Aeronautical works Matthew Piers Watt Boulton

1 aeronautical works

1.1 patent description of ailerons
1.2 ongoing controversy
1.3 other aeronautical, gas turbine , engine design research
1.4 family connection other aviation works

aeronautical works

in 1868, long before advent of powered aircraft flight — , within decade of birth of both orville , wilbur wright — boulton patented first aileron. aileron system created actuated either hand operated control (not illustrated on patent s drawings) or automatic pendulum control device (depicted on patent s drawing sheet), intended function of single-axis autopilot. boulton s inspiration lateral flight control device has been attributed french count ferdinand charles honore phillipe d esterno, detailed analysis of flapping , soaring bird flight, du vol des oiseaux (on flight of birds) published pamphlet in 1864. although boulton s prescient aileron control system functional, he, did of era, lacked detailed understanding of aerodynamics, , airplane designed never achieved flight.

ailerons key device lateral flight control of airplanes enable safe flight. still in universal use in present day civilian , military aircraft, , on sophisticated jetliners. in 1873, 5 years after boulton s aileron patent, french military engineer , aircraft designer charles renard built , flew @ st.-eloi, near arras, small unmanned multi-wing glider incorporating ailerons (which termed ‘winglets’) on each side of body, controlled boulton s pendulum control single-axis autopilot device design layout closely matched patent.

boulton s letter s patent specifications sealed on 4 august 1868 , complete patent backdated application date of 5 february 1868. british patent, 392nd 1 completed in 1868, issued more 35 years before ailerons reinvented in france, , ailerons later repatented in united states glenn curtiss of aerial experiment association in 1911. boulton s 1868 patent became forgotten , lost sight until same time, few years before came general use in 1915. aviation historian c. h. gibbs-smith acknowledged boulton s priority of invention, stating if 1868 patent had been revealed @ time of wright brothers legal filings, might not have been able claim priority of invention lateral control of flying machines.

although boulton had described ailerons in 1864 , patented them in 1868, no 1 known have used them in manned aircraft flight until robert esnault-pelterie s glider, 36 years later in 1904 (renard s 1871 glider flights using pendulum controlled winglets unmanned). esnault-pelterie, french aeronautical engineer, built wright brothers-style biplane glider year had first used wing warping design had copied, glider s control in flight found poor , changed on ailerons, although source states changeover due view wing warping structurally dangerous.

the french journal l aérophile later published photos of esnault-pelterie s glider inter-wing ailerons in june 1905, , ailerons copied other aircraft designers, interwing ailerons showing on final-flown revision of alberto santos-dumont s 14-bis canard biplane on 12 november 1906, popularized american pilot , aircraft designer glenn curtiss golden flyer first self-designed aircraft in 1909, , entering widespread use 1915. wrights, having vigorously fought others using form of lateral flight control without payment of onerous licensing fees them, quietly changed aircraft flight control systems wing warping ailerons @ time well. unknown whether esnault-pelterie had seen boulton s patent or reinvented ailerons independently.

gibbs-smith later wrote in 1960 opus, aeroplane: historical survey of origins , development, boulton invented method of control identical modern aileron control system in 1868. had not been overlooked, history of practical aeroplane have been radically different, since problem of achieving lateral stability , control plagued wrights, langley, curtiss, , whole european school 30–40 years later .

1868 boulton patent, no. 392: aërial locomotion etcetera

patent description of ailerons

boulton s description of aileron control system both clear , complete. first record have of appreciation of necessity active lateral control distinguished [passive lateral stability].... invention of boulton s have birth of present-day 3 torque method of airborne control praised charles manly. endorsed c.h. gibbs-smith.

the patent s actual wording of ailerons reads (page 16, line 8):

for safety of aerial vessel important provide controlling power not direct horizontal , vertical course, prevent turning on rotating on longitudinal axis. stability of kind desired afforded using extended surface sides make angle axis upwards.... desirable provide more powerful action preventing [rolling] rotation of body in direction. purpose rudder of following construction may adopted:—vanes or movable surfaces attached arms projecting vessel laterally or @ right angles length. when these vanes not required act present edges front, offer little resistance vessel s movement, if vessel should begin rotate [roll] on longitudinal axis vanes moved take inclined positions, on ascending side of vessel being caused rotate such inclination air impinging upon them exerts pressure downwards, while on descending side inclined air impinging upon them exerts pressure upwards, balance of vessel redressed , further rotation prevented. vanes may moved hand or self-acting mechanism.....

three figures (no. 5–7) of aileron system provided on patent s attached drawing sheet, , on page 19 explanation of drawings reads (page 19, line 22):

figure 5 represents transverse section of plane fitted rudders constructed according invention prevent turning on over axis in line of motion through air. section of plane supposed have taken position inclined horizon; b , c 2 vanes mounted on axes 1 @ each side of plane, can turned round throttle valve....

nowhere in patent there description of mounting ailerons on trailing edges of airplane s wings, have induced adverse yaw, ...on arms projecting vessel laterally . indeed, first ailerons used robert esnault-pelterie in 1904 mounted inter-wing, not on trailing edges of glider s wings have created unequal aileron drag.

ongoing controversy

there still conflicting claims today on first invented aileron. other 19th century engineers , scientists, including charles renard, alphonse pénaud, , louis mouillard, had described similar flight control surfaces, possibly serving further inspiration boulton aside count d esterno. technique lateral flight control, wing warping, described or experimented several people including jean-marie le bris, john montgomery, clement ader, edson gallaudet, d. d. wells, , hugo mattullath. aviation historian c. h. gibbs-smith wrote aileron ....one of remarkable inventions... of aeronautical history, lost sight of .

in apparent oversight u.s. patent office, wright brothers, on second attempt, obtained patent in 1906, not invention of airplane (which had existed number of decades in form of gliders) invention of system of aerodynamic control manipulated flying machine s surfaces, including lateral flight control. did despite rudders, elevators , ailerons having been invented long before efforts began, , aggressively sued other aircraft builders worldwide failure pay them licensing royalties on basis of lateral flight control described in expansive 1906 patent. irrespective of such controversies boulton, indisputably, first patent ailerons, having done in 1868, , first described him in 1864 booklet on aërial locomotion. ailerons used esnault-pelterie in 1904 followed boulton s concept, although unknown whether had studied latter s 1864 , 1868 works, or if had reinvented them independently.

other aeronautical, gas turbine , engine design research

in 1864 boulton looked @ problems of combustion @ constant pressure, in connection operation of industrial gas turbine. british patent, no. 1636 of 1864, contains points of interest. realized high velocity of gas jet exiting combustion chamber nozzle offered practical difficulty, , proposed remedy use of successive induced jets of increasing volume , consequently lower velocity. shown in drawing, gases being delivered through collinear nozzles of increasing diameter, outer nozzles operating @ increased gas volumes reduced velocities, similar exhaust of high-bypass turbofan jet engine.

another method proposed boulton maintaining combustion @ constant pressure shown gas burned in inverted chamber under water, products of combustion passing through water between baffle plates , mixed gases , steam being later delivered turbine. went on file number of patents related gas turbine research (see patents).

boulton attempted build ornithopter, aircraft create lift movement of articulating wings. manned ornithopters later successful created in 2006 when teams @ university of toronto institute aerospace studies (utias) achieved working designs them large flapping wing areas.

family connection other aviation works

besides boulton s invention of primary flight control, aileron, family name may associated known british firm provided wartime aircraft production boulton paul aircraft. boulton paul aircraft ltd british aircraft manufacturer created in 1934, although start in aircraft manufacturing began earlier in 1914, , lasted until 1961. company built , modified aircraft under contract other manufacturers, had few notable designs of own, such boulton paul defiant.

the company s origins date norwich ironmonger s shop founded in 1797. william staples boulton joined norfolk ironworks firm of moore & barnard in 1844. 1870 william had been elevated partner , firm renamed barnard & boulton, later becoming boulton & paul ltd. latter firm began construction engineering division in 1905. in 1900s, boulton & paul became successful general manufacturing firm, starting aircraft production operation in 1914–1915. aircraft manufacturing division spun off main construction business in 1934, subsequently moving wolverhampton.

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