Science Fun

On this day in History, an aviation first took place – August 27, 1939. The world’s first jet plane, the German Heinkel HE-178, makes its maiden flight in northern Germany, piloted by Flight Captain Erich Warsitz.

The plane reached a speed of 375 miles per hour. The invention of the jet is credited to two men who worked independently and whose nations were bitter enemies in World War II. Sir Frank Whittle of England received the first patent for a turbojet engine in January 1930. He was also the first to successfully test a jet engine on a laboratory rig in April 1937.

Doctor Hans Van Ohain, who had been working on the concept of a jet engine since 1933, was the first to get his invention into the air, despite not having achieved a successful laboratory test until five months after Whittle. Historical information from This Day in History and the History Channel.

On this day in history, August 17, 1978, the Double Eagle II completes the first transatlantic balloon flight when it lands in a barley field near Paris France, 137 hours after taking off from Presque Isle, ME.  The flight of the Double Eagle II was the fourteenth attempt to cross the Atlantic by balloon.

The crew, Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson, and Larry Newman were proud of this achievement, which actually happened on August 16^th when they crossed the Irish coast.  Larry Newman was supposed to hang glide at this point to the Shannon Airport; however, the hang glider had to be dropped earlier in the day as ballast.

The Double Eagle II was built by Ed Yost, of Tea, South Dakota.  The balloon had a capacity of 160,000 cubic feet of helium, stood 112 feet tall, and 65 feet in diameter.  The gondola was 15 feet by 7 feet by 4.5 feet and was named the Spirit of Albuquerque.  Empty weight was 760 pounds.  Takeoff was at 8:47 EDT from Presque Isle, ME and touchdown was 137 hours 6 minutes later at 7:49 PM on August 17, 1978.  3,500 feet was lowest altitude on the flight and 24,900 feet was the highest altitude on August 16^th.  3,099 miles was total distance flown.

On this day in 1948, American test pilot, chuck Yeager flew the Bell XS-1 plane over the southern California desert. This flight exceeded the speed of sound.

The Bell X-1 series of aircraft were designed and built for experimental supersonic flights – to gather fight data on conditions in the transonic speed range. The aircraft was a ‘bullet with wings’. It was shaped to closely resemble the Browning .50 caliber bullet.

The aircraft was powered by a rocket propulsion system with a four chamber engine built by Reaction Motors, Inc. This propulsion system was fueled with ethyl alcohol diluted with water and liquid oxygen. There were five variants of this aircraft that were built for experimental flight purposes.

The research techniques and data from this flight series was used in advancement of America’s space program in the 1960’s and our supremacy as a leader in aviation design and development. There are two remaining X-1 aircraft, one is on display at the Air & Space Museum at the Smithsonian and the other is in front of the NASA Dryden Flight Research headquarters.

Two significant events happened on this day in Aviation History. First, in 1932, American aviator Amelia Earhart takes off from Newfoundland on a flight to Ireland. She was the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo.

The second event that occurred on this day took place in the year 1939. Pan American Airways begins regular transatlantic air service with a flight by the Yankee Clipper from Port Washington, New York, to Europe.

While not related to flight, per say, this device was dropped from an airplane – on May 20, 1956, the United States drops a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific atoll of Bikini in the Pacific, this was the first airborne test of an improved hydrogen device. (This Day in History from the History Channel)

For well over a year, I would do my daily walks across the bridge from Northeast Delta Dental to the NHTI campus and back – each time, pausing to have a ‘look’ at the construction site, that is now home to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.  I had the joy and fun of watching this new center grow from a hole in the ground to a majestic looking structure complete with a full size model rocket in the courtyard and rooftop observatory that ‘smiled’ during the construction stages. 

On March 6, 2009, I headed into the new Discovery Center with other invited guests, to join the Discovery Center staff in the dedication of this new center.  The Honorable John H. Lynch, Governor of the State of New Hampshire dedicated this center; that all who walk through its doors will “explore, discover, and be inspired”.  As part of the dedication and opening ceremonies, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center award its first “Real People, Amazing Jobs” award to Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger, III.  Captain Sullenberger accepted his award via live video conference as he was unable to attend the ceremony in person. 

The Discovery Center opened later that day to the general public and offered a full slate of programs and events to educate and entertain all that came.  Tonight’s Sky, Dawn of the Space Age, Oasis in Space, and Our Place in Space were shown in the planetarium theater.  A Tribute to Two New Hampshire Heroes, Christa McAuliffe and Alan Shepard was presented throughout the weekend.  During the opening weekend, there were a variety of special demonstrations, shows, lectures, and guided tours through the exhibits.

Over 6,500 individuals visited the center over the opening weekend.  If you are in the Concord, New Hampshire area, stop by for a visit.  Program details, hours of operation, and Discovery Center updates are available at the center’s website - www.starhop.com.

On this day in 1956, at the Royal Naval Air Station near Chichester, England, pilot Peter Twiss shatters the previous air speed flying record.  He pushed the limits by 310 miles per hour to 1.132.13 mph in a Fairey Delta Two Turbojet. 

The first air speed record that was set belongs to Wilbur Wright when he took the first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903, when he flew the Wright Flyer – his speed was 6.82 mph.  Wilbur Wright flew again in 1905 on the Wright Flyer III and he increased his speed to 37.85 mph. 

The fastest flight to be recorded for a manned jet aircraft is held by Eldon Joersz when he flew the SR-71 Blackbird at 2,188 mph.  This aircraft is an advanced, long range strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin.  The SR-71 served from 1964 to 1998.