1.1 Introduction to Aviation Technology

• Historical milestones in the development of aircraft
• Key pioneers of aviation
• Types of aircraft: lighter-than-air and heavier-than-air
• The functions of different types of aircraft

• explain the historical milestones in the development of aircraft
• relate the contribution of key pioneers to the development of aircraft
• categorise the types of aircraft in aviation
• distinguish heavier-than-air and lighter-than-air aircraft
• evaluate the functions of different types of aircraft
• appreciate the milestones of aircraft development

“How did aircraft develop, and what are the main types?”

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1. Introduction to aviation technology
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   How aircraft developed through history, the key pioneers, the classification of aircraft into lighter-than-air and heavier-than-air, and the functions of the different types.
2. Aviation as a field of study in Kenya
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   What aviation technology studies, how Kenya's airports and operators work, and the careers the subject opens.
3. The first human flight
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   The 1783 Montgolfier hot-air balloon, why buoyancy lifts a balloon, and what that milestone did - and did not - solve.
4. George Cayley and the glider
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   How Cayley became the father of aerodynamics: fixed wings, a tail, the four forces, and gliders as heavier-than-air flight without an engine.
5. The Wright brothers and powered flight
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Why 1903 counts as the birth of the aeroplane: lift, a light engine, propellers, and three-axis control.
6. Helicopters, jets and modern aviation
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Sikorsky's practical helicopter, the jet engine, and how those milestones show up in Kenya today, including drones.
7. Lighter-than-air aircraft
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   How balloons and airships float, how they differ, and the jobs each can do.
8. Heavier-than-air aircraft
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, how each generates lift, and where gliders and drones fit.
9. Functions of different types of aircraft
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Matching aircraft type to the job in Kenya: passengers, cargo, rescue, safari, farming, military and drones.
10. Classifying aircraft and why it matters
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Putting the sub-strand together: a classification tree, given aircraft categorised, and the inquiry question answered.