第 32 节
作者:疯狂热线      更新:2021-03-16 00:36      字数:9322
  greatest     difficulty   in   finding    their   way;   while    others;    more    fortunate;
  remember   prominent   features   on   the   route;   and   pick   out   their   course   as
  accurately as does a homing pigeon。
  Large sheets of water form admirable 〃sign…posts〃 for an airman; thus
  at Kempton Park; one of the turning…points in the course followed in the
  〃Aerial   Derby〃;   there   are   large   reservoirs;   which   enable   the   airmen   to
  follow the course at this point with the greatest ease。 Railway lines; forests;
  rivers   and   canals;   large towns;   prominent   structures;  such   as   gasholders;
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  chimney…stalks; and so on; all assist an airman to find his way。
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  CHAPTER XLIII The First Airman to Fly Upside
  Down
  Visitors to Brooklands aerodrome on 25th September; 1913; saw one
  of the greatest sensations in this or   any other century; for on that date   a
  daring French aviator; M。 Pegoud; performed the hazardous feat of flying
  upside down。
  Before we   describe the   marvellous somersaults   which   Pegoud   made;
  two or three thousand feet above the earth; it would be well to see what
  was the practical use of it all。 If this amazing airman had been performing
  some circus trick in the air simply for the sake of attracting large crowds
  of   people   to   witness   it;   and   therefore  being   the   means   of   bringing   great
  monetary gain both to him and his patrons; then this chapter would never
  have   been   written。   Indeed;   such   a   risk   to   one's   life;   if   there   had   been
  nothing to learn from it; would have been foolish。
  No; Pegoud's thrilling performance must be looked at from an entirely
  different standpoint to such feats of daring as the placing of one's head in
  the jaws of a lion; the traversing of Niagara Falls by means of a tight…rope
  stretched across them; and other similar senseless acts; which are utterly
  useless to mankind。
  Let us see what such a celebrated airman as Mr。 Gustav Hamel said of
  the pioneer of upside…down flying。
  〃His looping   the   loop; his   upside…down   flights; his   general   acrobatic
  feats in the air are all of the utmost value to pilots throughout the world。
  We   shall   have   proof   of   this;   I   am   sure;   in   the   near   future。   Pegoud   has
  shown   us   what   it   is   possible   to   do   with   a   modern   machine。   In   his   first
  attempt   to   fly   upside   down   he   courted   death。   Like   all   pioneers;   he   was
  taking    liberties   with  the   unknown      elements。    No   man    before   him   had
  attempted the feat。 It is true that men have been upside down in the air; but
  they were turned over by sudden gusts of wind; and in most cases were
  killed。 Pegoud is all the time rehearsing accidents and showing how easy it
  is for a pilot to recover equilibrium providing he remains perfectly calm
  and clear…headed。 Any one of his extraordinary positions might be brought
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  about   by  adverse   elements。  It   is   quite   conceivable   that   a   sudden gust   of
  wind might turn the machine completely over。 Hitherto any pilot in such
  circumstances would give himself up for lost。 Pegoud has taught us what
  to do in such a case。 。 。 。 his flights have given us all a new confidence。
  〃In    a  gale   the   machine     might    be   upset   at   many    different    angles。
  Pegoud      has   shown     us   that  it  is  easily   possible    to  recover    from    such
  predicaments。   He   has   dealt   with   nearly   every   kind   of   awkward   position
  into   which   one   might   be   driven   in   a   gale   of   wind;   or   in   a   flight   over
  mountains where air…currents prevail。
  〃He   has   thus   gained   evidence   which   will   be   of   the   utmost   value   to
  present   and   future   pilots;  and prove   a   factor of   signal   importance   in   the
  preservation of life in the air。〃
  Such words as these; coming from a man of Mr。 Hamel's reputation as
  an aviator; clearly show us that M。 Pegoud has a life…saving mission for
  airmen throughout the world。
  Let   us   stand;  in   imagination;  with   the   enormous   crowd   of   spectators
  who     invaded     the   Surrey    aerodrome      on   25th    September;      and   the   two
  following days; in 1913。
  What   an   enormous   crowd   it   was! A  line   of   motor…cars   bordered   the
  track for half a mile; and many of the spectators were busy city men who
  had taken a hasty lunch and rushed off down to Weybridge to see a little
  French airman risk his life in the air。 Thousands of foot passengers toiled
  along the dusty road from the paddock to the hangars; and thousands more;
  who did not care to pay the shilling entrance fee; stood closely packed on
  the high ground outside the aerodrome。
  Biplanes and monoplanes came driving through the air from Hendon;
  and   airmen   of   world…wide   fame;   such   as   Sopwith;   Hamel;   Verrier;   and
  Hucks;      had    gathered     together     as   disciples    of   the   great    life…saving
  missionary。   Stern   critics   these!   Men   who   would   ruthlessly   expose   any
  〃faked〃 performance if need were!
  And where is the little airman while all this crowd is gathering? Is he
  very   excited?   He   has   never   before   been   in   England。   We   wonder   if   his
  amazing   coolness   and   admirable   control   over   his   nerves   will   desert   him
  among strange surroundings。
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  Probably   Pegoud       was   the   coolest   man    in  all  that  vast  crowd。    He
  seemed to want to hide himself from public gaze。 Most of his time; was
  taken up in signing post…cards for people who had been fortunate enough
  to discover him in a little restaurant near which his shed was situated。
  At last his Bleriot monoplane was wheeled out; and he was strapped;
  or   harnessed;   into   his   seat。   〃Was   the   machine   a   'freak'   monoplane?〃   we
  wondered。
  We were soon assured that such was not the case。 Indeed; as Pegoud
  himself   says:   〃I   have   used   a   standard   type   of   monoplane   on   purpose。
  Almost   every   aeroplane;   if   it   is   properly   balanced;   has   just   as   good   a
  chance as mine; and I lay particular stress on the fact that there is nothing
  extraordinary about my machine; so that no one can say my achievements
  are in any way faked。〃
  During the preliminary operations his patron; M。 Bleriot; stood beside
  the machine;   and   chatted affably  with   the aviator。 At   last the   signal   was
  given for his ascent; and in a few moments Pegoud was climbing with the
  nose of his machine tilted high in the air。 For about a quarter of an hour he
  flew round in ever…widening circles; rising very quietly and steadily until
  he had reached an altitude of about 4000 feet。 A deep silence seemed to
  have   settled   on   the   vast   crowd   nearly   a   mile  below;   and   the   musical
  droning of his engine could be plainly heard。
  Then his movements began to be eccentric。 First; he gave a wonderful
  exhibition   of   banking   at   right   angles。   Then;   after   about   ten   minutes;   he
  shut   off   his   engine;   pitched   downwards   and   gracefully   righted   himself
  again。
  At last the amazing feat began。 His left wing was raised; his right wing
  dipped; and the nose of the machine dived steeply; and turned right round
  with     the  airman     hanging     head    downwards;       and   the   wheels    of   the
  monoplane uppermost。 In this way he travelled for about a hundred yards;
  and then slowly righted the machine; until it assumed its normal position;
  with the engine again running。 Twice more the performance was repeated;
  so that he travelled from one side of the aerodrome to the othera distance
  of about a mile and a half。
  Next he descended from 4000 feet to about 1200 feet in four gigantic
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  loops; and; as one writer said: 〃He was doing exactly what the clown in
  the   pantomime   does   when   he   climbs   to   the   top   of   a   staircase   and   rolls
  deliberately over and over until he reaches the ground。 But this fu