American aviation today is considered the legislator of the standard in the field of aircraft construction. In the USA, this situation is considered quite natural.
First flights
American planes have their history since the first flight of the Wright brothers. It was they who managed to build in 1903 not only a working prototype of the aircraft, but also to get the first knowledge and experience of controlled flight.
While working on a machine called the Flyer by them, the inventors used techniques that formed the basis of the entire subsequent aviation industry. But the brothers relied on the experience of their predecessors, who transmitted to humanity the results of their achievements and failures. These include aircraft prototypes created in France, Russia, England and other countries. Therefore, the first successful aircraft gave impetus to further developments in all countries capable of leading them.
Dawn of aviation
A sharp breakthrough in changing the status of aviation from awkward homemade garage to mass industrial vehicles occurred during the First World War. US military aircraft took part in it only at the final stage. Therefore, the Americans did not accumulate sufficient experience in the use of military aircraft.
In the interwar period, it was characterized by the development of postal and passenger aircraft, which made it possible to cover the vast distances of one's own country and conduct business of delivering passengers and goods in South America, which was practically devoid of communication routes. At that time, the main aircraft building companies were created:
- Boeing
- "Sikorsky."
- McDonnell Douglas.
- Lockheed and others
Pratt & Whitney and General Electric were the manufacturers of aircraft engines. Due to the level of development of mechanical engineering, the US aircraft industry had high potential, although the military direction in it turned out to be poorly developed. Nevertheless, the United States supplied planes and pilots for some pre-war conflicts. American planes and pilots participated in the Sino-Japanese war on the side of the Kuomintang regime.
Second World War. Start
By the start of World War II, the United States had very few capabilities in the field of military aviation. Events in Europe have dramatically changed the situation in the aviation industry. Having fought the Third Reich, France needed a huge number of aircraft designed to make up for military losses. A flood of French investment and technology has poured into the American industry to ensure the creation of facilities for the production of thousands of machines. After the fall of France, the United States became the industrial rear of Britain, placing its orders there.
Having received a powerful impetus, the US aviation industry steadily increased production volumes. American aircraft absorbed the technological developments of different countries and adapted to the experience of the ongoing war.
Participation in the war
Years of war brought US aircraft manufacturing to a leading position in the world. The United States created a developed military aviation, which included all types of aircraft. A light American reconnaissance aircraft, equipped mainly with photography equipment, opened the line of closed B-25 superheavy "flying fortresses." During the war, the United States gained invaluable experience on major continental strategic air operations. The war with Japan determined leadership in naval aviation, based on dozens of aircraft carriers of various classes.
The destructive power of the new weapons was fully realized. The aviation command is responsible for the brutal bombing of German cities, which did not leave its residents hope of salvation. American aircraft launched the world's first nuclear strike.
Despite the gigantic scale of air power, the technical excellence of machines did not always correspond to the era. US jet aviation owes its origins to English developments in the field of engine building and high-speed aerodynamics.
Jet era
The leadership of the United States was well aware of the revolutionary changes associated with the advent of a jet engine. The first US military aircraft created by Lockheed. Fighter F-80 Shuting Star seemed easy to manufacture and operate, which made him a long-liver.
The first clashes with Soviet aircraft during the Korean War revealed its weaknesses. He could not resist screw fighters due to low maneuverability. Soviet jets surpassed the F-80 in speed and armament. The high technical potential of the American industry allowed us to quickly return to a leading position. A striking example is the American reconnaissance aircraft SR-71 Blackbird, combining a futuristic design with unique characteristics.
Then began the development of jet bombers and transport aircraft. In contrast to light-engine aviation, not only turbojet engines were installed on these machines . Good performance was achieved with turboprop and turbofan power plants.
Modern light combat aircraft of the USA
After a long development path, the North American aircraft industry continues to occupy a leading position in the global ranking. The main efforts of the developers focused on the creation of fifth-generation fighters. Many years of efforts led to the creation of two aircraft models, embodying the highest achievements of US design and technological capabilities.
The first-born of the fifth generation was the F-22 Raptor fighter-bomber manufactured by Boeing Corporation. It was supposed to produce a more versatile machine on the platform of the F-35 fighter-bomber, created by Lockheed Martin. Both models cause mixed reactions among experts and military experts.
Together with widely-advertised merits, they clearly have serious technological and operational challenges. The superiority over combat vehicles of potential opponents is not obvious. Together with the fabulously high price of a unit of weapons, such an assessment of the machines has led to the spread of the opinion that these US military aircraft are not successful models. Along with the saturation of the fleet with the latest aircraft, the modernization of older aircraft continues to carry the main combat load.
U.S. heavy military and civilian aircraft
The geographical position of America has stimulated interest in large-scale air travel. The experience of world and local wars has constantly confirmed the effectiveness of using bomber aircraft. Today, the United States has a huge fleet of passenger aircraft and is one of the leaders in their production. The main manufacturer of passenger airliners is the Boeing Corporation, which produces aircraft in almost all commercial categories.
US military transport aircraft are well illustrated by the C-5 Galaxy. Its technical capabilities are second only to Soviet or Russian heavy transport aircraft. In addition to the classic layout schemes, the Osprey hybrid vehicles are used in the United States, combining the advantages and disadvantages of an airplane and a helicopter.
US bomber aircraft looks rather strange. Futuristic F-2, made according to the "flying wing" scheme, with anti-radar fuselage configuration and coating, side by side with the archaic B-52, who fought at the beginning of the Vietnam War.
Prospects
The main direction of the development of American aviation projects remains the buildup of high-speed characteristics possessed by US combat aircraft and the carrying capacity of transport and passenger vehicles. The alluring results of achieving cruising hypersonic speeds, while trying to implement in rocketry. Civilian vehicles are valued at the cost of delivering a unit of cargo per unit of distance. Therefore, the main technical studies are aimed at increasing the carrying capacity and increasing the fuel efficiency of transportation.