Kodi Ndege Inabwera Bwanji?

KODI amisiri potsirizira anapambana bwanji kukonza makina ouluka olemera kuposa mphepo? Anayang’anitsitsa akatswiri enieni odziŵa kuuluka—mbalame. Mu 1889 katswiri wina wa ku Germany wodziŵa za mainjini, Otto Lilienthal, ataona mmene mbalame zonga kakowa zimaulukira, analemba buku lakuti, “Bird Flight as the Basis of Aviation.” Patatha zaka ziŵiri anapanga ndege yake yaing’ono yopanda injini. Mu 1896, Lilienthal ataulukapo nthaŵi ngati 2,000 ndi ndege yakeyo, anadzafa pamene ankayesera ndege ina. Octave Chanute, katswiri wodziŵa za mainjini wa ku America koma wobadwira ku France, anawonjezera maluso ena papulani ya Lilienthal ndipo anapanga ndege yokhala ndi mapiko aŵiri, moti imeneyonso inakhala umboni wakuti n’kothekadi kupanga makina ouluka olemera kuposa mphepo.

Kenaka panabwera munthu ndi mng’ono wake otchedwa Wright. Orville ndi Wilbur Wright anali eni sitolo yogulitsa njinga mumzinda wa Dayton, ku Ohio, U.S.A., koma anayamba kuyesa zokonza ndege mu 1900, namatengera luso la Lilienthal ndi la Chanute. Kwa zaka zitatu Wright limodzi ndi mng’ono wake ankagwira ntchito pang’onopang’ono ndipo mosamala, namayesayesabe kuuluka ku Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Anapanganso mapulani ena atsopano mothandizidwa ndi chipangizo chotchedwa wind tunnel, ndipo chipangizo chimenechi choyamba anapanga okha ndi pepala lochindikala. Anapanga injini ya four-cylinder, 12-horsepower, n’kuikhazika m’ndege yatsopanoyo. Injiniyo ndiyo inkazunguza mipeni iŵiri yamatabwa, yotchedwa propeller, propeller imodzi inali kunthiti ina yandegeyo, propeller inanso kunthiti inayo, chakumchira.

Pa December 14, 1903, ndege imene a Wright anali atakonza chatsopanoyo inanyamuka kwa nthaŵi yoyamba—ndipo inakhala mumlengalenga timphindi titatu ndi theka! Patatha masiku atatu abalewo anawaulutsanso makinawo. Potsirizira makinawo anakhalabe mumlengalenga mphindi imodzi yathunthu ndipo anayenda mtunda wa mamita 260. Inalidi ndege.a

Koma zinadabwitsa kwambiri kuti dziko silinachite nazo chidwi kwenikweni zoti kunja kuno kuli chinthu chotchedwa ndege. Potsirizira, m’magazini ya The New York Times munatuluka nkhani yonena za Wright limodzi ndi mng’ono wake mu January 1906, nkhaniyo inati ‘makina awo oulukawo’ anawakonzera mseri ndi kutinso munthu ndi mbale wakeyo “kuuluka kwawo mumlengalenga” mu 1903, siinali nkhani yodabwitsa kwenikweni. Koma zoona n’zakuti usiku womwewo umene ndege yawo inauluka, Orville anatumizira bambo wake uthenga wamsangamsanga, nawafulumiza kuti adziŵitse olemba manyuzipepala. Komabe, manyuzipepala aŵiri okha ku United States ndiwo anasimba za nkhaniyo panthaŵi imeneyo.

Makina Ouluka Sadzakhala Aphindu Kwenikweni M’tsogolo?

Dziko lonse linali kukayikira za ndege itangobwera kumene. Ngakhale Chanute, mmodzi wa anthu otchuka amene anatsogolera pamaluso okonza ndege, mu 1910 ananeneratu kuti: “Malinga ndi mmene akatswiri akuonera, n’kuwononga nthaŵi kuganiza zoti m’tsogolo muno anthu azidzagwiritsa ntchito makina ouluka monga zoyendera maulendo. Sizidzanyamula katundu wambiri ndiye zimenezo zidzawalepheretsa kugwiritsa ntchito mwaufulu makina ouluka monga choyendera anthu kapena chonyamulira katundu.”

Komabe, sayansi yokonza ndege inapita patsogolo mwamsanga kuyambira pamene a Wrights anaulutsa ndege yawo yoyamba. Pazaka zisanu, munthuyo ndi mng’ono wake anali atapanga ndege yokwera anthu aŵiri yomwe inkathamanga makilomita 71 paola ndi kukwera m’mwamba mamita 43. Mu 1911 ena anayenda ulendo wa pandege wodutsa dziko lonse la U.S.; ulendo wochokera ku New York mpaka ku California unatenga ngati masiku 49! Mkati mwa Nkhondo Yadziko I, anawonjezera liŵiro la ndege kuchoka pa makilomita 100 paola kuposa pamakilomita 230 paola. Pasanapite nthaŵi ndege zinayamba kukwera m’mwamba kwambiri mpaka mamita 9,000.

M’ma 1920 mbiri inatchuka m’manyuzipepala yoti ndege zinali kuyenda bwino kwambiri. Mu 1923, akulu aŵiri a gulu lankhondo la America ndiwo anayamba kuuluka popanda kuima paliponse kudutsa mu United States, kuchokera kugombe lanyanja mpaka kugombe lina lanyanja, pamaola osakwana 27. Patapita zaka zinayi, Charles A. Lindbergh anatchuka tsiku limodzi chifukwa anauluka popanda kuima paliponse kuchokera ku New York mpaka ku Paris pamaola 33 ndi mphindi 20.

Panthaŵi yomweyonso, ndege zongoyamba kumene kunyamula anthu zinali zitayamba kukopa anthu ambiri. Cha kumapeto kwa 1939, anthu ambiri ankayenda pandege moti ndege za ku U.S. zinkanyamula anthu pafupifupi mamiliyoni atatu pachaka. Ndege zambiri za m’ma 1930, monga DC-3, zinkanyamula anthu 21 basi paliŵiro la makilomita 270 paola; koma Nkhondo Yadziko II itatha, ndege zonyamula anthu zinakula ndipo zinakhala zamphamvu kwambiri, moti zinkathamanga liŵiro loposa makilomita 480 paola. Abritishi anapanga ndege yonyamula anthu yamtundu wa turbojet mu 1952. Ndipo zina zamtundu wa jumbo jet, monga Boeing 747 yonyamula anthu 400, zinaoneka mu 1970.

Mu 1976, gulu lina la mainjiniya a ku Britain ndi a ku France, linatulukira nzeru ina yokonza Concorde, ndege ya jet yokhala ndi mapiko opindikira mmbuyo, ndege yokhoza kunyamula anthu 100 paliŵiro lalikulu—kuposa makilomita 2,300 paola. Koma poti kugwiritsa ntchito ndege zamtundu umenewo kumafuna ndalama zambiri, mayiko ambiri sangakhale nazo ndege zonyamula anthu zaliŵiro ngati limenelo.

Kupeputsa Zinthu Padziko

Ngakhale kuti inuyo simunakwerepo ndege, mwina kutukuka kwa sayansi kwakupeputsirani zinthu nanu. Ndege zonyamula katundu zimazungulira dziko lonse; kaŵirikaŵiri, chakudya chimene timadya, zovala zimene timavala, ndi makina amene timagwiritsa ntchito kuntchito kapena panyumba anaulutsidwa kuchokera kutsidya lina lanyanja kapena kuchokera kudziko lina. Makalata pamodzi ndi maphukusi amanyamulidwa pandege kuchoka m’dziko lina kumka kudziko lina. A mabizinesi pochita ntchito zawo zatsiku ndi tsiku amagwiritsa ntchito kwambiri anthu kapena makampani onyamula mauthenga pandege. Katundu yemwe tili naye limodzi ndi mitengo yomwe timagulira zimenezo, zonsezo zikutheka chifukwa chakuti munthu anatulukira njira yotumiza katundu pandege.

Ndege zasinthanso kwambiri chikhalidwe cha anthu. Mosakayikira, dzikoli tsopano likuoneka ngati laling’ono, chifukwa cha ndege. Pamphindi zoŵerengeka, mukhoza kufika kwina kulikonse padziko lapansi—ngati muli ndi ndalama. Mauthenga amayenda mwachangu kwambiri, anthunso chimodzimodzi.

Mavuto Otsagana ndi Chitukuko

Koma chitukukochi chadzanso ndi mavuto ake. Mmene ndege zikuchuluka choncho, ena akudera nkhaŵa chifukwa mumlengalenga mukuwopsa kwambiri tsopano. Chaka chilichonse ndege wamba ndi ndege zonyamula anthu zimagwa n’kupha anthu ambiri. Magazini ya Fortune inati: “Makampani ambiri andege tsopano akuchita mpikisano, kale unali mwambo wawo kusamala zoti anyamula anthu, koma lero sakusamala zimenezo.” Magazini yomweyo inatinso, “bungwe lotetezera ngozi mumlengalenga, la Federal Aviation Administration, ku United States, lilibe ndalama zokwanira, lilibe antchito okwanira, ndipo sakuliyendetsa bwino.”

Panthaŵi imodzimodziyo, anthu ambiri oyang’anira chilengedwe akudera nkhaŵa chifukwa ndege zamtundu wa jet zikuwonjezeka ndiye zikudetsa mpweya ndipo zikusokosa kwambiri. Magazini ya Aviation Week & Space Technology inati, kudera nkhaŵa za vuto laphokoso ndiyo “nkhani ina yobutsa mkangano kwambiri pankhani zonse zokhudza ndege zonyamula anthu.”

Chimene chikukulitsa mavutowa n’chakuti ndege zikuguga kwambiri: Mu 1990, mwa ndege zinayi za ku United States, imodzi inapezedwa kuti inali ndi zaka zoposa 20, ndipo gawo limodzi mwamagawo atatu zinali zitagwiritsidwa ntchito kuposa “nthaŵi imene okonza ndegeyo anapanga kuti ndegeyo igwire ntchito.”

Choncho, mainjiniya a ndege tsopano ali ndi mavuto oopsa. Ayenera kupanga ndege zina zosachititsa ngozi ndipo zosadya ndalama zambiri kuti zizinyamula anthu ambiri, ngakhale kuti mitengo ikukwerakwerabe, ngakhalenso kuti anthu ambiri akudabe nkhaŵa ndi kuipitsidwa kwa mpweya.

Ayamba kale kupeza njira zina zochepetsera ndalama zomwe amawononga. Jim Erickson, polemba m’magazini ya Asiaweek, anati, gulu la akatswiri okonza mainjini, a ku Britain ndi a ku France, akufuna kukonza ndege imene inganyamule anthu 300, yothamanga liŵiro lalikulu. Idzakhala yosadya ndalama zambiri. Ndipo pamene akatswiri ena akuona kuti pamabwalo andege ambiri pamadzaza mopambanitsa, akuganiza zoti m’tsogolo muno adzakonze ndege yatsopano yamtundu wa helikoputa—kuti iliyonse izidzanyamula anthu 100. Akukhulupirira kuti ndege zamtundu wa helikoputa zimenezo, tsiku lina zidzakhoza kunyamula anthu oyenda maulendo afupiafupi omwe pakali pano akunyamulidwa ndi ndege zikuluzikulu zamasiku onse.

Kodi mahelikoputa akuluakulu limodzi ndi ndege zaliŵiro ladzaoneni zidzakwanitsadi kusamala anthu onse ofuna kuyenda maulendo amsangamsanga apandege zaka zikudzazi? Zidzaoneka zokha m’tsogolo muno pamene munthu akuyesetsa ‘kutsegula njira mumlengalenga’ kuti anthu aziulukamo.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

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Otto Lilienthal, cha m’ma 1891

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Library of Congress/Corbis

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Charles A. Lindbergh akungofika kumene ku London pochokera kuulendo wake wouluka kudutsa nyanja ya Atlantic kumka ku Paris, mu 1927

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Corbis-Bettmann

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Sopwith Camel, mu 1917

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Museum of Flight/Corbis

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DC-3, mu 1935

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Photograph courtesy of Boeing Aircraft Company

[Chithunzi patsamba 15]

Sikorsky S-43 flying boat, mu 1937

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Helikoputa yopulumutsira anthu omira m’madzi

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Acrobatic Pitts, Samson replica

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Concorde inayamba kuuluka maulendo mu 1976

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Bus youluka A300

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Pamene “space shuttle” imatsika kuyandikira chakudziko kuno kuchokera m’mwambamwamba, imakhala ndege yopanda injini yamtundu wa “glider”

[Chithunzi patsamba 17]

“Rutan VariEze,” 1978