Civil aviation is now 100 years old--time to renew our appreciation of its magic.
Every 13 seconds, a civil aircraft powered by a Rolls-Royce Trent engine is either taking off or landing. Indeed, because flying has become commonplace, it’s easy for the public to take it for granted--even though, prior to the 20th century, such a feat existed only as a theoretical goal.
But for today’s jet engines to work--safely lifting an aircraft weighing more than a 100,000 lbs. into the air, again and again--demands total precision, down to the last micron (a micron is roughly as thick as a strand of human hair).
In short, everything has to be exactly right. Every single piece. Every time.
To commemorate the century from the birth of civil aviation until now, let’s take a closer look at the incredible engineering that makes flying possible.
