FRAMEWORK: The Evolution of Airliners
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Post WWII - Speedy Travel

Airlines began to emerge once World War II was over. The public, at the time, was becoming aware that huge distances across the ocean could be made safely. A sort of excitement grew. This excitement towards speedy travel mostly appealed to upper class and the businessmen. The excitement relayed into demand for airplanes, and thus, more planes were developed. The very first airliners were war aircraft converted into passenger craft. Most wartime planes were biplanes, which were mostly built of wood and fabric.

Flying Boats?

Then the 1930's saw huge 12-engine boats acting as the modern commercial airliner. An example of this was the Dornier Do-X. Its passenger capacity was 150 with 10 crew members.

The 1930's

Eventually, the mid 1930's brought the all-metal low-wing planes such as the Boeing 247 and The Douglas DC-2. Later the DC-3 showed that its economical value, based upon speed (top speed was 270kph), price, and reliability, was far better than any plane at the time. The DC-3 had a passenger capacity of 32. By 1939, approximately 9 out of 10 airliners were DC-3's.  

Fast as a Comet

The deHavilland DH 106 Comet is credited for being the first airliner with turbojet engines. It came into service in 1952. It's top cruising speed was 800kph. Many considered the Comet as the most beautiful plane ever built, however the design was plagued with problems. After two Comet's broke up in midair, an investigation discovered weaknesses in the cabin structure. A redesigned Comet was introduced in 1958, and the design of modern day aircraft has not deviated much from it.

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