Name: 德国 Insane Hover Jet 运输Do 31 的故事（Germany’s Insane Hover Jet Transport: The Do 31 Story）
Uploaded: 2021-05-31T15:57:22.000Z
Duration: 10 min 7 s

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By the 1960's, the idea that a jet could take off and land vertically was no longer

到1960年代，噴氣式飛機可以 垂直起降不再是

the stuff of science fiction, and freeing jets from needing runways was

科幻小說內容，讓跑道對飛機不再是必須性

While the British led the way with the first jump jet fighter, Germany set out to build

當英國人率先做出滑跳式戰鬥機時，德國正著手建造

The world's first vertical jet lift transport, combining the speed and range of a jet with

世界上第一架垂直起降的噴射運輸機， 擁有噴射機的速度與航程。

more lifting power than just about any helicopter in the world.

也比世界上任何一款直升機的載重能力來得強

This was a plane that would revolutionize Germany's air force.

這是一架將徹底改變德國空軍的飛機。

A truly versatile machine that could even redefine air travel itself.

這是一架真正多功能的飛機，甚至可以 重新定義航空旅行。

But developing the world's first VTOL transport would be fraught with technical challenges.

但是開發世上第一架VTOL運輸機 將充滿技術挑戰。

It's called Vertical Take Off and Landing, or VTOL.

And getting a jet to do it would prove to be one of the most difficult challenges in

這就是所謂的垂直起降， 或VTOL。

Without forward motion, a plane's wings can't generate any lift, and it means a

將成為航空史上最困難的挑戰之一。

VTOL jet must rely entirely on its engines to get airborne, by directing thrust downwards.

沒有前進或移動，飛機的機翼 無法產生任何升力，這意味著

But making enough power to lift off vertically is only part of the challenge.

VTOL噴射機必須完全依靠其發動機 通過向下推力來成功起飛

Jet thrust must also keep the aircraft stable and oriented.

但是要有足夠的推力讓它垂直起飛 只是挑戰的一部分。

Because while hovering, conventional control surfaces aren't able to control the aircraft.

噴氣推力還必須保持飛機穩定 和方向固定。

And a VTOL jet still needs to fly like a conventional plane.

因為在懸停時，常規控制 的操縱面無法控制飛機。

And one approach is to use dedicated lift jets to get airborne and a separate jet for

而VTOL噴氣機仍需要像常規飛機一樣飛行。

一種方法是使用專用的發動機 一些用於垂直起降，另一些用於

Another approach is to develop an engine that can do both.

Vector thrust downwards for vertical lift and rearwards for forward flight.

另一種方法是開發一種引擎 可以兼具兩種功能。

A third way is to combine dedicated lift jets and vectored thrust.

向量噴嘴先向下產生推力以進行垂直起降， 然後調整噴嘴恢復常規飛行。

These were enormous engineering challenges.

第三種方法是同時使用專用的發動機 和向量推力。

But throughout the 1960s, several countries launched VTOL jet development programs.

Because freeing jets from needing runways could make all the difference in the next

但是整個1960年代，有幾個國家都啟動了VTOL噴射機開發計劃。

因為使飛機無需跑道起降，可以在之後的重大衝突中

During the Second World War, a grass field was just about all that military aircraft

第二次世界大戰期間，一片草地 幾乎就是所有軍用機

Grass fields are hard to destroy and easy to replace.

And a World War Two-era fighter needed only a few hundred feet of it.

But in little over a decade that all changed.

而第二次世界大戰時期的戰鬥機只需要 幾百英尺的跑道。

Because jet aircraft needed thousands of feet of concrete runway to get airborne, creating

但是在短短的十年內，這一切都改變了。

因為噴射機需要數千英尺的混凝土跑道才能空降，創造出了一個

In the opening hours of a conflict, runways were going to be the first targets and their

destruction would render an entire air force inoperable.

在衝突剛開始的幾小時內，跑道將成為首要目標，跑道被

During the Cold War, nowhere was this vulnerability more apparent than in West Germany, where

破壞將使空軍戰機無法進行起降。

most air bases were just a few hundred kilometers from Soviet Bloc countries.

在冷戰期間，這個漏洞無處不在，其中西德更為明顯。

Within easy striking distance of aircraft and cruise missiles.

大多數空軍基地距離蘇聯領土只有幾百公里，

But VTOL jets could operate without runways.

且在飛機與巡航導彈容易攻擊到的距離內。

And for West Germany, the technology seemed like the perfect solution.

但是VTOL噴氣機可以在沒有跑道的情況下起降。

Because aircraft could be stationed throughout the country, away from threats.

對於西德，這項技術似乎是完美的解決方案。

Kept hidden under the cover of forests or inside buildings Aircraft could even use the

因為飛機可以隨意駐紮在國土的任何一處，遠離威脅。

country's Autobahn highway network to stage operations.

隱藏在森林的掩護下或建築物內部，飛機甚至可以使用

In 1960, West Germany set out to build an air force around VTOL technology.

該國的高速公路網進行戰備起降。

Starting with the development of a supersonic fighter with unique pivoting wing-tip jets

1960年，西德開始組建一支 以VTOL技術為主的空軍。

並從一架獨特的旋轉翼尖引擎噴射戰機

A year later, work also began on a VTOL strike fighter, a ground attack aircraft to serve

as the mainstay of West- German air force.

一年後，VTOL攻擊機的研發也開始了，對地攻擊機

But critical for supporting these aircraft out in the field would be a jet lift transport.

A plane that could deliver supplies and personnel to remote forward operating bases.

但是對於協助這些飛機至關重要 的將是VTOL噴射運輸機。

And in 1962, West German aircraft builder Dornier was assigned the enormous challenge

一架可以運送物資和人員遠程前線作戰基地的飛機。

而在1962年，西德飛機製造商 都尼爾被分配到了這巨大的挑戰：

Getting a jet to lift off vertically was difficult enough.

A VTOL transport would also need to lift several tons of cargo.

讓噴射機垂直升空就已經夠難了。

And to do it, engineers would need to develop everything from new flight control systems,

VTOL運輸機還需要載著幾噸貨物。

為此，工程師需要從頭開發一切，從新的飛行控制系統

再到發動機佈局，還有航空電子設備。

The world's only vertical jet lift transport.

Using the combined power of two vectored thrust turbofans and eight lift jets in wing-tip

世界上唯一的垂直起降噴射運輸機。

pods, the Do 31 could generate an incredible 66,000 pounds of thrust.

使用兩個向量推力的渦扇引擎 和八個裝設在機翼吊艙裡的

More vertical lifting power than just about any helicopter in the world.

噴射引擎，Do 31可以產生令人難以置信的 66,000磅的推力。

To keep the aircraft stable, engineers developed an advanced computerized flight control system.

垂直起重能力遠超過世界上任何一架直升機。

Working around the limits of 1960's technology with an innovative part-digital, part-analog

為了保持飛機穩定，工程師們開發了 先進的電腦化飛行控制系統。

這幾乎運用到1960年代的技術極限，它具有創新的部分數字化與類比化

In forward flight, the lift jets would be shut off and the Do 31

在常規飛行中，垂直舉升引擎將 關閉，而 Do 31

And it could reach speeds of over 700km an hour and carry 36 fully equipped troops or

它可以達到超過700公里的時速，並攜帶36名全副武裝的士兵或

An unprecedented combination of speed, range and lifting capacity.

But developing the world's first VTOL jet transport would be fraught with technical

它簡直是速度，航程和載重能力的空前組合。

但是開發世界上第一台VTOL噴射運輸機將充滿技術

And it took Dornier almost five years to develop the Do 31's technologies.

But by 1967, confidence in the aircraft was growing and soon test flights were proving

都尼爾花了將近五年的時間來開發Do 31的技術。

that Germany's jet lift transport was more than capable of fulfilling it's design mission.

但到了1967年，雖然對這架飛機的信心不斷增長，但試飛很快就證明了

And as Dornier moved closer to a production version, some even saw the potential for vertical

這架德國噴射運輸機無法達到設計上的運輸載重。

jet lift technology to revolutionize commercial aviation.

隨著都尼爾進一步接近量產版本，甚至有人看到了垂直起降的潛力，

Because VTOL airliners would operate from helipads, maybe even directly

並打算利用其徹底改變民航產業。

因為VTOL客機將從停機坪，甚至能直接

But VTOL jet travel was going to have to wait.

As the 1960s drew to a close, the Cold War evolved into a new phase.

但是VTOL噴射機旅行將不得延後。

An all out war with the Soviet Union now seemed less likely.

隨著1960年代走入尾聲，冷戰發展到一個新階段。

And it meant the development of VTOL capable jets was now less of a strategic priority.

現在看來，與蘇聯的全面戰爭似乎不太可能發生。

And getting a jet to reliably take off and land vertically proved to be far more challenging

這意味著VTOL功能的噴射機發展現在已不再是戰略重點。

and dangerous than originally anticipated.

而事實證明讓噴射機可靠地垂直起降比最初預期的還要危險，

By 1968 it was clear that Germany's VTOL fighter jet wasn't going to

到1968年，很明顯，德國的VTOL 戰鬥機無法

And with rising development costs the program was cancelled.

And that put the future of Do 31 in doubt

隨著開發成本的逐步增加，該計劃 被取消了。

More than anything, what west Germany needed was a partner

最重要的是，西德需要的是合夥人

And while Dornier managed to get the attention of the U.S military and aerospace industry,

儘管都尼爾設法引起美軍和航空業的注意，但他們的

Like other VTOL jets, the Do 31 had some serious limitations.

Sure, its ten jets could lift more than just about any helicopter in the world.

與其他VTOL噴射機一樣，Do 31飛機有些嚴重的侷限性。

Much of what they were actually lifting was the aircraft's own weight.

當然，它的十具引擎能比世界上任何一架直升機載的都重。