Soviet Arctic explorer at station NP-8. Photo: Sputnik Searching for a Soviet research station The research station NP-8 was only used by Soviet Arctic explorers until the time the ice sheet began to split. At that time, the scientists could have been urgently evacuated and this abandoned research station continued to float in the ocean until it was destroyed. In the early 1960s, the CIA and the Office of Naval Research under the US Department of the Navy conducted a “hunt” for abandoned Soviet research stations. It is said that the Soviet Union installed American submarine sound detectors there. Initially, the target was station NP-9, detected by a reconnaissance aircraft in May 1961. However, the operation was delayed and the research station was located too far in the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Station NP-9. Photo: Sputnik In the spring of 1962, about 970km from the Canadian Air Force base at Resolute Bay, another abandoned and floating research station – station NP-8 – was accidentally discovered. This is an opportunity America cannot afford to miss. Plan “Skyhook” Considering the fact that an icebreaker can’t make it through the dense ice in the area, a helicopter won’t be able to reach NP-8’s location and the plane’s landing on icebergs Floating is also too dangerous. So the US decided to drop the agents there by parachute. But the question then is how to bring those people back [máy bay]. In the end, the US decided to use the evacuation system that the CIA used in hostile lands, also known as the “Skyhook” – developed in the late 1950s. The plan required a balloon. Helium-inflated small, a 150-meter lift and a low-flying aircraft. When the balloon rises to the required height, agents “tethered” to the balloon by lifting ropes will wait on the ground. The approaching aircraft will use a special scraper or “horn” to pull the rope while releasing the balloon. The lifting rope is then automatically wound into the winch, lifting the agent onto the plane. What happened on the iceberg? Major James Smith, an experienced paratrooper and fluent Russian, and his colleague Captain Leonard A. LeSchack, an expert in submarine surveillance systems, had three days to review everything at the research station. . A few boxes of essential equipment were dropped onto the iceberg with the agents. American B-17 bomber. Photo: Uli Elch (CC BY-SA 4.0) As the US predicted, the Soviet scientists left NP-8 station in a hurry without having time to bring all the equipment. Agents discovered more than 80 documents, collected debris from equipment left behind by the Soviet Union, took about 100 photos. By the time the plane returned to pick them up, the weather in the research station area had turned severely bad. Visibility is reduced and wind is very strong. “I was immediately in a situation that one would imagine was flying into space,” recalls Connie W. Seigrist, the pilot of the plane that arrived to pick up the agents. The “trophies” collected by the agents were easily loaded onto the plane using the Skyhook without any problems, but getting the agents on board was a difficult task. The wind caused LeSchack to be dragged nearly 100 meters until the agent tried to cling to a block of ice. Even after the plane picked up the lifting rope, LeSchack still spent up to 10 minutes “hanging” in the air in cold weather before boarding. After seeing what happened to his colleague, Smith released his balloon and held on to a Soviet tractor left beside the research station for as long as possible. In the end, Smith was lifted without any particular difficulty. “Enjoy your time. This is the first time I’ve been able to relax in about a week,” Smith joked to the pilots after being loaded onto the plane. As a result of Operation Coldfeet, the Americans discovered that the Soviet Union had made significant advances in the field of polar meteorology and polar oceanography. In addition, the US also obtained evidence that the Soviet Union used sonar equipment of US submarines in the Arctic. “Overall, the Soviet Union’s remarkable achievements in drifting stations show that they have a long experience in this field and that these research stations themselves are also very important to the Soviet government.” , the commander of the operation, Colonel John Cadwalader said.

Soviet polar explorer at the NP-8 ice station. Photo: Sputnik On May 28, 1962, two Americans parachuted from the B-17 “Flying Fortress,” landing at Severny Polyus-8 (also known as North Pole-8, or NP-8), a research station destroyed abandoned Soviet Union is drifting on an iceberg in the Arctic Ocean. This was the starting point of one of the CIA’s most unusual operations, which went down in history with the codename Operation Coldfeet. Hunting for Soviet ice stations An iceberg station was only useful to Soviet polar explorers until the moment the iceberg on which it rested began to disintegrate. At that time, the scientists will be urgently evacuated and the abandoned station will continue to drift across the ocean until it is completely destroyed. In the early 1960s, the CIA and the US Department of Navy’s Office of Naval Research conducted a real manhunt for abandoned Soviet ice stations. It is believed that in those places are installed sonar detectors of US submarines. Initially, the CIA’s target was station NP-9, discovered by a reconnaissance plane in May 1961. However, this mission stalled and the ice station was pushed too far into the ocean. A tow truck rescues a car mired in snow at a Soviet observation post on an iceberg in the Arctic. Photo: Getty Images In the spring of 1962, about 970 km from Candian Air Force Base in Resolute Bay, another abandoned iceberg station, NP-8, was unexpectedly discovered. It is an opportunity not to be missed. However, American icebreakers could not make their way through the dense ice in the area, helicopters could not reach the location, and it was too dangerous for an aircraft to land on a disintegrating “buoy”. So the CIA decided to drop the agents by parachute. But the question then is how to bring them back. Ultimately, officials decided to use a system that specialized in evacuating CIA agents from hostile territory known as the ‘Skyhook’ developed by Robert E. Fulton in the late 1950s. The system required a a bread-shaped, helium-filled balloon, a 150-meter extension cord and a low-altitude aircraft. Lockheed P-2 Neptune reconnaissance aircraft. Photo: RBTH When they needed to get out of the location, CIA agents would use helium cylinders to inflate their personal balloons, tie one end of the rope to it, and wrap the other end around them. The balloon will rise into the air, and the rescue plane will use special forks to reach for the rope, then release the balloon. The rope was then wound onto a winch and lifted the agents onto the plane. The rescue Major James Smith, an experienced paratrooper who is fluent in Russian, and his colleague, Lieutenant Leonard A. LeSchack, an expert in submarine surveillance systems, spent three days researching the NP-station- 8. They parachute down to the station with some necessary equipment boxes. As expected by the Americans, the Soviet scientists rushed to leave the NP-8 station without taking all the equipment with them. CIA agents unearthed more than 80 documents, collected fragments of equipment left behind by the Soviets, and took about a hundred pictures. Soviet Arctic Station 9. Photo: Sputnik By the time it was designated to evacuate, the weather at station NP-8 had deteriorated dramatically: Visibility had plummeted and icy winds were rushing in. Connie W. Seigrist, the pilot of the plane that rescued the agents, recalls: “I was immediately thrown into a situation that could have been imagined as if I was flying through space.” The aircraft collected the “trophies” using the ‘Skyhook’ system without much difficulty, but with humans it was even more difficult. The wind dragged LeSchack nearly 100 meters above the ice as he waited for evacuation by trying to anchor himself to a block of ice. Even after the plane had picked up, LeSchack spent another 10 minutes dangling in the icy air before being hoisted onto the plane. Major Smith (water drinker) on a B-17 on June 2, 1962; Lieutenant LeShack in the lower right corner. Photo: RBTH After observing what happened to his colleague, Smith released his balloon and grabbed hold of an abandoned Soviet tractor. In the end, he was lifted without any particular difficulty. As a result of Operation Coldfeet, the Americans discovered that the Soviet Union had made significant advances in the study of polar meteorology and polar oceanography. In addition, they obtained evidence that the Russians were using sonar equipment to detect American submarines in the Arctic. “Overall, the Soviet Union’s remarkable achievements in iceberg stations reflect their long experience in this field and the great importance their government places on it,” said Operation Commander, Captain John Cadwalader noted.

Australian diver Rhiannan Iffland performed the world’s first stunt when she jumped from a moving hot air balloon into the Paterson River in New South Wales. Previously, Rhiannan Iffland impressed with acrobatics from a height of 120 meters in a salt mine last year. The female athlete continued to impress when conquering the new challenge of jumping into the water from a height of tens of meters, on a flying hot air balloon. Rhiannan Iffland said: “We just did a jump into the water from a flying hot air balloon. This is my first time diving again after falling out of a hot air balloon. It was a special feeling, all acting out too quickly”. Rhiannan Iffland jumped into the water from a height of about 18 meters in a hot air balloon Impressive feat Rhiannan Iffland performed nearly a year of training, after performing a jump from a hot air balloon into the water and diving unsuccessfully in November last year due to bad weather. Rhiannan Iffland, a cliff diving athlete revealed: “I love this sport. What attracts me the most is the fact that I have the opportunity to dive after jumping from different heights, exotic locations. , weird around the world. Diving after jumping out of a hot air balloon is at the top of my wish list for a long time. Last year, when it was not successful with this plan, Rhiannan Iffland was extremely disappointed. The girl did not participate in any events and did not feel motivated to do anything else. Rhiannan Iffland specifically focuses on the idea of ​​diving after jumping out of a hot air balloon. “Today, when we climbed very high, I was a little hesitant, worried, unsure about whether to continue or not. I reassured myself that okay we will fly straight over the target area. I jumped down. Yes, I finally jumped down super fast, “said Rhiannan Iffland. This woman jumped into the water from a height of about 18 meters. Rhiannan Iffland has dived in different waters many times, but this is the first time she has resumed diving after jumping from a hot air balloon. She always feels lucky to work with pilots who know exactly what they need to do, who are also focused on the job. As a cliff diving athlete, Rhiannan Iffland has traveled the world to satisfy his passion, performing dances in places such as the Philippines, Spain, Portugal and Italy. She once jumped off cliffs up to 27 meters high, reaching speeds of more than 85km/h.

“Color of work” is the work of photographer Tran Tuan Viet. He shared that he took a photo of an employee while preparing for a hot air balloon during a festival in Ba Vi National Park. Preparing a hot air balloon before flying usually takes more than an hour. Tuan Viet said he spent many days at the festival, getting up at 5am and going more than 100 km / day to catch this moment. Tuan Viet’s photo won the “Readers’ Choice” award at the 18th international photo contest organized by Smithsonian magazine. The special prize goes to “In the crowd” work by Skyler Wilson, American freelance photographer. His impressive photo shows a girl during the 2020 women’s march in Washington (USA). The red handprints on the mouth are images that remind indigenous women and girls who have been murdered or missing. Winner of the “Natural World” award is “Whaletail” photo by John Comosky. The photographer said they were sailing through the Antarctic Circle when they spotted humpback whales crossing the bay. The captain decided to follow and discovered about 250 children. They are all feeding. “The whales emerged, dived around us in all directions. How magical,” Comosky said. In the Tourism category, the winning photo is “Generous Russia” by photographer Olesla Kim. Photo of a typical meal of birch land on a famous Volga car. Milky way in the sky suburban San Manuel (Arizona, USA) by Lynsey Schroeder author won the category “Experience America”. This area is less affected by light pollution, so it is very suitable for “galaxy hunters”. While standing here, only a few times, the silence was broken by the sound of passing cars, the author said. The car lights illuminate the giant saguaro cacti. “Blockade Diary” is a photo taken with Mayank Soni’s phone. “Who would believe this city can become such a quiet space? Pandemic shows us how to pay attention and appreciate what is there. On the first day of separation, I saw someone standing on the rooftop. next door, seem to be thinking about something. Didn’t say anything to each other but it seemed like we had the same feeling as we watched the sunset radiating across the silent city, The Smithsonian International Photo Contest is held annually. In the last 17 occasions, they received about 470,000 works from photographers around the world. The overall winner will receive a bonus amount of 2,500 USD. Other categories (including readers’ votes) have a bonus of 500 USD. Last year, the final winning photo belonged to a photo of a fish dealer, taken in Hanoi.

Auto-First|Liu Tianming

Following the global debut of the Lemon Hybrid DHT, Great Wall Motors’ Lemon Hybrid DHT conducted the world’s first live test live on April 15. The model tested this time is the WEY Macchiato, the first model of the Lemon Hybrid DHT.

In this live broadcast, Huang Zhenyang, Chief Engineer of Hybrid Power System of Great Wall Motors and General Manager of Lemon Hybrid DHT Development, Zhihu Professional PU Frey Liu and Navis Li were invited to participate in the actual vehicle test. In this actual vehicle test, a total of 4 interesting test items were set up, which not only presented the “fast, smooth, quiet and economical” product characteristics of the lemon hybrid DHT from multiple angles, but also demonstrated the technical value of the lemon hybrid DHT.

In the “fast” test session, the acceleration performance of the lemon hybrid DHT was tested. During the test, Frey Liu sat in the co-pilot with a balloon placed between the back and the seat. When the test-driving car was cruising steadily, the balloon remained motionless, and when the test-driving car accelerated rapidly, the balloon was instantly squeezed.

This is due to the excellent power performance of the lemon hybrid DHT. Huang Zhenyang said: “In the initial stage, electric drive is adopted. Compared with the engine, the motor can release the maximum torque at the moment of starting. There is no traditional gearbox and the transmission efficiency is very high. High, so the vehicle responds very quickly and has a strong sense of pushing back. In medium and high-speed road conditions, the system adopts engine direct drive. If a power request is received, it can achieve a downshift and acceleration effect similar to that of a fuel vehicle, not only switching from economic gear For the power transmission, the motor can participate in the output at the same time, forming a parallel mode, so that the acceleration ability can be improved.”

In the ride comfort test, after a series of operations such as starting, accelerating, and decelerating the water cup at the sunroof of the test-driving car, the juice in the water cup did not overflow. In this regard, Huang Zhenyang said, “The reason why the lemon hybrid DHT is excellent in terms of smoothness is that it has a set of modes and energy management and torque control strategies with completely independent intellectual property rights, including intelligent switching between series and direct drive modes, and no power. Interrupt shifting, intelligent clutch control, motor torque compensation matching and IGBT junction temperature estimation, etc.”.

The quiet performance of the Lemon Hybrid DH is also very outstanding. In the test “quiet”, a speaker is placed in the test drive site to simulate a noisy environment, and the test drive car circles the speaker. In the case of more than 90dB outside the car, the members in the car talk and communicate normally and keep floating in the range of 50-70dB. The overall performance is excellent, which can create a pure electric driving experience for users.

For the NVH adjustment, the hybrid 1.5L/1.5T engine used in the Lemon Hybrid DHT has been re-optimized for its overall NVH, including jitter, noise, etc., to minimize it, combined with the high-end sound insulation material of the vehicle itself Technologies such as improving NVH have greatly reduced the noise introduced into the car.

Fuel economy is the highlight of the Great Wall Lemon Hybrid DHT. In this test, WEY Macchiato conducted a 5km actual test, including starting, accelerating, braking, turning, etc. The average speed was 15km/h, and the apparent fuel consumption was 5.1L/100km.

In fact, the key to fuel-saving lemon hybrid DHT lies in its advanced dual-motor hybrid hybrid solution. Huang Zhenyang analyzed the technical principles: “In low-speed road conditions, the pure electric or series mode is used to directly drive the wheels through the motor to avoid the problem of low engine efficiency. In the medium and high-speed road conditions, it is switched to direct engine drive. It can save fuel by 10%-15% in series mode. And the direct drive of the engine has economy gear and power gear. The economy gear is used in steady state cruising. The power gear needs to be switched when accelerating, and the output is assisted by the motor to avoid transient engine load. High to achieve a perfect balance between power and fuel consumption.”

Relying on the technology accumulation of Great Wall Motors over the years, the Lemon Hybrid DHT has achieved the best power and economy in the full speed range and all scenarios, giving the product the product strength of “fast, smooth, quiet, and economical”. At the upcoming Shanghai Auto Show, WEY Macchiato equipped with this technology will be officially unveiled.