Engines: necessary, but not sufficient
We always had feet, then horses
How did the quest for artificial power get started?
A very short and sweet lesson on thermodynamic realities
Boil water, pull train
Contained explosions under the hood
A better way to horsepower
There are lots of ways to measure it
Water wheels, nozzles and the speed of sound
Wartime adversaries invent a new way to propel an airplane
Baby steps to success
Inside the air devouring machine
Newton and momentum
Some jets are better than others
Gas generator driving a kind of propeller
New propulsion makes for a new airplane design
Nice try
On the ground: cars and maglev
…but much more challenging.
Efficiency for the task is everything
The real scoop
Lots of ways of measuring it and none is perfect
A lot of what we move is the vehicle
All transport modes have them, some natural, some man-made.
How easy is it to move things from here to there?
Efficiencies that matter to the operation of an airplane
How many horses do we need to move goods or ourselves?
Petroleum is good, something else better?
No modern transport mode can operate without costly infrastructure
The railroad got us started moving and changed the world
Help for the railroads for political reasons
Intra- and inter-modal competition takes its toll
No easy time for the engine builders
The railroad has settled to its assigned task. Is everybody happy?
Travel by road and air varies, from good to unacceptable
Growth and reduction to very few players
Who were and are the strong men of this industry?
When true competition fails or the environment is sacrificed, or … then what?
Wanted! Good people!
Is corporate profitability the best gauge for measuring efficient use of resources?
Who decides what investments are necessary. Who pays?