Watch thousands of high-quality documentaries and get access to my streaming service, Nebula,

欲觀看上千條優質紀錄片以及獲得Nebula的服務與使用權

by using the link in the description.

可點擊下方連結

This is the largest American helicopter.

這台是最大的美製直升機（賽考斯基CH-53E）

But back in 1971, this is what the Soviet Union brought to the Paris Airshow.

不過早在1971年的時候，蘇聯人就把這東西帶到當年的巴黎航展了

A helicopter so large, it baffled observers.

這架直升機非常的大，大得都讓在場的人一頭霧水

Because it could carry nearly two hundred passengers, and set world records for lifting

因為這架“直升機”有著高達200人的載客量

power that still stand to this day.

並且至今仍保持著直升機的載重記錄

But after returning to the Soviet Union, the world's largest helicopter seemingly disappeared.

不過當這東西飛回去蘇聯之後，這架全球最大的直升機不見了

In the Soviet Union, the helicopter emerged as an indispensable tool.

史上最大的直升機

A machine that could go where no other machine could, lifting people and supplies into remote

在蘇聯時代，直升機可謂是一種不可或缺的工具

regions that were once virtually inaccessible.

這是種可以把人員、物資運送到之前

And in a country as vast as the Soviet Union, the helicopter would help build a nation.

無法用其他載具抵達的偏遠地區的載具

By 1960, the Soviets were building some of the largest and most technically advanced

對於蘇聯這個有著遼闊國土的國家而言，直升機更是能協助國家發展的利器

helicopters in the world.

1960年代的時候，蘇聯已經造出了當時世界上最為巨大與

But at the height of the Cold War, the need to build a truly enormous helicopter would

先進的直升機了

become a matter of national security.

不過在冷戰高峰的時候，他們需要的則是一架

By 1960, American spy planes were beginning to uncover the location of Soviet Intercontinental

大得關乎國防安全的直升機

Ballistic Missiles.

1960年左右，美國人已經開始陸續在蘇聯本土發現

For years, the Soviets had been hiding their nuclear missiles by building launch sites

一個個的洲際導彈發射基地

deep in the remote wilderness.

多年來，蘇聯人為了躲過偵察，都會把核彈發射基地放在

But the only way to move heavy first-generation nuclear missiles was by train.

了無人煙的荒野之外

And it meant building a rail line out to each launch site.

不過要挪動第一代的重型洲際導彈只能靠火車

The Americans soon learned that to find the missile sites, they simply needed to follow

也就是說得建造一條連接各個發射基地的鐵路

the rail lines.

於是美國人發現只需要跟著鐵路沿線找，就可以

Keeping nuclear missiles hidden was a matter of national security.

找到發射基地了

So the Soviets devised a bold plan.

把核子導彈藏起來可是關乎國家安全的

Instead of using trains or roads, they'd airlift their missiles to remote locations.

所以蘇聯有個大膽的想法

If helicopters could deploy missiles deep into the remote wilderness, it would be virtually

不採用鐵路或是道路運輸，而是靠直升機吊掛到偏遠地區

impossible for American spy planes to spot them.

如果直升機能把洲際導彈運輸到更人煙稀少的地方

But in 1960, even the largest helicopter in the world was nowhere near powerful enough

那就連美國人的偵察機都找不著了

to lift a 25 ton ballistic missile.

不過那陣子，就連當時最強的運輸直升機

The Soviets would need to design a new helicopter with at least twice the lifting power of anything

都沒辦法吊掛重達25噸的彈道導彈

before it.

於是蘇聯人必須設計一架吊掛能力比以往

One option was to take what was already the largest helicopter in the world

強兩倍的直升機

and scale it up.

有個選項是把當時已經是世界最大的Mi-6直升機

Enlarging the Mi-6's fuselage so that it could safely carry a nuclear missile.

把它按比例放大

But a larger helicopter would also require developing a new more powerful engine and

把米-6的機身放大到能往裡面塞一枚核子導彈

larger rotor.

不過更大的直升機也意味著要用上新的發動機

To save development time, another option was to reuse the engines, rotor and gearbox from

還有更大的旋翼

the Mi-6, but use two sets of them.

為了節省開發時間，另一個選項則是續用Mi-6的發動機

It was a configuration that had already been popularized by the Americans.

旋翼跟齒輪箱，不過要把數量x2

But the approach wouldn't work for soviet designers.

當時美國人已經讓這個前後雙旋翼的設計玩出花樣了

In a tandem configuration, exhaust from the forward set of engines would interfere with

但是蘇聯的工程師沒辦法按照這方法

airflow to the aft engines.

因為這種縱列式佈局，前發動機的廢氣會影響

The solution would be to arrange the rotors transversely, mounting the assemblies on a

後發動機的氣流

set of wings.

解決方案就是把旋翼改成橫向佈局

This would allow engineers to reuse the Mi6's rotors, engines and gearboxes entirely to

把動力總成放到一對機翼上

build a truly enormous helicopter.

這樣就可以完全重用米-6的旋翼，發動機還有齒輪箱

They would designate the prototype as the V-12

造出一台龐然大物

The enormous machine would end up looking like a half-helicopter, half-airplane with

原型機的名字叫做V-12

inversely tapered wings supporting the two rotors.

這傢伙看起來會像是半架直升機+半架飛機

To keep the helicopter stable, the rotor blades would spin in opposite directions, cancelling

用一對由窄變寬的機翼支撐兩組旋翼

out reaction torque.

為了讓直升機能穩定飛行，兩側的旋翼是往相反方向轉動的

During hover, directional control was achieved by variably tilting each rotor.

以抵消反應力矩

And at higher speeds, the V-12's large tailplane further enhanced maneuverability.

懸停時，直升機的方向則是靠每個可調角度的旋翼來操縱

Operating the giant machine required a crew of six.

而在高速的時候,V-12的尾翼也更進一步的增加機動性了

With a pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer seated in a lower level cockpit and a navigator,

駕駛這台龐然大物要6名機組人員

radio operator and electrical engineer on a second level.

包含下層駕駛艙的正副駕駛還有飛行工程師

The V-12's enormous cargo hold could carry combat matériel and machinery, or be converted

領航員，電臺操作員跟電氣工程師則坐在上層

into a civilian transport with seating for up to 196 passengers.

V-12的貨艙能運載戰備物資跟機械，也可以

But the V-12's primary role would be to deploy intercontinental ballistic missiles.

改成能載多達196人的民航機

And the first step would be to load ICBMs onto cargo planes that would then fly thousands

但是它的主要功能就是部署洲際導彈

of kilometers to remote landing strips.

第一步，把洲際導彈塞進去運輸機裡面

From there, the missiles would be transferred onto waiting V-12's and airlifted with support

飛到千里之外的偏遠機場

crew and equipment to locations hundreds of kilometers into the remote wilderness.

運到那邊之後就會由當地的V-12空運導彈

With more than 12 million square kilometers of forest across the Soviet Union, American

同時搭載著導彈兵跟裝備到幾百公里外的荒野

spy planes would be searching for a needle in a haystack.

對於有著1200萬平方公里森林面積的蘇聯來說

When the V-12 appeared at the 1971 Paris Airshow, it had already broken world records.

要找到這些核彈，美軍的偵察機簡直就是在大海撈針

Including lifting an incredible 44 tones of payload up to over six thousand feet in 1969.

當它在1971年的巴黎航展出現的時候 它就已經破世界紀錄了

The equivalent weight of 25 mid size cars.

包括在1969年的時候搭載44噸貨物飛到超過6000英尺（約1800公尺）的高度

Western observers could only speculate as to the V-12's true purpose, But many were

也就是約等於25台中等尺寸的汽車的重量

expecting hundreds to be pressed into service.

西方的評論員雖只能猜測它的真實用途

In reality, by 1971, impressing the west was about the only use the Soviets had left for

但是很多評論員都認為會有上百架直升機投入服役

the giant machine.

而事實上，1971年的時候，能讓西方歎為觀止

Developing the V-12 had taken the better part of a decade, with design studies beginning

就變成了蘇聯人對這台龐然大物的唯一用途

in 1959 and the official go ahead given in 1962.

開發V-12最少用了接近10年的時間，早在1959年

But construction of the first prototype didn't start until 1965, with the first successful

就有設計方案，而在1962年官方給它批准了

flight occurring three years later.

但是第一台原型機得到1965年才開始建造，而首飛

A machine this large comes with compromises.

更是到3年之後才開始

And engineers had to work through numerous challenges around control and stability.

做出如此大的機器總得做出一些妥協

But the biggest problem was that by 1971, the V-12 no longer had a purpose.

工程師們得解決大量有關操縱跟穩定性的問題

The Amercians launched the first spy satellite into orbit in 1959.

但是最大的問題是到了1971年 這台直升機毫無用武之地了

And in a single day it could photograph more Soviet territory than all earlier spy plane

美國人在1959年發射了第一枚間諜衛星 （日冕Corona 計畫）

missions combined, making it far more difficult for the Soviets to hide their ICBMs.

在一天之內可以用之前所有對蘇偵照任務的總效率

And by the 1970s, the Soviets were developing a new generation of ICMBs small enough to

拍攝蘇聯的國土，讓蘇聯人更難藏匿他們的洲際導彈

fit on trucks, which could evade reconnaissance by simply moving around.

到了1970年代，蘇聯人也已開發出新一代小到能

The V-12 was just too large and cumbersome to be useful beyond its original mission.

裝在卡車上運輸的洲際導彈了，四處亂跑就可以避開偵察了

There were just too few scenarios that called for lifting 44 tons of cargo or 200 passengers

這架直升機對於設計原意來說實在是太大，太笨重了

in a single helicopter.

它一次可以搭載44噸的載重量或是接近200名乘客的

In 1974, development of the V-12 was ended after only

載客量也沒有太多用武之地

two prototypes had been built.

到1974年，V-12的開發歷程就此結束

With many technical problems still unresolved, the program was cancelled in favor of developing

總共就造了兩架原型機

a new heavy-lift helicopter with a more conventional single rotor design.

由於還有一堆技術問題沒有解決，V-12只能讓路給新的

Soviet Engineers weren't afraid to think outside the box, and while the V-12 was still

常規佈局單旋翼重載直升機（也就是大名鼎鼎的Mi-26光環）

under development, engineers over at the MiG design Bureau had another crazy idea.

蘇聯的工程師們不怕突破框架去設計，V-12

To turn a MiG-25 into the world's fastest VIP transport, swapping out the MiG's radar

還在開發階段的時候，米高揚-格列維奇就有個更大膽的想法

and missiles for a passenger cabin.

把一台米格-25（“狐蝠”）改裝成史上最快的特殊人員運輸機

You can learn more about this crazy Soviet proposal in my latest video available right

而方案是把武器跟雷達拆掉後再加裝客艙

now, on Nebula.

你可以在我的Nebula頻道那

Nebula is a streaming platform I helped create along with some of YouTube's top educational

看到有關這架異想天開的計畫案

creators, and it's where I'm experimenting with new kinds of content.

Nebula是一個我有幫忙建設的影片網站，同時也得到同行

Without having to worry about pleasing YouTube's algorithms.

的幫忙，現在是我拿來測試新類型影片的網站

Nebula is also where you can watch Mustard videos before they're released on YouTube

你也不需要擔心YT的演算法

without advertisements or sponsor messages.

在Nebula上你也可以看到我提前發佈的影片

It's also home to a growing number of original shows.

且沒有YT的廣告或是贊助商訊息

And a personal favourite of mine is the Logics of D-day.

更是多個原創系列影片的根據地

An ongoing series produced by Brian from Real Engineering.

我個人最喜歡的是“D-DAY的物流”

With high production values and indepth research, each episode explores a fascinating aspect

由Real Engineering頻道的Brian製作的系列影片

to one of the most ambitious military operations in history.

每一集的製作價值跟深入的研究，均是為了

The best part about Nebula is that it's free when you sign up for Curisitysteam, a

揭秘史上最具野心的軍事行動的各個層面

streaming site featuring thousands of high quality documentaries.

最棒的是如果你註冊了Curisitysteam

From history and nature to engineering and design, CuriositySteam lets you take a deeper

就是那個有著上千條優質紀錄片的影片網站

dive into fascinating topics.

從歷史到自然，再到工程學跟設計學，這個網站可以讓你

And just for Mustard fans, you can get an entire year of Nebula and CuriosityStream

更深入的去探究有趣的主題

for less than $15.

作為我的粉絲們，你可以用少於15美元的價格

Watch high-quality documentaries, and help support Mustard and other educational creators

訂閱兩個網站一整年

by going to curiositystream.com/mustard and use the promo code 'mustard' when you sign up.

想看到高品質紀錄片還有幫助像我這樣的教育性影片的創作者的話