beechcraft Model 18, powered by two 450-horsepower engines that enabled a cruising speed of about 220 miles (350 km) per hour. Cessna and Beechcraft still used radial-piston engines, but Piper relied on a horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine that allowed engineers to design a more streamlined engine nacelle. This type of engine became the preferred style for modern light-plane designs.

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