By Jordan Helgeson
Merlin’s Airplane block was quite interesting. For the most part, it went in order of time. Starting at the first flight with the Wright Brother’s glider, where they used wood and fabric and warped the whole wing to take turns and landed on skids. Then onto rigid body designs using three control surfaces: elevator (to control pitch), aileron (to control roll), and rudder (to control yaw). Later, technology introduced a new control method: thrust vectoring. This new technology allowed pilots to stop in mid-flight, take 90-degree turns, and out-dog other pilots.
We spent some time discussing all the different wing designs such as the delta wing, forward swept wings, straight wing, and swept wings. We also touched on the relevance of Nazi science during WWII. Many modern warplanes are based upon designs taken from the Germans at the end of the war.
Also, a well-known German vehicle company, BMW, made jet engines for Nazi planes. Germans were developing stealth technology, and the mass production of “anti-aircraft” airplanes.
Another country mentioned was Russia, and their need for maneuverability. They have done most of the scientific work on thrust vectoring. Perhaps the most interesting topic was the X-35, an experimental plane using vertical flight, thrust vectoring, and stealth. All in all, it was a great block that kept my attention very well.