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The Atmospheric Environment and Aircraft—Now and the Future

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

F. O'Hara
Affiliation:
Royal Aircraft Establishment, Bedford
J. Burnham
Affiliation:
Royal Aircraft Establishment, Bedford

Summary

A survey is made of the effects on aircraft of the main atmospheric factors and of the way they are dealt with, in design and operation, at the present time. Possible developments in the pattern of the relationships of aircraft to the atmospheric environment are discussed, in the light of expected advances like operational VTOL, and orbital-type flight, reliable weather forecasting, and effective turbulence avoidance and gust alleviation systems. These developments should all be conducive to safer and more comfortable flight. Marked further benefits would accrue from weather control in the vicinity of airfields, of which there are some prospects, improvement in en-route operation through weather control appears less probable, and the prospects of smoothing turbulence ahead of the aircraft are speculated on.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1968 

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