The "Flyer One" manufactured by the Wright brothers was very light. Even with the pilot, it only weighed about 360 kilograms, so any design must be lightweight.
Limited by their canard aerodynamic layout, it is also required to reduce the mass of the front end, otherwise it will become top-heavy and affect the flight stability of the aircraft.
In other words, the key to engine design lies in weight and front-to-rear weight ratio. As for horsepower, a dozen horses are more than enough, after all, the lifting mass is very low.
Perhaps because most of the patents applied for by the Wright brothers were canard layouts, subsequent American aircraft manufacturing companies adopted conventional layouts in order to circumvent his patents.
As mentioned before, although the United States now has a patent office, the approval process is difficult to be as strict as that of later generations. The U.S. Patent Office has a certain responsibility for this matter, but there are really few people in the patent office who understand aircraft, otherwise it would not be very
The Wright brothers' patent for the aircraft as a whole should be allowed to pass.
It is even less likely that everyone in the patent office is Einstein.
"You also owned an engine factory in Detroit?" brother Wilbur Wright asked.
"No," Li Yu said, "I need to make it for you in New York."
"New York seems to be closer to North Carolina," said his brother Olway Wright. "We will pay you enough."
"I don't need remuneration, I just want to contribute to your flying career." Li Yu said.
Six years ago, Mr. Zhongshan came to the United States to solicit sponsorship, but with little success. The reason was that he did not find the right channel or help from Hongmen.
"My name is Situ Meitang." the other party replied.
When I was busy, there was a knock on the laboratory door.
"It's not all my fault." Li Yu said.
Well, it turned out to be the big boss of Hongmen in the United States.
Li Yu naturally knew Situ Meitang's name, "I have admired him for a long time! Why are you here?"
In fact, the reason why he bought the engine was not to study, but because the designs in his mind were too advanced and he couldn't grasp the appropriateness. That's why he bought such an old-fashioned engine to limit his ideas.
Detroit isn't big right now, and it's not hard to find him.
However, there are indeed not many literate people in Hongmen, and the formalization of Hongmen since then cannot be separated from the participation of Mr. Zhongshan.
But the Wright brothers were very happy. Research and development is very expensive, especially for something like an airplane that no one has ever succeeded in.
"You can send it to the newspaper and they will tell us," the Wright brothers said.
Just like in Stephen Chow's version of "The Deer and the Cauldron", Wei Xiaobao, played by him, had a very simple but reasonable conversation with Chen Jinnan, the chief helmsman of the Tiandihui, an early Hongmen organization.
Li Yu asked: "There should be Chinese people who have received Western education in Chinatown, right?"
Li Yu smiled and said: "That's true. However, Kang Nanhai has a lot of energy and defrauded the Chinese people of a lot of money. You should be careful."
Li Yu turned around, pointed at an engine and said, "Can I buy this one?"
Due to the nature of a mutual aid organization, Zhi Gong Tang in the United States has successfully registered with the government in the name of "Chinese Freemasonry" and has become a legal organization.
Buick said: "Your vision is really accurate. That engine uses an overhead valve, but the stability is not very good."
If you think about it carefully, the situation reflected in this passage is also very sad, and it is really difficult.
"Sooner or later it will happen," Li Yu said, "step by step."
The most famous one is the later U.S. President Roosevelt, who served as Situ Meitang's legal advisor for more than ten years.
Situ Meitang said disdainfully: "What are you doing seeing him? We are not in the same boat. Kang Youwei only thinks about his emperor, and our Hongmen don't even recognize the Qing Dynasty."
"It's me who should be said to have admired you for a long time," Situ Meitang said with a smile, "I'm just a wandering soul wandering overseas."
Situ Meitang was a little unconvinced: "Can you, a Chinese, open a factory in the United States?"
Situ Meitang sighed: "There is no way, he is too talkative, we can only ensure that our congregation will not donate to him."
After Li Yu opened it, there was a middle-aged man standing outside. He could tell at a glance that he was Chinese.
To put it bluntly, Hongmen was anti-Qing from the beginning, so they later unswervingly supported Mr. Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary cause.
How much money you can make by selling just one engine, and being able to participate in the development process of the first aircraft in human history is much more meaningful.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were nearly 20 million Chinese living overseas.
Li Yu thought of Buick's two-cylinder engine and decided to buy one from him.
When he arrived in the United States in 1904, Kang Youwei's Royalist Association and the San Francisco Consul in order to prevent him from promoting the revolution, colluded with the Immigration Bureau to falsely accuse his passport of being a fake and detained him. This was all because Huang Sande, the leader of the Hongmen Zhigongtang, came forward and spent money.
, hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit to get him out.
Li Yu smiled and said: "No problem, I came here to see if there is a multi-cylinder engine that I can buy one."
"Yes, not only New York, but also San Francisco (San Francisco) also has our Chinese newspaper, but it is not comparable to the "Le Monde" that published your article." Situ Meitang said.
Li Yu asked: "Kang Nanhai has also been to the United States. I wonder if you have seen him?"
Hongmen called people who had just left the country "Tangshan brothers" and provided them with food and accommodation, financial help if they wanted to do business, and even legal aid in case of lawsuits.
Aluminum will continue to be extremely important in the aircraft industry, but many early aircraft were made of wood.
"You are right, if you are anxious, you may be the next Kang Liang." Situ Meitang said.
The current boss of the Hongmen Zhigong Hall in San Francisco is Huang Sande.
Situ Meitang said: "You also know our Hongmen?"
Chen Jinnan told Wei Xiaobao: Most of the people who have read books and learned things are officials in the Qing court, so if we want to fight against the Qing court, we must use some stupid people. To deal with them, we must use religion and the like to deal with them who cannot tell the truth.
The form hypnotizes them and makes them feel that what they are doing is right. Therefore, opposing the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty is just a slogan, which is actually the same as Amitabha. The Qing Dynasty has been oppressing us Han people and taking away our silver and women, so we must oppose the Qing Dynasty.
Buick smiled bitterly: "If I really didn't want to sell it before, but now my factory is almost out of funds, it would be great if you are willing to buy it."
And Li Yu is also preparing to return to New York.
Li Yu said: "You can organize a mutual aid association to unite Chinese people and help each other. How can you say you are a wandering spirit!"
However, Situ Meitang has not yet established the Anliang General Hall, and has not yet become a real Hongmen boss.
Buick himself was quickly fired and sadly left, leaving only the Buick car brand named after him.
Buick's small factory mostly displays various engines. It can be seen at a glance that there are some problems with its research and development focus: it is too obsessed with more advanced engine technology and does not pay attention to vehicle sales. Unlike many others
Just like car companies, they research and develop while selling.
"I can't dismantle the car," Li Yu said. "If I could, I would buy this engine."
David Buick's approach was not a wise move in the early days of the automobile industry.
Next year at the latest, the Buick company will be sold. William Durant, the owner of a horse-drawn carriage company, will buy Buick as a whole, and later establish a larger General Motors Company based on Buick Motors.
Hongmen and Kang Youwei had extremely conflicting ideas.
Buick said: "Small means compact, but if it is too compact, it will be difficult to control the gas explosion in the cylinder, and it is not a finished product. I have another mature overhead valve engine, but it is slightly larger, but it has been installed
On the car that the lady bought."
"I am Li Yu, who are you?" Li Yu asked.
“It’s a deal!”
Situ Meitang said: "We are in short supply of people like you. If we can build strong ships and cannons, we won't be afraid of foreigners."
Situ Meitang said: "If you want to find someone now, you don't have to go very far. There is our Chinatown in the south of Manhattan. I think you can find a lot of people there."
This engine weighs dozens of kilograms, and Li Yu can actually understand its structure after just a few glances.
"It's not difficult," Li Yu said with a smile, "but it's best to buy an engine with as many cylinders as possible."
Moreover, he has a good brain and knows that brute force alone is not enough. In a place like the United States, the law must be respected. Therefore, his Anliangtang is not only more tightly organized and more well-funded than Zhigongtang, but most importantly, he has always hired American lawyers as lawyers.
Legal advisor.
Li Yu clapped his hands and found the way.
Situ Meitang gave a thumbs up: "Amazing."
Situ Meitang waved his hand: "It's not necessary. Now California's Chinese Exclusion Act has caused many Chinese to come to the East Coast. I'm afraid it will be a waste of time to go to San Francisco. But I can let them know and if there are suitable candidates, I can recommend them.
."
"You are still familiar with the situation." Li Yu said.
The Wright brothers' current research and development project progress is very tight, and they will immediately rush back to North Carolina to continue the manufacture of Flyer 1.
Li Yu walked into David Buick's small factory and said, "How are you, Mr. David Buick? I just said we will meet again."
Situ Meitang said: "Yes, he has indulged in the luxurious life of the United States and Canada. Such a person cannot achieve anything. But your two articles attacking him were so brilliant that several of our Chinese newspapers also reprinted them
."
David Buick was almost at the end of his rope and said, "Well, it's not ready yet, it only costs $200."
"Then leave Shengren Kang alone," Li Yu said. "Since you can't stop him, let him go."
Situ Meitang walked into Li Yu's laboratory and sighed: "You are so talented as a cultured person. I have seen many American machines, but I can't even name them, let alone those articles you published. I am a
I can’t understand the words.”
Wherever there are people, there are rivers and lakes, and there are also fights among the various clans. One of Situ Meitang's later great contributions to Hongmen was that he was able to calm down the fights between the various clans. He was definitely a big brother.
The middle-aged man said: "Are you Li Yu? I think I made a mistake."
Since they are literate, it means they are educated, and since they have been in the United States for such a long time, they must also know English. They can definitely select some of the Chinese to be trained as technicians.
After arriving at the laboratory in New York, Li Yu began to redesign it. The main purpose was to replace cast iron with an aluminum structure as much as possible, which could greatly reduce the weight.
As expected, if you want to find Chinese people in the United States, you can’t do without Hongmen.
David Buick has not yet established the Buick Company, which can only be regarded as a small workshop that develops and manufactures cars. The two cars built at the New York Auto Show are already the limit.
Everyone also agrees with the Hongmen concept of "joining forces to help each other, helping each other, and caring for each other in times of trouble."
Li Yu clasped his fists and said, "Thank you, Mr. Situ! Your help is enough. I wanted to go to San Francisco to see if there are any suitable Chinese people I can recruit."
"make a deal."
"Chinese newspaper?" Li Yu asked in surprise.
In her opinion, this is definitely not a simple matter.
If you want to contact as many Chinese as possible, Hongmen is the most effective way.
"Do you really want to build an engine?" Sierra asked.
However, Situ Meitang has been a member of Hongmen in the United States for nearly 20 years. The previously established Anliangtang is under the umbrella of Zhigongtang and is also very large.
It was not easy to move around, so everyone would naturally stick together for warmth. There were many clan associations and fellow villagers' associations that were difficult to enter due to blood relationship restrictions, so many Chinese joined Hongmen, where conditions were relatively free.
Wei Xiaobao: If you want to fight back against the Qing Dynasty and take back our money and women, if you don't regain the Ming Dynasty, it's just like taking off your pants and farting!
Li Yu almost forgot that there was this place. New York's Chinatown was indeed very close, covering more than twenty miles, and the identities of the people there were relatively clean.
Li Yu smiled and said: "There are specialties in the arts."
"Thank you so much! I really didn't expect a Chinese to have such knowledge and broadmindedness," said the Wright brothers.
Without Sierra and the power of the Carnegie family behind her, it would indeed not have been easy for him to open a company and factory.
In fact, in addition to the most famous Zhigong Tang and Anliang Tang, there are many similar Tangs.
Li Yu smiled and said, "Okay."
Li Yu said: "The manufacturing of the engine will take a while. Do you have a telegraph machine? I can notify you in time when it is done."
Situ Meitang sighed again: "Our Chinese workers suffered too much back then because they could only work as coolies for foreigners. It would be really exciting to have a factory run by Chinese people. Even if Mr. Hong is not me,
We will also help you if you are a member of the family!"
"It doesn't matter," Li Yu said, "What I like about it is its small size."
It is still relatively expensive to buy some aluminum now, but aluminum makes processing slightly less difficult.
A few years ago he resigned and came to the eastern United States. With years of accumulation, he still has the highest status among the active Hongmen in the northeastern United States.
Li Yu said: "I am thinking of setting up a factory and recruiting some Chinese to become skilled workers."
David Buick recognized Li Yu: "It's you! Is there something wrong with my car?"
So when he came to the United States for the second time, he directly joined Zhi Gong Tang and was named "Hong Guan". The Hongmen disciples also respectfully called him Big Brother Sun.
"Of course I know, but I've never had the chance to visit him," Li Yu said.
"Yes," Situ Meitang said, "but even if you have studied in an American school, it is not easy to find a job. It is a pity for these young students."
Discrimination is much greater now than in later generations.
Li Yu said: "Sir, you can take me to see it. There is an advertisement in our newspaper recruiting some people to join the factory."
Situ Meitang smiled and said: "That's easy to say! You are doing a good deed to help us Chinese people. I must personally help you do it!"