Electronics in the Evolution of Flight (Centennial of Flight Series)

Electronics in the Evolution of Flight traces the paired history of modern aviation and electronics, or avionics, from its earliest years to the indispensable tool it is today. Albert Helfrick, who for twenty-five years has designed avionics for agencies and corporations such as NASA and Boeing, provides a thorough account of the roles played by the famous and the obscure, from Edwin Howard Armstrong to Nikola Tesla and David Sarnoff, in the successful creation of aviation technology. Helfrick focuses much of his work on the advancement of electronic systems. He explains the origins of technical definitions and acronyms such as Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) and the difference between short waves and microwaves. With an easy familiarity, he reviews topics as varied as the Morse code, the Radio Club of America, and the evolution of microprocessors. Helfrick covers the history of all of the engineering and electronic developments in a style that is accessible to lay readers, but also provides a valuable reference for specialists.