Planes were once made of cotton material, metal, and wood, but
many things have changed on modern airplanes. I’ll start from 1914
during World War I and tell you how planes have changed since then. This will be
in a timeline form with interesting and educational facts.
1914: Airplanes improved once more military and army work
was found 
for them. The aircrafts improved by getting a better structure
and by getting a better foundation because the plane had to be able to hold
heavy weapons.
1930’s: During the 1930’s it was possible for planes to
be bigger and to fly faster, farther, and higher. They could also carry
heavier loads. Advances in aerodynamics helped engineers cut through the air
smoothly. As planes flew higher, pilots and passengers had increased
difficulty breathing in the thin air at high altitudes, so engineers designed
pressurized cabins, which made breathing easier at 30,000 feet. They
also designed controllable pitch propellers, which allowed pilots to set the
propeller blade at the best angle for a particular air speed. Improved
radio equipment allowed pilots to receive flight directions from the
ground. Automatic pilots also came into use during the 1930’s.
These devices made more accurate navigation possible and helped pilots avoid
becoming tired on long flights. All the major advances in airplane
designs in the 1930’s went into building the Douglas DC-3. This
twin-engine transport plane made its first passenger flights in 1936.
The DC-3 could carry 21 passengers and could fly smoothly at 170 mph. It soon
became the main transport plane of the world’s most major airlines.
Today, old DC-3’s still fly passengers.
June 1,1937: Amelia Earhart left east from California to
attempt to fly around the world, but then vanished while flying over the
Pacific Ocean.
1941-1945: A bomb dropped by a Japanese airplane on Pearl
Harbor led to the United States entering World War II. Airplanes got better use
during the war because more military
uses were found for them.
1942: On Oct 1, Robert M. Stanley flew the first U.S. jet
plane, Bell XP- 59 Airacomet, at Muroc, California. Jet planes were
faster and sturdier and were used to carry weapons during World War II.
1947: A rocket powered airplane actually flew faster than
the speed of sound.
1958: Pan America World
Airway began the first regular jet service between New York City and
Paris using the American Boeing 707 jet transports. Since this was a
popular airline, this was wonderful because it was made possible for other
people to use a jet and not just the military.
1962: The North American rocket research plane x-15 traveled
to outer space. This was good because they could research better in
space and find out more about the universe.
1981: MacCready’s Solar Challenger was the first solar
aircraft to fly across the English Channel. This was a good aircraft
because it didn’t cause air pollution, just like solar cars.
That is how planes and aircrafts have improved over the years,
but engineers are working to make bigger and better airplanes for the
future.
