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Pretty much since the day the car and the airplane coexisted people have dreamed of
自從汽車和飛機並存的那一天起,人們就開始夢想著。
combining them into one all purpose, go-anywhere, do-anything vehicle. Flying cars are emblematic
將它們組合成一個多用途的,可以去任何地方,做任何事情的車輛。飛行汽車是象徵性的
of a future sci-fi world but a practical one that anybody can buy and fly has never materialized.
的未來科幻世界,但一個人人都能買到並能飛翔的實用世界卻從未實現。
Now one company in the Netherlands thinks they've cracked the design, and their production
現在,荷蘭的一家公司認為他們已經破解了設計,他們的生產。
version is officially road legal in Europe. There's a lot of reasons cars and airplanes
版本在歐洲正式成為道路合法。汽車和飛機的原因有很多。
have yet to join forces. They have very different needs. Needs like the number of wheels. The
還沒有聯合起來。他們有非常不同的需求。比如輪子的數量等需求。的
four wheels on a car distribute its weight and provide traction and stability. A 3-wheeled
四輪汽車上的四個輪子分佈其重量,並提供牽引力和穩定性。一個三輪的
car is much more likely to roll when taking a turn at high speeds. But airplanes have
汽車在高速轉彎時更容易發生翻滾。但飛機有
3 wheels because when they're on the ground they don't need to take turns at speed,
3個輪子,因為當他們在地面上時,他們不需要在速度上轉彎。
so a 4th wheel would just be unnecessary weight. Tricycle wheel arrangements are also better
所以第四輪只是不必要的重量。三輪車的輪子佈置也比較好
suited to landing in crosswinds. Aircraft also have other needs like, oh yeah,
適合在橫風中降落。飛機還有其他需求,比如,哦,對。
wings. Whether they're fixed wings like an airliner or rotary wings like a helicopter,
翅膀。無論是像客機那樣的固定翼,還是像直升機那樣的旋轉翼。
to generate enough lift they have to be much larger than the constraints freeway lanes
為了產生足夠的升力,它們必須比限制性的高速公路車道大得多。
and parking spaces would allow. So most designs for flying cars have wings that are either
和停車位會允許。所以,大多數飛行汽車的設計都有一個翅膀,要麼是
detachable or collapsable. If they're detachable, they need to be towed behind the car in a
可拆卸或可摺疊。如果它們是可拆卸的,它們需要被拖到車後,以一種可拆卸的方式進行。
trailer or left at the airfield. If they're collapsible, the design of the car has to
拖車或留在機場。如果它們是可摺疊的,汽車的設計必須是
find a place to put them. The more you dig into the idea, the more of a headache it becomes.
找個地方放。越是挖空心思,越是頭疼。
That hasn't stopped some people from trying, and now one Dutch company, PAL-V, thinks their
這並沒有阻止一些人的嘗試,現在一家荷蘭公司PAL-V認為他們的。
Liberty design can solve all these problems and make flying cars a practical reality.
自由設計可以解決所有這些問題,讓飛行汽車成為現實。
Starting with the undercarriage, which PAL-V credits as their main breakthrough. The company
從底盤開始,PAL-V認為這是他們的主要突破口。該公司
was looking for a three-wheeled design that could still be stable when turning at normal
追求的是一種三輪設計,在正常轉彎時仍能保持穩定。
road-going speeds. In 2005, they discovered the work of another Dutch company, Carver,
道路行駛速度。2005年,他們發現了另一家荷蘭公司Carver的工作。
which made 3-wheeled cars that tilted like motorcycles. A hydraulic tilting system like
該公司生產的三輪汽車可以像摩托車一樣傾斜。液壓傾斜系統,如
that could eliminate the need for a 4th wheel and also be useful to raise the whole vehicle
可以省去第四輪,也可以有用的提高整車水準
up, giving it ground clearance for a rear-facing propeller.
了,使其有了後向螺旋槳的離地間隙。
Then there was the matter of generating lift. Fixed wing aircraft need air to move over
然後是產生升力的問題。固定翼飛機需要空氣來移動
their wings fast enough to stay aloft, otherwise they'll stall. A fixed wing flying car has
翅膀的速度要足夠快才能保持在空中,否則就會失速。固定翼飛行器有
to compromise the size and shape of its wings in the name of practicality, meaning its risk
為了實用而犧牲其翅膀的大小和形狀,這意味著其風險。
of stalling is higher. So PAL-V chose a rotary design instead, but rather than make
的停滯性較高。所以PAL-V選擇了旋轉式的設計,但並沒有使
their flying car a helicopter, they decided it should be an autogyro, also known as a gyrocopter.
他們的飛行汽車是一架直升機,他們決定它應該是一架自動陀螺,也被稱為陀螺儀。
If you don't know the difference it's easy to confuse the two. But unlike a helicopter
如果你不知道兩者的區別,很容易將兩者混淆。但與直升機不同的是
which has a rotor powered by an engine, the rotor of an autogyro is unpowered in flight.
的旋翼由發動機提供動力,而自動陀螺的旋翼在飛行中是無動力的。
Instead the air flowing over it causes it to spin and generate lift. The rotating blades
而流過它的空氣則使它旋轉併產生升力。旋轉的葉片
means an autogyro cannot stall, and because they're unpowered engine failure doesn't
意味著自動陀螺不能失速,而且因為它們是無動力的,所以發動機故障並不意味著
spell total disaster. Landing an autogyro with no engine is the same process as landing
意味著徹底的災難。降落一個沒有發動機的自動陀螺和降落一個沒有發動機的自動陀螺的過程是一樣的。
one with an engine. Without one providing forward thrust the autogyro can't climb,
一個帶發動機的。如果沒有一個提供前推力,自動陀螺儀就無法爬升。
but it can still descend steadily and under full control.
但它仍然可以在完全控制下穩定下降。
Still to be safe, the Liberty has two engines powering a pusher propeller for forward thrust
還是為了安全起見,自由號有兩個發動機,為一個推力螺旋槳提供動力,以獲得向前的推力。
in case one fails. Autogyros also have short takeoff and landing requirements, so setting
以防其中一個出現故障。自動陀螺儀也有短距離起降的要求,所以設置了
one down in an emergency is less dangerous than in a fixed-wing aircraft that needs a
緊急情況下,一架飛機墜落的危險性比固定翼飛機的危險性要小,因為固定翼飛機需要一個。
longer strip of clear land. PAL-V's flying car seems to tick all the
較長的淨土帶。PAL-V的飛行汽車似乎勾選了所有的。
boxes. There's a minimal amount of labor required to convert it between road- and sky-going
箱。在公路和天空之間轉換所需的人力是最少的。
configurations, but the relative safety of the autogyro design and the tilting cornering
配置,但相對安全的自動陀螺設計和傾斜轉彎的
on 3 wheels make it the gadget to end all gadgets. Forget a sports car, nothing will
在3個輪子上,使它成為結束所有小工具的小工具。忘記跑車,沒有什麼會
impress a date like picking them up in a tilting whirligig of Dutch engineering. The Liberty
打動約會者就像在荷蘭工程的傾斜旋渦中把他們抱起來一樣。自由號
received road certification in Europe in October of 2020, bringing flying cars one-step closer
2020年10月在歐洲獲得道路認證,使飛行汽車更近一步。
to reality. They hope to deliver to their first customers starting in 2022.
到現實。他們希望從2022年開始向第一批客戶交付。
So if you had the money, would you buy this car? Let us know in the comments. When my
那麼如果你有錢,你會買這款車嗎?請在評論中告訴我們。當我的
co-workers at Seeker asked me that my answer was a resounding, “heck yeah!” People
Seeker的同事問我,我的回答是響亮的 "heck yeah!"。人們
have not only been strapping wings to cars, but rockets and jet engines too. Check out
不僅在汽車上綁上翅膀,還在火箭和噴氣發動機上綁上翅膀。查看
this video on one rocket-powered car designed to break the sound barrier. Thanks for watching,
這段視頻是關於一輛火箭動力車的,它的設計是為了打破音障。謝謝觀看。
don't forget to subscribe, and I'll see you next time on Seeker!
不要忘了訂閱,我們下期節目再見!