sbdcsierra Chapter 114 Soaring into the Blue Sky
Chapter 114 Soaring into the Blue Sky
Alice is strolling through Trian International Airport. Despite the lack of aircraft, Trian International Airport has passed the acceptance test according to the plan and has been handed over to the Amerlane Aircraft Institute and the Amerlane National Aviation Authority.
Looking up, the sky stretched out before her. This dimension, seemingly within reach yet unreachable, had previously been the exclusive domain of a select few. Alice was among those few as well. Standing on the track, she let the call of her bloodline guide her, her pupils turning crimson, and a pair of bat wings unfurling from her back.
Alice took to the sky. Flying was not difficult for her, but for most people, it seemed like an unattainable concept. Alice flapped her bat wings, and a moment later, a huge flying object appeared before her.
The Magic Sky has officially entered service and has been named the "Magic Sky-class Anti-Gravity Magical Flying Battleship". However, the Magic Sky alone is far from enough. Its carrying capacity is insufficient, its flexibility is not strong, and its combat effectiveness is not high compared to its cost.
However, its anti-gravity magic core, "Sky MK1," provided a good starting point for the scientists at the Aircraft Research Institute. Building on this foundation, Skye Frye, the institute's chief researcher and the first civilian to develop a powered aircraft, led his team to develop the second-generation anti-gravity magic core, "Sky MK2," as well as "Mobile Sky MK2."
The former provides more powerful anti-gravity power, while the latter sacrifices anti-gravity power in exchange for a smaller volume.
Alice flew around the airport once and landed steadily on the ground. The entire airport was built according to the requirements of a modern airport, with complete concrete runways and indicator lights, and even a control tower. Chief researcher Skye Fry and her team came up to greet Alice and pay their respects.
"Your Highness, welcome to our aircraft test flight experiment. Please allow me to introduce our latest achievements—a biplane non-magical small aircraft and a small magical vertical take-off and landing airship!"
"We understand that thing, but what is a small magical vertical takeoff and landing airship?"
Alice tilted her head. Skye Fry pointed to a box-like machine with a complex mechanical structure next to them. Alice's mouth dropped open. She quickly found the right words to describe the thing in her mind—a helicopter!
"Your Highness, we have used the new generation of the Mobile Sky MK2 anti-gravity magic core to create this small flying vehicle. It is similar in principle to the Magic Sky, but smaller and more flexible. Moreover, its cost is almost one-twelfth of the Magic Sky."
"Ah, it's time, Your Highness Alice. Please come here. The test flight will begin soon."
The non-magical biplane is structurally made of a wooden frame and canvas skin. Overall, it is an I-153 fighter jet, short and stubby, equipped with four air-cooled 7.62 mm machine guns. It is also designed to carry eight RBS-82 rockets or two 50 kg aerial bombs.
Based on existing technological capabilities, the Aircraft Research Institute collaborated with Ford Motor Company to jointly develop a matching 9-cylinder radial air-cooled piston engine. A total of twenty of these engines were produced, five of which were installed on all I-153 fighter jets produced, while the rest were installed on helicopters equipped with magic-guided anti-gravity engines for aerial maneuverability.
"Alright! Pilots, board! Towing vehicle, position! Everyone else, move off the runway!"
Skye Fry shouted through a metal megaphone, and the test personnel left the runway. A modified tow truck pulled I-153 onto the runway. The test pilot was a wind sprite; their race lived in areas with strong winds, were skilled in wind magic, and had a deep understanding of wind.
It was his first time flying. The I-153 had an open cockpit, so he had to wear a heavy cotton coat, a leather flight helmet, and goggles.
The tractor released the towing hook, he started the engine, an engineer helped him turn the propeller, the generator started roaring, he twisted the control lever, the wing surface was normal, the tail fin was normal, the fuel level on the instrument was only half, after taking off, he only needed to circle the field once and then land.
Good luck, pilot!
He suddenly heard a strange yet familiar voice. He turned his head and saw Alice on the right side of the plane, nodding at him. He immediately looked away, and the plane began to move forward.
"call--"
He took a deep breath, and the plane sped up under the engine's thrust. The biplane provided more lift, and the plane bounced. He looked at the speedometer on the instrument panel and then pulled the control stick.
"Take off!"
"Take off!"
The plane soared into the sky, the wind whipping against him. He pulled the control stick, and the plane immediately tilted to one side, like a bird soaring freely.
Alice watched the plane from the ground. It wasn't flying fast or high, but a powered aircraft had indeed been born. Although it wasn't as valuable as the Magic Sky, it still represented the beginning of their conquest of the skies.
The aircraft circled the airport once, and the test pilot pulled the control stick, causing the aircraft to gradually descend and land steadily on the runway.
The test flight was a success. The I-153 experimental aircraft had proven its capabilities. Alice nodded and looked at the magical flying vehicle beside her.
Compared to the I-153, the small magical flying vehicle is more like a helicopter than an airplane. Although the "Mobile Sky MK2" is smaller than the original, its overall size is not small. The entire magical anti-gravity core is 6 meters long and 1 meter wide. A lift magnet is installed on each side of the rear of the fuselage to control the tilt and rotation of the fuselage.
The aircraft design bureau designed a huge fuselage for it, which was very similar to a helicopter that Alice knew—the Mi-8.
The cabin is box-shaped, with a closed cockpit at the front, similar in design to the bridge of the Magic Sky, featuring large glass panels and metal frames. At the rear, since no propeller is used, there is no reaction force to cause the aircraft to rotate, so no tail propeller is designed. However, although the Magic Anti-Gravity Engine can provide some forward thrust for the helicopter, the speed is too low, so a propeller and a matching engine are installed to drive the aircraft forward and move left and right.
Similar to helicopters in terms of usage, but almost as maneuverable as airships, this design is somewhat peculiar, but not impractical. The helicopter currently in front of Alice, numbered XH-1, can carry 15 people and cargo, and is no different from a Mi-8 utility helicopter, only more rugged, giving off an experimental feel.
"XH-1, this is control center, takeoff is cleared."
After the successful experiment with the non-magical aircraft, the somewhat ugly magical helicopter was immediately put into testing. It was equipped with a tricycle landing gear, with the engine extending three meters behind the fuselage. A steel bracket was welded to the rear of the engine, followed by a propeller.
"Alright, magic engine activated, output power increased... piston engine activated..."
The helicopter first lifted off the ground, its fuselage tilting downwards, and then the propeller engines roared, propelling the helicopter forward. Alice's feelings were complicated: back in the era of propeller-driven biplanes, she already possessed the helicopter technology.
"This...is this really not green-skinned technology?"
Alice looked at the prototype, which was no different from scrap metal, with its exposed engine and unpainted exterior, and sighed.