新编英语教程3Unit6拓展知识

Unit6AtomicCarsSupplimentaryreadingFlyingcarEarlyexperimentsGlennCurtiss,theWrights'chiefrival,wasthefirsttodesignaflyingcar.ThefirstflyingcartoactuallyflywasbuiltbyWaterman.WatermanbecameassociatedwithCurtisswhileCurtisswaspioneeringnavalaviationatNorthIslandonSanDiegoBayinthe1910s.However,itwasn'tuntilMarch21,1937thatWaterman'sAerobilefirsttooktotheair.TheAerobilewasadevelopmentofWaterman'staillessaircraft,theWhatsit.Ithadawingspanof38feet(11m)andalengthof20feet6inches(6.25m).OnthegroundandintheairitwaspoweredbyaStudebakerengine.Itcouldflyat112mph(180km/h)anddriveat56mph(90km/h).In1926,HenryForddisplayedanexperimentalsingle-seataeroplanethathecalledtheskyflivver.Theprojectwasabandonedtwoyearslaterwhenatestflightcrashed,killingthepilot.[2]Post-wardevelopmentArtist'simpressionofflyingcar,ontheFeb1951coverofPopularMechanicsInthe1950s,thewesternworldwasrecoveringfromWorldWarIIandeverythingseemedpossible.Theflyingcarwasavisionoftransportationinthe21stcentury,andacommonfeatureofsciencefictionfutures.Severaldesigns(suchastheConvairflyingcarandMoltTaylor'sAircar)haveflown,nonehaveenjoyedcommercialsuccessandthosethathaveflownarenotwidelyknownaboutbythegeneralpublic.Onenotabledesign,HenrySmolinski'sMizar,madebymatingtherearendofaCessnaSkymasterwithaFordPinto,disintegratedduringtestflights,killingSmolinskiandthepilot.Inthe1950s,FordMotorCompanyperformedaseriousfeasibilitystudyforaflyingcarproduct.Theyconcludedthatsuchaproductwastechnicallyfeasible,economicallymanufacturable,andhadsignificantrealisticmarkets.Themarketsexploredincludedambulanceservices,policeandemergencyservices,militaryuses,andinitially,luxurytransportation.Someofthesemarketsarenowservedbylighthelicopters.However,theflyingcarexploredbyFordshouldhavebeenatleastfiftyfoldlessexpensive.WhenFordapproachedtheU.S.FederalAviationAdministration(FAA)aboutregulatoryissues,thecriticalproblemwasthatthe(then)knownformsofairtrafficcontrolwereinadequateforthevolumeoftrafficFordproposed.Atthetime,airtrafficcontrolconsistedofflightnumbers,altitudesandheadingswrittenonlittleslipsofpaperandplacedinacase.Quitepossiblycomputerizedtrafficcontrol,orsomeformofdirectionalallocationbyaltitudecouldresolvetheproblems.Otherproblemswouldalsoneedtoberesolvedinsomeways,however,includingintoxicateddriversormotoriststhatdrivewithoutalicense.Furthermore,therewouldbeseriousconcernsamongthepublicinbuiltupurbanareas,thatmalfunctioningorincorrectlyoperatedflyingcarscouldcrashintohouses,shoppingdistrictsorpedestrianareas,severelydamagingbuildingsand/orkillingcivilians.Suchvehiclescouldalsobeusedasweapons.HistoricflyingcarsandroadableaircraftWatermanAerobile-1937twoexamplesinmuseumsasof2004FultonAirphibian-1946,oneexampleinCanadaAviationMuseum.Aerocar-1949,oneexamplestillflyingasof2006;twoexamplesinmuseumsAerautoPL.5C-early1950sAVEMizar-1973,CessnaSkymaster/FordPintohybrid.Crashed,killingdeveloper.ModerndevelopmentToday,thereisanactivemovementinthesearchforapracticalflyingcar.Severalconventionsareheldyearlytodiscussandreviewcurrentflyingcarprojects.TwonotableeventsaretheFlyingCarforumheldattheworld-famousEAAAirventureatOshkosh,Wisconsin,andtheSocietyofAutomotiveEngineers(SAE)conventionsheldatvariouscities.Flyingcarscanfallintooneoftwostyles;integrated(allthepiecescanbecarriedinthevehicle),ormodular(thepiecestoflyareleftattheairportwhenthevehicleisdriven).CurrentdevelopmentexamplesAnumberofcompaniesaredevelopingvehicles.Nonehaveyetdemonstratedavehiclecapableoffreeflight.StrongMobile'sMagicDragonAircar[3]hasbeendevelopedbyretiredAirForcepilot-engineerRichStrongovera50-yearperiod.Thedesignusesanautomobile-typeliftingbodyfuselageandautomotivesuspension.Flightpropulsionusesafront-mountedductedfanwithsideoutlets.Automaticconversionusesacombinationoffoldingandswingingtostowthewingsintothebody.ThecurrentdesignenvisionsacoremarketoffrequentregionalbusinesstravellerswhosetimesavingsmakeusingtheStrongMobilevirtuallyrevenueneutral.LaBicheAerospace'sFSC-1[4]isadevelopmentalprototypeFlyingCarandisanexampleofapracticalflyingcarcapableofutilizingtoday'sautomotiveandaviationinfrastructuretoprovidetruedoor-to-doortravel.Thevehiclecanbeparkedinanygarageorparkingspaceavailableforcars.TheFSC-1isthefirstknownvehiclecapableofautomaticconversionfromaircrafttocaratthetouchofabutton.LaBichehasflowna1/10thscalemodel,testeda¼-scalemodelandiscurrentlyfinishingtheFSC-1prototypeforroadandairtesting,asof2006.Currently,theFSC-1requiresapilotanddriver'slicensetooperate.However,uponapprovalfromtheFAA,developmentisunderwayforutilizinganewsatellite-navigationhandsfreeflightsystemtotravelfromairporttoairportthatwilleliminatetheneedforapilot'slicense.NumeroussafetysystemsandfailsafesarealsoemployedontheFSC-1,suchasarecoveryparachute.TheHaynesAeroSkyblazer[5]isadevelopmentstagevehiclethatusesasingleturbofanenginetoprovidethrustintheairandtogenerateelectricitytopowerelectricmotorsforgroundtravel.Incarmode,apatentedmechanismallowsthewingstofoldintothebodyofthevehicle,whichisdesignedtofitintoasinglecargarageandregularparkings