Name: 為什麼沒有人飛過美國的超音速噴射客機: 美國的SST計畫（Why You Never Got to Fly The American Concorde: The 2707 SST Story）
Uploaded: 2021-05-31T12:49:16.000Z
Duration: 12 min

It would've flown nearly three times the speed of sound and carry more than 250 passengers

它能以將近三倍音速飛行 並同時承載兩百五十名乘客

the distance from New York to Los Angeles in under two hours.

更能在兩小時內從紐約飛到洛杉磯

Its development was backed by a billion in U.S. government funding and

以及大批的波音工程師的支援開發

眾多航空公司當時都排隊等著購買它

This, would've been America's answer to Concorde.

它，是美國對協和式噴射客機的回覆

The 1960's was a decade marked by relentless optimism for the future.

為什麼美國的超音速客機沒能實現

Laser beams, satellites, and moon landings.

1960年是個對未來充滿無限樂觀的年代

This was a decade in which the world was changing quickly.

In just a few short years, propeller driven aircraft had been replaced by sleek new jetliners.

And while this new jet age was exciting, many were expecting an even bigger leap forward.

在短短的幾年內 螺旋槳客機逐漸被更先進的噴射客機取代

Air travel, was about to get a whole lot faster.

在這令人興奮的噴射機年代 有些人在期待著更進一步的發展

A 1950's propeller driven airliner could take 15 hours to fly from New York to London.

航空旅行正要發展到更快的境界

In the 1960's, a jet made that same flight in around seven hours.

1950年代的螺旋槳客機需要花十五小時才能從紐約飛到倫敦

But many were expecting that by the 1970's, supersonic transports would begin

而在1960年代同樣的航線 噴射客機只需七小時便能完成

更有許多人深信在1970年代 超音速客機將開始取代一般噴射客機

And they would fly two or even three times the speed of jetliners.

這些超音速客機能以普通噴射客機 兩到三倍的速度飛行

And that would cut a New York to London flight down to under three hours.

這樣便能把紐約到倫敦的飛行時間 壓在三小時以內

By the end of the 1970's, hundreds of these supersonic transports were expected

人們期待上百架超音速客機能在 1970年末投入使用

幾乎所有美國的大型航空公司都在做著 發展自家超音速客機的美夢

And nearly every major American aircraft manufacturer was dreaming up plans for them.

But these were still very much, just plans.

因為實際建造一架超音速客機是天大的挑戰

Because actually building a supersonic transport was an enormous challenge.

The technological hurdles alone, were daunting.

But supersonic transports wouldn't just need to fly fast, they'd need to be economical

而這些航空公司都已經採購大量噴射客機了

And these same airlines were already buying American made jetliners.

美國的民用飛行器市場幾乎飽和

U.S. manufacturers had the commercial aviation market, pretty much cornered.

所以沒有人想在這些計劃上花大錢

So there wasn't the will to invest the massive sums of money needed to get any of these plans

但在大西洋另一端的英法並沒有乾等

1962年兩國宣布合作發展協和式噴射客機

But across the Atlantic, the British and French weren't waiting around.

這樣的關係成為發展超音速客機的重要推手

In 1962, the two countries announced a partnership to build Concorde, and this marked the first

幾個月後蘇聯用圖144加入了超音速客機競賽

serious effort to actually build a supersonic airliner.

美國早在1962年以前就開始注意著協和式客機發展計劃

And a few months later, the Soviets also jumped into the race with their Tupolev 144.

這些年來美國目睹這計劃一步一步成形

The Americans had been keeping an eye on the Concorde program well before 1962.

Over the years, they watched the program transform from a concept to a serious enterprise.

因為如果英法成為第一個開啟超音速民航機市場

And that began to worry American officials.

毫無爭議的 這將影響到美國在民航機發展的領導地位

Because if the British and French would be the first to open up the supersonic transport

甚至讓航空產業的上千工作機會危在旦夕

market, and do so uncontested, well, that could seriously threaten America's lead

未來的美國總統也許就要被迫 坐上外國廠商的超音速客機了

這時的航空公司開始展現對超音速客機的興趣

Thousands of aerospace jobs could be at stake.

當時全美最大國際航空公司，泛美航空

A future American President might one day be forced to fly around in a foreign built

甚至宣布有意購入協和式超音速客機

所以在1963年時，這場研發競賽開始了

And airlines, were now also beginning to show interest.

甘迺迪總統宣布政府將會資助超音速客機計劃

Pan American World Airways, at the time the largest American international carrier, even

全美各家航空器製造商受邀參與有著大膽目標的 設計競賽

announced its intention to buy Concordes.

設計目的為發展出飛得比協和式快得多、

大的多，又要比一般亞音速客機還划算的飛機

President Kennedy announced that the U.S. government would help fund the development

如設計要求一樣充滿野心的設計圖

Manufacturers were invited to participate in a design competition which outlined an

經過一年的評估 最後由波音的設計於1967年勝出

Develop an aircraft considerably faster and larger than Concorde, with economics comparable

這便帶來了大量需要用激進方式解決的技術難題

Just as ambitious were the design proposals from the three participating American manufacturers.

就像其他的超音速客機一樣 波音2707也非常流線型

But after years of evaluation, it was Boeing's design that was ultimately chosen in 1967.

同時它也採用諸多未曾在這麼大的飛機上 看過的設計

And this was Boeing's design entry, the 2707.

It would fly considerably faster than Concorde, and that introduced a whole slew of technical

challenges requiring some pretty radical solutions.

來幫助飛機減速並擁有更好的低速控制

Like all supersonic transports, the Boeing 2707's shape was highly streamlined.

But it also featured something unheard for a plane it's size.

來應對將近三倍音速帶來的空氣阻力

波音2707設有四具有後燃機的渦輪引擎

During landing and takeoff, the 2707's wings would be pivoted forward to allow for lower

為避免大量高溫造成危害 這些引擎被安置在飛機尾端

During supersonic cruise, its wings would be swept back to counter the massive aerodynamic

這表示波音2707將需要額外一組起落架

drag it would experience as it approached three times the speed of sound.

The 2707 would be powered by four Turbojets fitted with afterburners.

空氣阻力將造成機表數百度的高溫

To counter the heat they generated, they were uniquely positioned under the aircraft at

這樣的高溫能使一般航空用鋁軟化

因此波音將需要使用鈦合金來製造 機身、各機組零件

And that meant the 2707 needed an extra set of landing gear.

同時它將飛得比一般噴射機更高 因此機艙需要更多的加壓

Because it would cruise considerably faster than Concorde, atmospheric friction would

機艙的窗戶就因此只剩下十五公分的大小了

heat the 2707's exterior to several hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

波音2707也會搭載先進的 機上娛樂系統

Temperatures hot enough to soften regular aircraft aluminum.

So Boeing would need to build the fuselage out of titanium, with components and systems

波音有自信讓波音2707在70年代中期 正式正式服務

all specially designed to withstand the enormous heat.

但這架飛機將1960年代的技術逼上極限

And it would fly much higher than a typical jet, which meant more pressurization.

Hence the tiny cabin windows which were only six inches.

首先，波音2707需要用的鈦合金 太過昂貴又難以處理

Luckily for passengers, the 2707 would feature an advanced in-flight entertainment system

Boeing was confident that the 2707 could enter service with airlines, by the mid-1970's.

But this plane was pushing 1960's technology way beyond its limits.

而最後較實際的設計有著跟協和式一樣的三角翼

但就算波音跨越了技術上的障礙

To start, the titanium alloy needed for the 2707's airframe was expensive and difficult

飛機突破音障時會產生非常大聲的音爆在

The swing-wing mechanism was complex and enormously heavy.

It wasn't going to work, and eventually, Boeing was forced back to the drawing board, designing

在一萬八千公尺高飛行的波音2707 產生的音爆能在五十公里外聽到

a plane with a more conventional delta wing, like Concorde.

經過評估，一次橫跨美國的飛行所產生的音爆

But even as Boeing struggled to work through massive engineering hurdles, there was an

At supersonic speeds, aircraft generate loud sonic booms that can be heard along the entire

六個月內每天都能聽到聯邦航空總署跟 空軍測試造成的音爆

A Boeing 2707 cruising at 60 thousand feet would produce a sonic boom heard as much as

由於超音速飛機經常飛過城市上空

城內最高兩棟建築的玻璃因此被震破

It was estimated that a single transcontinental flight would produce sonic booms heard by

And to see just how tolerant people were, in 1964, the good people of Oklahoma City

were to subjected six months of daily sonic boom testing by the FAA and Air Force.

百分之二十五的城市居民表示 再也無法忍受這些噪音

With supersonic jets regularly flying overhead, booms cracked windows on two of the city's

奧克拉荷馬市的超音速測試 才於美國超音速客機計畫宣布後幾個月開始測試

但這只是其中一個官方不想面對的警告

美國航空產業的高度競爭與美國聲望危在旦夕