Among the myriad aircraft in the world, there are two main ways to get airborne. There are conventional aeroplanes that combine ground acceleration, a runaway and fixed wings to generate lift and propel them into the air; then there’s the aircraft that get straight to the point and rise from the ground vertically. These are known as vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircaft.
The idea of VTOL isn’t a novel one; it’s not even one that has been dreamt up in the last 100 years. During the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci, designed a corkscrew-like aircraft that would, in theory, lift straight off the ground. Known as the ‘aerial screw’ Da Vinci’s design used a linen spiral wound around a wooden shaft and spring, driven by four men, to supposedly generate enough lift to get it off the ground. Da Vinci never constructed a model of his spiral helicopter, but scientists are pretty sure that while he was on the right lines, its execution would likely fail. This was mainly because the screw would be too heavy to generate enough thrust to get it airborne.
THE FIRST TAKE OFF
Denne historien er fra Issue 178-utgaven av How It Works UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Issue 178-utgaven av How It Works UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE POWER OF WATER
We're hooked on fossil fuels. But hydroelectric power is becoming an increasingly important replacement for coal and oil
EXPLORING THE MOON'S CAVES
Earth's rocky neighbour is home to a network of unexplored caves, and scientists are keen to take a peek inside
HOW TO ELECT THE PRESIDENT
The campaigns, votes and elections that put someone in America's most powerful office
WHAT IS MORNING SICKNESS?
Why some pregnancies can cause nausea and vomiting
20 WEIRDEST SCIENCE MYSTERIES
From dark matter to deep-sea crabs, science still can't fully explain these strange quirks of nature
THE TRIANGULUM GALAXY SHINES IN A NEW HUBBLE IMAGE
A nearby galaxy is shining with star formation in a new image from the Hubble Space Telescope.
The world's fastest charger fully powers smartphones in five minutes
Scientists have revealed the fastest battery-charging technology in the world for smartphones, which can fully charge a smartphone in less than five minutes.
Real-time brain stimulation slashes Parkinson's symptoms by half in trials
Brain stimulation that rapidly adjusts in real-time can dramatically reduce Parkinson’s symptoms, an early trial suggests.
The hottest ocean temperature in 400 years threatens the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is facing the hottest sea surface temperatures in four centuries.
Massive medieval coin hoard worth about 150 sheep' discovered
Archaeologists in Germany have unearthed over 1,500 medieval silver coins after a citizen noticed what looked like ‘small metal plates’ while digging during a construction project.