Chapter 944： The Purcell takes off

Chapter 944 The Purcell takes off

Although there are certain variables in the outcome of the Battle of Manila Bay, after being blocked by the US military, its fate of defeat was already doomed. With no external source of supplies after being blocked, the Spanish army in the Philippines could only delay for a while, and Ernst could only But I wanted to take this opportunity to cause some trouble for the United States, so I stopped paying attention.

Of course, it is not impossible to make a comeback, that is, Spain could completely wipe out the main force of the U.S. Navy in the Caribbean and threaten the U.S. mainland, but this possibility is even less likely. When the local navy retains its strength and cannot go out in full force, the Spanish Navy The fate is probably similar to that of the Far Eastern Empire.

…

June 5, 1889.

City of Bulawayo.

“Human beings have longed for the sky, and Spirit carries our urgent hope. If this experiment is successful, it will be a day that changes history for East Africa and the world.”

At this time, at the experimental site in western Bulawayo, scientific researchers and reporters from the East News Agency were already on standby.

The chief designer Liu Laide and his research institute team who led this experiment were extremely nervous, as they were of mixed race.

Liu Laide received an orthodox education in East Africa. His father was a graduate of the Hechingen Military Academy and made great contributions to the expansion of territory in East Africa. Therefore, according to conventional practice, the son should inherit his father's career and enter the military development.

However, Liu Laide did not take the ordinary path. He was more interested in invention and creation by nature. He later entered the University of Vienna in Europe for further study. After graduation, he was directly recruited to the Vienna branch of the Hechingen Energy Power Laboratory as an intern. Finally, he returned to East Africa and was hired Entrusted with the important task, the Aircraft Research Institute in Bulawayo was established.

Aeroplane, in short, is a flying machine. During the critical period of formal research and development of the project in the 19th century, a large number of scientific researchers around the world worked on it, but none of them succeeded, but they accumulated enough experience.

Liu Laide also knows something about airplanes. Of course, many of the "aircraft" he knows about are unsuccessful cases.

The reason why Liu Laide was able to become the leader of the Bulawayo Aircraft Research Institute in East Africa was entirely because there was a shortage of people in East Africa, so he could only reuse local talents.

After all, for scientific research projects like this, Ernst naturally set a very high level of confidentiality, which means that some projects must remain anonymous. For many European and American scientists or inventors who pursue fame, no matter how high the treatment in East Africa is , that’s not cost-effective either.

As for local talents like Liu Laide, although they are a bit younger, East Africa is not unable to make up for its shortcomings. For example, there are more than 40 members of Liu Laide's core team, all of whom are top students from East Africa.

Everyone adds fuel to the fire, and East Africa, which is already "surplus" in education, is most indispensable compared to other countries in the number of college students. It may be that East Africa lacks top talents, but East Africa can achieve ten for one, or even hundreds. On the one hand, this crude human wave tactic is of great help to scientific research in East Africa. Many national laboratories in East Africa are built up by such young talents and have achieved many achievements.

Compared with many inventions and creations in Europe in the 19th century, most of which relied on individual whims, the scientific research team model in East Africa inherently has advantages.

For example, the Wright brothers, who were the first to invent the airplane in history, only had high school diplomas and made a living by repairing bicycles.

In this case, compared with the aircraft research institutes in East Africa, the Wright brothers were not even a motley crew, not to mention that Ernst pointed the direction for East African researchers.

This is also true. The current "aircraft" in Bulawayo City is much more "luxurious" than the aircraft invented by the Wright brothers in the previous life. It not only has a simple mechanical structure, but is even equipped with certain electronic products. , as well as the shell.

The Wright brothers’ airplane in the previous life had no outer shell, only a rough frame. Sitting on it was probably about the same as driving a convertible.

In fact, this East African self-developed aircraft made its first flight as early as early March this year, but this time it was even more prepared, and the central government specially sent reporters to record this precious historical image. .

“Buzz buzz…”

As the propeller in front was driven, the Purcell made a loud noise, and then pushed forward awkwardly along the runway. To the "non-professional" people present, the so-called plane that has not yet taken off feels a bit like a weird sports car.

A military representative said indifferently: "Can this kind of thing really fly into the sky? Its two wings are obviously fixed and made entirely of metal. It is impossible to vibrate with its wings like birds or insects. fly…"

Before he finished speaking, he saw that the Purcell had broken away from the ground, turned upwards, left the ground in an instant, flew close to the ground, then climbed rapidly in a very short period of time, and finally flew straight in the sky.

Facts speak louder than words, and although it was not the first time for members of the Bulawayo Aircraft Research Institute to see a plane take off, they almost jumped for joy.

Reporters from Dongshin News Agency were busy recording this historic moment. Under the gaze of the cameras, mankind's first aircraft successfully completed its mission and flew in the sky for nearly seven or eight minutes before returning to the runway. Land smoothly.

In the original history, the Wright brothers' first plane flew less than 300 meters in fifty-nine seconds, which shows how high the starting point of the first plane in East Africa was.

Of course, this is natural. Behind the first aircraft in East Africa are not only more than 40 core scientific researchers, but also other scientific research institutions sharing data, various factories in East Africa providing the best parts, East African financial support, etc., and In comparison, the Wright brothers' team could only be considered a small workshop.

With such support, it would be outrageous if the first aircraft in East Africa remained as crude as in its previous life.

The East African scientific research team is also proud at this time. After all, as the developers of the world's first aircraft, they have the capital to be proud.

This is also an encouragement to the many young people in scientific research institutions in East Africa. Although the quality of East African talents lags behind European and American countries, this does not mean that their IQ is insufficient, but that their accumulation and experience are insufficient.

The East African government has undoubtedly provided them with an excellent platform, allowing them the opportunity to show their talents and grow rapidly in national projects. As time goes by, people like Liu Laide will be like those "masters" in Europe today. , becoming an existence that will leave its name in history.

This is what Ernst hopes to see. Top talents cannot just be imported. It would be great if local talents from East Africa can continue to make achievements. After all, science and countries have national boundaries.

In fact, this is also the case. Many European and American scientists or scholars employed in East Africa come to East Africa for money or other reasons, but their belonging in their hearts is not East Africa after all.

For example, many university teachers hired in East Africa only use East Africa as a springboard, and ultimately want to return to Europe for development.

 But local talents are different. At least the vast majority of native people naturally have a strong sense of belonging to East Africa, and they are also the talents that are easiest to retain in East Africa.

…

The first town.

"Very good! It seems that military expenditures will increase again soon!" Ernst thought after learning that the flight experiment was successful.

In fact, Ernst knew that the Purcell had successfully taken off as early as March, but after confirming it again, he couldn't help but be excited. After all, the airplane was one of the major inventions that could change human history, and it was possible to realize it in the hands of East Africa. Ernst is much more optimistic about the future prospects of East Africa.

In addition, the first large-scale application of aircraft in previous lives was in warfare, with functions such as reconnaissance, strike, and transportation. The successful takeoff of the East African aircraft also means that the third largest service, the Air Force, will be born.

As the Purcell takes off, East Africa should also prepare its air force in advance to prepare for future wars.

(End of this chapter)