VOA慢速英语2015 个人飞行汽车的梦想接近现实

Personal Flying Vehicles Close to Reality 个人飞行汽车的梦想接近现实

Many people have long dreamed of being able to fly around as simply as riding a bicycle. Yet the safety and strength of a flying bike was always a big problem.

Over the past 10 years, developments in technology have moved the dream of personal flying vehicles closer to reality. Now, two groups of inventors say such vehicles may available very soon.

The British company Malloy Aeronautics¹ has developed a prototype or model of its flying bicycle. The company says its Hoverbike will be a truly personal flying vehicle.

Grant Stapleton is the marketing² sales director of Malloy Aeronautics. He says the Hoverbike is able to get in and out of small spaces very quickly. “It can be moved across continents very quickly because it can be folded and packed,” he adds.

Mr. Stapleton says safety was the company’s main concern when developing the Hoverbike. He says the designers solved the safety issue by using overlapping⁴ rotors to power the vehicle. He says the power comes from adducted propellers⁶, which turn in enclosed spaces.

“With adducted rotors you immediately not only protect people and property if you were to bump into them, but if you ever were to bump into somebody or property, it's going to bring the aircraft out of the air,” Mr. Stapleton says.

The company is testing both a one-third scale model and a full-size prototype of the Hoverbike.

Inventors say their Hoverbike will most likely be used first by the military, police and emergency rescue teams.

In New Zealand, the Martin Aircraft Company is also testing a full-scale prototype of its personal flying device, called Jetpack. It can fly for more than 30 minutes, up to 1,000 meters high and reach a speed of 74 kilometers per hour.

Peter Coker is the chief executive officer of Martin Aircraft Company. He said Jetpack “is built around safety from the start.” In his words, “reliability⁷ is the most important element of it. We have safety built into the actual structure itself, very similar to a Formula One racing⁸ car.”

Jetpack uses a gasoline-powered engine that produces two powerful jet streams. Mr. Coker says it also has a parachute that can be used should there be an emergency.

“It opens at very low altitude and actually saves both the aircraft and the pilot in an emergency," he adds.

Mr. Coker says Jetpack will be ready for sale to the public by the end of 2016. He adds it will have a price of about $200,000.

Words in this Story

overlap³ – v. to lie over the edge of something; to cover part of something

propeller⁵ – n. a device with two or more blades that turn quickly and cause a ship or aircraft to move

prototype – n. an original or first model of something from which other forms are copied or developed

fold – v. to place one part over another; to tie together

pack – v. to put away

rotor – n. a part of a machine that turns around a central point

reliability – n. the ability to depend on someone or something

1 aeronautics   

n.航空术，航空学

参考例句：

• National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。
• He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。

2 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

3 overlap   

v.重叠，与…交叠；n.重叠

参考例句：

• The overlap between the jacket and the trousers is not good.夹克和裤子重叠的部分不好看。
• Tiles overlap each other.屋瓦相互叠盖。

4 overlapping   

adj./n.交迭（的）

参考例句：

• There is no overlapping question between the two courses. 这两门课程之间不存在重叠的问题。
• A trimetrogon strip is composed of three rows of overlapping. 三镜头摄影航线为三排重迭的象片所组成。

5 propeller   

n.螺旋桨，推进器

参考例句：

• The propeller started to spin around.螺旋桨开始飞快地旋转起来。
• A rope jammed the boat's propeller.一根绳子卡住了船的螺旋桨。

6 propellers   

n.螺旋桨，推进器( propeller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The water was thrashing and churning about under the propellers. 水在螺旋桨下面打旋、翻滚。 来自辞典例句
• The ship's propellers churned the waves to foam. 轮船的推进器将海浪搅出泡沫。 来自辞典例句

7 reliability   

n.可靠性，确实性

参考例句：

• We mustn't presume too much upon the reliability of such sources.我们不应过分指望这类消息来源的可靠性。
• I can assure you of the reliability of the information.我向你保证这消息可靠。

8 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。