We've wanted to do this for about a hundred years.

什麼是...飛行車?

And there are historic attempts

早在一百年前我們就想做了。

that have had some level of technical success.

回顧歷史曾經有不少嘗試,

But we haven't yet gotten to the point

技術方面是有不少進展。

where on your way here this morning

但我們還是沒能達到...

you see something that really, truly seamlessly integrates

早上你經過這裡時

the two-dimensional world that we're comfortable in

所看到一個真正能天衣無縫的,

with the three-dimensional sky above us --

將我們所習慣的二度空間

that, I don't know about you, but I really enjoy spending time in.

與頭上的三度空間接合在一起的東西--

We looked at the historical attempts that had been out there

不知道你們覺得怎麼, 我是蠻樂在其中的。

and realized that, despite the fact

我們研究過去的一些實例

that we have a lot of modern innovations

發現...

to draw on today

即便現在..

that weren't available previously --

有很多科技創新

we have modern composite materials,

這是以前沒有的優勢--

we have aircraft engines that get good fuel economy

譬如我們有現代的複合材料...

and have better power-to-rate ratios than have ever been available,

我們有夠省油的飛機引擎,

we have glass cockpit avionics

有絕佳的功率比,

that bring the information you need to fly

我們有駕駛艙的航空電子設備,

directly to you in the cockpit --

提供精準的駕駛資訊

but without fundamentally addressing the problem from a different perspective,

讓你坐在駕駛艙就可操控全局--

we realized that we were going to be getting

先不去討論那些不同的問題面,

the same result that people had been getting

我們發現即便我們這麼努力

for the last hundred years,

所得到的成績跟過去一百年來

which isn't where we want to be right now.

卻沒有甚麼兩樣!

So instead of trying to make a car that can fly,

這我們可不想這樣!

we decided to try to make a plane that could drive.

與其...設法要汽車在天上飛,

And the result is the Terrafugia Transition.

不如應該是讓飛機在地上走。

It's a two-seat, single-engine airplane

結果出來了...特拉福騎變形機。

that works just like any other small airplane.

一部兩人座單引擎飛機

You take off and land at a local airport.

跟一般小飛機沒甚麼兩樣。

Then once you're on the ground,

你可以在當地的小機場起降。

you fold up the wings, drive it home,

一但著陸後...

park it in your garage.

機翼可以摺起來, 然後開回家!

And it works.

停在你家的車庫裡。

After two years of an innovative design and construction process,

而且真的能用!

the proof of concept made its public debut

經過兩年的研發與製作,

in 2008.

這個概念實踐..

Now like with anything

在2008年正式面世。

that's really different from the status quo,

就像所有...

it didn't always go so well testing that aircraft.

那些前所未有的東西一樣,

And we discovered that it's a very good thing

這部飛機也不是一路平順就產生的...

that, when you go home with something that's been broken,

不過這其實是好事,

you've actually learned a lot more

像是你搞了半天還是搞不定的時候...

than when you managed to tick off all of your test objectives

所學到的其實更多,

the first time through.

比起一次就馬到成功...

Still, we very much wanted to see

學到更多。

the aircraft that we'd all helped build

儘管不容易,

in the air, off the ground,

但無時無刻期待著我們的飛機能

like it was supposed to be.

能按照原定計畫

And on our third high-speed testing deployment

早日離地升空。

on a bitter cold morning in upstate New York,

在第三次的高速試飛時,

we got to do that for the first time.

是在紐約上州, 天氣寒風刺骨,

The picture behind me was snapped by the copilot in our chase aircraft

計畫一樣如期舉行。

just moments after the wheels got off the ground for the first time.

背後這張是另一架柴斯飛機副機長所捕捉的鏡頭

And we were all very flattered to see that image

大概是在飛機騰空的那一剎那。

become a symbol of accomplishing something

看到此刻真是榮幸莫名,

that people had thought was impossible

這幕象徵了一項成就,

really the world over.

成就了別人所不敢想像的事情,

The flight testing that followed that

讓人刮目相看。

was as basic and low-risk as we could make it,

隨後的測試,

but it still accomplished what we needed to

我們做到簡單又安全,

to take the program to the next step

不過照樣要完成一些

and to gain the credibility that we needed

當繼續發展下去時

within our eventual market, the general aviation community,

需要面對的各界支持與信賴,

and with the regulators

譬如商業市場、飛航界,

that govern the use of design of aircraft, particularly in the States.

以及監督單位等,

The FAA, about a year ago,

特別是主官美國境內的飛航法規的單位。

gave us an exemption for the Transition

大概在一年前 FAA (美國聯邦航空總署)

to allow us to have an additional 110 lbs.

頒佈一個特許證給〈特拉福騎變形機〉,

within the light sport aircraft category.

同意它在超重110磅的情況下。

Now that doesn't sound like a lot, but it's very important,

仍可並列在輕航機的的銷售分項裡。

because being able to deliver the Transition as a light sport aircraft

聽起來不怎麼樣, 不過意義重大,

makes it simpler for us to certify it,

只要符合輕航機的規定後,

but it also makes it much easier

特拉福騎變形機的駕照認證比較容易,

for you to learn how to fly it.

同時也方便大家

A sport pilot can be certificated

學習與使用。

in as little as 20 hours of flight time.

輕航機的駕照認證

And at 110 lbs.,

只需要20小時的飛行時數。

that's very important for solving the other side of the equation --

另外, 以110磅

driving.

可以解決另半邊的問題--

It turns out that driving,

操縱。

with its associated design implementation and regulatory hurdles,

有趣的是,

is actually a harder problem to solve than flying.

開車的設計應用及規定

For those of us that spend most of our lives on the ground,

比飛行還難搞!

this may be counter-intuitive,

對於我們這些一輩子都

but driving has potholes, cobblestones,

活在地面的人而言, 真是納悶不已!

pedestrians, other drivers

開車會碰到坑洞，石子路面,

and a rather long and detailed list

有陸上行人以及其他車輛駕駛,

of federal motor vehicle safety standards to contend with.

還有其他一大堆

Fortunately, necessity remains the mother of invention,

聯邦政府要駕駛人遵守的規定事項。

and a lot of the design work

所幸, 需要仍然是發明之母!

that we're the most proud of with the aircraft

一大堆應用在

came out of solving the unique problems

飛機上的傑出設計

of operating it on the ground --

剛好可以拿來解決

everything from a continuously-variable transmission

陸上行駛的問題--

and liquid-based cooling system

例子多不勝數, 從連續傳動設計,

that allows us to use an aircraft engine

液態冷卻系統

in stop-and-go traffic,

讓飛機能靈活自如的面對

to a custom-designed gearbox

停停走走的路上交通,

that powers either the propeller when you're flying or the wheels on the ground,

還有專用變速數箱

to the automated wing-folding mechanism that we'll see in a moment,

可以推動螺旋槳, 或是陸上行的車輪,

to crash safety features.

還有, 等一下就會看到摺疊式機翼

We have a carbon fiber safety cage

各種安全設計。

that protects the occupants

炭纖維的安全機艙

for less than 10 percent of the weight of a traditional steel chassis in a car.

能確保護乘客安全,

Now this also, as good as it is, wasn't quite enough.

重量比傳統鋼製汽車輕上百分之十。

The regulations for vehicles on the road

這個雖然是不錯, 但還不夠好。

weren't written with an airplane in mind.

陸上交通工具的相關規定

So we did need a little bit of support

根本沒想到 有一天會要在到飛機上。

from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

因此我們需要

Now you may have seen in the news recently,

美國國家公路交通安全管理局的協助。

they came through with us at the end of last month

最近你可能看到一則消息,

with a few special exemptions

大約是在上個月底,

that will allow the Transition to be sold

我們獲得幾項豁免

in the same category as SUVs and light trucks.

特拉福騎變形機准以運動休旅車及

As a multi-purpose passenger vehicle,

小型貨車種類資格正式上市銷售。

it is now officially "designed for occasional off-road use."

因為是多功能自客車,

(Laughter)

號稱是 「偶爾非道路使用」專門車種。

Now let's see it in action.

(笑聲)

You can see there the wings folded up just along the side of the plane.

我們來瞧一瞧。

You're not powering the propeller, you're powering the wheels.

摺起來的機翼緊靠在兩機身兩側。

And it is under seven feet tall,

引擎所推動的不是螺旋槳而是車輪。

so it will fit in a standard construction garage.

高度不到七呎,

And that's the automated wing-folding mechanism.

可以進得去標準車庫。

That's real time.

這是機翼自動展開設計。

You just push a few buttons in the cockpit, and the wings come out.

這是即時狀態。

Once they're fully deployed,

座駕駛艙只要按下按鈕, 機翼就會拉開來。

there's a mechanical lock that goes into place,

等全部展開之後,

again, from inside the cockpit.

有個機械設計就可將它固定不動,

And they're now fully capable of handling

同樣的, 也是從駕駛艙操作就行。

any of the loads you would see in flight --

然後, 就可以像其他飛機一樣

just like putting down your convertible top.

處理一系列飛行的操作需求--

And you're all thinking what your neighbors would think of seeing that.

有點像是把自己的敞篷車頂放下一樣。

(Video) Test Pilot: Until the vehicle flies,

你只想著要是鄰居看到, 不知道他們會怎麼想。

75 percent of your risk is that first flight.

試飛員：還沒真正飛起來之前

Radio: It actually flew. Yes.

首航有將近75%的風險。

Radio 2: That was gorgeous.

它真的飛起來了 耶!

Radio: What did you think of that?

真是太棒了。

That was beautiful from up here, I tell you.

你感覺得怎麼樣?

AMD: See, we're all exceedingly excited about that little bunny hop.

從上面看下來 真是美，不騙你。

And our test pilot gave us

看到吧! 我們為之瘋狂因為小兔子能跳了。

the best feedback you can get from a test pilot after a first flight,

我們的試飛員

which was that it was "remarkably unremarkable."

下了一個前所未有的評語,

He would go onto tell us

出乎意料外的...不意外!!

that the Transition had been the easiest airplane to land

他又說...

that he'd flown in his entire 30-year career as a test pilot.

特拉福騎變形機是他30年的試飛員生涯中

So despite making something

降落最容易的機種。

that is seemingly revolutionary,

我們不只想做出

we really focused on doing

革命性的產品而已,

as little new as possible.

我們更想創造出

We leverage a lot of technology from the state-of-the-art in general aviation

更先進的東西。

and from automotive racing.

結合了最高檔的航空以及

When we do have to do something truly out-of-the-box,

汽車競速等技術。

we use an incremental design, build, test, redesign cycle

而且真正的突破現狀,

that lets us reduce risk in baby steps.

不論是在設計建構測試階段, 要採用增量式設計概念

Now since we started Terrafugia about 6 years ago,

以減少剛起步就失敗的風險。

we've had a lot of those baby steps.

六年前開始研發特拉福騎變形機時,

We've gone from being three of us

我們就採取穩扎穩打的策略。

working in the basement at MIT while we were still in graduate school

我們三個臭皮匠

to about two-dozen of us

慢慢從麻省理工研究所的下地室開始,

working in an initial production facility outside of Boston.

到後來大概有24人的時候

We've had to overcome challenges

轉到波斯頓郊區一個工廠。

like keeping the weight below the light sport limit that I talked about,

我們得迎戰各項挑戰,

figuring out how to politely respond

像是說我們得隨時注意機身重量以符合前面提到的輕航機標準,

when a regulator tells you,

還要想辦法客氣的回答...

"But that won't fit through a toll booth with the wings extended --

檢覈單位的問題,

(Laughter)

「...可是你機翼不收起來, 就過不了收費亭啊...」

to all of the other associated durability and engineering issues

(笑聲)

that we talked about on the ground.

還有一堆剛剛有提到關於耐用性與機械工程的問題,

Still, if everything goes to our satisfaction

以及在地面行駛遇到的問題。

with the testing and construction

所以, 如果一切都能穩穩當當,

of the two production prototypes

一步一步完成測試、製造工作

that we're working on right now,

現在這兩部

those first deliveries

正在生產的雛型,

to the, about a hundred, people who have reserved an airplane at this point

第一批出貨,

should begin at the end of next year.

包括現在已經預約的100多張訂單,

The Transition will cost in line with other small airplanes.

預估會是明年年底開始。

And I'm certainly not out to replace your Chevy,

特拉福騎變形機與一般輕航機的價格差不多。

but I do think that the Transition should be your next airplane.

當然我們沒有要取代你的雪佛蘭。

Here's why.

我真的認為特拉福騎變形機應該是你下一架飛機。

While nearly all of the commercial air travel in the world

我來說明一下。

goes through a relatively small number of large hub airports,

目前全球的商用航線

there is a huge underutilized resource out there.

都會集中在少數幾個轉運機場,

There are thousands of local airstrips

還有很多資源沒有好好利用。

that don't see nearly as many aircraft operations a day as they could.

其實有數以千個區域飛航跑道

On average, there's one within 20 to 30 miles

使用率根本不夠高,

of wherever you are in the United States.

以美國來說，

The Transition gives you

大概每方圓20-30英哩就有一個。

a safer, more convenient and more fun way

特拉福騎變形機

of using this resource.

讓大家可以更方便更有趣的

For those of you who aren't yet pilots,

善用這項資源。

there's four main reasons why those of us who are

對於不懂飛行駕駛的人來說,

don't fly as much as we'd like to:

歸納起來會有四個想駕駛,

the weather, primarily,

但是卻不願意駕駛飛機的理由:

cost, long door-to-door travel time

主要是天氣,

and mobility at your destination.

花錢, 花時間m

Now, bad weather comes in,

還有抵達目的地之後又有交通問題。

just land, fold up the wings, drive home.

好了，現在遇到天氣不好,

Doesn't matter if it rains a little, you have a windshield wiper.

乾脆就降落，機翼收起來，直接開回家。

Instead of paying to keep your airplane in a hanger,

下點雨是沒關係, 反正有雨刷。

park it in your garage.

從此, 也不用再花錢租停機坪,

And the unleaded automotive fuel that we use

就直接停在家裡車庫。

is both cheaper and better for the environment

加的又是一般的無鉛汽油

than traditional avgas.

比起航空汽油來

Door-to-door travel time is reduced,

既便宜又環保。

because now, instead of lugging bags, finding a parking space,

地面交通時間也省下來了,

taking off your shoes or pulling your airplane out of the hanger,

因為 再也不用忙著掛行李找停車位,

you're now just spending that time getting to where you want to go.

脫鞋檢查或是要先去停機坪把飛機開出來,

And mobility to your destination is clearly solved.

你只花了要去到目的地的時間。

Just fold up the wings and keep going.

到達目的地以後交通也解決了。

The Transition simultaneously expands our horizons

就把機翼收起來繼續開就好了。

while making the world a smaller, more accessible place.

特拉福騎變形機開拓我們的視野,

It also continues to be a fabulous adventure.

把世界變更小更可及

I hope you'll each take a moment

處處都有探險的驚喜。

to think about how you could use something like this

希望每一個人都能用點時間

to give yourself more access to your own world,

想一下如何好好的利用它

and to make your own travel more convenient and more fun.

來開拓更多屬於自己的世界,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share it with you.

讓每一次的旅行都是輕鬆愉快,生趣盎然。

(Applause)

感謝大家讓我能借這個機會與你分享!