Early aeronautics

aeronautics	air	wings machines
scientists	flight	kites flew
engineering	aerodynamics	fly mechanism

The first mention of aeronautics in history came in the writings of ancient Egyptians who described the (1) of birds. Aeronautics also finds mention in ancient China where people flew (2) thousands of years ago. The medieval Islamic (3) were not far behind, as they understood the actual (4) of bird flight. Before scientific investigation (5) was started, people started thinking of ways to (6). In a Greek legend, Icarus and his father Daedalus built (7) of feathers and wax and (8) out of prison. When people started to study scientifically how to fly, people began to understand the basics of (9) and (10). Leonardo da Vinci studied the flight of birds in developing (11) schematics for some of the earliest (12) flying in the late fifteenth century.

7. Answer the following questions. Begin your answers with such introductory phrases as: as far as I know; as far as I remember; to my mind; certainly; it's hard to tell; probably; of course; if I am not mistaken etc.

1) How is aeronautics defined?

2) What does aerodynamics deal with?

3) What laws and concepts did Newton develop?

4) What principle did Daniel Bernoulli develop?

5) What contribution to the understanding of flight did the Asian cultures make?

6) What forces are involved in flight?

7) What do airplane designers do to improve airplane performance and safety?

8. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. Наблюдения за летающими птицами дало человеку идею полета человека.

2. Первые научные принципы полета человека появились в 14-м веке.

3. В 1903 году братья Уилбер и Орвилл Райт построили свой самолет.

4. Самолет братьев Райт был самолетом с двигателем внутреннего сгорания.

5. В 1913 году русский конструктор Игорь Сикорский построил первый в мире многомоторный самолет.

6. В начале 20-го века был изобретен дирижабль.
7. Среди пионеров авиации имена авиационных конструкторов Туполева, Поликарпова, Сухого, Архангельского, Ильюшина, Яковлева и др.