Inqwelo-moya
KANGANGEENKULUNGWANE abantu bebenamaphupha okubhabha. Kodwa izihlunu zomntu azomelelanga ngokwaneleyo ukuba zingathwala umzimba wakhe ukuze abhabhe. Ngowe-1781, uJames Watt wavelisa injini esebenza ngomphunga, yaye ngowe-1876, uNikolaus Otto wabuphucula obo buchule waza wenza injini esebenza ngamafutha. Umntu wayesele enze injini eyayiza kubhabhisa inqwelo-moya. Kodwa ngubani ke owayeza kwenza inqwelo-moya?
Oonyana bakwaWright, uWilbur no-Orville babefuna ukubhabha ukususela oko babebhabhisa iikayiti besengamakhwenkwe. Kamva bafunda ubuchule bobunjineli benza iibhayisikile. Baqonda ukuba olona celomngeni kukwakha inqwelo-moya eza kulawuleka. Inqwelo-moya engazinzanga emoyeni ayiloncedo nganto kanye njengebhayisikile engalawulekiyo. UWilbur wayebukela amahobe xa ebhabha ibe wafumanisa ukuba ayakekela xa ejika, kanye njengomntu oqhuba ibhayisikile. Wagqiba kwelokuba iintaka ziyajika zize zijije iincam zeempiko ukuze zixhathise. Wayisekela apho ke ingcamango yakhe yokwakha iphiko elijikajikayo.
Ngowe-1900, uWilbur no-Orville benza inqwelo-moya enamaphiko ajikajikayo. Baqala bayibhabhisa njengekayiti baza bayiqhuba njengenqwelo-moya engenanjini. Bafumanisa ukuba ifuna amaqhosha amathathu okuyinyusa nokuyihlisa, ukuyikekelisa nokuyisa emacaleni. Noko ke, badana kukuba amaphiko abawasebenzisayo akazange akwazi ukuyenza le nto babeyifuna, ngoko benza itonela elinomoya baza bazama amaphiko awahlukahlukeneyo de bafumana iphiko elikumila nelikhulu ngokwaneleyo. Ngowe-1902, benza inqwelo-moya entsha, ibe kuyo babebuchanile ubuchule bokuyenza izinze emoyeni. Ngaba babenokufaka injini kuyo?
Ekuqaleni kwafuneka bazenzele injini. Ngolwazi abalufumana kwitonela lomoya, bayicombulula ingxaki yokwenza iphiko elijikelezayo. Ekugqibeleni, ngoDisemba 17, 1903, badumisa injini, ajikeleza amaphiko yaza yancothuka inqwelo-moya inyukela kumoya obanda ceke. UOrville wathi: “Silifezile iphupha esasinalo sisengamakhwenkwe. Sikufundile ukubhabha.” Aba nyana baduma ehlabathini lonke. Kodwa bakwazi njani ukuzibona sele besemoyeni? Inyaniso kukuba, bafunda kwindalo.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]
IWright “Flyer,” kuMntla Carolina, eUnited States, ngowe-1903 (umfanekiso ozotyiweyo)