Text/Zhang Juen
This article is read in
At the third International Electric Aviation Forum, there was a special guest, Eric Lindbergh, the grandson of the legendary American pilot Lindbergh, who enjoys a high reputation in the history of world aviation. Eric founded and chaired the Lindbergh Foundation, named after his grandfather, and made great achievements in aviation, especially in the field of general aviation; he was also an excellent pilot, and in 2002 he repeated the legend of single-person transatlantic flight along his grandfather's route.
Chen Peng told me if he could write an article in honor of Lindbergh so that everyone would not forget him, but also to greet his family in a special way. I promised to do my best, and so I had this article. The latest news is that Eric can't come for some reason, but he will send a congratulatory video to the forum. Although it is a little regrettable that I can't come, this article should still be written, because the aviation industry cannot do without heroes like Lindbergh, and cannot fail to carry forward the spirit of Lindbergh.
On the occasion of the imminent opening of the 2019 International Aviation Forum, I would like to use this article to repay the hospitality of Secretary-General Chen Peng, once again pay tribute to the eternal legendary hero Lindbergh, and wish the forum success!
Lindbergh's full name was Charles Augustus Lindbergh, and his Chinese name is also translated as Lindbergh; born on February 4, 1902, died August 26, 1974. In his 72-year career, he is best known for his first solo transatlantic flight in human history, and he is known as a legendary hero of modern aviation.
At 7:30 a.m. on May 20, 1927, at the age of 25, Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Airport on Long Island in a 33.5-hour, nearly 6,000-kilometer nonstop flight and landed at Paris Bourget Airport at 10:24 p.m. on May 21. At that time, the whole of Paris was empty of alleys and the whole city was celebrating.
In addition to Lindbergh's own enthusiasm for challenging the flight record, the direct motivation for this flight was to compete for a large prize. At the time, flying across the Atlantic ocean was a hot spot that was extremely difficult but eager to break through. In 1919, Raymond Orteig, a French-American, hotel tycoon and philanthropist, established a $25,000 Flying Challenge Award for the first success of direct flights between New York and Paris (in either direction). During the 5-year validity period from the establishment of the prize to 1924, no one completed this task, nor did the Outeger Prize receive it. So Oteg extended the validity of the prize by another 5 years, that is, until 1929.
Prior to this, humans had achieved transatlantic flights, but using airships, or using airplanes and stopovers. In May 1919, two U.S. officers flew the Navy NC-4 seaplane in three phases to complete the first transatlantic aerial flight from Rocawe, New York, to Lisbon. Between 2 and 13 July of the same year, after two flights (4 days and 12 hours from east to west, 75 hours return, with an air presence in between), the British airship R-34 completed its first round-trip flight across the Atlantic. However, the use of aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean without stoppage has not been realized, and the difficulty lies in the requirements for the long-distance flight performance of the aircraft and the extremely high requirements for the skills of the pilot, and the comprehensive risk is huge.
Still, there are brave people willing to take the plunge to challenge the task. By 1927, there were 3 teams (individuals) trying to win the Outeger Prize. Yet they all failed, and the challengers even paid with their lives. They are:
1
Rene Fonck, a French ace pilot and aviator of World War I, flew the Sikorsky S-35 three-engine biplane from Roosevelt Airport in New York on September 21, 1926, but had an accident as soon as it lifted off and the plane crashed to the ground.
2
U.S. Navy pilots Noel Davis and Stanton H Wooster were preparing to conduct an expedition flight with a Keystone aircraft, but were killed in a crash while testing the aircraft on April 26, 1927.
3
French aviators Charles Nungesser and François Coli took off from Paris's Bourget airport on May 8, 1927, sprinting through the Atlantic Ocean, disappearing off the west coast of Ireland.
Undeterred by these failures in front of him, Lindbergh began the feat of flying just 12 days after the challenges of Charlie Nongéso and François Corley. At this time, he had 4 years of flying experience, accumulating 7189 voyages/1790 flight hours. Learning from his losers, he abandoned the large 3-engine aircraft in favor of a lighter, more fuel-efficient single-engine aircraft; he chose the Ryan NYP aircraft, which he had flown safely 32 times and had a deep understanding of its performance; and decided to fly alone instead of crew operations.
The Spirit of St. Louis, officially known as the Ryan NYP, was an improvement by Donald A. Hall Ryan Aviation based on its 1926 Ryan M-2, with the main difference being that the NYP's range extended by up to 4,000 miles. Its main parameters are as follows:
Occupants: 1 person
Length: 8.4 meters
Wingspan: 14 meters
Height: 3 metres
Wing area: 29.7 m2
Empty weight: 975 kg
Loading weight: 1310 kg
Maximum takeoff weight: 2330 kg
Engine: 1× Wright Cyclone J-5C Single Blade Standard Steel Propeller, 223 hp (166 kW)
Top speed: 214 km/h
Cruising speed: 161-177 km / h
Range: 6,600 km
Flight altitude: 5,000 meters
But the biggest difference from all of Lindbergh's previous flights was that in order to ensure the 6,000km of this flight, it had to be filled with fuel, and the take-off weight had never been so large, more than 2 tons. With the support of bankers in St. Louis, Missouri, he meticulously improved the plane, minimized weight loss, removed navigation equipment, discarded parachutes, and even tore empty pages from notebooks and cut out blank edges on maps. Sadly, he said, "If I can get to Paris, that's enough, and if I can't get to Paris, even if I can't bring more, it's not necessary." ”
Without a navigation device, and flying in the dark of night for a third of the time, how to determine the direction? Flying alone for 30 hours, how do you stay focused? At that altitude, in the extremely harsh conditions of the cockpit environment, how to withstand the test of physiological limitations? It boils down to one thing, it was an extremely dangerous flight. How dangerous is it? A considerable number of people who are dangerous do not think they can succeed. And this is the greatness of Lindbergh and countless pioneers, who are well prepared and successful for the advancement of human aviation, but also ready to dedicate themselves.
His mother, Ivan Gerine, while supporting her son's expedition, said worriedly: "My heart, my soul, will always follow my children on that dangerous journey." At the time, Will Rogers, America's most popular observer of current affairs, wrote in an op-ed: "Today we don't have the heart to talk and laugh... A tall, thin, shy, and always smiling American boy was in the middle of a sky in the Atlantic Ocean, a dangerous place that no one had ever dared to go alone. People are praying that any saint who is believed and worshipped by everyone may bless him. The loss of him will be our most painful loss. ”
With well-preparedness, great driving skills and extensive experience, and relying on extraordinary perseverance and physical strength, Lindbergh succeeded. His success became the most legendary and incredible event in the world at that time, and he also became one of the heroes in the history of world aviation. When he flew the Spirit of St. Louis to Paris, Orteg was on vacation, and immediately after hearing the news, he rushed to Paris, excitedly met With Lindbergh, and handed Lindbergh a specially made $25,000 exquisite gilded cheque (this check is now in the collection of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.).
Lindbergh's legendary flight, its significance far exceeds the challenging competition itself, and because of its rich connotation, it has become one of the most important milestones in the history of human aviation. It shows that the aircraft is no longer an optional tool, that flying is no longer a unique skill of a few people; that since human beings can use airplanes to cross such a long distance, the day will come when the aircraft becomes an indispensable transportation artifact for the benefit of human society. After Lindbergh, hundreds of more people flew propeller planes across the Atlantic Ocean. After the great development of aviation technology and equipment during the Second World War, and after more than ten years of struggle, especially after the advent of the turbojet engine, finally on October 4, 1958, the British "Comet" passenger aircraft, for the first time to achieve commercial flights to and from the Atlantic; for civilians who are not pilots, the day of "natural barrier change" finally arrived, and human aviation and air travel entered a new era.
The primary reason for the commercial transoceanic flight to be achieved is the introduction of turbojet engines. Moreover, the passenger aircraft at this time was also equipped with radar and navigation equipment, and the pressurized sealed cabin was adopted. Such an aircraft can carry dozens of passengers at a time, can fly smoothly at an altitude of 10,000 meters and 800 kilometers per hour, and its flight speed, safety and comfort are worlds different from the cars used by Lindbergh's expeditions thirty years ago. In the sixty years since then, aviation has made great progress, and the new technology represented by the turbofan engine has enabled low-cost intercontinental aviation to enter the lives of civilians and greatly changed the style of social life, so that it is difficult for us to imagine what the world would be like without commercial aviation. But when people enjoy such well-being, they must not forget Lindbergh's contribution to fighting with their lives, and they must not forget the dedication and sacrifice of countless pioneers and strivers.
But just as many historical figures have complex life experiences, Lindbergh was a highly controversial person, especially his relationship with the Nazis in Germany and his performance in the early days of World War II. In the book "Spelling Industry: How America Won World War II", which I read and recommended some time ago, there are many chapters, many places and Lindbergh. There are all kinds of positives and negatives, but what we tell us is a real Lindbergh. (The following bold part is the original text of the book)
On May 14, 1940, President Roosevelt sent an urgent message to Congress that he was determined to act and participate in a "war of real guns."
He said: "... What I hope to see is that our country will have the capacity to produce at least 50,000 aircraft a year as soon as possible." There was an uproar in the US government and opposition. Charles Lindbergh was a key figure in opposing U.S. involvement in European affairs and a self-styled expert on all issues related to aviation affairs. He dismissively called the number "hysterical whisper." ...... When Roosevelt unveiled his plans to produce 50,000 aircraft a year, Hitler thought it was a fantasy. He scoffed: "What else is america but the beauty pageant queen, the millionaire, the meaningless record and Hollywood?" ”
Although Lindbergh disagreed in whether the United States intervened in World War II and whether it was necessary to carry out wartime industrial mobilization, in the subsequent practice, Lindbergh made many positive contributions, which are described in many specific places in the book.
When Ford Motor Company was about to turn to military aircraft production,
Henry Ford had to turn to his old friend Charles Lindbergh for help. Lindbergh was a former America First Committee
(Note: The committee was formed by anti-war forces of the Republican Party and the Democratic Party during World War II to prevent the United States from entering the war, and Lindbergh was the spokesman for the committee, which is also one of the reasons for his negative image.)
One of the mainstays of the company, he is also a senior consultant on aviation issues. ...... Lindbergh was invited to work as a consultant at the Weilouluan factory, where he would help solve problems from the perspective of an aviation expert. ...... Since then, Lindbergh has personally piloted the B-24C bomber produced by United Aircraft Manufacturing Company and proposed improvements.
In the subsequent development of a series of military aircraft, From the P-38 Lightning fighter, to the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, to the B-29 SuperFortress bomber, Lindbergh played an important role. In addition to introducing the situation of German fighters and determining research and development goals, it also intervened in solving technical problems and guiding the improvement of flying skills.
For example, Lindbergh met with Arnold, then a senior army air force general.
General Arnold posed one last question to Lindbergh: Could he accept an appointment from the Army Air Corps, agree to join the Arnold Advisory Board, and serve in the future development of military aircraft? Lindbergh agreed. ”
Another example:
At Lockheed's request, flying hero Charles Lindbergh flew to the headquarters of Kenny (then commander of the 5th Air Force) to demonstrate to his pilots how to further increase their range. On April 22, 1943, the Lightning performed an astonishing feat, shooting down the Betty bomber in which General Isoroku Yamamoto was riding. ”
This serious and responsible work, as well as related books and historical materials, can help us build a more comprehensive understanding of Lindbergh, and we should also have a more objective and fair evaluation of his life's achievements. In fact, Lindbergh enjoys a high reputation in a heroic America, ranking tenth in Reader's Digest magazine's list of "100 Celebrities Who Influenced America."
As Chinese aviation people, how should we commemorate Lindbergh? I think that first of all, we must always remember his legendary flight, as well as the character and style of brave exploration, fearlessness of difficulties, and not afraid of sacrifice, but scientific and realistic, and dedicated to coping. At the same time, we need to be aware of his multifaceted contributions to human civilization. In addition to the above-listed contributions to the development of military aircraft in World War II and the field of aviation and rockets, he is also a talented scholar and inventor, and has also made many achievements in the development of pacemakers, wildlife conservation, and anthropological research. These achievements also depend on his lifelong spirit of exploration and tireless spirit of learning. We should learn and pass on The great spirit of Lindbergh, which is the best memorial to him.