通用航空概述

1、通用航空概述(General Aviation - AnOverview)（美國(guó)通用航空簡(jiǎn)介）什么是通用航空？也許回答這個(gè)問(wèn)題最好的方式是列出通用航空不是什么。首先，通用航空 不是軍用航空，其次，通用航空也不屬于有定期航班的商用航空。此外的所有用途的航空在 很大程度上都可以歸類到通用航空這個(gè)概念。這些具體的用途如下，但通用航空的概念不僅 限于此。1、私人娛樂(lè)和運(yùn)動(dòng)飛行；2、航拍和航空探測(cè)；3、空中播種和噴灑農(nóng)藥；4、公務(wù)飛行；5、空中救援；6、飛行訓(xùn)練；7、警務(wù)飛行和空中滅火。用于通用航空的飛機(jī)有大有小，從小型飛機(jī)、單引擎飛機(jī)、布質(zhì)蒙皮飛機(jī)一直到上千萬(wàn)的噴 氣式公務(wù)機(jī)。通用飛機(jī)也包括直升機(jī)，經(jīng)

2、修復(fù)的退役軍機(jī)，設(shè)計(jì)應(yīng)用復(fù)合材料的自制飛機(jī)。 通用航空這個(gè)術(shù)語(yǔ)出現(xiàn)在20世紀(jì)50年代。在此之前，人們談?wù)摰氖撬饺孙w行或者是公務(wù)飛 行。不考慮通用航空這個(gè)術(shù)語(yǔ)及其應(yīng)用的話，非軍用航空和非商業(yè)定期航班用途的航空（也 就是現(xiàn)在所謂的通用航空）的歷史可以追溯到動(dòng)力飛行的初期。在威爾伯萊特(Wilbur Wrights)和奧威爾萊特(Orville Wrights)兄弟的發(fā)明受到人們 的關(guān)注后不久，美國(guó)人開(kāi)始?jí)粝脒@項(xiàng)先進(jìn)的科學(xué)技術(shù)可以帶來(lái)的更偉大的夢(mèng)想。許許多多存 在不同信仰的人開(kāi)始對(duì)未來(lái)進(jìn)行各種各樣的預(yù)言，正如歷史學(xué)家約瑟夫-科文(Joseph Corn)所說(shuō)的“飛行的福音”。有的人認(rèn)為在將來(lái)飛機(jī)會(huì)像

3、當(dāng)時(shí)的汽車(chē)一樣普及，成為一種 常用的交通工具。有的人甚至認(rèn)為將來(lái)幾乎每個(gè)家庭的車(chē)庫(kù)都會(huì)有一架飛機(jī)。另一些人認(rèn)為， 未來(lái)人們加入到航空產(chǎn)業(yè)工作會(huì)給美國(guó)的黑人和婦女帶來(lái)更多的社會(huì)公平。航空業(yè)沒(méi)有完全 實(shí)現(xiàn)這些人的預(yù)言。事實(shí)上，在20世紀(jì)的大多數(shù)時(shí)間里，航空業(yè)的很多領(lǐng)域，包括軍用飛 行和商業(yè)飛行，禁止婦女和非裔美國(guó)人的參與。然而，通用航空第一次給黑人和婦女帶來(lái)了 參與飛行的機(jī)會(huì)?，F(xiàn)在人們認(rèn)為，真正意義上的通用航空出現(xiàn)在20世紀(jì)20年代中期之后。然而，在此之前， 一些個(gè)人和組織開(kāi)始試驗(yàn)航空科技的應(yīng)用，這些實(shí)驗(yàn)以后都成為了通用航空的重要組成部 分。例如，飛機(jī)用于防止農(nóng)作物病蟲(chóng)害、航空探測(cè)的首次應(yīng)用以及首

4、次包機(jī)飛行都可以追溯 到20世紀(jì)20年代中期以前。除此之外，用于私人飛行的第一架飛機(jī)的生產(chǎn)和交易也發(fā)生在 飛行史的初期。一些富有的個(gè)人和飛行表演飛行員從早期的航空制造商：如萊特兄弟以及他 們的首要競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手一一格倫柯蒂斯(Glenn Curtiss)，那里購(gòu)置了飛機(jī)。就在第一次世界 大戰(zhàn)之前，克萊德塞斯納(Clyde Cessna)，一個(gè)自學(xué)成才的表演飛行員，草草地經(jīng)營(yíng)著他 的第一個(gè)飛機(jī)制造公司，他建立這件飛機(jī)制造公司的初衷是為了造出并出售小型的相對(duì)便宜 的私人飛機(jī)。塞斯納和與他有著同樣的理想的人，在20世紀(jì)二十年代和三十年代初期，在他們反復(fù)地試 著設(shè)計(jì)和制造一種他們理想中的廉價(jià)飛機(jī)的過(guò)程中，遇

5、到了許許多多的困難。在他們實(shí)現(xiàn)“每 個(gè)車(chē)庫(kù)有一架飛機(jī)”的宏偉目標(biāo)時(shí)，他們遇到的其中一個(gè)很大的障礙是飛機(jī)發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)。從20 世紀(jì)20年代一直到20世紀(jì)三十年代，飛機(jī)發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)仍然是飛機(jī)上最昂貴的部分。相對(duì)價(jià)便宜 的可以用到飛機(jī)上的發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)，如OX-5,體積大、重量大，以至于他們決定轉(zhuǎn)向設(shè)計(jì)制造大 飛機(jī)。因?yàn)榇蠖鄶?shù)較小的，較輕的發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)是歐洲生產(chǎn)的，而不是美國(guó)，發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)價(jià)格非常昂貴 而且很難得到。就這樣，設(shè)計(jì)制造人們能買(mǎi)得起的、屬于個(gè)人的私人飛機(jī)的夢(mèng)想被擱置了下 來(lái)。20世紀(jì)20年代末，查爾斯林德伯格的跨大西洋飛行使得通用航空得到了極大的發(fā)展。他 的這一著名的偉大壯舉，使得人們對(duì)各種各樣的飛行產(chǎn)生了極大地?zé)崆椤?/p>

6、特別是他的飛行鼓 勵(lì)人們對(duì)航空科學(xué)技術(shù)的各種各樣的應(yīng)用繼續(xù)進(jìn)行研究和探索。與此同時(shí)，隨著航空業(yè)的不 斷發(fā)展，聯(lián)邦政府和州一級(jí)的政府頒布實(shí)施了一系列法規(guī)條例，這使得得到政府的飛行許可 比以往稍微困難。在這些法規(guī)條例在催生了航空運(yùn)輸業(yè)的同時(shí)，這些法規(guī)條例也要求飛行員 拿到飛行執(zhí)照，以及飛機(jī)獲得飛行許可證。這些措施無(wú)疑使得通用航空更加的安全。在此之 后，自行設(shè)計(jì)制造飛機(jī)、自學(xué)飛行駕駛技術(shù)的歷史走到了盡頭。政府也同樣頒布實(shí)施了一些法令旨在鼓勵(lì)私人飛行。在20世紀(jì)30年代，聯(lián)邦政府推行了一 系列私人飛行支持者所希望的政策刺激了通用航空的發(fā)展。例如，尤金維達(dá)爾(Eugene Vidal)，他領(lǐng)導(dǎo)聯(lián)邦政府商

7、務(wù)部的航空部門(mén)，致力于推動(dòng)鼓勵(lì)設(shè)計(jì)和制造安全和廉價(jià)的飛機(jī) 的相關(guān)政策的產(chǎn)生。他希望能生產(chǎn)出一架只賣(mài)700美元的飛機(jī)，大概和一輛汽車(chē)有同等的價(jià) 格。有的飛機(jī)設(shè)計(jì)沒(méi)有符合這些政策，總的來(lái)說(shuō)就是失敗的。在20世紀(jì)30年代末期，新成 立的民用航空局發(fā)起了一個(gè)飛行員訓(xùn)練項(xiàng)目，就是人么熟知的民間飛行員訓(xùn)練項(xiàng)目。這個(gè)項(xiàng) 目旨在增加美國(guó)飛行員的數(shù)量。這些飛行員不僅僅是通用飛機(jī)飛行員，在戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的情況下，這 些參加過(guò)這個(gè)訓(xùn)練項(xiàng)目的飛行員能夠迅速轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)檐娪蔑w機(jī)飛行員。這個(gè)項(xiàng)目的結(jié)果不完全是 它的初衷，它不僅僅增加了美國(guó)飛行員的數(shù)量。而且這些飛行員中包括男性和女性，包括白 人和黑人。20世紀(jì)20年代末和20世紀(jì)30年代

8、，通用航空迎來(lái)了發(fā)展的黃金時(shí)代。在美國(guó)南部與迅速 傳遍美國(guó)的棉桃象甲蟲(chóng)的斗爭(zhēng)中、在林區(qū)防治病蟲(chóng)害以及在產(chǎn)糧區(qū)進(jìn)行空中播種，都顯示了 通用航空的重要作用。公務(wù)飛行也得到了極大的發(fā)展。在商人及企業(yè)管理者進(jìn)行商務(wù)旅行的 過(guò)程中，他們也看到了，在他們最方便的時(shí)間他們想飛到他們想去的任何地方的時(shí)候，通用 航空的巨大價(jià)值。這些公務(wù)旅行的人，幫助并使得通用航空飛機(jī)制造產(chǎn)業(yè)變得并保持健康發(fā) 展。就在這個(gè)時(shí)期，第一種型號(hào)的廉價(jià)小型飛行器出現(xiàn)了。這款廉價(jià)小型飛機(jī)是出現(xiàn)在1929 年的Aeronca C-2。Aeronca C-2的售價(jià)是2000美元，采用Aeronca公司生產(chǎn)的36馬力的發(fā) 動(dòng)機(jī)。在此之后美國(guó)的引

9、擎制造商，最先開(kāi)始于Continental，開(kāi)始著手研制生產(chǎn)小型廉價(jià)的 飛機(jī)發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)。在20世紀(jì)30年代美國(guó)的Continental, Lycoming和Franklin公司全都開(kāi)始為小 型生產(chǎn)耐用的廉價(jià)小型發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)。這些發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的功率有40馬力增加到90馬力。這些引擎推動(dòng) 著20世紀(jì)30年代末最受歡迎的飛機(jī)，風(fēng)笛手J-3幼畜，（Piper J-3 “Cub”在20世紀(jì)30年 代的末期，幼畜這型飛機(jī)的售價(jià)在1000美元以下。第二次世界大戰(zhàn)的到來(lái)，對(duì)于通用航空來(lái)說(shuō)，被后人證明既是機(jī)遇又是挑戰(zhàn)。在第二次世界 大戰(zhàn)期間，和一戰(zhàn)時(shí)一樣，通用航空在很大程度上被人們給雪藏了。但是，通用航空飛行員 和通用飛機(jī)制造

10、商在戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中都貢獻(xiàn)了自己的力量。這些飛行員組建了民間空中巡邏隊(duì)，這個(gè) 民間組織最終成為了美國(guó)空軍的后備力量。民間空中巡邏隊(duì)在戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中執(zhí)行了很多任務(wù)。他們 執(zhí)行海岸巡邏任務(wù)監(jiān)視敵軍潛艇。除此之外，他們有的飛往森林上空監(jiān)視火情，有的執(zhí)行人 道主義救援任務(wù)，如：醫(yī)療救助飛行，向被暴風(fēng)雪襲擊的地區(qū)或者受其它自然災(zāi)害襲擊災(zāi)區(qū) 空投物資。他們的活動(dòng)使得一定數(shù)量的通用航空機(jī)場(chǎng)在戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)期間保持開(kāi)放和運(yùn)營(yíng)。通用飛機(jī) 制造商在戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中生產(chǎn)了大量的軍用產(chǎn)品。首先他們成為了轉(zhuǎn)包生產(chǎn)者，用他們技術(shù)嫻熟的工 人為軍用飛機(jī)制造商生產(chǎn)的飛機(jī)生產(chǎn)飛機(jī)零部件。他們也生產(chǎn)一定數(shù)量的飛機(jī)用于 Aerial-Observation-Post（

11、空中偵察定標(biāo)）項(xiàng)目，在這個(gè)項(xiàng)目中，飛行員駕駛小型飛機(jī)為炮兵 指示目標(biāo)所在的位置。也有一些飛機(jī)制造商改進(jìn)了他們生產(chǎn)的小型飛機(jī)，使得他們可以作為 空軍戰(zhàn)斗滑翔機(jī)項(xiàng)目的訓(xùn)練滑翔機(jī)。在許多方面，第二次世界大戰(zhàn)成為通用航空史上一個(gè)重要的節(jié)點(diǎn)。至少在設(shè)計(jì)制造方面，許 多人希望這種高度的活躍氛圍在戰(zhàn)后會(huì)持續(xù)甚至增強(qiáng)。鑒于在戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)期間很多個(gè)人被訓(xùn)練為飛 行員，通用飛機(jī)制造商認(rèn)為私人飛機(jī)將快速普及的時(shí)代即將到來(lái)。但是他們的期望過(guò)高了， 正如歷史給我們展現(xiàn)的一樣，第二次世界大戰(zhàn)不是通用航空黃金時(shí)代開(kāi)始的標(biāo)志，而是這個(gè) 時(shí)代結(jié)束的標(biāo)志。在第二次世界大戰(zhàn)結(jié)束后的幾十年的某幾段時(shí)期內(nèi)，通用航空繼續(xù)成長(zhǎng)發(fā)展。例如公務(wù)飛行

12、仍然是通用航空里健康發(fā)展的一部分。它見(jiàn)證了重要的航空技術(shù)的變革，渦輪發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)技術(shù)開(kāi) 始應(yīng)用到噴氣式發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)和渦輪螺旋槳發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)驅(qū)動(dòng)的小型飛機(jī)。這類高端的公務(wù)機(jī)仍然有需 求。在20世紀(jì)40年代末，直升飛機(jī)開(kāi)始出現(xiàn)。雖然這種空中交通交通工具沒(méi)有成為私人飛 行的選擇，但是它們卻在醫(yī)療救援和治安執(zhí)法方面扮演者重要角色。最大的技術(shù)進(jìn)步是在航 空電子技術(shù)方面，這使得通用飛機(jī)飛行員可以使用無(wú)線電和導(dǎo)航設(shè)備。今天，僅用幾百美元， 一個(gè)飛行員甚至可以很容易地駕駛一架只配置有指南針的小型幼畜J-3飛機(jī)，就可以精確的 確定他或她的位置，然后飛行離他最近的機(jī)場(chǎng)。就私人飛行這個(gè)人們提到通用航空就會(huì)首先想到的飛行方式來(lái)說(shuō)，它在

13、戰(zhàn)后經(jīng)歷了很多困難 的時(shí)期。首先，先前提到的有的通用飛機(jī)制造商預(yù)期的私人購(gòu)置飛機(jī)的欣欣向榮景象并沒(méi)有 出現(xiàn)。許多通用飛機(jī)制造公司，包括那些在20世紀(jì)20年代到30年代非常成功的飛機(jī)制造 公司都退出了通用飛機(jī)生產(chǎn)領(lǐng)域。但依然有一些飛機(jī)制造公司堅(jiān)持了下來(lái)，如塞斯納（Cessna），風(fēng)笛手（Piper），比奇（Beech）等。20世紀(jì)50到70年代，他們不得不非常努 力地去重建私人飛機(jī)市場(chǎng)。當(dāng)他們的飛機(jī)制造技術(shù)從布質(zhì)蒙皮飛機(jī)轉(zhuǎn)向全金屬飛機(jī)時(shí)，他們 取得了一定的成功。在1980年，私人飛機(jī)市場(chǎng)和飛行員的數(shù)量達(dá)到了頂峰。在20世紀(jì)的最 后20年，通用航空業(yè)，特別就私人飛機(jī)這塊來(lái)說(shuō)，一直在努力掙扎。通用航

14、空市場(chǎng)面臨著許多問(wèn)題。首先，在20世紀(jì)70到80年代，針對(duì)飛機(jī)制造商的法律訴 訟逐漸增多。在這些法律訴訟的花費(fèi)，特別是在與購(gòu)置責(zé)任保險(xiǎn)相關(guān)聯(lián)的法律訴訟方面的花 費(fèi)，推升了私人飛機(jī)的價(jià)格?？紤]到，大多數(shù)應(yīng)用到這些飛機(jī)上的技術(shù)（飛機(jī)的結(jié)構(gòu)和發(fā)動(dòng) 機(jī)）自20世紀(jì)五、六十年代以來(lái)沒(méi)有多大的改進(jìn)，新的，更昂貴的價(jià)格調(diào)整，特別是對(duì)于 潛在的消費(fèi)者來(lái)說(shuō)是行不通的。這些新的價(jià)格使得私人飛機(jī)除了少數(shù)人能購(gòu)買(mǎi)之外，大多數(shù) 人只能奢望。盡管?chē)?guó)會(huì)努力幫助解決飛機(jī)制造商的責(zé)任保險(xiǎn)問(wèn)題，通用航空業(yè)仍然在等待著 復(fù)興。還值得一提的是，美國(guó)具有飛行執(zhí)照的飛行員在1980年達(dá)到了頂峰。盡管一些組織 一直在強(qiáng)調(diào)這種下降的趨勢(shì)，從

15、20世紀(jì)90年代到現(xiàn)在，這種下降趨勢(shì)人在繼續(xù)。一個(gè)讓人值得興奮地地方是，自行制造飛機(jī)運(yùn)動(dòng)的興起。在20世紀(jì)30年代，聯(lián)邦和州政府 頒布法規(guī)，禁止私人建造飛機(jī)和私人飛行他們自制的飛機(jī)。在20世紀(jì)50年代初，一個(gè)叫做 實(shí)驗(yàn)飛行器協(xié)會(huì)（Experimental Aircraft Association【EAA】）的組織成立，旨在推動(dòng)自行建 造飛機(jī)的復(fù)興。他們非常成功，盡管工廠制造飛機(jī)的產(chǎn)量增長(zhǎng)在20世紀(jì)的最后二十年非常 的緩慢，但是自行建造飛機(jī)卻飛速發(fā)展。實(shí)驗(yàn)飛行器協(xié)會(huì)，也迎來(lái)了他的社會(huì)地位，一些個(gè) 人決定保持飛機(jī)的黃金飛行年齡。再20世紀(jì)八、九十年代，許多飛行愛(ài)好者包括自行建造 者和飛機(jī)維護(hù)修理人

16、員，每年都會(huì)去參加在實(shí)驗(yàn)飛行器協(xié)會(huì)所在地，威斯康辛州的奧喀什（Oshkosh）舉行的大約一周的一年一度的航空盛會(huì)。通用航空史的多數(shù)部分和“飛行的福音”的夢(mèng)想和信仰是符合的。盡管這些夢(mèng)想和信仰從 未被完全實(shí)現(xiàn)過(guò)，這些夢(mèng)想和信仰被保留著。盡管有時(shí)現(xiàn)實(shí)似乎會(huì)使得“飛行的福音”的目 標(biāo)不能被實(shí)現(xiàn)，但是美國(guó)人對(duì)于航空科學(xué)技術(shù)（正如對(duì)于其它血多的科學(xué)技術(shù)一樣）的熱情 使得這些夢(mèng)想永遠(yuǎn)存在。不管這個(gè)夢(mèng)想能否在另一個(gè)世紀(jì)生存下來(lái)，它仍將被看到。西北工業(yè)大學(xué)、航空學(xué)院2007級(jí)本科生，李茂翻譯自Dr. Janet Bednarek的通用航空概述，General Aviation - An OverviewGen

17、eral Aviation - An OverviewDr. Janet BednarekPerhaps the best way to define general aviation is to begin by listing what it is not. General aviation is not military aviation and it is not scheduled commercial aviation. To a great extent, all other uses of aviation in the United States fall into the

18、category of general aviation. These uses include, but are not limited to, private and sport flying, aerial photography and surveying, crop dusting, business flying, medical evacuation, flight training, and the police and fire fighting uses of aircraft. The airplanes used in general aviation range fr

19、om small, single-engine, fabric-covered aircraft to multi-million dollar business jets. They also include helicopters, restored war birds, and homebuilt aircraft designed to use advanced composite technology. The term general aviation came into use during the 1950s. Before that time, commentators ta

20、lked of private flying or business flying. Regardless of the term or terms used, the non-military and non-commercial airline uses of aviation date back to the very early history of powered flight.Shortly after Wilbur and Orville Wrights invention came to public attention, people in the United States

21、 began to dream big dreams of what the new technology would bring. Many beliefs came to make up what historian Joseph Corn called the “winged gospel.” One part of the winged gospel included a vision of a future in which the airplane would be as common a form of transportation as the automobile. Ther

22、e would be, as some put it, “an airplane in every garage. Another part of the winged gospel included the hope that participation in aviation would allow women and African Americans to gain greater equality in Americansociety. Aviation never completely fulfilled that promise. In fact, many areas of a

23、viation activity, including military flying and commercial airlines, barred women and African Americans for much of the twentieth century. However, both women and African Americans found their first opportunities to participate in flight in general aviation.What is now known as general aviation real

24、ly did not emerge fully until after the mid-1970s. Nonetheless, even before then a number of individuals began to experiment with uses of flight technology that would later become important parts of general aviation. For example, the first uses of airplanes for crop treatment, aerial surveying, and

25、corporate flying all dated before the mid-1970s. Also, the first production and purchases of aircraft for private uses also happened very early in the history of flight. Wealthy individuals and some early exhibition pilots purchased aircraft from such pioneer aircraft manufacturers as the Wright bro

26、thers and their chief rival, Glenn Curtiss. Just before World War I, Clyde Cessna, a self-taught exhibition pilot, briefly operated his first aircraft company, one he founded with the purpose of building and selling small, relatively inexpensive aircraft for personnel use.Cessna and those who follow

27、ed him in the 1920s and early 1930s faced a number of difficulties as they tried repeatedly to build the type of aircraft that would allow for the realization of the dreams of the winged gospel. One of the biggest obstacles to the goal of“an airplane in every garage?was the aircraft engine. T!thaig9

28、20s and into the 1930s engines remained often the most expensive parts of the aircraft. The relatively affordable engines available, such as the OX-5, were so large and heavy that they demanded the design of large aircraft. Smaller, lighter engines were both very expensive and hard to get as most of

29、 the best were produced in Europe, not the United States. The dream of affordable, personal aircraft would have to wait.General aviation received a tremendous boost in the late 1920s with the trans-Atlantic flight of Charles Lindbergh. His celebrated feat created a great deal of enthusiasm for fligh

30、t of all kinds. In particular his flight encouraged many to continue to explore the varied uses of aviation technology. At the same time, though, as aviation grew as an activity, government regulations at both the state and federal levels worked to make access to flight a little more difficult. Whil

31、e the new programs did help give birth to the commercial airline industry, they also began to demand that pilots earn licenses and that aircraft receive certification. These measures undoubtedly helped make general aviation safer. At the same time though, the age of the backyard builder and self-tau

32、ght pilot were numbered.Some government programs aimed at encouraging private flying. During the 1930s the Federal government initiated a number of programs supporters hoped would help spur general aviation. For example, Eugene Vidal, who headed the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce,

33、pushed for the creation of a government program to encourage the design and manufacture of a safe, affordable aircraft. He hoped to come up with an aircraft that could be sold for $700, about the same price as an automobile. While some new aircraft designs did come out of the program, overall it was

34、 a failure. Later in the 1930s, the newly established Civil Aeronautics Authority sponsored a pilot training program. Known as the Civilian Pilot Training Program, the idea was to increase the number of pilots in the United States. These pilots would not only be a“market?for general aviation aircraf

35、t, but the young men trained in the program could more quickly become military pilots in case of war. While this program also failed to live up to its early promises, it nonetheless increased the number of pilots in the United States. And these new pilots included both men and women, and both whites

36、 and African Americans.The late 1920s and the 1930s also witnessed the expansion of general aviation enterprises. Crop dusting, proved valuable in the South in fighting the boll weevil, soon spread throughout the United States and included the treatment of forested areas as well as the aerial seedin

37、g of rice fields. Business travel also greatly expanded. While many businessmen and women used the new commercial airliners, many also saw the value of being able to fly wherever they needed at the time most convenient to them. These business people helped ensure that the high-end of the general avi

38、ation aircraft manufacturing market became and remained healthy. And during this time period the first affordable small aircraft made their appearance. The first affordable small aircraft was the Aeronca C-2 introduced in 1929. It sold for under $2000 and was powered by a 36-horsepower engine built

39、by Aeronca. Soon thereafter American engine manufacturers, beginning with Continental, began to finally produce small affordable aircraft engines. By the end of the 1930s Continental, Lycoming and Franklin were all producing durable, affordable engines for small aircraft. The horsepower produced by

40、these engines increased from 40 to 90. Engines like these powered the most popular aircraft of the late 1930s, the Piper J-3 Cub.” At the end of that decade, a new Cub sold for just under $1000.The coming of World War II proved both a challenge and an opportunity for general aviation. During World W

41、ar II, as during World War I, most of the general aviation fleet was grounded. However, both general aviation pilots and manufacturers found ways to participate in the war effort. Pilots organized the Civil Air Patrol, an organization that eventually became an auxiliary of the Army Air Forces (and l

42、ater the United State Air Force). Civil Air Patrol pilots performed a number of duties during the war. They flew coastal patrol missions looking for enemy submarines. Others flew over the nations forests acting as fire spotters. And still others flew humanitarian missions such as emergency medical f

43、lights and dropping supplies to areas hit hard by blizzards, floods or other natural disasters. Their activities also helped keep a large number of general aviation airports open and active during the war. General aviation aircraft manufacturers provided a number of products for the war effort. Firs

44、t, they acted as sub-contractors, using their skilled work forces to produce aircraft components for the manufacturers of military aircraft. They also sold a number of aircraft to the Army that were used in the Aerial-Observation-Post program in which Army pilots flew small aircraft in order to spot

45、 targets for Army artillery. And a number of general aviation manufacturers modified their small aircraft so that they could serve as training gliders for the Army Air Forces combat glider program.In many ways World War II marked a high point in the history of general aviation, at least when it came

46、 to the manufacturing sector. Many hoped that the high level of activity would continue and even increase in the post-war period. Given the large number of individuals trained as pilots during the war, general aviation manufacturers hoped that the time when private aircraft would come into widesprea

47、d use was finally at hand. Hopes were high. However, as events unfolded, World War II marked not the beginning but the end of any golden age for general aviation.In the decades after World War II certain segments of general aviation continued to grow and develop. Business aviation, for example, cont

48、inued as a very healthy part of the general aviation scene. It also witnessed important technological changes including the introduction of turbine engines, both jets and turbo props. These high-end business aircraft remained in demand. The late 1940s also saw the introduction of helicopters. While

49、these aerial vehicles also failed to become common forms of personal transport, they did become very important in such activities as medical evacuation and law enforcement. The biggest advancements, though, came in avionics ?the radio and navigation equipment available to general aviation pilots. To

50、day for a few hundred dollars a pilot, even in a small J-3 Cub, which normally has nothing more advanced that a compass, can pinpoint his or her location and easily fly a course to the nearest airport.In terms of personal flying, the type of flying most people think of first when they think of gener

51、al aviation, the post-war period witnessed a number of difficult times. First, the post-war boom in private aircraft purchases never materialized. Many companies, including some that had been very successful in the 1920s and 1930s, were forced out of the aircraft business. The survivors, such as Pip

52、er, Cessna and Beech, had to work hard to rebuild the personal aircraft market in the 1950s through the 1970s. They did see some successes as each company made the transition from fabric-covered to all-metal aircraft. However, both the market for personal aircraft and the number of pilots in the Uni

53、ted States peaked by 1980. In the last two decades of the twentieth century, the general aviation industry, particularly in terms of personal aircraft, struggled.The general aviation market suffered from a number of problems. First, lawsuits against aircraft manufacturers escalated in the 1970s and

54、1980s. The costs involved with these lawsuits, especially those associated with purchasing liability insurance, pushed up the price of personal aircraft. Given that most of the technology included in these aircraft (their airframe and engines) had not advanced much since the 1950s and 1960s, the new, much higher prices proved particularly difficult to justify to potential buyers. The new prices also put these production a