Vehicle
Rock paintings in Australia from 50,000 to 15,000 BC depict boats used by prehistoric people. Archaeologists found the Pesse canoe in a bog in the Netherlands and carbon dated it to between 8040 and 7510 BC. This artifact is now estimated to be roughly 9,500 years old. A seven thousand year-old seagoing boat made from reeds and tar was discovered in Kuwait. Boats were actively used between 4000 and 3000 BC in Sumer, ancient Egypt, and across the Indian Ocean. Evidence of camel-pulled wheeled vehicles dates back to the same period around 4000 to 3000 BC. The Diolkos wagonway in Greece transported boats across the Isthmus of Corinth since around 600 BC. Wagons ran on limestone grooves that prevented them from leaving their intended route. In 200 CE, Ma Jun built a south-pointing chariot with an early form of guidance system. The stagecoach originated in 13th century England as a four-wheeled vehicle drawn by horses. Railways began reappearing in Europe during the Late Middle Ages. A stained-glass window in the Minster of Freiburg im Breisgau dating from around 1350 shows the earliest known record of a railway in Europe.
Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot is often credited with building the first self-propelled mechanical vehicle or automobile in 1769. Ivan Kulibin developed a human-pedalled three-wheeled carriage in Russia during the 1780s. His design included modern features such as a flywheel, brake, gear box, and bearings. Richard Trevithick demonstrated his Puffing Devil road locomotive in 1801. This steam-powered road vehicle could not maintain sufficient steam pressure for long periods. Karl Benz patented the Benz Patent-Motorwagen in 1885. It was the first automobile powered by his own four-stroke cycle gasoline engine. Otto Lilienthal began experimental gliding in 1885 and achieved the first sustained controlled flights. The Wright brothers flew the Wright Flyer in Kitty Hawk North Carolina in 1903. Gyroplane No.I became the first tethered rotorcraft to fly in 1907. The same year the Cornu helicopter achieved free flight. Opel initiated the Opel-RAK program in 1928 which marked the first large-scale rocket program. The Opel RAK.1 became the first rocket car and also the first rocket-powered aircraft.
The Soviet space program's Vostok 1 carried Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961. NASA's Apollo 11 achieved the first Moon landing in 1969. The heaviest vehicle ever to leave the ground was the Saturn V rocket. Five F-1 rocket engines generated a combined 180 million horsepower on that massive craft. The Tupolev Tu-119 and Convair X-6 were two experiments with nuclear-powered aircraft. Research at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies led to a flight with an actual ornithopter on the 31st of July 2010. Parachutes have been used in land air and space vehicles such as the ThrustSSC Eurofighter Typhoon and Apollo Command Module. Some older Soviet passenger jets had braking parachutes for emergency landings. Boats use similar devices called sea anchors to maintain stability in rough seas. The Skibadner is the oldest paddle steamer ship still in scheduled service. The ZiL-2906 was a Soviet-designed screw-propelled vehicle designed to retrieve cosmonauts from the Siberian wilderness.
In 2010 the number of motor vehicles in operation worldwide surpassed 1 billion. This figure represents roughly one vehicle for every seven people globally. There are over 1 billion bicycles in use worldwide today. In 2002 there were an estimated 590 million cars and 205 million motorcycles in service. At least 500 million Chinese Flying Pigeon bicycles have been made more than any other single model. The most-produced model of motor vehicle is the Honda Super Cub motorcycle having sold 60 million units by 2008. The Toyota Corolla remains the most-produced car model with at least 35 million made by 2010. The Cessna 172 is the most common fixed-wing airplane with about 44,000 made as of 2017. The Soviet Mil Mi-8 helicopter has reached production numbers of 17,000 units. The top commercial jet airliner is the Boeing 737 at about 10,000 in 2018. The most produced trams are the KTM-5 and Tatra T3 at around 14,000 for both models.
Most vehicles use wheels which employ the principle of rolling to enable displacement with very little rolling friction. Human power requires nothing more than humans yet land speed records exist on recumbent bicycles. Internal combustion engines burn fuel like gasoline diesel or ethanol to create motion. Steam engines also need water making them impractical for some purposes. Batteries store chemical energy but have low energy densities and short service life. Electric motors can be very efficient with over 90% efficiency being common. Fuel cells convert from chemical to electrical energy but have their own advantages and disadvantages. Compressed gas motors operate in a variety of conditions but lose effectiveness with falling pressure. Ion thrusters run primarily off electricity but need propellant such as caesium or xenon. Continuous track systems offer larger contact areas and high maneuverability compared to wheels. The largest land vehicle in the world the Bagger 293 is propelled by continuous tracks.
Motor vehicle categories are defined internationally as Category M for passenger vehicles and Category N for goods transport. European Union classifications follow Commission Directive 2001/116/EC adapting laws relating to type-approval. Commercial licenses that allow transport of passengers and cargo are more tightly regulated than private ones. Vehicles are often required to be registered for legal insurance or law enforcement reasons. In Russia trucks and buses have their licence plate numbers repeated in large black letters on the back. Aircraft must fly with an airworthiness certificate issued by the FAA in the United States. Operators are legally obligated to carry safety equipment like seat belts helmets fire extinguishers and life jackets. Passenger aircraft carry inflatable slides rafts oxygen masks satellite beacons and first aid kits. The Bureau of Land Management decides where vehicles may be used on U.S. public land. Prohibited airspace is strictly enforced due to potential damage from espionage or attack.
Common questions
When was the Pesse canoe carbon dated to exist?
Archaeologists carbon dated the Pesse canoe found in a bog in the Netherlands to between 8040 and 7510 BC. This artifact is now estimated to be roughly 9,500 years old.
Who built the first self-propelled mechanical vehicle or automobile in 1769?
Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot is often credited with building the first self-propelled mechanical vehicle or automobile in 1769. Karl Benz later patented the Benz Patent-Motorwagen in 1885 as the first automobile powered by his own four-stroke cycle gasoline engine.
What year did Yuri Gagarin travel into space on Vostok 1?
The Soviet space program's Vostok 1 carried Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961. NASA's Apollo 11 achieved the first Moon landing in 1969 using the Saturn V rocket which generated a combined 180 million horsepower from five F-1 rocket engines.
Which car model remains the most-produced car model with at least 35 million made by 2010?
The Toyota Corolla remains the most-produced car model with at least 35 million made by 2010. The Honda Super Cub motorcycle holds the record for the most-produced motor vehicle having sold 60 million units by 2008.
When was research conducted to achieve a flight with an actual ornithopter?
Research at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies led to a flight with an actual ornithopter on the 31st of July 2010. This experiment followed earlier aviation milestones such as the Wright Flyer flying in Kitty Hawk North Carolina in 1903.