Name: 为什么你想驾驶第一架喷气客机（Why You Wouldn't Want to Fly The First Jet Airliner: De Havilland Comet Story）
Uploaded: 2021-06-01T02:21:20.000Z
Duration: 10 min

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SkillShare是一個可以讓你學到任何東西的 線上社群，包含本影片的各個技術

used to make this video. The first 300 people to click the link in the

前三百個使用資訊欄連結的使用者

Some consider the period just before the jet age to be a golden era for air

有些人認為噴射機時代前為 航空旅行的黃金時代

travel. But flying aboard a piston powered propeller aircraft, well it

但搭乘螺旋槳動力活塞引擎客機

wasn't always glamorous. Flights took a lot longer than they do today and the

relentless noise and vibration from the piston engines; well it was exhausting.

And most aircraft couldn't fly high enough to avoid bad weather, so you'd be

無止境的噪音跟引擎的震動更讓人感到疲勞

in for a bumpy ride. And you'd better have your air sickness bag ready.

而那時大部分的飛機更飛不夠高 無法迴避壞天氣

But then, seemingly out of nowhere in 1949, along came a new kind of

所以當氣流不穩時，你最好準備好你的嘔吐袋

aircraft. It was sleek, quiet, and nearly twice as fast as some conventional

就在1949年，一種新型飛行器悄悄問世

airliners. Cruising at 40,000 feet, it could avoid messy weather. This was the

它有滑順的外表，很安靜 飛得有同時期的客機兩倍快

de Havilland comet. It shattered conventional thinking and proved that

在四萬英呎的高空飛行 它能迴避各種壞天氣

jet travel was the future.  But the excitement would be short-lived because

它是哈維蘭彗星型客機，它打破大眾的想法

within months things started to go seriously wrong.  And the leap into the

jet age it wouldn't go as smoothly as hoped.

In the 1940's, the British set out to change civil aviation. In fact they

幾個月後發生各種問題打破大眾的興奮

really had no choice. Because after the Second World War, American manufacturers

噴射機時代不會像所期望的那樣順利到來

had the Civil Aviation market cornered. At one point, ninety percent of the world's

哈維蘭 彗星型噴射客機 世界第一架噴射客機

airline passengers were flying aboard these: American built Douglas DC-3's. The

1940年代英國開始發起民用航空改革

Americans left the Second World War with a lot of experience designing and

building military transport aircraft. After the War, with their industry fully

二戰後美國客機生廠商讓 世界其他競爭對手擔憂

intact, manufacturers could switch to producing civil aircraft based on their

當時的美造的這架道格拉斯DC-3 有著百分之九十的載客率

military transport designs. But Britain on the other hand, had to rebuild. Much of

二戰期間美國累績大量設計與建造 軍用運輸機的經驗

its focus during the war had been on building heavy bombers. So it now needed

戰後，他們的產業便已有相當程度的經驗

to develop the infrastructure and the expertise to compete in the civil

航空器製造商能迅速應用之前的經驗 設計新民航機

aviation market. If the British were going to become leaders in aerospace,

they had better come up with something extraordinary. But a jet powered airliner,

二戰期間英國都在研發、設計重型轟炸機

that was dismissed by a lot of people. The conventional thinking of the day

所以戰後若要在民用機市場上競爭

amongst manufacturers and airlines was that jet engines produce too little

英國需要建立起新的基礎與相關知識

power relative to their fuel consumption, and they were just too unreliable for

civil aviation. But at the same time piston engines were approaching their

limits. To squeeze out ever more power, they had grown large and complex with

但當時的人們並不歡迎噴射客機這想法

superchargers and dozens of cylinders. This made piston powered propeller

當時飛機生產商與航空公司普遍認為 噴射引擎的大量油耗與推力效率轉換太低

engines increasingly expensive to maintain. And you can only spin a

同時噴射引擎的低穩定性也不適合民用市場

propeller so fast before its efficiency starts to diminish. As part of a larger

但活塞引擎也差不多發展到了極限

effort to develop Britain's post-war aviation industry, the de Havilland

若想要從活塞引擎擠出更大的推力 將使得引擎更大更複雜化

Aircraft Company was awarded the task of building the world's first jet-powered

再裝上更多增壓器與數十個汽缸後

airliner. The aircraft, which would later be

螺旋槳引擎維護成本將大幅提升

named the Comet, was developed in secrecy. In fact, untenable designs were

而螺旋槳轉速提升後將難以保持其油耗效率

deliberately used to confuse competitors. So when the comet was revealed just

身為戰爭時期較大的英國航空器生產商

three years later in the summer of 1949, it stunned the world.

德哈維蘭公司開始設計世界第一架噴射客機

Its sleek lines, swept wings, and for integrated turbojet engines, well they

而他們秘密研製的新型噴射客機

were straight out of the future. Even today, a lot of this aircraft looks

pretty modern. So you can only imagine the impression it would have left on the

為此，德哈維蘭公司甚至 釋出假設計來混淆競爭對手

flying public in 1952. The comet sent a powerful signal to the

world about Britain's newfound superiority in aerospace. Orders poured

哈維蘭彗星型客機於1949年夏季出廠 震撼世人的想像

in, and even in America where airlines were still skeptical of jets, Pan Am

它的流線型機身、後掠式機翼 與四具置於機翼內的渦輪引擎

placed orders for a larger lengthened version. The Comet was revolutionary

根本就是科幻電影裡跑出來的東西

because it had solved a key barrier to efficient jet travel. While turbojets

以現代的角度來看彗星型客機也十分先進

consumed enormous amounts of fuel at lower altitudes, where most planes of the

可想而知當時1952年投入服務時 大眾對它的普遍想法

year a flew, the Comet would instead cruise at an unprecedented 40,000 feet. Where the air is thin and there's less drag.

彗星型客機的出現 帶來英國成為航空龍頭的強烈信息

Allowing the Comet to consume much less fuel. But to allow its passengers to breathe at such high altitude, the cabin

needed to be pressurized. And while the Comet wasn't the first airliner to

即使是在對噴射客機仍有疑慮的美國

have a pressurized cabin, no other flew so high. The Comet went into service in

1952 and immediately began breaking travel time records. And in doing so, it

彗星型客機能如此充滿革命性 是因其解決了噴射飛行的效率障礙

became a point of national pride for the British public. But here's the thing, in

噴射引擎在當代飛機飛的低海拔飛行會 消耗大量燃油

some ways, the comet was a little too ahead of its time. With such a clean

而彗星型客機卻選擇在大氣較稀薄 阻力較低的四萬英尺航行

sheet design, there were suddenly so many new variables to work with.  There were

如此一來彗星型客機便能減少油耗

numerous problems with its electrical and hydraulic systems. But when two

但要讓乘客能舒適的在高空呼吸 機艙便需要加壓

Comets skidded off the runway in 1952 and 53,

縱使彗星型客機不是第一個使用 增壓機艙的客機

the pilots were blamed. It was suspected that they were still flying the Comet as

if it were a piston powered airliner. Over rotating the aircraft on takeoff. It

1952年彗星型客機投入載客服務 便迅速刷新多個旅行時間紀錄

was later determined that a design change of the leading edge of the

如此一來彗星型客機便成為 當時英國大眾的驕傲

comet's wing was needed. But public confidence in the comet had not been

但不幸的是 彗星型客機有點太過「先進」了

shaken. and the British remained enthusiastic about jet-powered air

如此嶄新的設計必須面對許多新的變數

travel. But then, just two months later, another incident. This time far more

它的液壓與電子系統有許多問題

catastrophic. A Comet leaving Calcutta ominously disintegrated while flying

1952年與隔年發生的兩起滑出跑道事故 飛行員成為被責怪的對象

through a severe thunderstorm. And only eight months later, another Comet

當時認為事故起因為 飛行員將彗星型客機當成舊式螺旋槳客機駕駛

exploded shortly after taking off from Rome. After these rapid succession of

incidents, BOAC, the airline with the most Comets in service had no

但後來研究顯示 彗星型客機的機翼前沿需要重新設計

choice but to ground their fleet. The focus shifted to a suspected turbine

但大眾對彗星型客機依舊充滿信心

explosion in one of the engines. So the engine housing on the other Comets was

英國人還是對噴射飛行充滿熱情

reinforced.  But public confidence still remained high and when the Comet

但兩個月後發生了新的事故 而這次的事故更加慘烈

re-entered service. Airlines had no trouble selling seats. Yet just three

一架從印度加爾各答機場起飛的彗星在 大雷雨中解體了

months later, another comet disintegrated over the Mediterranean. Now the entire

worldwide fleet of comets had to be grounded as their Certificate of

一架彗星型客機從羅馬起飛後不久後 在空中爆炸

Airworthiness was revoked, An unprecedentedly large investigation

began. And it would reveal that sudden catastrophic depressurization of the

擁有最多彗星型客機的英國海外航空 只好使其機隊停飛

Comet's cabin was to blame, essentially causing comets to suddenly explode apart

當時認為事故原因為彗星其中一具引擎爆炸

in midair. See, the Comets cycles of pressurization and depressurization were

技術人員便加強維護 其它彗星型客機的引擎配置

faster than those of any other aircraft. After many cycles, the fuselage began to

此時大眾隊彗星型客機的信心仍高

fatigue and cracks started to form. Especially around the Comets square

當彗星型客機重新開始服務時 機票的售出毫無困難

windows, where hard edged corners concentrated stress forces. The entire

但在三個月後，另一架彗星在地中海上空解體

comet fleet was grounded for years while the investigation lumbered forward.

隨著適航證被撤銷，全球的彗星型客機被停飛

But in the end, none of the grounded planes would ever fly again.

And while de Havilland worked to modify its design, switching to round windows

調查後顯示空難機艙的突然失壓為事發原因

and increasing fuselage thickness, the rest of the world was catching up.

機艙突然失壓 造成了事發飛機在空中突然爆炸解體

Aircraft manufacturers from around the world introduced their own jet-powered

彗星型客機機艙的增減壓循環比其他飛機更快

offerings. And in 1958, the Boeing 707 entered service and Douglas began

再經過多次的循環後機身金屬開始疲勞

producing the DC-8. That same year the, de Havilland Comet 4 entered service. But it

couldn't compete with the American offerings, which were now larger, faster

尤其是方形機窗四角承受壓力最大

and more efficient. Only 76 Comet 4's were ever delivered to Airlines. That

在事件調查緩慢進行時，彗星機隊停飛了數年

compares to over 500 DC-8's and over a thousand 707's America's stranglehold on

但最終這些停飛的飛機未能再次起飛

the civil aviation market would only grow tighter in the coming decades.

當德哈維蘭公司在修整設計 改用圓形窗戶與增強機身結構時

According to de Havilland's chief test pilot, Boeing and Douglas both privately

admitted that they had learned from the Comets pressurization problems. And if it

世界各地的航空器製造商 完成了自己的噴射客機

were not for the Comet, they could have made the same mistakes. The later, larger

1958年波音推出了自家的波音707客機 道格拉斯飛行器公司推出了DC-8

and improved Comets would reliably serve airlines

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为什么你想驾驶第一架喷气客机（Why You Wouldn't Want to Fly The First Jet Airliner: De Havilland Comet Story）

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