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Sometimes dubbed the Golden Age of Aviation, the period in the history of aviation between the end of World War I (1918) and the beginning of World War II (1939) was characterised by a progressive change from the slow wood-and-fabric biplanes of World War I to fast, streamlined metal monoplanes, creating a revolution in both commercial and military aviation. By the outbreak of World War II in 1939 the biplane was all but obsolete. This revolution was made possible by the continuing development of lightweight aero engines of increasing power. The jet engine also began development during the 1930s but would not see operational use until later. During this period civil aviation became widespread and many daring and dramatic feats took place such as round-the-world flights, air races and barnstorming displays. Many commercial airlines were started during this period. Long-distance flights for the luxury traveller became possible for the first time; the early services used airships but, after the Hindenburg disaster, airships fell out of use and the flying boat came to dominate. In military aviation, the fast all-metal monoplane emerged in such classic designs as the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the British Supermarine Spitfire, which would go on to see service in the coming war. ==Airships== (詳細はJapan. This period marked the great age of the airship. Before the First World War, pioneers such as the German Zeppelin company had begun passenger services, but the airships constructed in the years following were altogether larger and more famous. Large airships were also experimented with for military purposes, notably the American construction of two airborne aircraft carriers, but their large size made them vulnerable and the idea was dropped. This period also saw the introduction of non-flammable helium as a lifting gas by the United States, while the more dangerous hydrogen continued to be used since the United States had the only sources of the gas and would not export it. In 1919 the British airship ''R34'' flew a double crossing of the Atlantic and in 1926 the Italian semi-rigid airship, ''Norge'' was the first aircraft confirmed to fly over the North Pole. The first American-built rigid airship, the , flew in 1923. The ''Shenandoah'' was the first to use helium, which was in such short supply that the one airship contained most of the world's reserves. The US Navy explored the idea of using airships as airborne aircraft carriers. Whereas the British had experimented with an aircraft "trapeze" on the ''R33'' many years before, the Americans built hangars into two new airships and even designed specialist airplanes for them. The and were the world's largest airships at the time, with each carrying four F9C Sparrowhawk fighters in its hangar. Although successful, the idea was not taken further. By the time the Navy started to develop a sound doctrine for using these airships, both had been lost in accidents. More significantly, the seaplane had become more mature and was considered a better investment.〔Smith, Richard K. ''The Airships Akron & Macon: flying aircraft carriers of the United States Navy'', Annapolis MD, US Naval Institute Press, 1965, ISBN 978-0-87021-065-5〕 The Empire State Building, then the tallest building in the world, was completed in 1931 with a dirigible mast, in anticipation of passenger airship service. The most famous airships today are the passenger-carrying rigid airships made by the German Zeppelin company, especially the ''Graf Zeppelin'' of 1928 and the ''Hindenburg'' of 1936. The ''Graf Zeppelin'' was intended to stimulate interest in passenger airships, and was the largest airship that could be built in the company's existing shed. Its engines ran on ''blau gas'', similar to propane, which was stored in large gas bags below the hydrogen cells. Since its density was similar to that of air, it avoided any weight change as fuel was used, and thus the need to vent hydrogen. The ''Graf Zeppelin'' became the first aircraft to fly all the way around the world.〔Botting, Douglas, ''Dr. Eckener's Dream Machine'', New York, Henry Hold, 2001, ISBN 0-8050-6458-3〕 Airship operations suffered a series of highly publicised fatal accidents, notably to the British R101 in 1930 and the German Hindenburg in 1937. Following the Hindenburg disaster, the age of the great airships was effectively over. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Aviation between the World Wars」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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