"Appleton, Victor - Tom Swift Jr 10 - And His Ultrasonic Cycloplane" - читать интересную книгу автора (Appleton Victor)

"Wow! Wait'll the airlines get hold of that!"
"They'll have it soon, I hope," Tom replied with quiet pride. "That is, if it works
out okay in my new cycloplane."
Bud's eyes roved over the nearly completed ship, noting its sleek yet
fantastic design. "How's she coming, skipper?"
"Be ready for a flight test this afternoon. Want to sign on as copilot?"
"Do I!" Bud gave a joyful whoop. "Think I want to miss out on Professor
Swift's latest and most revolutionary advance in the science of aviation? Only
one thing I'm wondering," he added with a straight face. "Will it fly?"
Tom grinned. "We'll find out this afternoon."
On each side of the ship a shiny magnesium cylinder, wide as an oil drum,
ran the full length of the fuselage. In flight, the twin cylinders would
14 ULTRASONIC CYCLOPLANE
spin at terrific speed, powered by Tom's ultrasonic generator which had now
passed all tests successfully.
"Do you really think those twin rollers will provide enough lift for take-off and
flight?" Bud inquired doubtfully.
"They will if my answers to certain aerodynamic equations are correct. For
example, when you apply Bernoulli's equation-"
"Give it to me in kindergarten talk," Bud pleaded. "Those ten-syllable words
make my head spin. And I'm not even air-borne yet!"
"Okay." Tom chuckled. "Know how a pitcher throws a curve?"
"Sure-by making the ball spin."
"Right. And as the ball spins, it drags air around it by surface friction. As a
result, air piles up on one side of the ball and thins out on the other side."
Bud's face brightened as he suddenly caught on. "Oh sure. That air build-up
on one side causes an increase in pressure, and that's what forces the ball away
from a straight-line path. Only I still don't see what all that's got to do with the twin
cylinders on your cycloplane."
"Same principle. A stream of air from the sonic turbine flows outward from
the plane and passes over the cylinder. As the cylinders spin around, the air piles
up on the lower surface. So you get an increase in pressure there, just like the
pressure on the lower surface of a wing. And that's what boosts us upstairs!"
JAKE THE CAT 15
"Guess it figures at that." Bud nodded slowly. "Will your cycloplane be able to
do the same kind of flying as a helicopter-I mean, hovering and all?"
"Sure, but it'll also have many advantages over an ordinary helicopter," Tom
pointed out. "For example, no overhead rotors to cope with, and no noise or
vibration. With the ultrasonic generator powered by Swift solar-charged batteries,
the plane will fly almost forever without new fuel. And with a jet engine added for
forward flight, I'm hoping to break the sound barrier."
"Looks as if you'd picked the wrong name, skipper," Bud remarked. "Should
be a cyclocop-ter, meaning a mixture of helicopter and cyclone!"
By this time, the mechanics had installed metal fairing at several points, thus
smoothing the whole ship into sleek, unbroken lines from stem to stern.
Bud climbed down from the flight compartment and strolled around the ship,
eying it from every angle.
"With the landing gear down, it looks like a racing land cruiser," he remarked.
"It is a land cruiser." Tom chuckled. "I forgot to tell you-this front landing
wheel is for steering, of course, but the two rear wheels have a mechanical drive