Chapter 10 Engaging in Military Aircraft
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In the southeastern United States, near the Atlantic coast of North Carolina, Kitty Hawk Town, here is not only close to the sea, but also vast deserts and vast grasslands. Watermark Advertising TestingWatermark Advertising Testing Because the industry is underdeveloped, the land is vast and sparsely populated. The sky was overcast that day, like a heavy rainstorm. Wright and thirty-three-year-old Orville. Wright, dressed in blue overalls and with oil-stained hands, tinkers with a second "flyer" assembled with a new engine in his dimly lit small warehouse.
Brother Orville. There was a hint of confusion in Wright's eyes, and he sighed from time to time, and after half an hour of work, he threw the wrench on the ground and said to his brother Wilbur, who was repairing the wing. Wright complained, "Dear brother, do you think we can go to heaven?" The shitch government people at the U.S. Patent Office have rejected our patent application, no newspaper reporter wants to report on it, people say we're liars, we're out of money, and if we fail, we're going to have to go to California to work as miners. ”
Brother Wilbur. Wright walked up to his brother, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Orville, do you remember what my father used to say to us when I was a child, 'People need money, but people don't live just for money.'" You have to believe that the airplane we have developed will be a great invention that will change the world, and mankind will one day realize that they can fly freely in the sky. ”
The Wright brothers are the same guys who invented the airplane in history. The Wright brothers were originally Ohio, the son of a shepherd father and a music teacher. The Wright brothers developed a keen interest in mechanics almost as soon as they were sensible. In his early childhood, his father, Milton. Wright never accuses them of spending the little pocket money they have on tools and materials. Wilbur often carried the rags of the street home to "study", and Orville ran back and forth, snorting and snorting to use his own strength. Help the little brother move these "treasures" back home to a small warehouse in the backyard.
On Christmas Day in 1878, the Wright brothers' father brought them back a butterfly toy, which they told them was a flying spiral that could fly high in the air.
"Birds can fly! How can it fly! Wilbur was a little skeptical. Dad put on a show on the spot. I saw that he first twisted the rubber band on it. As soon as it let go, it whined. Fly high into the air. Only then did my brother believe that in addition to birds and butterflies, artificially made things could also fly into the sky. Thereupon. The brothers took it apart to find out why it could fly into the sky.
Since then, in their young minds, they have germinated that they will definitely create something that can fly high in the blue sky. This childhood dream has always influenced the two brothers. However, when you grow up. Their job is bicycle repair.
It was not until 1896 that the German aviation pioneer Otto . The tragic death of Lee Lindahl in a gliding flight is a huge blow to those who dream of flying. But when the Wright brothers saw the news in the newspapers, they were excited. The Wright brothers, who were familiar with the mechanics, believed that the foundation of powered flight was mature enough, and the problem with Li Lindal was that he had not yet had time to discover the trick of maneuvering the airplane.
After many studies and experiments, they quickly came to the conclusion that as long as the key problem of aircraft maneuvering was solved and some kind of mechanism was installed to make aerodynamics work, humans could fly freely. The Wright brothers often lay on their backs on the ground, carefully observing the eagle's flight in the air for hours, studying and pondering the mechanisms by which they take off, ascend, and circle.
In this way, the Wright brothers carried out seven years of experimentation according to their own ideas, and finally in December 1903, they built the first aircraft to carry out manned flights under their own power, the "Aviator No. 1 glider". It was an ordinary biplane with two pusher propellers mounted on either side of the driver's position, chained by a single engine.
December 14, 1903 is a day to be remembered by all mankind. The Wright brothers conducted a test flight over a sand dune in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina's Kitty Hawk Township, which attracted local residents and curious newspaper reporters. However, it was far from causing a sensation, and the empty venue was deserted, and there were only 5 people who came to the scene to watch.
On the first test flight, the Wright brothers tossed a coin to determine who would board the plane first, and the younger brother Orville won. Orville. Wright was excited to take the pilot's seat, and with the help of the wind, the glider took off and dived from the height of the dunes, 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds...... It's a pity that this great flight only stayed in the air for 12 seconds, and the plane fell headlong and flew a total of 36 meters.
For the next three days, the brothers were not discouraged, but alas, by Wilbur. Wright's Flyer 1 stayed in the air for the longest time, but only 59 seconds, and flew a total of 260 meters. Unfortunately, a few minutes after flying 260 meters, a sudden gust of wind overturned the "Flyer 1" and seriously damaged the aircraft.
The crowd shook their heads, reporters didn't report on it, and some even laughed at the Wright brothers, "Throwing a rock can fly farther than this plane." The Wright brothers went to the U.S. Patent Office to apply for a patent, which was also rejected by government officials.
The Wright brothers wanted to cry without tears, and the two invested all their belongings in order to develop the airplane, and they were destitute. Wright is thirty-seven years old, Orville. Wright is thirty-three years old and not married. But brother Wilbur. Wright felt that the failure of the "Flyer One" was due to the engine, and he borrowed 5,000 dollars from a friend to repair the plane to try it with a new engine, and he said to his brother: "We must fulfill our childhood dream, which is also the dream of our father and mother, although they have died, we must persevere, don't we, Orville?" ”
Orville. Wright listened to his brother's words and said in frustration: "Why do you say that those idle guys in the government patent office don't look down on our inventions?" Are they all blind? ”
At this moment, a woman's voice came from outside the small warehouse: "They are blind indeed, Mr. Wright. ”
The woman was wearing a cheongsam and had a bumpy figure. has a unique oriental charm, it is Xi Muyan, president of the China International Investment Corporation, who was entrusted by Song Xiaofei to come to the United States to find the Wright brothers. She spoke standard American English, and behind her stood two bodyguards wearing black suits.
Xi Muyan knew that the Wright brothers were in the most difficult stage of developing the aircraft. She's here to deliver charcoal in the snow. But Orville. Wright didn't know Xi Muyan. Picking up a heavy wrench on the ground, he asked vigilantly, "Who are you?" What are you doing at our house? His brother also picked up a spring-loaded repair knife on the ground.
"I'm here to make a big deal with you two brothers." Xi Muyan smiled. Revealing two: "You don't have to be nervous, I know your brothers have worked hard for the past four years." The two of you brothers built 3 gliders, made more than 1,000 gliding flights, and made more than 200 different wings for thousands of wind tunnel experiments, all of which failed. To power flight, you first need an engine, but there are no engines for aircraft for sale on the market, and no company is willing to take the risk of making aero engines. Thereupon. You've got Charles, the bike clerk. Taylor, help build a piston engine that's about 12 horsepower, and you've already owed him $10,000 for that, am I right? Gentlemen. ”
Wilbur. Wright was taken aback. "Miss, you're right. But how do you know? ”
Xi Muyan smiled, handed him a business card, and said, "Charles. Taylor told me. He has arrived, right at your doorstep. ”
As soon as Xi Muyan's words were finished, Charles. Taylor walked in and smiled at Wilbur. Wright said, "Wilbur, let's go to China together." Do you know? The conditions offered by the Chinese make it impossible to refuse. People like us who didn't go to college can become academicians of the National Academy of Sciences of China, with an annual salary of $50,000, and we are provided with assistants and experimental sites. I believe that we will soon be able to fulfill our desire to fly. ”
Wilbur. Wright, who was not familiar with the National Academy of Sciences, asked, "Taylor, what if our brothers don't go to China?" ”
Charles. Taylor said, "Wilbur, then I'm going to have to move my engine." You know, you haven't paid me for the last engine. I really don't want to do that, though, because we're old friends after all. ”
At this time, Xi Muyan took out a check for $50,000 and a letter and handed it to Wilbur. Wright, saying, "Mr. Wilbur, this is a settling-in allowance for you, and a letter from your sister Katarina, who can also go to China with you." She is also very willing to go to China for sightseeing in order to realize your dreams as soon as possible, you know, the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City are all ingenious buildings. ”
Caterina and Wilbur. Wright had a very good relationship, and in the winter of 1885-1886, Wilbur was accidentally hit in the face by a hockey stick while playing ice hockey with a friend at the rink, causing him to lose his front teeth. So Wilbur. After reading the letter, Wright thought about it for half an hour, and said to Xi Muyan: "I didn't expect your company to be so sincere, so let's talk about the conditions of cooperation." ”
Xi Muyan said: "My investment company will provide you with all the experimental conditions, and the loss of failure is ours, if you succeed, we will give you a reward of 200,000 US dollars, and your invention patent will be sold to our company." ”
$200,000 was a huge amount of money at the time, not to mention buying a patent that would not know the future. Wright didn't seem to be moved, he wanted to test Xi Muyan's sincerity, stretched out five fingers, and said, "The patent remuneration is 500,000 US dollars." In addition, if your company operates an airplane company, our brother shares account for 20%. This is the bottom line of our cooperation, otherwise everything is not negotiable. ”
Charles. When Taylor heard this, he exclaimed, "Wilbur, when did you become so greedy?" ”
After hearing this, Xi Muyan said: "The conditions you offered exceeded our company's expectations. I'll have to talk to the major shareholders on the board. ”
Wilbur. Wright said, "Okay, I'll give you three days." ”
Xi Muyan immediately sent a telegram to Song Xiaofei, Song Xiaofei's main goal was to develop military aircraft, and he knew that the historical Wright Aircraft Company had become the world's most famous aircraft manufacturer, with tens of billions of dollars, so he replied with six words: "Do whatever it takes."
In April 1904, the Wright brothers and sister Caterina and their partner Charles Brown. Taylor traveled together on the passenger ship "New York" to Shanghai, China. President Song Xiaofei personally rushed to Shanghai, met with the two brothers, and asked them about their requirements.
Wilbur. "In addition to the parts for the aircraft, we needed a laboratory the size of a warehouse," Wright said. Then, it is better to have a grassland and a desert at the test site, and the wind is better. ”
Song Xiaofei thought for a while and said, "Then let's go to Zhangjiakou, I think it's more suitable there." ”
As a result, the Wright brothers' laboratory was built in Zhangjiakou, and the brilliant brothers devoted themselves to aircraft manufacturing. China built an air base and supply base there.
On October 15 of that year, the grassland in Zhangbei was clear, and the whistling north wind made people feel a chill. But the Wright brothers were excited, and with the cooperation of Chinese engineers, they built a second "Flyer" equipped with a new engine for a test flight in the Zhangbei grassland.
The wind was blowing in the right direction that day, Wilbur. Wright personally climbed into the cab of the powered glider, and the plane took off, one second, two seconds, three seconds...... 200 seconds...... In 600 seconds, the plane was still soaring in the blue sky, and this time, the longest sustained flight time was more than 10 minutes, and the flight distance reached 4.4 kilometers. Orville. Wright and Chinese engineers also shouted in celebration.
Song Xiaofei was also very happy when he received the news, and immediately instructed the Chinese War Department to formally order the Wright brothers to develop a new type of military aircraft, and to block the news, preparing to use it as a secret weapon in the future.
As a result, the Wright brothers improved the design and added special seats for lookouts and machine gunners to the plane. Song Xiaofei selected 50 elites from Jiang Baili's airship unit, and the Wright brothers, in addition to continuing to develop better performance aircraft, also helped China train its first military pilots. As a result, China secretly established the world's first air force flying group.