Electrical equipment in aircraft: survey of past and present practice and future trends in design

The paper describes briefly the development of aircraft electrical power-supply systems from the earliest days of flight until the present time. The unusual conditions which the aircraft electrical engineer has to meet in the operation of his equipment are considered, and the future problems which he will have to overcome as a result of improved aircraft performance are discussed. The review shows that aircraft electrical equipment has advanced from the position of useful but not essential equipment to that of equipment whose correct functioning may be essential to the safety of the aircraft. Electrical equipment in aircraft must conform to the highest standards of electrical engineering practice, since a small failure may have more fatal consequences than in any other field of electrical engineering. This high standard, moreover, has to be achieved under conditions of exceptional difficulty.