The Evolution of Air Power - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Architects and Surveyors

The Evolution of Air Power

J.M. Syken

Course Outline

Through the viewing of several archival/documentary films produced in the 1960s, we will examine the history and development of military aviation in the United States. We will examine the inter-relationship of civilian and military aviation and how they complimented one another.

Furthermore, we will examine the influence of WWI on accelerating the development of military aircraft and the period between the two world wars which saw many advances in aviation technology. As well, we will examine the many roles military aircraft played during WWII and the proceeding Cold War culminating with the development of space flights with military applications.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Understand/appreciate the early reluctance of the U.S. military to use airplanes;
Understand/appreciate the limited role of observation grudgingly assigned to military aircraft and how that role changed to include combat during WWI;
Understand/appreciate how WWI accelerated aviation technology and the role the U.S. played in the European air war;
Understand/appreciate the many advances made in aviation during the inter-war period and how that affected military aircraft and strategic planning;
Understand/appreciate the multiple roles aircraft played during WWII and how they helped ensure the allied victory; and
Understand/appreciate the Cold War period including the Korean War, the development of jet aircraft and space flight.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for architects, engineers and other design professionals.

Benefit to Attendees

The attendee/s will gain an intimate knowledge and insight into the background, history, development, innovations, technologies etc. of the military aviation.

Course Introduction

The course incorporates the viewing of several archival/documentary films broken down as follows;

Part 1 – Pioneering Days
Part 2 – Army Aviation
Part 3 – Naval Aviation
Part 4 – Air Force Aviation

Part 1 examines the development of powered flight and how military aviation coincided and enhanced/refined aircraft design as told by aviation pioneers such as Glen Martin, Donald Douglas, Igor Sikorsky etc. Part 2 examines the varied fixed and rotary wing aircraft used by the U.S. Army. Part 3 examines the history of naval aviation from the first flying boats used for anti-submarine warfare during WWI through to the introduction of the super-carrier. Part 4 examines the history of the U.S. Air Force, from the first Wright Flyer purchased in 1908, through its role as a branch of the U.S. Army (Army Air Corps), founding of the U.S. Air Force as a separate branch (1947) and its role in safeguarding the nation in the air and space.

Course Content

Part 1 – Pioneering Days;
TITLE: History of Aviation – Part 1(1961)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/gov.dod.dimoc.30131
DURATION: 29:00
TITLE: Naval Aviation: A Personal History – A Weapon is Tested (1960)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/gov.ntis.ava20101vnb1
DURATION: 25:46
TITLE: History of Aviation – Part 2(1961)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/gov.dod.dimoc.30132
DURATION: 28:43
Part 2 – Army Aviation;
TITLE: History of Aviation – Part 3(1961)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/gov.dod.dimoc.30133
DURATION: 28:47
Part 3 – Naval Aviation;
TITLE: Story of Naval Aviation (1961)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/gov.dod.dimoc.24796
DURATION: 27:38
Part 4 – Air Force Aviation;
TITLE: From Kitty Hawk to Aerospace (1965)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/gov.dod.dimoc.26415
DURATION: 21:01

Course Summary

Even before the success of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, the potential to fly high above an enemy city and bombard it with projectiles was foreseen as far back as the renaissance. Flight was equated with the Gods, but war was the stuff of men and there could be no greater advantage in war than to command the third dimension; the air. Fantasy became a reality during WWI and the centuries-old vision of aerial bombardment of cities became a reality during the Second World War. With the ushering in of the atomic age, the dream became a nightmare made only worse by the introduction of inter-continental ballistic missiles during the Cold War. Military aviation exists as a sheathed sword, capable of maintaining the peace or unleashing the dogs of war.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_aviation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GP4DiGusGU&t=2s
(Film: Angle of Attack - How Naval Aviation Changed the Face of War - 53:16)

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.