Kevin O'Malley <[email protected]> wrote: >
> The Wright Brothers had a theory - it was called the theory of lift. >> > ***No, they did not. The theories of lift came in the 1920's, well after > airplanes had been flying and doing their stuff. > Correct. > They were the first to understand this process, which allowed them to have >> the success that was missing when flight was attempted without this >> understanding. >> > ***They were the first to understand the need for roll control, then they > proceeded to conquer what they called "well digging", which was a control > reversal problem . . . > That plus a whole bunch of other stuff. That was one of the critical, final breakthroughs. They said the most difficult engineering modeling they did was the propeller. It is a spinning airfoil. Horrendously complicated, with different parts of the structure moving at different speeds, and air moving past as the propeller moves forward. They dealt with compression and turbulence. They modeled actual performance in equations to within 1% before cutting wood, according to some sources. That is an ASTOUNDING accomplishment. Imagine understanding a propeller to that extent before anyone, anywhere in the world made a real one. In 1908 they showed up in Europe with an engine far smaller than their rivals, yet their machines produced twice more thrust than anyone else's, because they understood how propellers work. No one else did. The others were farting around with trial and error methods. That is why most of the others, such as Ferber, ended up crushed in crashed airplanes. I agree with Ed that there is not much chance people will learn to control cold fusion by trial and error. There are too many permutations and combinations to try. Not enough years left in our lives. Of course I recognize the need for a theory to overcome this problem. Funding would also help. - Jed
