(Dayton, Ohio, a few weeks ago)

"That's what you're talking about? Called...... What is it? ”

"Flyer One. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info"

"No, I'm not asking what kind of machine it is, I mean, what type of machine it is."

"Airplanes."

"Airplane...... So, what you're going to make me believe is that it can fly in the air, right? ”

Duncan gazed with suspicion at the strange machine he had first seen a few minutes earlier, the plane—also known as Aviator I—which was now quietly parked on a meadow, surrounded by its designers, technicians, journalists, and citizens. If really like another designer of it, Orwell of Wright Bicycle Company. If it could fly in the air, as Mr. Wright claimed, it would be the first maneuverable machine in human history to fly under its own power. But Duncan felt that this seemed impossible.

He didn't doubt that humans could build maneuverable machines that could fly under their own power, he just thought that Orwell. Wright and his brother Wilbur. Wright's "Aviator One" was a failed work that could not succeed and could not fly. To a large extent, the "plane" is like an enlarged replica of a Chinese kite, consisting of a wooden skeleton and a canvas skin that wraps around the skeleton, and then, as an airplane, it has all the unique features of a two-bladed propeller and the Ford engine that drives it, the driver's seat, a pair of wheels for gliding on the ground, and, finally, a wing that stands erect at the tail called a "vertical tail."

It looks like a kite, but it's not a kite, which makes Duncan have to doubt its ability to fly - if it is a kite, it can be dragged into the sky, but who knows about an airplane that looks like a kite?

Unless there are facts to prove it.

"Did it fly?" Duncan turned his gaze to Orwell, who was with him. Wright.

"No, Mr. Sandy, it hasn't flown yet." Orwell replied, "We'll wait a little while before we do a test flight." So, what you're about to see is the first flight of the first aircraft in the history of mankind to fly on its own power. ”

Oh, it's an exciting, historic moment. Duncan made a comment in his heart without mockery, and of course he was not idle. "If it hasn't flown yet, then how do you know it can?"

Orwell's answer was simple: "Scientific calculations, rational design." ”

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"Sounds simple."

"It's actually complicated, there's a lot of work to be done, we've collected a lot of valuable research from aviation pioneers, conducted thousands of gliding experiments, and conducted more than 200 wind tunnel experiments, and we've been in close contact with Mr. Qin......

"Qin?"

"Yes, Mr. Qin has made some constructive suggestions to us."

"What did he say?" Duncan was a little curious. Although there was nothing to be curious about, Qin Lang knew many aspects of knowledge, far beyond the level that a normal human should have, but Duncan still became a little interested in this matter.

He said that as long as the power is strong enough, even a stone can fly in the air.

"What does this mean? A metaphor? ”

"We think that's the basic principle of designing an aircraft." Orwell said, "Pick a good engine, put the right wings and a fuselage, and an airplane is born -- it's all about the engine we're going to use, it's the heart of the plane, and if we can solve that problem, the rest of the problems will be easy." ”

"I must say," again as I said earlier, "it sounds simple. ”

"Like I've already said, it's actually complicated. Even putting aside the aerodynamic aspects – which meant a lot of calculations and countless experiments, finding the best engine is a headache that has to meet many requirements, such as power, weight, size, and so on. Often, it is very difficult to achieve these indicators at the same time, let alone the fact that it is often the case that there is an engine that meets the requirements on paper, or even partially exceeds, but in reality never reaches those numbers......"

"You're already having these problems?" Duncan stared at Flyer 1 not far away. How could it be so troublesome to design such a rudimentary flying machine? He shook his head secretly. It doesn't look like that at all.

"No, we haven't come across it yet, its design work is centered around a thirty-five-horsepower engine sent by Ford, and there are no superfluous requirements, because our goal is only to make a powered aircraft that can fly." Orwell shrugged, "But Mr. Qin said that we will always have those problems, and they may be within the next few years." ”

"Really?"

"In the long run, our job is not just to build machines that can fly. This is not our plan, it is Mr. Qin's plan, although he has not publicly stated this request for the time being. ”

"So how do you know?"

"We designed and built airplanes to realize the dream of free flight that has existed for thousands of years, but Mr. Qin, and you, Mr. Sandy, you are businessmen, and you obviously don't invest in this project to realize any dream, or to build a machine that can allow one or two people to take a slow ride in the sky."

Duncan had to admit that this Mr. Wright was very accurate, not like the kind of nerd who only knows how to study technology all day long. However, he was embarrassed and a little confused by the fact that, apart from satisfying the urge of one or two people to take a ride in the sky, he could not think of what the plane could do.

"What do you think this machine can do?" He asked.

"Reconnaissance of enemy movements from the air, maybe." Orwell wasn't quite sure -- despite being a pioneer in aviation, he knew no more about the purpose of an airplane than a guy who had never seen such a machine before -- but fortunately there was one more thing he was clear about. "In any case, Mr. Qin must have invested in us to sell what we designed. Once the time comes when he sees fit, for example, when he believes that we have accumulated enough experience, he will come up with clear technical requirements, flight speed, range, altitude, etc., and then we will have those problems. ”

"Do you think that's a good thing or a bad thing?"

Orwell gave Duncan a strange look. A good thing or a bad thing? "I don't know." "All I can think about is that the world will change a lot, both good and bad," he said. ”

Duncan nodded. "If you succeed."

"Of course we will succeed, Mr. Sandy." After a pause, Orwell motioned, "Look, the test flight is about to begin." ”

The technicians, reporters, and onlookers who had gathered next to the Flyer 1 were scattering in all directions, except for two people who remained there: Wilbur. Wright, now the pilot of the plane he designed, had climbed into the cockpit; and the last technician, who first dragged the wooden plug blocking the landing gear far away, then walked back to the head of the plane, grabbed one end of the propeller and pressed it down hard after receiving Wilbur's instructions.

The engine started, the propeller began to spin, and very quickly, the technician ran to the side like everyone else. Then, after a few moments, Flyer One moved and began to glide slowly over the grass.

Duncan heard some laughter from reporters and citizens. It goes without saying that Wilbur's piloting skills were pretty bad - after all, he had no experience flying planes like everyone else, even if he was taxiing on grass - and the planes writhed around the taxiway like an overdrunk drunk, turning to the left and the right for a moment, just not staying in a straight line for a moment.

Duncan couldn't help but get worried, tilted his head to Orwell, and whispered next to his ear, "Do you think this will allow that plane to take off?" ”

"Wilbur will keep it under control, I promise, Mr. Sandy."

"I hope so, Mr. Wright, I hope so." Duncan was still worried, but had no choice but to continue frowning and watching Wilbur imitate the drunkard's walking posture.

The laughter in the crowd grew louder.

As if hearing these laughs, or perhaps perhaps its pilot gradually grasped some knocks, and after taxiing forward for a short distance, the writhing Flyer 1 finally returned to a relatively smooth straight line, then twisted a few more times, and finally stabilized.

Although it is not certain, some people are keenly aware that the engine and propeller are turning faster at this moment, and the speed of the aircraft is gradually increasing, and in this slow but continuous acceleration movement, little by little, its tail is raised.

Duncan heard the exclamation, and even he himself wanted to exclaim, but he understood very well that the test flight had not yet been successful, and that the plane had not yet completely detached itself from the ground. He kept his mouth shut, held his breath, and stared at it motionlessly, watching its movement turn into a bouncing forward, and his heart beat up and down as it rose and fell.

It's an extremely uncomfortable feeling, like torture, and something has to be done to alleviate it.

"Come on." He shouted, in his heart.

The plane continued to beat.

"Come on!"

Jumped again.

"Get up for me!"

Duncan stopped: now, finally, the landing gear of the "Flyer I" completely left the ground, and did not immediately fall.

It's not falling, it's rising.

Exclamations and cheers rang out in the crowd at the same time. (To be continued, if you want to know what will happen next, please log in to the www.qidian.com, more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!) (To be continued.) )