Anna Mracek Dietrich: A plane you can drive

譯者: chaoyoing wu 審譯者: Ana Choi

What is it about flying cars?

什麼是...飛行車?

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

早在一百年前我們就想做了。

And there are historic attempts

回顧歷史曾經有不少嘗試,

that have had some level of technical success.

技術方面是有不少進展。

But we haven't yet gotten to the point

但我們還是沒能達到...

where on your way here this morning

早上你經過這裡時

you see something that really, truly seamlessly integrates

所看到一個真正能天衣無縫的,

the two-dimensional world that we're comfortable in

將我們所習慣的二度空間

with the three-dimensional sky above us --

與頭上的三度空間接合在一起的東西--

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

不知道你們覺得怎麼, 我是蠻樂在其中的。

We looked at the historical attempts that had been out there

我們研究過去的一些實例

and realized that, despite the fact

發現...

that we have a lot of modern innovations

即便現在..

to draw on today

有很多科技創新

that weren't available previously --

這是以前沒有的優勢--

we have modern composite materials,

譬如我們有現代的複合材料...

we have aircraft engines that get good fuel economy

我們有夠省油的飛機引擎,

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

有絕佳的功率比,

we have glass cockpit avionics

我們有駕駛艙的航空電子設備,

that bring the information you need to fly

提供精準的駕駛資訊

directly to you in the cockpit --

讓你坐在駕駛艙就可操控全局--

but without fundamentally addressing the problem from a different perspective,

先不去討論那些不同的問題面,

we realized that we were going to be getting

我們發現即便我們這麼努力

the same result that people had been getting

所得到的成績跟過去一百年來

for the last hundred years,

卻沒有甚麼兩樣!

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

這我們可不想這樣!

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

與其...設法要汽車在天上飛,

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

不如應該是讓飛機在地上走。

And the result is the Terrafugia Transition.

結果出來了...特拉福騎變形機。

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

一部兩人座單引擎飛機

that works just like any other small airplane.

跟一般小飛機沒甚麼兩樣。

You take off and land at a local airport.

你可以在當地的小機場起降。

Then once you're on the ground,

一但著陸後...

you fold up the wings, drive it home,

機翼可以摺起來, 然後開回家!

park it in your garage.

停在你家的車庫裡。

And it works.

而且真的能用!

After two years of an innovative design and construction process,

經過兩年的研發與製作,

the proof of concept made its public debut

這個概念實踐..

in 2008.

在2008年正式面世。

Now like with anything

就像所有...

that's really different from the status quo,

那些前所未有的東西一樣,

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

這部飛機也不是一路平順就產生的...

And we discovered that it's a very good thing

不過這其實是好事,

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

像是你搞了半天還是搞不定的時候...

you've actually learned a lot more

所學到的其實更多,

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

比起一次就馬到成功...

the first time through.

學到更多。

Still, we very much wanted to see

儘管不容易,

the aircraft that we'd all helped build

但無時無刻期待著我們的飛機能

in the air, off the ground,

能按照原定計畫

like it was supposed to be.

早日離地升空。

And on our third high-speed testing deployment

在第三次的高速試飛時,

on a bitter cold morning in upstate New York,

是在紐約上州, 天氣寒風刺骨,

we got to do that for the first time.

計畫一樣如期舉行。

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

背後這張是另一架柴斯飛機副機長所捕捉的鏡頭

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

大概是在飛機騰空的那一剎那。

And we were all very flattered to see that image

看到此刻真是榮幸莫名,

become a symbol of accomplishing something

這幕象徵了一項成就,

that people had thought was impossible

成就了別人所不敢想像的事情,

really the world over.

讓人刮目相看。

The flight testing that followed that

隨後的測試,

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

我們做到簡單又安全,

but it still accomplished what we needed to

不過照樣要完成一些

to take the program to the next step

當繼續發展下去時

and to gain the credibility that we needed

需要面對的各界支持與信賴,

within our eventual market, the general aviation community,

譬如商業市場、飛航界,

and with the regulators

以及監督單位等,

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

特別是主官美國境內的飛航法規的單位。

The FAA, about a year ago,

大概在一年前 FAA (美國聯邦航空總署)

gave us an exemption for the Transition

頒佈一個特許證給〈特拉福騎變形機〉,

to allow us to have an additional 110 lbs.

同意它在超重110磅的情況下。

within the light sport aircraft category.

仍可並列在輕航機的的銷售分項裡。

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

聽起來不怎麼樣, 不過意義重大,

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

只要符合輕航機的規定後,

makes it simpler for us to certify it,

特拉福騎變形機的駕照認證比較容易,

but it also makes it much easier

同時也方便大家

for you to learn how to fly it.

學習與使用。

A sport pilot can be certificated

輕航機的駕照認證

in as little as 20 hours of flight time.

只需要20小時的飛行時數。

And at 110 lbs.,

另外, 以110磅

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

可以解決另半邊的問題--

driving.

操縱。

It turns out that driving,

有趣的是,

with its associated design implementation and regulatory hurdles,

開車的設計應用及規定

is actually a harder problem to solve than flying.

比飛行還難搞!

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

對於我們這些一輩子都

this may be counter-intuitive,

活在地面的人而言, 真是納悶不已!

but driving has potholes, cobblestones,

開車會碰到坑洞，石子路面,

pedestrians, other drivers

有陸上行人以及其他車輛駕駛,

and a rather long and detailed list

還有其他一大堆

of federal motor vehicle safety standards to contend with.

聯邦政府要駕駛人遵守的規定事項。

Fortunately, necessity remains the mother of invention,

所幸, 需要仍然是發明之母!

and a lot of the design work

一大堆應用在

that we're the most proud of with the aircraft

飛機上的傑出設計

came out of solving the unique problems

剛好可以拿來解決

of operating it on the ground --

陸上行駛的問題--

everything from a continuously-variable transmission

例子多不勝數, 從連續傳動設計,

and liquid-based cooling system

液態冷卻系統

that allows us to use an aircraft engine

讓飛機能靈活自如的面對

in stop-and-go traffic,

停停走走的路上交通,

to a custom-designed gearbox

還有專用變速數箱

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

可以推動螺旋槳, 或是陸上行的車輪,

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

還有, 等一下就會看到摺疊式機翼

to crash safety features.

各種安全設計。

We have a carbon fiber safety cage

炭纖維的安全機艙

that protects the occupants

能確保護乘客安全,

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

重量比傳統鋼製汽車輕上百分之十。

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

這個雖然是不錯, 但還不夠好。

The regulations for vehicles on the road

陸上交通工具的相關規定

weren't written with an airplane in mind.

根本沒想到 有一天會要在到飛機上。

So we did need a little bit of support

因此我們需要

from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

美國國家公路交通安全管理局的協助。

Now you may have seen in the news recently,

最近你可能看到一則消息,

they came through with us at the end of last month

大約是在上個月底,

with a few special exemptions

我們獲得幾項豁免

that will allow the Transition to be sold

特拉福騎變形機准以運動休旅車及

in the same category as SUVs and light trucks.

小型貨車種類資格正式上市銷售。

As a multi-purpose passenger vehicle,

因為是多功能自客車,

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

號稱是 「偶爾非道路使用」專門車種。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Now let's see it in action.

我們來瞧一瞧。

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

摺起來的機翼緊靠在兩機身兩側。

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

引擎所推動的不是螺旋槳而是車輪。

And it is under seven feet tall,

高度不到七呎,

so it will fit in a standard construction garage.

可以進得去標準車庫。

And that's the automated wing-folding mechanism.

這是機翼自動展開設計。

That's real time.

這是即時狀態。

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

座駕駛艙只要按下按鈕, 機翼就會拉開來。

Once they're fully deployed,

等全部展開之後,

there's a mechanical lock that goes into place,

有個機械設計就可將它固定不動,

again, from inside the cockpit.

同樣的, 也是從駕駛艙操作就行。

And they're now fully capable of handling

然後, 就可以像其他飛機一樣

any of the loads you would see in flight --

處理一系列飛行的操作需求--

just like putting down your convertible top.

有點像是把自己的敞篷車頂放下一樣。

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

你只想著要是鄰居看到, 不知道他們會怎麼想。

(Video) Test Pilot: Until the vehicle flies,

試飛員：還沒真正飛起來之前

75 percent of your risk is that first flight.

首航有將近75%的風險。

Radio: It actually flew. Yes.

它真的飛起來了 耶!

Radio 2: That was gorgeous.

真是太棒了。

Radio: What did you think of that?

你感覺得怎麼樣?

That was beautiful from up here, I tell you.

從上面看下來 真是美，不騙你。

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

看到吧! 我們為之瘋狂因為小兔子能跳了。

And our test pilot gave us

我們的試飛員

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

下了一個前所未有的評語,

which was that it was "remarkably unremarkable."

出乎意料外的...不意外!!

He would go onto tell us

他又說...

that the Transition had been the easiest airplane to land

特拉福騎變形機是他30年的試飛員生涯中

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

降落最容易的機種。

So despite making something

我們不只想做出

that is seemingly revolutionary,

革命性的產品而已,

we really focused on doing

我們更想創造出

as little new as possible.

更先進的東西。

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

結合了最高檔的航空以及

and from automotive racing.

汽車競速等技術。

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

而且真正的突破現狀,

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

不論是在設計建構測試階段, 要採用增量式設計概念

that lets us reduce risk in baby steps.

以減少剛起步就失敗的風險。

Now since we started Terrafugia about 6 years ago,

六年前開始研發特拉福騎變形機時,

we've had a lot of those baby steps.

我們就採取穩扎穩打的策略。

We've gone from being three of us

我們三個臭皮匠

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

慢慢從麻省理工研究所的下地室開始,

to about two-dozen of us

到後來大概有24人的時候

working in an initial production facility outside of Boston.

轉到波斯頓郊區一個工廠。

We've had to overcome challenges

我們得迎戰各項挑戰,

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

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,

figuring out how to politely respond

還要想辦法客氣的回答...

when a regulator tells you,

檢覈單位的問題,

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

「...可是你機翼不收起來, 就過不了收費亭啊...」

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

to all of the other associated durability and engineering issues

還有一堆剛剛有提到關於耐用性與機械工程的問題,

that we talked about on the ground.

以及在地面行駛遇到的問題。

Still, if everything goes to our satisfaction

所以, 如果一切都能穩穩當當,

with the testing and construction

一步一步完成測試、製造工作

of the two production prototypes

現在這兩部

that we're working on right now,

正在生產的雛型,

those first deliveries

第一批出貨,

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

包括現在已經預約的100多張訂單,

should begin at the end of next year.

預估會是明年年底開始。

The Transition will cost in line with other small airplanes.

特拉福騎變形機與一般輕航機的價格差不多。

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

當然我們沒有要取代你的雪佛蘭。

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

我真的認為特拉福騎變形機應該是你下一架飛機。

Here's why.

我來說明一下。

While nearly all of the commercial air travel in the world

目前全球的商用航線

goes through a relatively small number of large hub airports,

都會集中在少數幾個轉運機場,

there is a huge underutilized resource out there.

還有很多資源沒有好好利用。

There are thousands of local airstrips

其實有數以千個區域飛航跑道

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

使用率根本不夠高,

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

以美國來說，

of wherever you are in the United States.

大概每方圓20-30英哩就有一個。

The Transition gives you

特拉福騎變形機

a safer, more convenient and more fun way

讓大家可以更方便更有趣的

of using this resource.

善用這項資源。

For those of you who aren't yet pilots,

對於不懂飛行駕駛的人來說,

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

歸納起來會有四個想駕駛,

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

但是卻不願意駕駛飛機的理由:

the weather, primarily,

主要是天氣,

cost, long door-to-door travel time

花錢, 花時間m

and mobility at your destination.

還有抵達目的地之後又有交通問題。

Now, bad weather comes in,

好了，現在遇到天氣不好,

just land, fold up the wings, drive home.

乾脆就降落，機翼收起來，直接開回家。

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

下點雨是沒關係, 反正有雨刷。

Instead of paying to keep your airplane in a hanger,

從此, 也不用再花錢租停機坪,

park it in your garage.

就直接停在家裡車庫。

And the unleaded automotive fuel that we use

加的又是一般的無鉛汽油

is both cheaper and better for the environment

比起航空汽油來

than traditional avgas.

既便宜又環保。

Door-to-door travel time is reduced,

地面交通時間也省下來了,

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

因為 再也不用忙著掛行李找停車位,

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

脫鞋檢查或是要先去停機坪把飛機開出來,

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

你只花了要去到目的地的時間。

And mobility to your destination is clearly solved.

到達目的地以後交通也解決了。

Just fold up the wings and keep going.

就把機翼收起來繼續開就好了。

The Transition simultaneously expands our horizons

特拉福騎變形機開拓我們的視野,

while making the world a smaller, more accessible place.

把世界變更小更可及

It also continues to be a fabulous adventure.

處處都有探險的驚喜。

I hope you'll each take a moment

希望每一個人都能用點時間

to think about how you could use something like this

想一下如何好好的利用它

to give yourself more access to your own world,

來開拓更多屬於自己的世界,

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

讓每一次的旅行都是輕鬆愉快,生趣盎然。

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

感謝大家讓我能借這個機會與你分享!

(Applause)

(掌聲)