On a cold morning on 17 December
1903, two young men faced one another on the windy beach of Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina .After years of trail and testing, what was going to happen in the
next few minutes could be possibly make them both famous and very rich. But
neither of their of faces betrayed any excitement
They
turned and looked at their dream project. An odd-looking framework of a machine
with wings, partly covered in fabric, with a 12-horse power engine and two
handmade propellers , stood before them. It had no landing wheels and rested on
a trolley designed to run along a lunching platform. Orville Wright laid
himself on the lower wing and the engine was started. The whole framework began
to rattle and shudder. Wilbur Wright released the anchoring cable. The
apparatus moved on its trolley and then the incredible happened. The plane
lifted into the air and the tiny trolley
beneath rolled off the run way, kicking up a little cloud of sand !
Although
it was the birth of the first flying machine, this feat by ’ crazy Wright brothers’
was regarded as an impossible one. It was only in 1908 when the New York
Herald’s news reporter watched for
himself and wrote the story of a man and an engine flying ‘into the blue‘ that the world took notice. Man’s
impossible conquest of the air had been achieved. The superb , self trained
Wright engineers developed a very successful research strategy that helped them
over many challenges in their quest. They worked thought a chain of seven
experimental aircraft-one kite (1899), three gliders (1900,1901,1902) and three
powered airplane (1903,1904,1905)-before they finally hit on the practical
flying machine.
Their effort remains one of the most admirable human achievements realised by scientific temperament.
Their careful wind tunnel tests gave them accurate aeronautical data. This, in turn, helped them design and build wings and propellers more effective than any before. Their breakthrough invention-the three axis control-effectively enabled a pilot to steer an aircraft and maintain its equilibrium. Even today, it is a standard device on fixed-wing aircraft.
The invention of the airplane was thus a turning point in history. It changed the way in which wars were fought or travel and commerce were conducted and shaped a new world where survival and development would depend entirely on scientific and technical skills.
Vocabulary:
dream project favourite or most treasured scheme
propellers devices having a revolving hub with blades, for pushing an airplane, ship, etc.
trolley a small open metal cart operated on a track.
temperament nature or character
wind tunnel tests these tests are conducted to study wind speeds and the pressure they exert on structures.
breakthrough sudden successful development.
turning point important achievement
Complete these sentences.
1. The years of trial and testing by the Wright brothers refer to two young men faced one another on the windy beach of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
2. The dream project was odd-looking because its partly covered in fabric, with 12-horse power engine and two homemade propellers.
3. They were referred to as the crazy Wright brothers because they were regarded as an impossible one.
4. The world took notice of the Wright brothers only when they can fly in the air with their aircraft.
5. Having a scientific temperament means have a curiosity about science.
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น