Defects of paddle-wheels
The paddle-wheel possessed many practical disadvantages which interfered with progress beyond a certain point. Its performance was much affected by the variation of draught of the ship during a voyage,…
Abandonment of side-lever engines
Attempts were soon made to reduce the space required by the machinery, and the side-levers were abandoned and direct-acting engines fitted for rotating the paddle-wheels. Several arrangements of this kind…
How Are Airplanes Electrically Grounded?
Grounding is essential to creating a safe environment when using high-powered electrical devices. If a device malfunctions and begins drawing a dangerous amount of current, grounding allows the circuit to…
Introduction of steam war vessels
Steam vessels were introduced into the Royal Navy in the year 1820, when the 'Monkey,' a vessel of 210 tons, was built at Rotherhithe and fitted by Messrs. Boulton &…
Brazil Gives Boeing and Embraer Joint Venture the Green Light
Boeing and Embraer can proceed with their planned joint venture. Earlier this month, federal officials with the Brazilian government approved the proposed joint venture between the two major aerospace companies.…
Aireon to Develop Plane-Tracking Satellite Network
Statistics show that flying is inherently safer than driving. For every 1 billion passengers who travel via a commercial airliner, only 7.2 fatalities occur. In fact, there were zero passenger…
Side-lever engine.
The propeller used in the earlier steamships was invariably the paddle-wheel, and the type of engine existing and giving satisfaction on land was naturally adapted at first to rotate these…
Why Are So Many Airplanes Painted White?
The next time you fly, look outside at the airport’s tarmac and you’ll probably discover that most of the airplanes waiting to take off have a white frame. Although there…
Modern Steam
The steam turbine continues to be a major factor in electric power generation throughout the world. Even nuclear power plants use the heat from a controlled nuclear chain reaction to produce needed…
Boeing Completes First Test Flight of Flying Taxi
The concept of flying taxis has been presented in countless science-fiction movies and novels, but Boeing is one step closer to turning this bold idea into a reality. Earlier this…
