Abstract
Engineering, according to our Senior Institution, is ‘the art of directing the great forces of power in nature for the use and convenience of man’. Mechanical engineering as applied to aeronautics is, I consider, mechanical engineering at its best. And this is not for any altruistic reason but because of the very real prizes to be obtained from improved performance and reduced weight.
It is only 50 years since the first aircraft flew and now more people cross the Atlantic or the Continent of America by air than by all the alternative means available. The rate of advance has been terrific and the ever-changing picture has posed new problems and issued new challenges at every turn. Whilst it may be argued that the rate of development has stemmed principally from the military significance of aviation, the lessons learnt have been applied to civil transport. In addition, new materials, new techniques, new principles of design have greatly benefited other branches of engineering and stimulated other industries.
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