Journal articles on the topic 'Main fairing'

To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Main fairing.

Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles

Select a source type:

Consult the top 34 journal articles for your research on the topic 'Main fairing.'

Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.

You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.

Browse journal articles on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.

1

Mehta, Rakhab C. "Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis and Design of Payload Shroud of Satellite Launch Vehicle." Scholars Journal of Engineering and Technology 10, no. 4 (April 5, 2022): 16–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.36347/sjet.2022.v10i04.001.

Full text
Abstract:
The main focus of the present paper is to computational fluid dynamics analysis and design of payload fairing of satellite launch vehicle at freestream Mach number range of 0.6 - 3.0. Initially, time-dependent compressible three-dimensional Euler equations are solved employing a finite volume discretization method with a multi-stage Runge-Kutta time-stepping scheme to compute surface pressure and aerodynamic coefficients at various payload fairing and at angle of attack up to 5o with an increment of 1o. Payload fairing dimensions are selected that satisfies permissible structure load on satellite launch vehicle. Detailed flowfield simulation is carried out on the selected payload fairing employing axisymmetric compressible Reynolds-average Navier-Stokes equations to assess unsteady flowfield characteristics. The numerical simulations are used to locate terminal shock on the payload fairing at transonic Mach number. Unsteady flow characteristics are used to compute acoustic load. Shock standoff distances at supersonic speeds are tabulated and compared with the analytical solution. Schlieren images and oil flow pictures are compared with experimental results and in good agreement. Aerodynamic shape optimization of satellite launch vehicle payload fairing shape has been performed to satisfy structural load at maximum drag and dynamic pressure.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
2

Wang, Hua Ming, Han Xing Zhao, Yong Jia Dai, and Xiao Song Rui. "Experimental Research on Effect of Hot Works on Mechanical Performance of Ship Steel Plate." Advanced Materials Research 311-313 (August 2011): 1859–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.311-313.1859.

Full text
Abstract:
Hot works is an important method for fairing the ship steel plate to improve the quality of shipbuilding, while the mechanical performance of the ship steel plate may be affected during the fairing process, which could result to some safe problems on the structural strength. DH32 high-strength ship steel plate, which is a kind of widely used material in shipbuilding industry, is taken as an object of the present experimental study. Some main parameters of the plate’s mechanical property through hot-works treatment for different times are investigated systematically. Through analyzing the variation of the mechanical properties, some conclusions are drawn and some useful suggestions put forward.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
3

Зайцев, Борис Филиппович, Татьяна Владимировна Протасова, Дмитрий Васильевич Клименко, Дмитрий Васильевич Акимов, and Владимир Николаевич Сиренко. "ДИНАМИЧЕСКИЙ АНАЛИЗ КОМПОЗИТНОГО ОБТЕКАТЕЛЯ РАКЕТЫ ПРИ ОТДЕЛЕНИИ С УЧЕТОМ РАССЛОЕНИЯ СТРУКТУРЫ." Aerospace technic and technology, no. 8 (August 31, 2020): 19–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.32620/aktt.2020.8.03.

Full text
Abstract:
The dynamic processes in the rocket fairing when the pyrotechnic separation system is triggered are considered. The fairing construction is mixed and includes composite and metal elements. The main composite construction element is a fiberglass shell with regular and irregular winding zones. The speed acceleration required to separate the fairing occurs under the action of impulse pressure from the powder gases in the pyrotechnic system. The displacement of the fairing is made up of displacements of the movement as a rigid whole along its axis and vibrations caused by deformations. The calculation of the fairing movement is carried out according to a three-dimensional FEM model using software that uses a topologically regular discretization system. The problem solution in time is performed according to the implicit Wilson finite-difference scheme. When studying the fairing dynamics, it is allowed to break the structure of the shell in the form of lamination, which in the FEM scheme is modeled by a special method. A cut with double nodes is created on the surface of the proposed lamination along topological planes by transforming the finite element mesh. Modification of the stiffness matrix and mass matrix for the transformed mesh is performed based on the created information base of degenerate finite elements and formalized matrix operations. In numerical studies, two types of lamination from irregular zones of fiberglass winding are considered – the internal location from the flange and edge location with access to the fairing free edge. The results of calculating vibrations along the sides of lamination and data on the redistribution of dynamic stresses due to lamination are presented. Radial and axial displacements when passing through the lamination surface discontinue, the magnitude of which for internal lamination is much less, which is explained by the compression of deformation for this case, in contrast to the lamination that goes to the boundary. When estimating the relative axial displacements, the component of the displacement of a rigid whole, determined by a separate calculation, was excluded. The maximum radial displacements during lamination from the edge reach 3 mm, which is one and a half times higher than for an undamaged shell. Axial stresses are maximal from the action of inertial forces during acceleration. Its redistribution over the layers is significantly greater for the edge lamination, for which the maximum values increase almost two times concerning the undamaged shell, which determines this type of lamination as more dangerous.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
4

Westgaard, Geir, and Horst Nowacki. "Construction of Fair Surfaces Over Irregular Meshes." Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering 1, no. 4 (October 1, 2001): 376–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.1433484.

Full text
Abstract:
This paper describes the process of constructing a fair, open or closed C1 surface over a given irregular curve mesh. The input to the surface construction consists of point and/or curve data which are individually marked to be interpolated or approximated and are arranged according to an arbitrary irregular curve mesh topology (Fig. 1). The surface constructed from these data will minimize flexibly chosen fairness criteria. The set of available fairness criteria is able to measure surface characteristics related to curvature, variation of curvature, and higher order surface derivatives based on integral functionals of quadratic form derived from the second, third and higher order parametric derivatives of the surface. The choice is based on the desired shape character. The construction of the surface begins with a midpoint refinement decomposition of the irregular mesh into aggregates of patch complexes in which the only remaining type of building block is the quadrilateral Be´zier patch of degrees 4 by 4. The fairing process may be applied regionally or to the entire surface. The fair surface is built up either in a single global step or iteratively in a three stage local process, successively accounting for vertex, edge curve and patch interior continuity and fairness requirements. This surface fairing process will be illustrated by two main examples, a benchmark test performed on a topological cube, resulting in many varieties of fair shapes for a closed body, and a practical application to a ship hull surface for a modern container ship, which is subdivided into several local fairing regions with suitable transition pieces. The examples will demonstrate the capability of the fairing approach of contending with irregular mesh topologies, dealing with multiple regions, applying global and local fairing processes and will illustrate the influence of the choice of criteria upon the character of the resulting shapes.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
5

Bur'yanov, M. A., I. V. Chervyakov, and A. I. Bur'yanov. "The influence of the properties of materials used to make the working bodies of the stripper header on the quality of the performed process." Traktory i sel hozmashiny 85, no. 3 (June 15, 2018): 54–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.17816/0321-4443-66401.

Full text
Abstract:
The aim of the inveatigations is to develop the main provisions of the procedure for determining the influence of material properties on the example of steel and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW PE) when they are used to fabricate or cover the outer and inner surfaces of the fairing and the combing teeth of the header, on the quality of the process performed by it. The dependencies and regularities that are integral parts of the previously developed mathematical model of the process of combing grain crops with a single-barrel header are used in the article. As a result of solving the equations, data on the normal and tangential components of the speed of movement of the ear and grain after contact with the test surfaces were obtained. Upon contact with the external surface of the fairing that material would be preferred which the movement along is accompanied by a lower value of the frictional force. During a rebound from the combing tooth and the inner surface of the fairing, the best material is the speed of rebound of the grain from which is higher. The value of the normal forces pressing the ear of winter wheat to the contacting surface was determined in an experimental plant simulating the process of combing the reaper. The coefficient of static friction and motion and the coefficient of recovery upon contact with the surfaces of steel and UHMW PE ears and winter wheat’s grains were determined at its moisture content of 9 %. It has been established that at a header speed of 3 m/s, the frictional force pressing the ear to the outer surface of the fairing from UHMW PE is 1,75 times less than on the steel. After contact with the tooth, the rebound speed of the grain is higher, if it is made of steel. For the accepted characteristics of the harvested plants and the operating conditions of the header, when the grains come into contact with the inner surface of the fairing from the UHMW PE within the friction angle, the loss of grain velocity after the collision is less than on the steel, with the exception of contact with direct impact. Compensation for the reduction in speed within a direct impact on the inner surface of the fairing which is made of UHMW PE can be achieved by varying the angle of inclination of the combing teeth on the drum.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
6

Escartí-Guillem, Mara S., Luis M. García-Raffi, and Sergio Hoyas. "URANS Analysis of a Launch Vehicle Aero-Acoustic Environment." Applied Sciences 12, no. 7 (March 25, 2022): 3356. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app12073356.

Full text
Abstract:
Predicting and mitigating acoustic levels become critical because of the harsh acoustic environment during space vehicle lift-off. This paper aimed to study the aero-acoustic environment during a rocket lift-off. The sound propagation within a launch event was studied using dedicated computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The resolution of all the phenomena that occur is unfeasible. We discuss the turbulence simplification and propose a feasible simulation through an unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) model. The results were validated with experimental data showing a good correlation near the fairing surface and an improvable accuracy in the far field. To assess noise generation, the main shock waves were identified, and the evolution of the generated sound pressure was assessed. Moreover, vertical directivity was revealed by data analysis of the pressure field surrounding the fairing.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
7

Zhang, Yadong, Jiye Zhang, Tian Li, Liang Zhang, and Weihua Zhang. "Research on Aerodynamic Noise Reduction for High-Speed Trains." Shock and Vibration 2016 (2016): 1–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/6031893.

Full text
Abstract:
A broadband noise source model based on Lighthill’s acoustic theory was used to perform numerical simulations of the aerodynamic noise sources for a high-speed train. The near-field unsteady flow around a high-speed train was analysed based on a delayed detached-eddy simulation (DDES) using the finite volume method with high-order difference schemes. The far-field aerodynamic noise from a high-speed train was predicted using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD)/Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H) acoustic analogy. An analysis of noise reduction methods based on the main noise sources was performed. An aerodynamic noise model for a full-scale high-speed train, including three coaches with six bogies, two inter-coach spacings, two windscreen wipers, and two pantographs, was established. Several low-noise design improvements for the high-speed train were identified, based primarily on the main noise sources; these improvements included the choice of the knuckle-downstream or knuckle-upstream pantograph orientation as well as different pantograph fairing structures, pantograph fairing installation positions, pantograph lifting configurations, inter-coach spacings, and bogie skirt boards. Based on the analysis, we designed a low-noise structure for a full-scale high-speed train with an average sound pressure level (SPL) 3.2 dB(A) lower than that of the original train. Thus, the noise reduction design goal was achieved. In addition, the accuracy of the aerodynamic noise calculation method was demonstrated via experimental wind tunnel tests.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
8

Habib, Zulfiqar, and Manabu Sakai. "FAIRING ARC SPLINE AND DESIGNING BY USING CUBIC BÉZIER SPIRAL SEGMENTS." Mathematical Modelling and Analysis 17, no. 2 (April 1, 2012): 141–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.3846/13926292.2012.655787.

Full text
Abstract:
This paper considers how to smooth three kinds of G 1 biarc models, the C-, S-, and J-shaped transitions, by replacing their parts with spiral segments using a single cubic Bézier curve. Arc spline is smoothed to G 2continuity. Use of a single curve rather than two has the benefit because designers and implementers have fewer entities to be concerned. Arc spline is planar, tangent continuous, piecewise curves made of circular arcs and straight line segments. It is important in manufacturing industries because of its use in the cutting paths for numerically controlled cutting machinery. Main contribution of this paper is to minimize the number of curvature extrema in cubic transition curves for further use in industrial applications such as non-holonomic robot path planning, highways or railways, and spur gear tooth designing.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
9

Kondratiev, A. V., and V. O. Kovalenko. "Optimization of design parameters of the main composite fairing of the launch vehicle under simultaneous force and thermal loading." Kosmìčna nauka ì tehnologìâ 25, no. 4 (2019): 3–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.15407/knit2019.04.003.

Full text
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
10

Zhang, Wei, and Zheng Wang. "Design and Implementation of a CAD Software System for Hull Lines." Applied Mechanics and Materials 668-669 (October 2014): 1343–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.668-669.1343.

Full text
Abstract:
A CAD software system for hull lines based on .NET is introduced in terms of system construction and principle. The system adopts a 3D V-shaped fairing computing model, which sufficiently considers the consistency of lines offsets in three different projection planes. By means of tree structure for parametric hull lines and 3-dimensional modeling technology, the system supports total-process-design of hull lines. Such a system not only can draw main parameter table, lines offsets table and lines plan grid automatically, support interactive design and synchronous adjustment for hull lines, but also can cut the hull synchronously and produce the 3-dimensional model of the hull. The implementation of this CAD software system for hull lines improves the hull design efficiency and quality.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
11

Pehan, Stanislav, and Breda Kegl. "Efficient Velomobile Design." Applied Mechanics and Materials 806 (November 2015): 232–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.806.232.

Full text
Abstract:
The paper discusses the development procedure of a velomobile concept vehicle. Some advantages of a velomobile usage and its positive effect on sustainable living conditions in cities are presented. A few designs of velomobile on the recumbent tadpole trike base are developed, judged and compared. The conceiving and design phases of a fairing space frame construction covered by the canvas surface are described. Main advantages and disadvantage of a velomobile made on that way are pointed out. Some improvements of velomobile in terms of additional power engine are discussed and proposed and even one effective design solution of the transmission is designed. In the frame of the project the velomobile equipped by the canvas surface is made in real and this is illustrated by the photographs.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
12

Virchenko, Viktor, Maxym Skoryk, Anatolii Kryvorot, and Oleksandr Meshko. "Streamlining influence on the long-haul trucks with an installed movable roof fairing performance properties teoretical studies." ACADEMIC JOURNAL Series: Industrial Machine Building, Civil Engineering 2, no. 51 (October 12, 2018): 187–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.26906/znp.2018.51.1314.

Full text
Abstract:
Influence streamlined elements located on the roof of the tractor main train such as the efficiency of the vehicle with installed no bonnet on it an advanced roof rack, which has the ability to adjust to any trailed warehouse. It has been assumed that it provides high levels of accuracy with respect to analogues due to the possibility of choosing the appropriate geometric parameters, provides ease of use and the ability to adjust the cushion during vehicle movement, prevents probable malfunctions during strong winds or hurricanes due to the strength of the drive management and modern electronic systems mechanical design. On the basis of theoretical studies of the main motor trains various tractors flow, the dependences of power and fuel consumption on the air traffic vehicle coefficient have been established at its movement speeds. It has been proven that it is advisable to use an advanced racing hub on precision drum trucks with small and medium-height cabs.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
13

Pilch, Adam, Tadeusz Kamisinski, Mirosław Rataj, and Szymon Polak. "Acoustic Simulation’s Verification of WFI ATHENA Filterwheel Assembly." Archives of Acoustics 42, no. 3 (September 26, 2017): 483–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/aoa-2017-0051.

Full text
Abstract:
Abstract Ariane 5 rocket produces very high sound pressure levels during launch, what can influence structures located in the fairing. To reduce risk of damage, launch in vacuum conditions is preferred for noise sensitive instruments. In Wide Filed Imager (WFI) project, the main part of the filterwheel assembly is an extremely thin (~240 nm) filter of large area (170×170 mm), very sensitive to noise and vibrations. The aim of this study was to verify numerical calculations results in anechoic measurements. The authors also checked the influence of WFI geometry and sound absorbing material position on sound pressure level (SPL) affecting the filter mounted inside the assembly. Finite element method (FEM) simulations were conducted in order to obtain noise levels in filter position during Ariane 5 rocket launch. The results will be used in designing of WFI filterwheel assembly and endurance of the filter during launch verification.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
14

Nesterenko, Mykola, Maksum Skoryk, Mykola Shapoval, and Mykola Nesterenko. "Air velocity modeling velocity of the air around the trunk road train with installed rolling roof fairings." ACADEMIC JOURNAL Series: Industrial Machine Building, Civil Engineering 1, no. 52 (July 5, 2019): 44–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.26906/znp.2019.52.1673.

Full text
Abstract:
The new rolling roof fairing installed in the tractor non-bonnet cab main train layout constructing are given. After analyzingexisting exhausting elements installed on the tractor highway trailer and a large number of roof rails, it has been substantiatedthe expediency of installing a movable rope on the tractor roof, which can change the angle of the trailer airflow link with thecombination of two movements - vertical and horizontal. The combination of these movements enables to change the parametersof streamline. For this purpose, the basic hydraulic control scheme is designed, which has a number of advantages:the starting units movements smoothness, the ability to continuously adjust the speed in a wide range, low inertia, simplicityof management and automation, high operational reliability and resistance to overload. Due to the modern capabilities anddevelopment of sophisticated electronic control systems through the introduction of such a system in the control process ofhydraulic cylinders can ensure the system reliability, efficiency, ergonomics and safety equipment.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
15

Жорник, Олег Володимирович, Ігор Федорович Кравченко, and Михайло Михайлович Мітрахович. "Удосконалення характеристик кільцевого вхідного пристрою авіаційної силової установки з гвинтовентилятором." Aerospace technic and technology, no. 4sup2 (August 27, 2021): 11–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.32620/aktt.2021.4sup2.02.

Full text
Abstract:
The article considers the method of improving the characteristics of the ring inlet device, taking into account the influence of the propeller of an aircraft power plant with a turboprop engine. It is shown that increasing the total pressure loss in the inlet device by 5% increases, approximately, the specific fuel consumption by 3% and reduces engine thrust by 6%, and uneven flow at the inlet to the engine is the cause of unstable compressor of the turboprop engine. It is proposed to improve the characteristics of the input device by modifying the shape of its shell and channel. Evaluation of the influence of the shape of the shell and the channel of the annular axial VP on its main aerodynamic characteristics, taking into account the non-uniformity of the flow on the fan in the calculated mode of operation of the SU is carried out by calculating the full pressure recovery factor. The object of the study is an annular axial input device in front of which is a coaxial fan turboprop fan. The process of modeling the influence of the shape of the shell and the channel on the recovery factor of total pressure, circular and radial non-uniformity of the flow through the input device is implemented in the software system of finite element analysis ANSYS CFX. Geometric models of coaxial screw fan, fairing and inlet device are built in ANSYS SpaceClaim and transferred using the built-in import function in ANSYS Workbench. Block-structured grid models of air propellers of the first and second rows of the fan in the amount of 1.9 million, fairing and inlet device, in the amount of 3.9 million, are built in the ANSYS TurboGrid environment. The standard Stern (Shear Stress Transport) Gamma Theta Transition was used to close the Navier-Stokes equation system. Based on the results of mathematical modeling of flow in coaxial fans and subsonic ring inlet device on the maximum cruising mode of the turboprop engine, the full pressure recovery factor is calculated and it is established that the most influential factor that increases its full pressure recovery factor.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
16

Afanasiy, Li, Burkhan Utepov, and Satniyaz Allaniyazov. "The spraying process simulation of the low-volume sprayer working body." E3S Web of Conferences 264 (2021): 04004. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202126404004.

Full text
Abstract:
The article presents the developed mathematical models that describe the process of spraying the working body of a low-volume sprayer. Theoretical studies show that with an increase in the supply of working fluid to the atomizing disc, the rotational speed of the pneumatic disc atomizer decreases, and in order to ensure the effect of the air flow on the droplet formation process, the radius of the disc should be larger than the radius of the base of the cone-shaped fairing, but less than its maximum critical value and for obtaining a monodisperse spray with the main droplet diameter d = 80 … 120 μm, at an axial air flow velocity of the fan installation U = 40 … 60 m/s, the parameters of the disk the sprayer and the propeller are linked together when the following values: disk radius r = 65 … 85 mm, the number of radial channels on the disk nр = 2 … 6 pcs, the width of the radial channel bр = 3 … 4 mm, and to obtain a high-quality air-droplet flow, the initial velocity of the main drops discharged from the periphery of the spraying disc must be less than the speed of the air flow and, at the same time, the rotational speed of the pneumatic disc sprayer is recommended to be used in the range of ω = 60… 200 s-1.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
17

Lu, Yu, Xin Chang, Xunbin Yin, and Ziying Li. "Hydrodynamic Design Study on Ship Bow and Stern Hull Form Synchronous Optimization Covering Whole Speeds Range." Mathematical Problems in Engineering 2019 (August 8, 2019): 1–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/2356369.

Full text
Abstract:
The main objective of this article is to describe an innovative methodology of synchronous local optimization which considers the whole ship speed range being presented for a KRISO Container Ship (KCS). Parametric form approaches are adopted by employing a fairing B-spline curve in order to generate variants of the bow and stern of forms using form design parameters modified, resulting in an optimization system based on NSGA-II. The total resistance is calculated by the Rankine source panel method and the empirical formula which agrees well with the corresponding experimental data and further acquires validation with the overall error of 2.0%. Accordingly, the ship forepart and stern form have been optimized under conditions of the single design speed and whole speeds range based on the considerations of generally distributed and variable operational speeds for the operating characteristics of modern container ships synchronously. The optimized result presents well-balanced drag reduction benefits which averagely remain above 4.0% of ship resistance decrease. Compared to the traditional optimization process which is based on a specific design speed, the newly developed method is more practical and effective in both automation and integration.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
18

Kato, Naomi. "Swimming and Walking of an Amphibious Robot With Fin Actuators." Marine Technology Society Journal 45, no. 4 (July 1, 2011): 181–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.4031/mtsj.45.4.16.

Full text
Abstract:
AbstractWith the goal of automatic monitoring of environments along natural coastal areas and tidal flats, researchers designed and developed an amphibious robot equipped with fin actuators called “RT-I” that mimics the locomotion of both a tortoise and a sea turtle. Experiments were carried out using a forearm with 4 degrees of freedom, which can reproduce the walking motions of tortoises and sea turtles on sand, to evaluate the walking performances of a robotic tortoise and a robotic sea turtle. It was clarified that the arm for a robotic tortoise is more suitable for use on soil compared with the arm for a robotic sea turtle. The advantages of both sea turtles and tortoises were adopted in a robotic turtle, namely, the lift-based swimming mode sea turtles use and the quadrupedal locomotion tortoises use. The present amphibious robot consists of four main components: (i) leg units, (ii) a control unit pressure hull, (iii) a buoyancy adjusting device, and (iv) a fairing cover. To realize not only swimming motion with the combination of flapping, rowing, and feathering, but also tortoise-like walking motion, three motors were set up at the acromioclavicular joint using a differential gear mechanism to independently produce the three types of motion, and one motor was set up to produce elbow joint motion. A buoyancy-adjusting device was installed to realize walking on land and in water as well as swimming in shallow water. The swimming and walking performances of the amphibious robot in water were evaluated by measuring the forward swimming speed, backward swimming speed, speed of turning, and speed of descending vertically as the indexes of the maneuverability of the robotic turtle, and the walking speed and propulsive efficiency with the crawl gait for various walking patterns in still water and in waves.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
19

Su, Jufeng, Yamin Sun, and Yuyang Liu. "Complexity Study on the Unsteady Flow Field and Aerodynamic Noise of High-Speed Railways on Bridges." Complexity 2018 (July 16, 2018): 1–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/7162731.

Full text
Abstract:
To study complexity distributions of unsteady flow field and aerodynamic noise of a high-speed railway on bridges, an aerodynamic noise model of a railway was obtained. Meanwhile, detailed structures such as 6 bogies, 3 air conditioning units, 1 pantograph fairing, and 1 pantograph were considered. Numerical simulation was conducted to flow fields around the high-speed railway running on the bridge under a crosswind-free environment, with running speed of 350 km/h. Hence, unsteady flow behavior characteristics of the complete high-speed railway were obtained. Numerical simulation was conducted to noises of the railway on the bridge in combination with detached eddy simulation and acoustic analogy theory. Meanwhile, the broadband noise model was used for the quantitative analysis on distribution characteristics of the dipole noise source and quadrupole noise source of the high-speed railway on the bridge. Studied results proved that aerodynamic noise of the railway was caused by eddy shedding and fluid separation. Main noise sources of the high-speed railway include areas such as pantographs, train head streamline, bogies, windshield, and an air conditioning unit. Maximum sound pressure level and average sound pressure level of the high-speed railway on the bridge were 2.7 dBA and 2.3 dBA, respectively, more than those of the high-speed railway on a flat ground. On the bridge, the maximum sound pressure level of the pantograph on the bridge was 3.1 dBA larger than that on the flat ground. In addition, incoming flows of the high-speed railway on the bridge had greater impacts on aerodynamic noises around the railway compared with those of wake flows. Meanwhile, in directions of incoming flows and wake flows, linear relationship was between the sound pressure levels of noise monitoring points which had different distances from the train head nose and the logarithm of the distances.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
20

Goloshumova, V. N., and Yu M. Brodov. "Analysis of reliability of design of stop valve of steam turbin." Safety and Reliability of Power Industry 12, no. 3 (November 22, 2019): 206–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.24223/1999-5555-2019-12-3-206-212.

Full text
Abstract:
The stop valve is one of the «critical» elements of the steam turbine installation, the heating conditions of which determine the reliability of the power unit as a whole. The stop valve for cogeneration steam turbines of subcritical parameters of "UTZ" is unified for familiesT-110/120-130, T-185/210-130/15, ПT-140/165-30/15, P-100-130/15. The sequence of analysis of the valve design is presented for conditions, where only the static temperature and steam pressure at the inlet to the valve, the steam flow rate at the outlet of it, the restrictions for movement during heating are known. The results of the analysis of calculations of unsteady gas-thermodynamic and stress-strain state of the valve during the heating of the main steam line of the turbine T-110/120-130 from the cold state according to the standard instructions are shown. The calculations were carried out by the finite element method using a three-dimensional geometric model of the valve body with a slit filter. The height of the holes in the slit filter is 3.5 mm. The equations of the Nusselt criterion for the flange, the steam box, the lower half of the steam box and the fairing when using computers with limited computing resources are presented. It is shown that the peak of the maximum stresses occurs at the initial stage of the stop valve warming up on the inner (heated) surface of the stop valve body in the area of the flange and the cover. The maximum equivalent stresses are 300 MPa. The comparison of calculated temperatures and temperatures measured during the start-up at the CHP is presented; the temperature difference does not exceed 5–6%. It is proposed to analyze the stop valve reliability with a sequence given in this article in the design of new stop valves with significant differences from the existing prototypes.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
21

Rigo, Philippe. "Least-Cost Structural Optimization Oriented Preliminary Design." Journal of Ship Production 17, no. 04 (November 1, 2001): 202–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.5957/jsp.2001.17.4.202.

Full text
Abstract:
A computer design package is presented that provides optimum midship scantlings(plating, longitudinal members and frames). Basic characteristics such as L,B,T,Cb, the global structure layout, and applied loads are the requested data. It is not necessary to provide a feasible initial scantling. Within about one hour of computation time with a usual PC or laptop the LBR-5software automatically provides a rational optimum design. This software is an optimization tool dedicated to preliminary design. Its main advantages, in the early stage of design, are ease of structural modeling, rapid 3-D rational analysis of a ship's hold, and scantling optimization. Preliminary design is the most relevant and the least expensive time to modify design scantling and to compare different alternatives. Unfortunately, it is often too early for efficient use of many commercial software systems, such as FEM. This paper explains how it is now possible to perform optimization at the early design stage, including a 3-D numerical structural analysis. LBR-5 is based on the Module Oriented Approach. Design variables are the dimensions of the longitudinal and transversal members, plate thickness and spacing between members. The software contains three major modules. First, the Cost Module to assess the construction cost which is the objective function (least construction cost). So, unit material costs (Euro/kg or $/kg), welding, cutting, fairing, productivity (man-hours/m) and basic labor costs(Euro/man-hour) have to be specified by the user to define an explicit objective function. Then, there is the Constraint Module to perform a rational analysis of the global structure. This structure is modeled using stiffened plate and stiffened cylindrical shell elements. Finally, the Opti Module which contains a mathematical programming code (CONLIN) to solve constrained nonlinear optimization problems with a reduced number of re-analyses. Usually less than 15 analyses are required even with hundreds of design variables and hundreds of constraints. Optimum analysis of a FSO unit (Floating Storage Offloading) is presented as an example of the performance of the LBR-5 tool.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
22

Гребеников, А. Г., А. З. Двейрин, and Д. С. Конышев. "ПРОЕКТУВАННЯ СТУЛКОВОГО ВІДСІКУ ХВОСТОВИХ ВАНТАЖНИХ ЛЮКІВ ЛІТАКІВ ТРАНСПОРТНОЇ КАТЕГОРІЇ." Open Information and Computer Integrated Technologies, no. 93 (November 19, 2021): 27–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.32620/oikit.2021.93.03.

Full text
Abstract:
The method for determining the main parameters of the tail cargo doors of transport category aircraft is developed. There have been prepared initial data and described the methodology for finding them. An example based on an existing transport aircraft is considered. The basic nomenclature of transported cargoes of the designed aircraft, its dimensions and weight, methods of loading and mooring, additional loading equipment were taken as initial data. As well as such necessary design, operational and regulatory parameters and data as landing gear type, its “kneeling” system, rails of the upper loading equipment for loading and unloading, cargo trajectories during loading and landing, requirements of international regulatory organizations FAR, CS, AP. The principle of determining the dimensions of the cargo compartment, cargo floor and the hitting platforms in the form of ramp with pressure door, ladders is presented, based on the initial data. Taking into account the loading and unloading, landing operations described the dependence of the ramp length on the length of the cargo floor. The correct formation of these parameters is one of the most important tasks, from the solution of which directly depend the operational characteristics of the future transport aircraft. A method for designing cargo door fairings in the transport category aircraft fuselage tail part is also presented. There have been determined the main features of the fairings compartment, its main components and their varieties, depending on the scheme of the cargo door. At the stage of preliminary design, the principles for determining the main parameters of the fairings compartments based on their design purpose are outlined.Also provided information on the fairings compartment structural elements parameters selection: the axes of the fairings hinge, the selection of control cylinders and their installation, the parameters of the open and closed position locks, pressurization and sealing of the fairings compartment. Considered the design features of the fuselage tail section various theories fairings compartment - made in cross-section with one radius (in the shape of a cylinder) and given in cross-section with two radii (double-deck).
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
23

Strong, Tanner. "Transformation of Knights with Magic." Journal of Student Research 4, no. 2 (June 24, 2015): 58–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.47611/jsr.v4i2.240.

Full text
Abstract:
This paper explores the idea of how fairies were able to shape the identities of knights within the medieval time period. It will discuss two main fairies, Morgan le Fay and the fairy from Marie de France's Lanval. A history of magic is reviewed to have a better understanding of what witches and an enchantresses were like in this time period followed by a disucssion of a fairy's true role in society at that time.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
24

Murayama, Mitsuhiro, Yuzuru Yokokawa, Kazuomi Yamamoto, and Tohru Hirai. "Computational study of low-noise fairings around tire-axle region of a two-wheel main landing gear." Computers & Fluids 85 (October 2013): 114–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compfluid.2012.11.001.

Full text
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
25

Churin, P., and V. Pomelov. "Evaluation of the efficiency of aerodynamic dampers based on preliminary numerical modeling." Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2131, no. 4 (December 1, 2021): 042002. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2131/4/042002.

Full text
Abstract:
Abstract The article is devoted to the issues of ensuring the stability of large-span bridge structures by means of their aerodynamic damping. Aerodynamic damping allows you to change the nature of the wind flow around structures or their individual elements, which can significantly reduce the loads that cause the occurrence of various aeroelastic phenomena. Aerodynamic damping devices (fairings, deflectors) are based on the phenomenon of changes in the circulation of the wind flow around the structure, the purpose of their use, as a rule, is to disrupt regular vortex formation. The main problem when using these devices is the lack of recommendations for their selection and the need for costly experimental studies to assess their effectiveness for each specific bridge. One of the ways to reduce the time and cost of research is preliminary numerical modeling in specialized software systems. Within the framework of this study, the most common types of aerodynamic dampers have been analyzed, and typical designs of large-span beam bridges have been selected. For the selected structures, a preliminary numerical simulation was carried out in a two-dimensional formulation. Based on the results obtained, the most effective designs of deflectors and fairings were determined.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
26

Pupeză, Paul, and Viorica Crișan. "Dacian Graffiti from Covasna – Cetatea Zânelor." Acta Musei Napocensis 56 (December 12, 2019): 37–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.54145/actamn.i.56.03.

Full text
Abstract:
Six graffiti from the time of the Dacian Kingdom were discovered at Covasna – Cetatea Zânelor (Fairies Fortress). Four vessels with graffiti can be associated with a building having the roof supported by three rows of wooden pillars. Two signs were made before firing and other four after burning, on good quality vessels, preserved in a fragmentary condition. The main issue is whether these graffiti are simple scratches or graphic signs.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
27

Pupeză, Paul. "Graphic Signs or Simple Scratches? Marks on Dacian Artefacts from Covasna – Cetatea Zânelor." Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Historia 65, no. 1 (February 15, 2021): 3–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.24193/subbhist.2020.1.01.

Full text
Abstract:
"Fragmentary artefacts with incised signs from the time of the Dacian Kingdom were discovered at Covasna - Cetatea Zânelor (Fairies Fortress). The main issue is whether these signs are simple scratches or graphic signs. Keywords: graffiti; Dacian Kingdom; Covasna; pottery; letters. Rezumat: În situl de la Covasna - Cetatea Zânelor au fost descoperite materiale cu semne incizate datând din perioada Regatului Dac. Problema care se pune este dacă aceste semne sunt simple zgârieturi sau sunt semne grafice. Cuvinte cheie: graffiti; Regatul Dacic; Covasna; ceramică; litere. "
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
28

López Fuentes, Ana Virginia. "Transcending the Border: The Encounter with the Other in Tinker Bell and the Secret of the Wings." Atlantis. Journal of the Spanish Association for Anglo-American Studies 43, no. 2 (December 23, 2021): 204–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.28914/atlantis-2021-43.2.11.

Full text
Abstract:
This article explores the representation of borders and cosmopolitanism in the film Tinker Bell and the Secret of the Wings (2012), the fourth title in the Disney fairies franchise. The film tells the story of a world divided into two territories, the Winter Woods and Pixie Hollow. A ban on cross-border mobility prohibits any kind of interaction between the inhabitants of the two worlds. Tinker Bell, the main character in the film, feels the urge to break the law and cross to the other side, where she meets her twin sister and finds out the reason for the ban. Tinker Bell and the Secret of the Wings is a border film that deals with the processes of border construction and dissolution while also highlighting the potential, and some of the risks, of the dismantling of borders. This article analyses the film’s use of different spaces that, in line with the dual nature of borders theorised by, among others, Gloria Anzaldúa, work simultaneously as dividing lines and borderlands. Gerard Delanty’s concept of cosmopolitan moments is used to analyse the articulation of cross-border relationships in the film.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
29

Shmakova, Anastasiia Valerievna. "How is the translation of English fairy tales born in the aspect of intercultural communication." Litera, no. 4 (April 2022): 1–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.25136/2409-8698.2022.4.37682.

Full text
Abstract:
The relevance of the research topic is due to the increased interest in fairy tales within various directions and approaches, which is associated with the loss of low-quality stigma in children's literature compared to works intended for adults. Within the framework of translation theory, the main attention is paid to the peculiarities of the transfer of linguistic and stylistic features of children's literature and other translation difficulties. The purpose of the study is to identify patterns of transmission of national and cultural identity in the translation of fairy tales. Fairy tales from the collections "Pack from the Magic Hills" and "Gifts of fairies" by R. Kipling are considered. A linguistic and cultural analysis is carried out, the used translation transformations are highlighted.The subject of the study is the general trends in the treatment of elements of foreign culture when translating English fairy tales into Russian. В The scientific novelty lies in the analysis of translation from the position of adaptation of culturally colored elements for children. It is revealed that cultural adaptation is often made, which is not required for adult works. The results of the study demonstrate that in the process of translating English fairy tales, a balance is being sought between introducing children to another culture and the need to adapt the material for ease of perception by the audience. When translating for children, translation transformations are actively used, bringing culturally colored elements closer to familiar ones or simplifying their understanding, which is not always required for an adult audience. The way of handling labeled elements depends on their plot and ideological significance, cultural value and level of fame, the context of use, the chosen translation strategy and other factors.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
30

Kuzmina, O. A. "“The House That Jack Built” by Jessie L. Gaynor as an example of an English language operetta for children." Aspects of Historical Musicology 15, no. 15 (September 15, 2019): 231–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.34064/khnum2-15.12.

Full text
Abstract:
Background. The children’s opera in all its diversity has undergone a rapid path to its formation and development, responding to changes in the art and aesthetic space of musical culture. The active being and the practical use of this phenomenon only emphasize the gaps in musicology science more acutely. Some researchers combine with the notion of «children’s opera» both works that involve children to participate in the performing process, and those which are aimed at a certain age audience. Other authors put the term «opera for children» as universal, but use it to describe various works. However, if the information about this genre is contained in the scientifi c literature, research on opera for children-performers analogue, children’s operetta which was formed and used by considerable demand in the late 19th – in the fi rst half of the 20th century in the English-speaking countries, is practically absent. This determines the relevance of the chosen subject. Objectives. The objective of this study is to consider the features of the libretto, the compositional and dramaturgical properties of the children’s operetta by J. L. Gaynor The House that Jack Built as one of the English-language samples of the genre. Methods. So far these methods were been applied: historical, structural and functional, comparative. Results. It is diffi cult to indicate the exact date of the children’s operetta emergence. It is known from available literature that it became widespread in the 1880s. In the following decades, the popularity of children’s operettas does not fade, rather, it only grows. The school authorities even were worried about such an intensity of extracurricular work. However, this fact did not affect the number of performances. There are books containing instructions and guidance, tips on probable diffi culties that could be faced by fi rst-time directors. In particular, it was recommended to divide responsibilities between school departments and draw up a general plan of action. Attention was paid to organizing an advertising campaign to attract as many viewers as possible. With such performance enthusiasm, there was a certain lack of repertoire written specifi cally for children and adolescents. Not surprisingly, the music teachers sought to replenish it. Among them was an American piano and harmony teacher Jessie Lovel Smith Gaynor (1863–1921) who composed The House that Jack Built (1902). This is not the only sample of children’s operetta in the heritage of J. L. Gaynor, she wrote a few more works, mostly after fairy tales: The Lost Princess Bo-Peep (its plot matches Jack’s one), The Toy Shop, Snow White, The Magic Wheel, Three Wishes, The Return of Proserpina, and On Plymouth Rock. The libretto of The House that Jack Built, written by A. G. D. Riley, is compiled on the basis of nursery rhymes, which are an integral part of the English-speaking countries culture. The operetta includes 24 folklore texts (full or fragmented): poems, two counters, and a ballad. To organize the plot, the librettist used the «stringing» method, or the cumulative principle, joining each subsequent element to the previous one with the help of the Mother Goose’s recitative lines. She is the key character, who greets and introduces new guests at her party. This principle is refl ected in the organization of the whole operetta. Mother Gooses’ cues are a refrain similar to the poem The House that Jack Built. Each character is not related to the previous one or the next, they are united only by belonging to the images of folk poetry. Since the libretto is mainly based on miniatures (with one or two verses), there are many participants of the performance: 43 characters, 21 thrushes, and collective characters, the number of which is not specifi ed precisely. There is no plot in common sense – as a series of related events built in accordance with certain principles – in The House that Jack Built. Rather, it reminds the carnival procession, in which characters are appearing one by one. They have bright, sometimes extravagant costumes, which vary with the speed of the pattern in the kaleidoscope. The structure of the operetta is simple and clear. It consists of two acts, divided into 19 big numbers (9 in the fi rst action, 10 in the second), which are often built in the form of a suite. The balance among solo-ensemble and choral numbers in The House that Jack Built is unequal. The choruses prevail in the operetta (there are about 20 of them). It is diffi cult to name the exact number because the author does not always clarify the exact cast. Solo and ensemble numbers are 4 times fewer; in addition, there are 2 numbers in the 2d act, in which the soloist and choir sing together. To achieve compositional and dramatic unity, there was a need to involve additional means in addition to the cross-cutting image of Mother Goose, since the Jack’s plot is deprived of the consistent development of events. This function is performed by several themes: «fairy tale» (in the future it is associated with the appearance of fairies and elves), «pastoral» (its emergence is marked by the remark Andante Pastorale), the theme of Jack, the dance motive, and the theme of King Cole. They are exhibited in the overture for the fi rst time. When the act begins, they are joined by the themes of Mother Goose and Thrushes. For the fi rst time, most of the themes are conducted in the overture. This determines the suite character of its structure: 6 episodes that contrast with each other by tempo. The piano part plays an important role in the operetta. It presents the leading themes, the main image-bearing and poetic motives, and supports the performers in the vocal appearances. The revealed signs give grounds to consider the English-language children’s operetta a national model of opera for children-performers. Conclusions. In the English-speaking countries, particularly in the USA, at the end of the 19th – in the fi rst half of the 20th century the tradition to perform operettas at schools was formed. This works from their form and contents were similar to compositions which were called children’s operas (operas for children-performers) in Europe. An analysis of The House that Jack Built by J. L. Gaynor allows us to interpret the author’s genre name in its original linguistic meaning – «small opera». A signifi cant number of such works still remain beyond the attention of scholars and require a thorough study both in historical and in theoretical directions.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
31

Barabanov, A. V., and S. A. Serebryanskiy. "Algorithm of developing rational geometric shape of the radio transparent nose radar fairing for the aircraft." Engineering Journal: Science and Innovation, no. 1 (97) (January 2020). http://dx.doi.org/10.18698/2308-6033-2020-1-1948.

Full text
Abstract:
The paper considers a complex criterion for assessing the characteristics of the radio-transparent fairing of the supersonic aircraft onboard radar. The algorithm for research performing which will allow to establish interrelation between radio, aerodynamic and the main geometrical characteristics of radio-transparent nose fairings, such as lengthening of the forward part of a fuselage, an angle of inclination of a tangent to a curve forming a body of rotation and a discriminant of a curve generator is developed. The process of forming the geometric shape of the onboard radar radio-transparent fairing of a supersonic aircraft is based on two interrelated processes: providing the appropriate radio technical characteristics of the fairing to meet the requirements for the range of the aircraft radar detection and minimizing the drag of the nose of the fuselage. Research following the proposed algorithm allows forming technical recommendations for the selecting rational geometric parameters of onboard radar radio-transparent fairing of a supersonic aircraft at the early stages of aircraft design.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
32

Akhmetova, A. M. "MYSTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC-FANTASTIC ELEMENTS IN THE «GREEN TENTS» STORY WRITTEN BY BAKHYTBEK KADYR." Keruen 73, no. 4 (December 15, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.53871/2078-8134.2021.4-19.

Full text
Abstract:
The article examines the mystical and scientific-fiction elements in the "Green Tents" story written by Bahytbek Kadyr. The analysis of the author's artistic techniques in the organization of mystical and fantastic time and space is carried out. Also, some similarities were revealed in the narrative style of the artistic work by B. Kadyr and the novel by the Japanese writer K. Abe "Woman in the Sands". Structural, hermeneutical, and phenomenological interpretations of other mythical texts of the system of mystical and science fiction plots in the story "Green Tents" were given. The interpretation of the motive "the descent of a person from heaven" in various sources and its symbolic meaning in the story are analyzed. The main problems of society that prompted the author to write the story "Green Tents" were explained. It was found that the writing of the story was influenced by the types of crimes and misconduct caused by mutual discrimination and hostility of persons to each other. The story also shows that most of the violence and abuse in society occurs due to the fact that people discriminate against each other by religion, language, gender or race. A comparative analysis of the content of the interpretation of the motive "descent / fall of a person from heaven" in the story "Green Tents" on a layer of other texts (texts from the "Koran", "Gospel", myths or information). As a result, it turned out that the author's attitude to religious and mythological texts is not systematic, and the distinction between religious texts and scientific assumptions is not defined. In addition, the content of resources related to the future of humanity on various electronic information channels and portals was considered in a comparative aspect with the plot of the story. The mystical nature of the narrative was determined on the basis of how the characters speak in a language unknown to humans - a language that they can only understand themselves, without having a specific place or country, fearing fire, calling themselves an angel, demon, fairies, spirits or albasts.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
33

Masson, Sophie Veronique. "Fairy Tale Transformation: The Pied Piper Theme in Australian Fiction." M/C Journal 19, no. 4 (August 31, 2016). http://dx.doi.org/10.5204/mcj.1116.

Full text
Abstract:
The traditional German tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin inhabits an ambiguous narrative borderland, a liminal space between fact and fiction, fantasy and horror, concrete details and elusive mystery. In his study of the Pied Piper in Tradition and Innovation in Folk Literature, Wolfgang Mieder describes how manuscripts and other evidence appear to confirm the historical base of the story. Precise details from a fifteenth-century manuscript, based on earlier sources, specify that in 1284 on the 26th of June, the feast-day of Saints John and Paul, 130 children from Hamelin were led away by a piper clothed in many colours to the Koppen Hill, and there vanished (Mieder 48). Later manuscripts add details familiar today, such as a plague of rats and a broken bargain with burghers as a motive for the Piper’s actions, while in the seventeenth century the first English-language version advances what might also be the first attempt at a “rational” explanation for the children’s disappearance, claiming that they were taken to Transylvania. The uncommon pairing of such precise factual detail with enigmatic mystery has encouraged many theories. These have ranged from references to the Children’s Crusade, or other religious fervours, to the devastation caused by the Black Death, from the colonisation of Romania by young German migrants to a murderous rampage by a paedophile. Fictional interpretations of the story have multiplied, with the classic versions of the Brothers Grimm and Robert Browning being most widely known, but with contemporary creators exploring the theme too. This includes interpretations in Hamelin itself. On 26 June 2015, in Hamelin Museum, I watched a wordless five-minute play, entirely performed not by humans but by animatronic stylised figures built out of scrap iron, against a montage of multilingual, confused voices and eerie music, with the vanished children represented by a long line of small empty shirts floating by. The uncanny, liminal nature of the story was perfectly captured. Australia is a world away from German fairy tale mysteries, historically, geographically, and culturally. Yet, as Lisa M. Fiander has persuasively argued, contemporary Australian fiction has been more influenced by fairy tales than might be assumed, and in this essay it is proposed that major motifs from the Pied Piper appear in several Australian novels, transformed not only by distance of setting and time from that of the original narrative, but also by elements specific to the Australian imaginative space. These motifs are lost children, the enigmatic figure of the Piper himself, and the power of a very particular place (as Hamelin and its Koppen Hill are particularised in the original tale). Three major Australian novels will be examined in this essay: Joan Lindsay’s Picnic at Hanging Rock (1967), Christopher Koch’s The Doubleman (1985), and Ursula Dubosarsky’s The Golden Day (2011). Dubosarsky’s novel was written for children; both Koch’s and Lindsay’s novels were published as adult fiction. In each of these works of fiction, the original tale’s motifs have been developed and transformed to express unique evocations of the Pied Piper theme. As noted by Fiander, fiction writers are “most likely to draw upon fairy tales when they are framing, in writing, a subject that generates anxiety in their culture” (158). Her analysis is about anxieties of place within Australian fiction, but this insight could be usefully extended to the motifs which I have identified as inherent in the Pied Piper story. Prominent among these is the lost children motif, whose importance in the Australian imagination has been well-established by scholars such as Peter Pierce. Pierce’s The Country of Lost Children: An Australian Anxiety explores this preoccupation from the earliest beginnings of European settlement, through analysis of fiction, newspaper reports, paintings, and films. As Pierce observed in a later interview in the Sydney Morning Herald (Knox), over time the focus changed from rural children and the nineteenth-century fear of the vast impersonal nature of the bush, where children of colonists could easily get lost, to urban children and the contemporary fear of human predators.In each of the three novels under examination in this essay, lost children—whether literal or metaphorical—feature prominently. Writer Carmel Bird, whose fiction has also frequently centred on the theme of the lost child, observes in “Dreaming the Place” that the lost child, the stolen child – this must be a narrative that is lodged in the heart and imagination, nightmare and dream, of all human beings. In Australia the nightmare became reality. The child is the future, and if the child goes, there can be no future. The true stories and the folk tales on this theme are mirror images of each other. (7) The motif of lost children—and of children in danger—is not unique to the Pied Piper. Other fairy tales, such as Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood, contain it, and it is those antecedents which Bird cites in her essay. But within the Pied Piper story it has three features which distinguish it from other traditional tales. First, unlike in the classic versions of Hansel and Gretel or Red Riding Hood, the children do not return. Neither are there bodies to find. The children have vanished into thin air, never to be seen again. Second, it is not only parents who have lost them, but an entire community whose future has been snatched away: a community once safe, ordered, even complacent, traumatised by loss. The lack of hope, of a happy ending for anyone, is striking. And thirdly, the children are not lost or abandoned or even, strictly speaking, stolen: they are lured away, semi-willingly, by the central yet curiously marginal figure of the Piper himself. In the original story there is no mention of motive and no indication of malice on the part of the Piper. There is only his inexplicable presence, a figure out of fairy folklore appearing in the midst of concrete historical dates and numbers. Clearly, he links to the liminal, complex world of the fairies, found in folklore around the world—beings from a world close to the human one, yet alien. Whimsical and unpredictable by human standards, such beings are nevertheless bound by mysteriously arbitrary rules and taboos, and haunt the borders of the human world, disturbing its rational edges and transforming lives forever. It is this sense of disturbance, that enchanting yet frightening sudden shifting of the border of reality and of the comforting order of things, the essence of transformation itself, which can also be seen at the core of the three novels under examination in this essay, with the Piper represented in each of them but in different ways. The third motif within the Pied Piper is a focus on place as a source of uncanny power, a theme which particularly resonates within an Australian context. Fiander argues that if contemporary British fiction writers use fairy tale to explore questions of community and alienation, and Canadian fiction writers use it to explore questions of identity, then Australian writers use it to explore the unease of place. She writes of the enduring legacy of Australia’s history “as a settler colony which invests the landscape with strangeness for many protagonists” (157). Furthermore, she suggests that “when Australian fiction writers, using fairy tales, describe the landscape as divorced from reality, they might be signalling anxiety about their own connection with the land which had already seen tens of thousands of years of occupation when Captain James Cook ‘found’ it in 1770” (160). I would argue, however, that in the case of the Pied Piper motifs, it is less clear that it is solely settler anxieties which are driving the depiction of the power of place in these three novels. There is no divorce from reality here, but rather an eruption of the metaphysical potency of place within the usual, “normal” order of reality. This follows the pattern of the original tale, where the Piper and all the children, except for one or two stragglers, disappear at Koppen Hill, vanishing literally into the hill itself. In traditional European folklore, hollow hills are associated with fairies and their uncanny power, but other places, especially those of water—springs, streams, even the sea—may also be associated with their liminal world (in the original tale, the River Weser is another important locus for power). In Joan Lindsay’s Picnic at Hanging Rock, it is another outcrop in the landscape which holds that power and claims the “lost children.” Inspired partly by a painting by nineteenth-century Australian artist William Ford, titled At the Hanging Rock (1875), depicting a group of elegant people picnicking in the bush, this influential novel, which inspired an equally successful film adaptation, revolves around an incident in 1900 when four girls from Appleyard College, an exclusive school in Victoria, disappear with one of their teachers whilst climbing Hanging Rock, where they have gone for a picnic. Only one of their number, a girl called Irma, is ever found, and she has no memory of how and why she found herself on the Rock, and what has happened to the others. This inexplicable event is the precursor to a string of tragedies which leads to the violent deaths of several people, and which transforms the sleepy and apparently content little community around Appleyard College into a centre of loss, horror, and scandal.Told in a way which makes it appear that the novelist is merely recounting a true story—Lindsay even tells readers in an author’s note that they must decide for themselves if it is fact or fiction—Picnic at Hanging Rock shares the disturbingly liminal fact-fiction territory of the Piper tale. Many readers did in fact believe that the novel was based on historical events and combed newspaper files, attempting to propound ingenious “rational” explanations for what happened on the Rock. Picnic at Hanging Rock has been the subject of many studies, with the novel being analysed through various prisms, including the Gothic, the pastoral, historiography, and philosophy. In “Fear and Loathing in the Australian Bush,” Kathleen Steele has depicted Picnic at Hanging Rock as embodying the idea that “Ordered ‘civilisation’ cannot overcome the gothic landscapes of settler imaginations: landscapes where time and people disappear” (44). She proposes that Lindsay intimates that the landscape swallows the “lost children” of the novel because there is a great absence in that place: that of Aboriginal people. In this reading of the novel, it is that absence which becomes, in a sense, a malevolent presence that will reach out beyond the initial disappearance of the three people on the Rock to destroy the bonds that held the settler community together. It is a powerfully-made argument, which has been taken up by other scholars and writers, including studies which link the theme of the novel with real-life lost-children cases such as that of Azaria Chamberlain, who disappeared near another “Rock” of great Indigenous metaphysical potency—Uluru, or Ayers Rock. However, to date there has been little exploration of the fairy tale quality of the novel, and none at all of the striking ways in which it evokes Pied Piper motifs, whilst transforming them to suit the exigencies of its particular narrative world. The motif of lost children disappearing from an ordered, safe, even complacent community into a place of mysterious power is extended into an exploration of the continued effects of those disappearances, depicting the disastrous impact on those left behind and the wider community in a way that the original tale does not. There is no literal Pied Piper figure in this novel, though various theories are evoked by characters as to who might have lured the girls and their teacher, and who might be responsible for the disappearances. Instead, there is a powerful atmosphere of inevitability and enchantment within the landscape itself which both illustrates the potency of place, and exemplifies the Piper’s hold on his followers. In Picnic at Hanging Rock, place and Piper are synonymous: the Piper has been transformed into the land itself. Yet this is not the “vast impersonal bush,” nor is it malevolent or vengeful. It is a living, seductive metaphysical presence: “Everything, if only you could see it clearly enough, is beautiful and complete . . .” (Lindsay 35). Just as in the original tale, the lost children follow the “Piper” willingly, without regret. Their disappearance is a happiness to them, in that moment, as it is for the lost children of Hamelin, and quite unlike how it must be for those torn apart by that loss—the community around Appleyard, the townspeople of Hamelin. Music, long associated with fairy “takings,” is also a subtle feature of the story. In the novel, just before the luring, Irma hears a sound like the beating of far-off drums. In the film, which more overtly evokes fairy tale elements than does the novel, it is noteworthy that the music at that point is based on traditional tunes for Pan-pipes, played by the great Romanian piper Gheorge Zamfir. The ending of the novel, with questions left unanswered, and lives blighted by the forever-inexplicable, may be seen as also following the trajectory of the original tale. Readers as much as the fictional characters are left with an enigma that continues to perplex and inspire. Picnic at Hanging Rock was one of the inspirations for another significant Australian fiction, this time a contemporary novel for children. Ursula Dubosarsky’s The Golden Day (2011) is an elegant and subtle short novel, set in Sydney at an exclusive girls’ school, in 1967. Like the earlier novel, The Golden Day is also partly inspired by visual art, in this case the Schoolgirl series of paintings by Charles Blackman. Combining a fairy tale atmosphere with historical details—the Vietnam War, the hanging of Ronald Ryan, the drowning of Harold Holt—the story is told through the eyes of several girls, especially one, known as Cubby. The Golden Day echoes the core narrative patterns of the earlier novel, but intriguingly transformed: a group of young girls goes with their teacher on an outing to a mysterious place (in this case, a cave on the beach—note the potent elements of rock and water, combined), and something inexplicable happens which results in a disappearance. Only this time, the girls are much younger than the characters of Lindsay’s novel, pre-pubertal in fact at eleven years old, and it is their teacher, a young, idealistic woman known only as Miss Renshaw, who disappears, apparently into thin air, with only an amber bead from her necklace ever found. But it is not only Miss Renshaw who vanishes: the other is a poet and gardener named Morgan who is also Miss Renshaw’s secret lover. Later, with the revelation of a dark past, he is suspected in absentia of being responsible for Miss Renshaw’s vanishment, with implications of rape and murder, though her body is never found. Morgan, who could partly figure as the Piper, is described early on in the novel as having “beautiful eyes, soft, brown, wet with tears, like a stuffed toy” (Dubosarsky 11). This disarming image may seem a world away from the ambiguously disturbing figure of the legendary Piper, yet not only does it fit with the children’s naïve perception of the world, it also echoes the fact that the children in the original story were not afraid of the Piper, but followed him willingly. However, that is complicated by the fact that Morgan does not lure the children; it is Miss Renshaw who follows him—and the children follow her, who could be seen as the other half of the Piper. The Golden Day similarly transforms the other Piper motifs in its own original way. The children are only literally lost for a short time, when their teacher vanishes and they are left to make their own way back from the cave; yet it could be argued that metaphorically, the girls are “lost” to childhood from that moment, in terms of never being able to go back to the state of innocence in which they were before that day. Their safe, ordered school community will never be the same again, haunted by the inexplicability of the events of that day. Meanwhile, the exploration of Australian place—the depiction of the Memorial Gardens where Miss Renshaw enjoins them to write poetry, the uncomfortable descent over rocks to the beach, and the fateful cave—is made through the eyes of children, not the adolescents and adults of Picnic at Hanging Rock. The girls are not yet in that liminal space which is adolescence and so their impressions of what the places represent are immediate, instinctive, yet confused. They don’t like the cave and can’t wait to get out of it, whereas the beach inspires them with a sense of freedom and the gardens with a sense of enchantment. But in each place, those feelings are mixed both with ordinary concerns and with seemingly random associations that are nevertheless potently evocative. For example, in the cave, Cubby senses a threateningly weightless atmosphere, a feeling of reality shifting, which she associates, apparently confusedly, with the hanging of Ronald Ryan, reported that very day. In this way, Dubosarsky subtly gestures towards the sinister inevitability of the following events, and creates a growing tension that will eventually fade but never fully dissipate. At the end, the novel takes an unexpected turn which is as destabilising as the ending of the Pied Piper story, and as open-ended in its transformative effects as the original tale: “And at that moment Cubby realised she was not going to turn into the person she had thought she would become. There was something inside her head now that would make her a different person, though she scarcely understood what it was” (Dubosarsky 148). The eruption of the uncanny into ordinary life will never leave her now, as it will never leave the other girls who followed Miss Renshaw and Morgan into the literally hollow hill of the cave and emerged alone into a transformed world. It isn’t just childhood that Cubby has lost but also any possibility of a comforting sense of the firm borders of reality. As in the Pied Piper, ambiguity and loss combine to create questions which cannot be logically answered, only dimly apprehended.Christopher Koch’s 1985 novel The Doubleman, winner of the Miles Franklin Award, also explores the power of place and the motif of lost children, but unlike the other two novels examined in this essay depicts an actual “incarnated” Piper motif in the mysteriously powerful figure of Clive Broderick, brilliant guitarist and charismatic teacher/guru, whose office, significantly, is situated in a subterranean space of knowledge—a basement room beneath a bookshop. Both central yet peripheral to the main action of the novel, touched with hints of the supernatural which never veer into overt fantasy, Broderick remains an enigma to the end. Set, like The Golden Day, in the 1960s, The Doubleman is narrated in the first person by Richard Miller, in adulthood a producer of a successful folk-rock group, the Rymers, but in childhood an imaginative, troubled polio survivor, with a crutch and a limp. It is noteworthy here that in the Grimms’ version of the Pied Piper, two children are left behind, despite following the Piper: one is blind, one is lame. And it is the lame boy who tells the townspeople what he glimpsed at Koppen Hill. In creating the character of Broderick, the author blends the traditional tropes of the Piper figure with Mephistophelian overtones and a strong influence from fairy lore, specifically the idea of the “doubleman,” here drawn from the writings of seventeenth-century Scottish pastor, the Reverend Robert Kirk of Aberfoyle. Kirk’s 1691 book The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies is the earliest known serious attempt at objective description of the fairy beliefs of Gaelic-speaking Highlanders. His own precisely dated life-story and ambiguous end—it is said he did not die but is forever a prisoner of the fairies—has eerie parallels to the Piper story. “And there is the uncanny, powerful and ambiguous fact of the matter. Here is a man, named, born, lived, who lived a fairy story, really lived it: and in the popular imagination, he lives still” (Masson).Both in his creative and his non-fiction work Koch frequently evoked what he called “the Otherland,” which he depicted as a liminal, ambiguous, destabilising but nevertheless very real and potent presence only thinly veiled by the everyday world. This Otherland is not the same in all his fictions, but is always part of an actual place, whether that be Java in The Year of Living Dangerously, Hobart and Sydney in The Doubleman, Tasmania, Vietnam and Cambodia in Highways to a War, and Ireland and Tasmania in Out of Ireland. It is this sense of the “Otherland” below the surface, a fairy tale, mythical realm beyond logic or explanation, which gives his work its distinctive and particular power. And in The Doubleman, this motif, set within a vividly evoked real world, complete with precise period detail, transforms the Piper figure into one which could easily appear in a Hobart lane, yet which loses none of its uncanny potency. As Noel Henricksen writes in his study of Koch’s work, Island and Otherland, “Behind the membrane of Hobart is Otherland, its manifestations a spectrum stretched between the mystical and the spiritually perverted” (213).This is Broderick’s first appearance, described through twelve-year-old Richard Miller’s eyes: Tall and thin in his long dark overcoat, he studied me for the whole way as he approached, his face absolutely serious . . . The man made me uneasy to a degree for which there seemed to be no explanation . . . I was troubled by the notion that he was no ordinary man going to work at all: that he was not like other people, and that his interest couldn’t be explained so simply. (Koch, Doubleman 3)That first encounter is followed by another, more disturbing still, when Broderick speaks to the boy, eyes fixed on him: “. . . hooded by drooping lids, they were entirely without sympathy, yet nevertheless interested, and formidably intelligent” (5).The sense of danger that Broderick evokes in the boy could be explained by a sinister hint of paedophilia. But though Broderick is a predator of sorts on young people, nothing is what it seems; no rational explanation encompasses the strange effect of his presence. It is not until Richard is a young man, in the company of his musical friend Brian Brady, that he comes across Broderick again. The two young men are looking in the window of a music shop, when Broderick appears beside them, and as Richard observes, just as in a fairy tale, “He didn’t seem to have changed or aged . . .” (44). But the shock of his sudden re-appearance is mixed with something else now, as Broderick engages Brady in conversation, ignoring Richard, “. . . as though I had failed some test, all that time ago, and the man had no further use for me” (45).What happens next, as Broderick demonstrates his musical prowess, becomes Brady’s teacher, and introduces them to his disciple, young bass player Darcy Burr, will change the young men’s lives forever and set them on a path that leads both to great success and to living nightmare, even after Broderick’s apparent disappearance, for Burr will take on the Piper’s mantle. Koch’s depiction of the lost children motif is distinctively different to the other two novels examined in this essay. Their fate is not so much a mystery as a tragedy and a warning. The lost children of The Doubleman are also lost children of the sixties, bright, talented young people drawn through drugs, immersive music, and half-baked mysticism into darkness and horrifying violence. In his essay “California Dreaming,” published in the collection Crossing the Gap, Koch wrote about this subterranean aspect of the sixties, drawing a connection between it and such real-life sinister “Pipers” as Charles Manson (60). Broderick and Burr are not the same as the serial killer Manson, of course; but the spell they cast over the “lost children” who follow them is only different in degree, not in kind. In the end of the novel, the spell is broken and the world is again transformed. Yet fittingly it is a melancholy transformation: an end of childhood dreams of imaginative potential, as well as dangerous illusions: “And I knew now that it was all gone—like Harrigan Street, and Broderick, and the district of Second-Hand” (Koch, Doubleman 357). The power of place, the last of the Piper motifs, is also deeply embedded in The Doubleman. In fact, as with the idea of Otherland, place—or Island, as Henricksen evocatively puts it—is a recurring theme in Koch’s work. He identified primarily and specifically as a Tasmanian writer rather than as simply Australian, pointing out in an essay, “The Lost Hemisphere,” that because of its landscape and latitude, different to the mainland of Australia, Tasmania “genuinely belongs to a different region from the continent” (Crossing the Gap 92). In The Doubleman, Richard Miller imbues his familiar and deeply loved home landscape with great mystical power, a power which is both inherent within it as it is, but also expressive of the Otherland. In “A Tasmanian Tone,” another essay from Crossing the Gap, Koch describes that tone as springing “from a sense of waiting in the landscape: the tense yet serene expectancy of some nameless revelation” (118). But Koch could also write evocatively of landscapes other than Tasmanian ones. The unnerving climax of The Doubleman takes place in Sydney—significantly, as in The Golden Day, in a liminal, metaphysically charged place of rocks and water. That place, which is real, is called Point Piper. In conclusion, the original tale’s three main motifs—lost children, the enigma of the Piper, and the power of place—have been explored in distinctive ways in each of the three novels examined in this article. Contemporary Australia may be a world away from medieval Germany, but the uncanny liminality and capacious ambiguity of the Pied Piper tale has made it resonate potently within these major Australian fictions. Transformed and transformative within the Australian imagination, the theme of the Pied Piper threads like a faintly-heard snatch of unearthly music through the apparently mimetic realism of the novels, destabilising readers’ expectations and leaving them with subversively unanswered questions. ReferencesBird, Carmel. “Dreaming the Place: An Exploration of Antipodean Narratives.” Griffith Review 42 (2013). 1 May 2016 <https://griffithreview.com/articles/dreaming-the-place/>.Dubosarsky, Ursula. The Golden Day. Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 2011.Fiander, Lisa M. “Writing in A Fairy Story Landscape: Fairy Tales and Contemporary Australian Fiction.” Journal of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature 2 (2003). 30 April 2016 <http://openjournals.library.usyd.edu.au/index.php/JASAL/index>.Henricksen, Noel. Island and Otherland: Christopher Koch and His Books. Melbourne: Educare, 2003.Knox, Malcolm. “A Country of Lost Children.” Sydney Morning Herald 15 Aug. 2009. 1 May 2016 <http://www.smh.com.au/national/a-country-of-lost-children-20090814-el8d.html>.Koch, Christopher. The Doubleman. 1985. Sydney: Minerva, 1996.Koch, Christopher. Crossing the Gap: Memories and Reflections. 1987. Sydney: Vintage, 2000. Lindsay, Joan. Picnic at Hanging Rock. 1967. Melbourne: Penguin, 1977.Masson, Sophie. “Captive in Fairyland: The Strange Case of Robert Kirk of Aberfoyle.” Nation and Federation in the Celtic World: Papers from the Fourth Australian Conference of Celtic Studies, University of Sydney, June–July 2001. Ed. Pamela O’Neil. Sydney: University of Sydney Celtic Studies Foundation, 2003. Mieder, Wolfgang. “The Pied Piper: Origin, History, and Survival of a Legend.” Tradition and Innovation in Folk Literature. 1987. London: Routledge Revivals, 2015.Pierce, Peter. The Country of Lost Children: An Australian Anxiety. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1999.Steele, Kathleen. “Fear and Loathing in the Australian Bush: Gothic Landscapes in Bush Studies and Picnic at Hanging Rock.” Colloquy 20 (2010): 33–56. 27 July 2016 <http://artsonline.monash.edu.au/wp-content/arts/files/colloquy/colloquy_issue_20_december_2010/steele.pdf>.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
34

Rutherford, Amanda, and Sarah Baker. "The Disney ‘Princess Bubble’ as a Cultural Influencer." M/C Journal 24, no. 1 (March 15, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.5204/mcj.2742.

Full text
Abstract:
The Walt Disney Company has been creating magical fairy tales since the early 1900s and is a trusted brand synonymous with wholesome, family entertainment (Wasko). Over time, this reputation has resulted in the Disney brand’s huge financial growth and influence on audiences worldwide. (Wohlwend). As the largest global media powerhouse in the Western world (Beattie), Disney uses its power and influence to shape the perceptions and ideologies of its audience. In the twenty-first century there has been a proliferation of retellings of Disney fairy tales, and Kilmer suggests that although the mainstream perception is that these new iterations promote gender equity, new cultural awareness around gender stereotypes, and cultural insensitivity, this is illusory. Tangled, for example, was a popular film selling over 10 million DVD copies and positioned as a bold new female fairy tale character; however, academics took issue with this position, writing articles entitled “Race, Gender and the Politics of Hair: Disney’s Tangled Feminist Messages”, “Tangled: A Celebration of White Femininity”, and “Disney’s Tangled: Fun, But Not Feminist”, berating the film for its lack of any true feminist examples or progressiveness (Kilmer). One way to assess the impact of Disney is to look at the use of shape shifting and transformation in the narratives – particularly those that include women and young girls. Research shows that girls and women are often stereotyped and sexualised in the mass media (Smith et al.; Collins), and Disney regularly utilises body modification and metamorphosis within its narratives to emphasise what good and evil ‘look’ like. These magical transformations evoke what Marina Warner refers to as part of the necessary surprise element of the fairy tale, while creating suspense and identity with storylines and characters. In early Disney films such as the 1937 version of Snow White, the queen becomes the witch who brings a poison apple to the princess; and in the 1959 film Sleeping Beauty the ‘bad’ fairy Maleficent shapeshifts into a malevolent dragon. Whilst these ‘good to evil’ (and vice versa) tropes are easily recognised, there are additional transformations that are arguably more problematic than those of the increasingly terrifying monsters or villains. Disney has created what we have coined the ‘princess bubble’, where the physique and behaviour of the leading women in the tales has become a predictor of success and good fortune, and the impression is created of a link between their possession of beauty and the ‘happily-ever-after’ outcome received by the female character. The value, or worth, of a princess is shown within these stories to often increase according to her ability to attract men. For example, in Brave, Queen Elinor showcases the extreme measures taken to ‘present’ her daughter Merida to male suitors. Merida is preened, dressed, and shown how to behave to increase her value to her family, and whilst she manages to persuade them to set aside their patriarchal ideologies in the end, it is clear what is expected from Merida in order to gain male attention. Similarly, Cinderella, Aurora, and Snow White are found to be of high ‘worth’ by the princes on account of their beauty and form. We contend, therefore, that the impression often cast on audiences by Disney princesses emphasises that beauty = worth, no matter how transgressive Disney appears to be on the surface. These princesses are flawlessly beautiful, capable of winning the heart of the prince by triumphing over their less attractive rivals – who are often sisters or other family members. This creates the illusion among young audiences that physical attractiveness is enough to achieve success, and emphasises beauty as the priority above all else. Therefore, the Disney ‘princess bubble’ is highly problematic. It presents a narrow range of acceptability for female characters, offers a distorted view of gender, and serves to further engrain into popular culture a flawed stereotype on how to look and behave that negates a fuller representation of female characters. In addition, Armando Maggi argues that since fairy tales have been passed down through generations, they have become an intrinsic part of many people’s upbringing and are part of a kind of universal imaginary and repository of cultural values. This means that these iconic cultural stories are “unlikely to ever be discarded because they possess both a sentimental value and a moral ‘soundness’” (Rutherford 33), albeit that the lessons to be learnt are at times antiquated and exclusionary in contemporary society. The marketing and promotion of the Disney princess line has resulted in these characters becoming an extremely popular form of media and merchandise for young girls (Coyne et al. 2), and Disney has received great financial benefit from the success of its long history of popular films and merchandise. As a global corporation with influence across multiple entertainment platforms, from its streaming channel to merchandise and theme parks, the gender portrayals therefore impact on culture and, in particular, on how young audiences view gender representation. Therefore, it could be argued that Disney has a social responsibility to ensure that its messages and characters do not skew or become damaging to the psyche of its young audiences who are highly impressionable. When the representation of gender is examined, however, Disney tends to create highly gendered performances in both the early and modern iterations of fairy tales, and the princess characters remain within a narrow range of physical portrayals and agency. The Princess Bubble Although there are twelve official characters within the Disney princess umbrella, plus Elsa and Anna from the Disney Frozen franchise, this article examines the eleven characters who are either born or become royalty through marriage, and exhibit characteristics that could be argued to be the epitome of feminine representation in fairy tales. The characters within this ‘princess bubble’ are Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Elsa, and Anna. The physical appearance of those in the princess bubble also connects to displays around the physical aspects of ethnicity. Nine out of eleven are white skinned, with Jasmine having lightened in skin tone over time, and Tiana now having a tanned look rather than the original dark African American complexion seen in 2009 (Brucculieri). This reinforces an ideology that being white is superior. Every princess in our sample has thick and healthy long hair, the predominant colour being blonde. Their eyes are mostly blue, with only three possessing a dark colour, a factor which reinforces the characteristics and representation of white ethnic groups. Their eyes are also big and bulbous in shape, with large irises and pupils, and extraordinarily long eyelashes that create an almost child-like look of innocence that matches their young age. These princesses have an average age of sixteen years and are always naïve, most without formal education or worldly experience, and they have additional distinctive traits which include poise, elegance and other desired feminine characteristics – like kindness and purity. Ehrenreich and Orenstein note that the physical attributes of the Disney princesses are so evident that the creators have drawn criticism for over-glamorising them, and for their general passiveness and reliance on men for their happiness. Essentially, these women are created in the image of the ultimate male fantasy, where an increased value is placed on the virginal look, followed by a perfect tiny body and an ability to follow basic instructions. The slim bodies of these princesses are disproportionate, and include long necks, demure shoulders, medium- to large-sized perky breasts, with tiny waists, wrists, ankles and feet. Thus, it can be argued that the main theme for those within the princess bubble is their physical body and beauty, and the importance of being attractive to achieve success. The importance of the physical form is so valued that the first blessing given by the fairies to Aurora from Sleeping Beauty is the gift of physical beauty (Rutherford). Furthermore, Tanner et al. argue that the "images of love at first sight in the films encourage the belief that physical appearance is the most important thing", and these fairy tales often reflect a pattern that the prince cannot help but to instantly fall in love with these women because they are so striking. In some instances, like the stories of Cinderella and Snow White, these princesses have not uttered a single word to their prince before these men fall unconditionally and hopelessly in love. Cinderella need only to turn up at the ball as the best dressed (Parks), while Snow White must merely “wait prettily, because someday her prince will come" (Inge) to reestablish her as royalty. Disney emphasises that these princesses win their man solely on the basis that they are the most beautiful girls in the land. In Sleeping Beauty, the prince overhears Aurora’s singing and that sets his heart aflame to the point of refusing to wed the woman chosen for him at birth by the king. Fortunately, she is one and the same person, so the patriarchy survives, but this idea of beauty, and of 'love at first sight', continues to be a central part of Disney movies today, and shows that “Disney Films are vehicles of powerful gender ideologies” (Hairianto). These princesses within the bubble of perfection have priority placed on their physical and sexual beauty (Dietz), formulating a kind of ‘beauty contest motif’. Examples include Gaston, who does not love Belle in Beauty and the Beast, but simply wants her as his trophy wife because he deems her to be the most beautiful girl in the town. Ariel, from The Little Mermaid, looks as if she "was modeled after a slightly anorexic Barbie doll with thin waist and prominent bust. This representation portrays a dangerous model for young women" (Zarranz). The sexualisation of the characters continues as Jasmine has “a delicate nose and small mouth" (Lacroix), with a dress that can be considered as highly sexualised and unsuitable for a girl of sixteen (Lacroix). In Tangled, Rapunzel is held hostage in the tower by Mother Gothel because she is ‘as fragile as a flower’ and needs to be ‘kept safe’ from the harms in the world. But it is her beauty that scares the witch the most, because losing Rapunzel would leave the old woman without her magical anti-aging hair. She uses scare tactics to ensure that Rapunzel remains unseen to the world. These examples are all variations of the beauty theme, as the princesses all fall within narrow and predictable tropes of love at first sight where the woman is rescued and initiated into womanhood by being chosen by a man. Disney’s Progressive Representation? At times Disney’s portrayal of princesses appears illusively progressive, by introducing new and different variations of princesses into the fold – such as Merida in the 2012 film Brave. Unfortunately, this is merely an illusion as the ‘body-perfect’ image remains an all-important ideal to snare a prince. Merida, the young and spirited teenage princess, begins her tale determined not to conform to the desired standards set for a woman of her standing; however, when the time comes for her to be married, there is no negotiating with her mother, the queen, on dress compliance. Merida is clothed against her will to re-identify her in the manner which her parents deem appropriate. Her ability to express her identity and individuality removed, now replaced by a masked version, and thus with the true Merida lost in this transformation, her parents consider Merida to be of renewed merit and benefit to the family. This shows that Disney remains unchanged in its depiction of who may ‘fit’ within the princess bubble, because the rubric is unchanged on how to win the heart of the man. In fact, this film is possibly more troublesome than the rest because it clearly depicts her parents to deem her to be of more value only after her mother has altered her physical appearance. It is only after the total collapse of the royal family that King Fergus has a change of patriarchal heart, and in fact Disney does not portray this rumpled, ripped-sleeved version of the princess in its merchandising campaign. While the fantasy of fairy tales provides enthralling adventures that always end in happiness for the pretty princesses that encounter them, consideration must be given to all those women who have not met the standard and are left in their wake. If women do not conform to the standards of representation, they are presented as outcasts, and happiness eludes them. Cinderella, for example, has two ugly stepsisters, who, no matter how hard they might try, are unable to match her in attractiveness, kindness, or grace. Disney has embraced and not shunned Perrault’s original retelling of the tale, by ensuring that these stepsisters are ugly. They have not been blessed with any attributes whatsoever, and cannot sing, dance, or play music; nor can they sew, cook, clean, or behave respectably. These girls will never find a suitor, let alone a prince, no matter how eager they are to do so. On the physical comparison, Anastasia and Drizella have bodies that are far more rounded and voluptuous, with feet, for example, that are more than double the size of Cinderella’s magical slipper. These women clearly miss the parameters of our princess bubble, emphasising that Disney is continuing to promote dangerous narratives that could potentially harm young audience conceptions of femininity at an important period in their development. Therefore, despite the ‘progressive’ strides made by Disney in response to the vast criticism of their earlier films, the agency afforded to their new generation of princesses does not alter the fact that success comes to those who are beautiful. These beautiful people continue to win every time. Furthermore, Hairianto has found that it is not uncommon for the media to directly or indirectly promote “mental models of how a woman should look, speak and interact with others”, and that Disney uses its pervasive princess influence “to shape perceptions of female identity and desirability. Females are made to measure themselves against the set of values that are meted out by the films” (Hairianto). In the 2017 film Beauty and the Beast, those outside of the princess bubble are seen in the characters of the three maidens from the village who are always trying to look their very best in the hope of attracting Gaston (Rutherford). Gaston is not only disinterested but shows borderline contempt at their glances by permitting his horse to spray mud and dirt all over their fine clothing. They do not meet the beauty standard set, and instead of questioning his cruelty, the audience is left laughing at the horse’s antics. Interestingly, the earlier version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast portrays these maidens as blonde, slim, and sexy, closely fitting the model of beauty displayed in our princess bubble; however, none match the beauty of Belle, and are therefore deemed inferior. In this manner, Disney is being irresponsible, placing little interest in the psychological ‘safety’ or affect the messages have upon young girls who will never meet these expectations (Ehrenreich; Best and Lowney; Orenstein). Furthermore, bodies are shaped and created by culture. They are central to self-identity, becoming a projection of how we see ourselves. Grosz (xii) argues that our notions of our bodies begin in physicality but are forever shaped by our interactions with social realities and cultural norms. The media are constantly filled with images that “glorify and highlight some kinds of bodies (for example, the young, able-bodied and beautiful) while ignoring or condemning others” (Jones 193), and these influences on gender, ethnicity, sexuality, race, and religion within popular culture therefore play a huge part in identity creation. In Disney films, the princess bubble constantly sings the same song, and “children view these stereotypical roles as the right and only way to behave” (Ewert). In The Princess and the Frog, Tiana’s friend Charlotte is so desperate to ‘catch’ a prince that "she humorously over-applies her makeup and adjusts her ball gown to emphasize her cleavage" (Breaux), but the point is not lost. Additionally, “making sure that girls become worthy of love seems central to Disney’s fairy tale films” (Rutherford 76), and because their fairy tales are so pervasive and popular, young viewers receive a consistent message that being beautiful and having a tiny doll-like body type is paramount. “This can be destructive for developing girls’ views and images of their own bodies, which are not proportioned the way that they see on screen” (Cordwell 21). “The strongly gendered messages present in the resolutions of the movies help to reinforce the desirability of traditional gender conformity” (England et al. 565). Conclusion The princess bubble is a phenomenon that has been seen in Disney’s representation of female characters for decades. Within this bubble there is a narrow range of representation permitted, and attempts to make the characters more progressive have instead resulted in narrow and restrictive constraints, reinforcing dangerous female stereotypes. Kilmer suggests that ultimately these representations fail to break away from “hegemonic assumptions about gender norms, class boundaries, and Caucasian privileging”. Ultimately this presents audiences with strong and persuasive messages about gender performance. Audiences conform their bodies to societal ‘rules’: “as to how we ‘wear’ and ‘use’ our bodies” (Richardson and Locks x), including for example how we should dress, what we should weigh, and how to become popular. In our global hypermediated society, viewers are constantly exposed to princesses and other appropriate bodies. These become internalised ideals and aid in positive and negative thoughts and self-identity, which in turn creates additional pressure on the female body in particular. The seemingly innocent stories with happy outcomes are therefore unrealistic and ultimately excluding of those who cannot or will not ‘fit into the princess bubble’. The princess bubble, we argue, is therefore predictable and restrictive, promoting female passiveness and a reliance of physical traits over intelligence. The dominance of beauty over all else remains the road to female success in the Disney fairy tale film. References Beauty and the Beast. Dirs. Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise. Walt Disney Productions, 1991. Film. Beauty and the Beast. Dir. Bill Condon. Walt Disney Pictures, 2017. Film. Best, Joel, and Kathleen S. Lowney. “The Disadvantage of a Good Reputation: Disney as a Target for Social Problems Claims.” The Sociological Quarterly 50 (2009): 431–449. doi:10.1111/j.1533-8525.2009.01147.x. Brave. Dirs. Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman. Walt Disney Pictures, 2012. Film. Breaux, Richard, M. “After 75 Years of Magic: Disney Answers Its Critics, Rewrites African American History, and Cashes in on Its Racist Past.” Journal of African American Studies 14 (2010): 398-416. Cinderella. Dirs. Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske. Walt Disney Productions, 1950. Film. Collins, Rebecca L. “Content Analysis of Gender Roles in Media: Where Are We Now and Where Should We Go?” Sex Roles 64 (2011): 290–298. doi:10.1007/s11199-010-9929-5. Cordwell, Caila Leigh. The Shattered Slipper Project: The Impact of the Disney Princess Franchise on Girls Ages 6-12. Honours thesis, Southeastern University, 2016. Coyne, Sarah M., Jennifer Ruh Linder, Eric E. Rasmussen, David A. Nelson, and Victoria Birkbeck. “Pretty as a Princess: Longitudinal Effects of Engagement with Disney Princesses on Gender Stereotypes, Body Esteem, and Prosocial Behavior in Children.” Child Development 87.6 (2016): 1–17. Dietz, Tracey, L. “An Examination of Violence and Gender Role Portrayals in Video Games: Implications for Gender Socialization and Aggressive Behavior.” Sex Roles 38 (1998): 425–442. doi:10.1023/a:1018709905920. England, Dawn Elizabeth, Lara Descartes, and Melissa A. Collier-Meek. "Gender Role Portrayal and the Disney Princesses." Sex Roles 64 (2011): 555-567. Ewert, Jolene. “A Tale as Old as Time – an Analysis of Negative Stereotypes in Disney Princess Movies.” Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences 13 (2014). Grosz, Elizabeth. Volatile Bodies. London, Routledge, 1994. Inge, M. Thomas. “Art, Adaptation, and Ideology: Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Journal of Popular Film and Television 32.3 (2004): 132-142. Jones, Meredith. “The Body in Popular Culture.” Being Cultural. Ed. Bruce M.Z. Cohen. Auckland University, 2012. 193-210. Kilmer, Alyson. Moving Forward? Problematic Ideology in Twenty-First Century Fairy Tale Films. Central Washington University, 2015. Lacroix, Celeste. “Images of Animated Others: The Orientalization of Disney's Cartoon Heroines from The Little Mermaid to The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Popular Communications 2.4 (2004): 213-229. Little Mermaid, The. Dirs. Ron Clements and John Musker. Walt Disney Pictures, 1989. Film. Maggi, Armando. Preserving the Spell: Basile's "The Tale of Tales" and Its Afterlife in the Fairy-Tale Tradition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2015. Orenstein, Peggy. Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture. New York: HarperCollins, 2011. Parks, Kari. Mirror, Mirror: A Look at Self-Esteem & Disney Princesses. Honours thesis. Ball State University, 2012. Pinocchio. Dirs. Hamilton Luske, Ben Sharpsteen, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Norm Ferguson, Bill Roberts, and T. Lee. Walt Disney Productions, 1940. Film. Princess and the Frog, The. Dirs. Ron Clements and John Musker. Walt Disney Pictures, 2009. Film. Richardson, Niall, and Adam Locks. Body Studies: The Basics. Routledge, 2014. Rutherford, Amanda M. Happily Ever After? A Critical Examination of the Gothic in Disney Fairy Tale Films. Auckland University of Technology, 2020. Sleeping Beauty. Dirs. Clyde Geronimi, Eric Larson, Wolfgang Reitherman, and Les Clark. Walt Disney Productions, 1959. Film. Smith, Stacey L., Katherine M. Pieper, Amy Granados, and Mark Choueite. “Assessing Gender-Related Portrayals in Topgrossing G-Rated Films.” Sex Roles 62 (2010): 774–786. Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. Dirs. David Hand, Wilfred Jackson, Ben Sharpsteen, William Cottrell, Perce Pearce, and Larry Morey. Walt Disney Productions, 1937. Film. Tangled. Dirs. Nathan Greno and Byron Howard. Walt Disney Pictures, 2010. Film. Tanner, Litsa RenÉe, Shelley A. Haddock, Toni Schindler Zimmerman, and Lori K. Lund. “Images of Couples and Families in Disney Feature-Length Animated Films.” The American Journal of Family Therapy 31 (2003): 355-373. Warner, Marina. Fantastic Metamorphoses, Other Worlds. London: Oxford UP, 2002. Wasko, Janet. Understanding Disney: The Manufacture of Fantasy. Polity Press, 2001. Wohlwend, Karen E. “Damsels in Discourse: Girls Consuming and Producing Identity Texts through Disney Princess Play.” Reading Research Quarterly 44.1 (2009): 57-83. Zarranaz, L. Garcia. “Diswomen Strike Back? The Evolution of Disney's Femmes in the 1990s.” Atenea 27.2 (2007) 55-65.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles
We offer discounts on all premium plans for authors whose works are included in thematic literature selections. Contact us to get a unique promo code!

To the bibliography