Aerospace Engineering & Aviation, FOK-POW
Aerospace engineering, also called aeronautical engineering, or astronautical engineering, field of engineering concerned with the design, development, construction, testing, and operation of vehicles operating in the Earth’s atmosphere or in outer space. In 1958 the first definition of aerospace engineering appeared, considering the Earth’s atmosphere and the space above it as a single realm for development of flight vehicles.
Aerospace Engineering & Aviation Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Fokker, Anthony Herman Gerard
Anthony Herman Gerard Fokker was a Dutch airman and pioneer aircraft manufacturer who during World War I produced......
formation flying
formation flying, two or more aircraft traveling and maneuvering together in a disciplined, synchronized, predetermined......
Fossett, Steve
Steve Fossett was an American businessman and adventurer who set a number of world records, most notably in aviation......
Foster, Norman
Norman Foster is a British architect known for his sleek modern buildings made of steel and glass. Foster was trained......
Funk, Wally
By the time she was seven years old, Wally Funk was making airplanes out of balsa wood; she had her first flying......
Féderátion Aéronautique Internationale
Féderátion Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), nongovernmental and nonprofit international organization that encourages......
Galland, Adolf
Adolf Galland was a German fighter ace and officer who commanded the fighter forces of the Luftwaffe (German air......
Glenn, John
John Glenn was the first U.S. astronaut to orbit Earth, completing three orbits in 1962. (Soviet cosmonaut Yuri......
gliding
gliding, flight in an unpowered heavier-than-air craft. Any engineless aircraft, from the simplest hang glider......
Glushko, Valentin Petrovich
Valentin Petrovich Glushko was a Soviet rocket scientist, a pioneer in rocket propulsion systems, and a major contributor......
Goddard, Robert
Robert Goddard was an American professor and inventor generally acknowledged to be the father of modern rocketry.......
Goldin, Daniel
Daniel Goldin is an American engineer who was the longest-serving National Aeronautics and Space Administration......
Grahame-White, Claude
Claude Grahame-White was an English aviator who played a seminal role in early British aviation. (Read Orville......
Green, Charles
Charles Green was an English balloonist whose outstanding achievement was his flight with two companions in 1836......
Griffin, Michael
Michael Griffin is an American aerospace engineer who was the 11th administrator (2005–09) of the National Aeronautics......
Grosse, Hans Werner
Hans Werner Grosse was a German glider pilot who on April 25, 1972, set the world record (broken 2003) for straight-line......
Guynemer, Georges-Marie
Georges-Marie Guynemer was one of the most renowned combat pilots of World War I and France’s first great fighter......
hang gliding
hang gliding, sport of flying in lightweight unpowered aircraft which can be carried by the pilot. Takeoff is usually......
Hargrave, Lawrence
Lawrence Hargrave was an English aviation pioneer and inventor of the box kite. Born and educated in England, Hargrave......
Hazel Ying Lee
Hazel Ying Lee was a Chinese American pilot who flew for the U.S. military in the Women Airforce Service Pilots......
Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport, the largest and busiest airport in the United Kingdom and one of the busiest and most connected......
Heinkel, Ernst Heinrich
Ernst Heinrich Heinkel was a German designer and builder of the first rocket-powered aircraft shortly before the......
Hermaszewski, Mirosław
Mirosław Hermaszewski is a Polish pilot who was the first Pole in space. A 1965 graduate of the military pilot......
Hoffman, Samuel Kurtz
Samuel Kurtz Hoffman was an American propulsion engineer, who led U.S. efforts to develop rocket engines for space......
Honeywell International Inc.
Honeywell International Inc., American advanced-technology company that manufactures aerospace and automotive products;......
How Did Helen Keller Fly a Plane?
In June 1946 an airplane traveled from Rome to Paris, crossing over the Mediterranean Sea. There was nothing unusual......
How fast do fighter jets fly?
Modern fighter jets can reach supersonic speeds exceeding 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) per hour. The journey......
How fast do helicopters fly?
Helicopters typically fly at speeds of about 150 mph (240 km/hr), with some experimental flights having reached......
How fast was the Concorde jet?
The Concorde jet could reach a maximum cruising speed of 2,179 km (1,354 miles) per hour, or Mach 2.04 (more than......
How High Does an Airplane Fly?
Aircraft fly at a wide range of altitudes, from about 3,000 to 98,400 feet (900 to 30,000 meters). Commercial airplanes......
How long does it take to fly around the world?
In theory commercial passenger aircraft, which have a cruising speed of 575–600 mph (925–965 km/h), could fly nonstop......
Hughes H-1
Hughes H-1, record-breaking racing plane that was designed by American aviator Howard Hughes and engineer Richard......
Hughes, Howard
Howard Hughes was an American manufacturer, aviator, and motion-picture producer and director who acquired enormous......
Hunsaker, Jerome C.
Jerome C. Hunsaker was an American aeronautical engineer who made major innovations in the design of aircraft and......
Ilyushin Il-76
Ilyushin Il-76, -76, Soviet military transport aircraft, first flown in 1971 and first produced in 1975. It was......
Ilyushin, Sergey Vladimirovich
Sergey Vladimirovich Ilyushin was a Soviet aircraft designer who created the famous Il-2 Stormovik armoured attack......
International Civil Aviation Organization
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), intergovernmental specialized agency associated with the United......
Irwin, James B.
James B. Irwin was an American astronaut, pilot of the Lunar Module on the Apollo 15 mission (July 26–August 7,......
Ivanov, Georgi
Georgi Ivanov is a Bulgarian cosmonaut who became the first Bulgarian in space. Ivanov graduated from the Bulgarian......
Jackson, Mary
Mary Jackson was an American mathematician and aerospace engineer who in 1958 became the first African American......
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japanese government agency in charge of research in both aviation and......
Japanese Red Army
Japanese Red Army, militant Japanese organization that was formed in 1969 in the merger of two far-left factions.......
Johnson, Amy
Amy Johnson was a pioneering female aviator who first achieved fame as a result of her attempt to set a record......
Johnson, Kelly
Kelly Johnson was a highly innovative American aeronautical engineer and designer. Johnson received his B.S. (1932)......
Junkers, Hugo
Hugo Junkers was a German aircraft designer and early proponent of the monoplane and all-metal construction of......
Kelly, Mark
Mark Kelly’s life story could be told as a fairy tale, as science fiction, as a romance novel, or as a tale of......
Kelly, Scott
Scott Kelly is an American astronaut who made four spaceflights, the longest of which lasted 340 days. He is the......
Kingsford Smith, Sir Charles Edward
Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith was an Australian pilot who, with a three-man crew, flew the Atlantic from Portmarnock,......
Korolev, Sergei
Sergei Korolev was a Soviet designer of guided missiles, rockets, and spacecraft. Korolev was educated at the Odessa......
Kármán, Theodore von
Theodore von Kármán was a Hungarian-born American research engineer best known for his pioneering work in the use......
Langley, Samuel Pierpont
Samuel Pierpont Langley was an American astrophysicist and aeronautical pioneer who developed new instruments with......
Latécoère, Pierre
Pierre Latécoère was a French aircraft manufacturer who aided the development of international airline service.......
Lawrance, Charles Lanier
Charles Lanier Lawrance was an American aeronautical engineer who designed the first successful air-cooled aircraft......
Lilienthal standard glider
Lilienthal standard glider, monoplane hang glider designed, built, and first flown by the German aviation pioneer......
Lilienthal, Otto
Otto Lilienthal was a German aviation pioneer. Lilienthal was the most significant aeronautical pioneer in the......
Lindbergh, Anne Morrow
Anne Morrow Lindbergh was an American author and airplane pilot primarily known as the wife of aviation pioneer......
Lindbergh, Charles
Charles Lindbergh was an American aviator, one of the best-known figures in aeronautical history, remembered for......
Link Trainer
Link Trainer, airplane cockpit replicated, with full instruments and controls, in such a way that it can be used......
Lippisch, Alexander M
Alexander M. Lippisch was a German-American aerodynamicist whose designs of tailless and delta-winged aircraft......
List of Major Air India Disasters
Air India, the flag carrier of India, spawned civil aviation in the country when its first flight took to the skies......
List of the Deadliest Airplane Disasters
Although air travel is the safest mode of transportation, when a large passenger plane does crash or meet with......
List of the World’s Busiest Airports
With more than 9 billion passengers traveling by plane every year, it’s not surprising that airports are busy.......
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Lockheed Martin Corporation, major American diversified company with core business concentrations in aerospace......
Loewy, Raymond
Raymond Loewy was a French-born American industrial designer who, through his accomplishments in product design......
Low, George
George Low was an Austrian-born American aerospace engineer and manager who made major contributions to the U.S.......
MacCready, Paul Beattie
Paul Beattie MacCready was an American aerodynamicist who headed a team that designed and built both the first......
Markham, Beryl
Beryl Markham was an English professional pilot, horse trainer and breeder, writer, and adventurer, best known......
Martin Marietta Corporation
Martin Marietta Corporation, diversified American corporation (incorporated 1961) that was primarily involved in......
Martin, Glenn L
Glenn L. Martin was an American airplane inventor whose bombers and flying boats played important roles in World......
McCandless, Bruce
Bruce McCandless was an American naval aviator and astronaut, the first person to conduct an untethered free flight......
McDonnell Douglas Corporation
McDonnell Douglas was a major U.S. producer of commercial aircraft, military aircraft, and space systems until......
McDonnell, James Smith
James Smith McDonnell was an American aerospace executive who spearheaded the merger of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation......
Melvill, Michael
Michael Melvill is an American test pilot, the first commercial astronaut, and the first person to travel into......
Messerschmitt, Willy
Willy Messerschmitt was a German aircraft engineer and designer. Messerschmitt was educated at the Munich Institute......
MiG
MiG, Russian aerospace design bureau that is the country’s major producer of jet fighter aircraft. It developed......
Mitchell, Edgar
Edgar Mitchell was an American astronaut who was a member, with Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr., and Stuart A. Roosa,......
Mitchell, R.J.
R.J. Mitchell was a British aircraft designer and developer of the Spitfire, one of the best-known fighters of......
Mohmand, Abdul Ahad
Abdul Ahad Mohmand was an Afghan pilot and cosmonaut, the first Afghan citizen to travel into space. Mohmand was......
monoplane
monoplane, type of aircraft with a single pair of wings. The monoplane design has been nearly universally adopted......
Montgolfier, Joseph-Michel; and Montgolfier, Jacques-Étienne
Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier were French brothers who were pioneer developers of the......
National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum, American museum of aviation and space exploration, part of the Smithsonian Institution,......
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Northrop Grumman Corporation, major American manufacturer specializing in defense and commercial aerospace, electronics,......
Northrop, John Knudsen
John Knudsen Northrop was an American aircraft designer, an early advocate of all-metal construction and the flying......
Oberth, Hermann
Hermann Oberth was a German scientist who is considered to be one of the founders of modern astronautics. The son......
Opel, Fritz von
Fritz von Opel was a German automotive industrialist who took part, with Max Valier and Friedrich Wilhelm Sander,......
Orville Wright on Wilbur Wright
For its new 14th Edition in 1929, Britannica sought a biography of that pioneering 20th-century Daedalus, Wilbur......
O’Hare International Airport
O’Hare International Airport, one of the busiest and most connected airports in the world and the busiest in the......
O’Hare, Edward
Edward O’Hare was an American aviator and war hero who became the U.S. Navy’s first flying ace during World War......
Painlevé, Paul
Paul Painlevé was a French politician, mathematician, and patron of aviation who was prime minister at a crucial......
Parsons, Jack
Jack Parsons was an American rocket scientist and chemist who made significant contributions to the development......
Patterson, William
William Patterson was an American airline executive who played a major role in shaping the history of aviation......
Piccard, Auguste
Auguste Piccard was a Swiss-born Belgian physicist notable for his exploration of both the upper stratosphere and......
Piccard, Jean-Felix
Jean-Felix Piccard was a Swiss-born American chemical engineer and balloonist who conducted stratospheric flights......
Pickering, William Hayward
William Hayward Pickering was a New Zealand-born American engineer, physicist, and head of the team that developed......
Pilcher, Percy Sinclair
Percy Sinclair Pilcher was a British aviation pioneer and glider experimenter. Trained as a naval cadet, Pilcher......
Piper, William T.
William T. Piper was an American manufacturer of small aircraft, best known for the Piper Cub, a two-seater that......
Piñera, Sebastián
Sebastián Piñera was a Chilean businessman and politician who served two terms as president of Chile (2010–14;......
Pontes, Marcos
Marcos Pontes is a Brazilian pilot and astronaut, the first Brazilian citizen in space. Pontes graduated in 1984......
Post, Wiley
Wiley Post was one of the most colorful figures of the early years of American aviation, who set many records,......
Powers, Francis Gary
Francis Gary Powers was a pilot who was captured on May 1, 1960, while on a reconnaissance flight deep inside the......