THE DEVELOPMENT OF AERONAUTICAL SCIENCE IN MEXICO. THE CASE OF JUAN GUILLERMO VILLASANA AND THE ANÁHUAC PROPELLER

Abstract

Juan Guillermo Villasana, Mexican engineer in aeronautics, conceived and manufactured the Anahuac propeller. Aviation historians in Mexico agree that it was their greatest aeronautical achievement, because it created an artifact that allowed airplanes to fly more easily to the heights of cities such as Mexico, Pachuca or Toluca, thanks to its advanced design. The first prototype of the propeller was built in 1915 in the Workshops of the National School of Arts and Crafts for Men (ENAOH) of the capital of the Republic, then manufactured in series in the National Workshops of Aeronautical Constructions (TNCA) and, some affirm, that was given to the governments of Argentina, El Salvador and Japan, others say it was sold. The truth is that the propeller represented a great techno-scientific advance, since it managed that airplanes that did not fly in the heights of the Valley of Mexico or that their aeronautical performance was terrible could make successful flights in our country. The objective of the article will be to describe and analyze, from the perspective of science, technology and society studies, how the Anáhuac Juan Guillermo Villasana propeller was designed and built, as well as to show how it was carried out in a process that took several years to achieve a techno-scientific advance in aeronautics.