The Road to the 707: The Inside Story of Designing the 707

Description

This book outlines the critical engineering discoveries leading to the jet transport age - from observations of birds in flight to modern jet transports. Starting with the Wright Brothers, it traces a path to the Boeing XB-47 swept-wing jet bomber, ending with the first generation of commercial jet transports: the Comet, the Convair 990, the DC-8, and the 707. Chapters include: The Pioneers; Airmail and the Early Transports; The 247 Airliners; The DC-3 and the Four-Engine Transports; The Four-Engine Bombers; The War Years; The Turbo-Jet Engine; The GE TG-180 Jet Engine; The Boeing High-Speed Wind Tunnel; The Swept Wing; The Jet Bomber; The Dash-80 Prototype; The 707-DC-8 Competition; and The Fan Engine. A clearly-written and easy-to-read book that is a must-read for all aircraft enthusiasts. William H. Cook started working for Boeing Engineering in 1938. There he held many prominent positions, including Manager of High-speed Wind Tunnel Design; B-29 Assistant Project Engineer; XB-47 Aerodynamics Unit Chief; and Chief of Technical Staff, Transport Division. Cook retired in 1974, but his engineering expertise is still in use today. Contents......Page 5 Acknowledgments......Page 7 Preface......Page 9 Part I From the Wright Brothers to the B-29......Page 13 1. The Pioneers......Page 15 Figure 1 - Era of the Pilot-Designer, 1900-1930......Page 16 Figure 2 - Wright Flyer Controls......Page 22 Figure 3 - Orville's Recovery From a Stall......Page 23 Figure 4 - French 1912 Deperdussin Racer......Page 26 Observation Planes at Start of World War I......Page 27 Last Allied Fighters in World War I......Page 28 Figure 5 - Death ol the Red Baron, April 21 , 1918......Page 30 Figure 6 - Early Monoplane - Twisting Failures, 1912, the Reason for the Change to Biplanes......Page 31 Figure 7 - Thick Airfoils, a Critical Step Forward......Page 36 Cantilever Wooden Wings -1918......Page 37 Most Significant Advancements -1908 to 1919......Page 39 2. Airmail and Early Transports......Page 41 Postwar Surplus and a Glimpse of the New Era......Page 42 Break From Tradition by Independent Designers......Page 46 The Tri-Motor Era -1925 -1934......Page 48 3. The 247 Airliner......Page 50 Figure 8 - Cantilever Monoplanes That Influenced the 247......Page 51 Monomail Wing Structure - Similar on B-9 and 247 Airliner......Page 53 1933 Airliner and Its Precursors......Page 55 Figure 9 - Control Surface Flutter......Page 60 4. The DC-3 and the Four-Engine Transports......Page 64 Figure 10 -Comparison of Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-3......Page 70 Figure 11 - Four-Engine Airliners......Page 75 5. The Four-Engine Bombers......Page 77 Figure 12 - Strategic Piston - Engine Bombers......Page 94 6. The War Years......Page 99 The Paper Mill......Page 104 Part II Technical Innovations......Page 109 7. The Turbo Jet Engine......Page 111 Frank Whittle......Page 115 Figure 13 - Whittle W-1 Turbo-Jet Used on First Flight......Page 120 Figure 14 - Gloster E-28-39 Experimental......Page 122 Hans von Ohain......Page 123 Figure 15 - Von Ohain-Heinkel Turbo-Jet......Page 125 Figure 16 - Heinkel He-178 Experimental......Page 127 8. The GE TG-180 Jet Engine......Page 129 Figure 17 - GE TG-180 Jet Engine - 4,000 Lbs. Thrust, 1947......Page 133 9. The Boeing High-Speed Wind Tunnel......Page 136 Sectional View - Boeing High-Speed Wind Tunnel......Page 144 10 The Swept Wing......Page 147 Figure 18 - lnspiration for Sweep back......Page 149 Figure 19 - Transonic Drag Rise......Page 150 Part III The Long-Range Swept-Wing Airplane......Page 157 11. The Jet Bomber......Page 159 The XB-47 Bomber......Page 162 Figure 20 - Nacelle-Wing Interference......Page 164 First Wind Tunnel Tests and the Low-Speed Stall......Page 169 Figure 21 - Two Fixes for Pitch-up at Stall......Page 171 Podded Engines on the Wing......Page 173 Figure 22 - XB-47 Development Models......Page 174 Bicycle Landing Gear......Page 177 Figure 23 - Bicycle Landing Gear......Page 179 The Slender Elastic Airplane......Page 181 Contract to Build Two Prototypes......Page 183 Longitudinal Stability With Flexible Wings......Page 184 Figure 25 - High-Speed Stability With Flexible Structure......Page 186 Flight Controls......Page 187 Figure 26 - Control Surface Balancing and Hydraulic Servos......Page 189 Detail Design and Manufacture......Page 191 Flight Testing......Page 192 Dutch Roll......Page 194 Figure 27 - Dutch Roll and Yaw Damping......Page 196 Drag Tests......Page 198 Air Corps Flight Tests......Page 200 XB-47 Drag Chute Land ing Sequence -Moses Lake, 1948......Page 203 Lateral Control at High Speeds......Page 204 Figure 28 - Lateral Control -the Reason for Adding Spoilers......Page 206 The Production Sale......Page 207 High-Speed Pitch-Up......Page 208 Figure 29 - Pitch-up Cured by Vortex Generators......Page 211 B-47 Planning......Page 212 Thick Wing Root Discovery......Page 214 The B-52 Bomber......Page 216 Figure 30 - Last XB-52 Development Models......Page 219 J-57 Jet engine with low and high compressors separated......Page 221 12. The Dash-80 Prototype......Page 225 Figure 31 - Landing Gear Retraction With Swept Wing......Page 230 Figure 32 - Wing Controls and Fuel Tanks......Page 233 Later Controls on Dash-80 and 707......Page 237 13. The Commercial Transport Competition......Page 241 Figure 33 - Competition Timing......Page 245 Figure 34 - Leading Edge Flap and Maximum Angle Take-Off......Page 264 14. The Fan-Jet Engine......Page 267 Figure 35 - Ducted Fan - Higher Thrust and Better Range......Page 272 Conclusion......Page 278 Bibliography......Page 282 General Index......Page 284 Airplane Index......Page 288 Author......Page 292