Architects of Air Supremacy: General Hap Arnold and Dr. Theodore Von Karman.
Abstract
When the Wright Brothers accomplished America's first powered airplane flight on 17 December 1903, they would have been hard pressed to believe that in less than one century, manned aircraft would refuel in midair, travel at hyper-sonic speeds, carry tons of cargo in warehouse size holds, or serve as the primary means of international world travel. Their airplane was a device which had only one purpose, to lift a man into the sky. Today, aircraft perform too many functions to count, using so many different designs that even knowing them all is a monumental undertaking. But how is it that we have come so far, so fast? Important answers lie in the complex relationship between the American military and the society in which it exists. Individuals, both military and civilian, make decisions based upon perceptions and experience as much as upon the presumed capability of a particular technology. In the case of the Army and the air weapon, this was particularly true.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA308656
Entities
People
- Dik A. Daso
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology