Chapter 1 The Ye Clan Workshop's Research Institute Enters Seclusion Again

The Ye Clan Workshop's Research Institute entered total seclusion once more. With previous experience, the artisans in the workshop, their families, and merchants with various cooperative relationships could accept it calmly. Although each total seclusion would inevitably bring a lot of trouble to all parties, the results were always worth anticipating. After the first total seclusion, the workshop released the wired telegraph system. Now, the telegraph had become one of Dongping's important advantages. Military and civilian information from thousands of miles away arrived in an instant. This was incredible, and the Dongping court's control over local areas was greatly strengthened. Although the telegraph lines were still limited, especially the multi-way switching mode was still very immature, the changes brought to Dongping were visible to everyone.

After the second seclusion, a new type of passenger and cargo locomotive was born. The first generation of steam trains could only be used for military purposes because they were too noisy, bumpy, and their overall speed was not much faster than horse-drawn carriages. But this second-generation train was a subversion. On the line from the Ye Clan Workshop to Gondor, the new locomotive reached a speed of one hundred and thirteen li per hour while pulling four fully loaded freight cars. Moreover, the utilization rate of energy and the overall reliability had greatly improved. The basic railway network, which Ye Tao insisted on promoting from the beginning with the first generation of immature trains, had also reached a certain scale. Ningyuan, Suiyuan, Dongjiaji, Yejiabao, Gondor, and the Ye Clan Workshop were connected together, and basic operations were immediately put into use with the birth of the new trains. Yunzhou did not set up its own railway management department. Tan Xiaopei keenly saw the changes that the railway could bring to Dongping. The Dongping Railway Bureau was established as soon as possible. The railway from Danyang to Dongjiaji was about to be completed, and after that, the railway would extend in all directions. In less than ten years, Dongping would have its own basic railway network.

The third seclusion only lasted two days, and after that, an improved version of the Snow Owl airship was born. The Snow Owl airship gave people the impression of being elegant and quiet, but this improved version was designed entirely for attacking ground targets. All unnecessary weight was removed from the Snow Owl airship, replaced by a thin gondola shell filled with kerosene bombs. The standard crew of the Snow Owl airship was six people, but this improved version only had three: a pilot, a signalman, and a bombardier... If all the kerosene bombs were dropped at once, it could set a fire in a city one-tenth the size of Ningyuan. This type of airship was called Thunder Owl, and only four were manufactured. Because the wire-controlled hooks used to grab the kerosene bombs one by one were too difficult to manufacture, the process requirements were outrageously high. Some people in the research institute had heard Ye Tao grumble about why not use electronic control. Now they were carrying out intensive technical research, but if electronic control technology could be broken through, it would not only be in this area, it would simply be a technological revolution.

This seclusion must be related to aircraft, which everyone could guess. Because the Ye Clan Workshop temporarily recalled several elite pilots from the test flight team that had been sent to Dai Yun on the Western Front. These pilots suddenly lost their combat opportunities and were extremely annoyed. They rushed straight to Qian Shun's workshop to demand an explanation. Qian Shun was Ye Tao's senior brother and had great authority in the Ye Clan Workshop, but he did not put on airs with these highly skilled and temperamental pilots. Qian Shun chatted with these ten or so pilots for less than a quarter of an hour, and these pilots obediently and happily went to report to the research institute.

In the spacious area of the research institute dedicated to various tests, a whole area of open space had been cleared, all rolled flat bit by bit with huge stone rollers, and then paved with cement. There were guide lights on both sides for nighttime indication. This was the prototype of an airport, even if it was only a one-li-long runway. On a sunny day, the test pilots gathered together, watching two biplanes slowly being pulled out of the warehouse. Although it was the prototype of an airport, the style was very complete on the aircraft project personally overseen by Ye Tao. The simple internal combustion engine tractor was not difficult for the current workshop, and there was no complicated gearbox anyway. This tractor had only two different speeds and a reverse gear.

The pilots who had been hanging around in the workshop were no strangers to airplanes. A series of experiments had been completed with their help. First, the daring pilots conducted gliding experiments, mainly to explore the structural strength and shape characteristics of the aircraft. Then there were a series of lift principle tests. What tormented the pilots most at that time was not the inability to fly, but the extremely high failure rate of the small engine. The first successful flight of the test model was only forty meters before the engine burned out. Later, as the engine was improved generation by generation, they conducted countless test flights and landings with different aircraft shapes. The maximum altitude was no more than thirty meters, said to ensure that they had an absolute chance to escape. But the flight distance gradually increased from dozens of meters to hundreds of meters. A more mature test flight model had been able to circle the test site a few times. In such a cramped space, they conducted various tests, and the flight control system gradually matured. Now the Ye Clan Workshop was familiar with using complex metal wires to control various machine parts, and the pilots were becoming more and more familiar with this fast little thing. After that, there was a long period of silence. The pilots knew that the technicians must have encountered a bottleneck again and were studying diligently, so they would not urge them too much. They did not expect to be recalled at this time for a closed test. The closed test was not just a test, it basically meant that the technicians were quite confident in what they had produced, and the reliability and other aspects could withstand a period of repeated torture. They needed to rely on a large number of tests in a short period of time to explore data, and then write product manuals...

Sure enough, this time the biplane looked more beautiful and refined than any previous model. One aircraft was painted blue, and the other red. Moreover, both used shiny, metallic paint. Ye Tao had instilled a lot of fluid mechanics concepts in everyone. The aircraft's engine was installed in a罩子 (zhàozi, cover) in front of the pilot, with air intakes open at the front and sides for heat dissipation. With the current technology, there was no need to consider the issue of pressurized air intake for combustion. The aircraft simply could not fly to a height where the air felt thin. The pilot's position was behind a streamlined glass罩子 (zhàozi, cover). Although it was not a closed cockpit, aerodynamics were still taken into account. The glass罩子 (zhàozi, cover) was smoothly integrated with the aircraft fuselage, but the entire罩子 (zhàozi, cover) without a metal frame was still quite intimidating. Everyone knew that just this glass罩子 (zhàozi, cover) probably cost a fortune. This was a luxury item only used on this kind of practical verification model.

The first to enter the cockpit was Xu Jin, the leader of the test flight team. Only when he entered the cockpit did he see that the aircraft was armed. On both sides of the pilot's seat, there was a hand-cranked ratchet, connected to two small, automatic-loading crossbow cannons. They could launch small ammunition or fire short spears with stabilizing fins. Because the cockpit was relatively narrow, the pilot needed to sit down before installing the cranks. Although it was a bit troublesome, this small discovery made Xu Jin even more expectant. The technicians were not crazy, so they would naturally start considering the issue of armament only if they were confident. The instrument panel in front of him made Xu Jin even more surprised. A speedometer, altimeter, fuel gauge, and a ball display indicating the aircraft's inclination were right in front of him, as well as a small sight. Below these instrument panels were some designs for emergency handling. Opening a cover revealed a pile of metal wires, each with a convenient pull handle. In an emergency, the pilot could rely on this set of spares to directly operate the aircraft. The design strength of this set of spare metal cable devices was slightly lower than that of the daily-use control lever system, but it was still fine for emergency use. The aircraft's control stick also needed to be installed after the pilot was seated. The grip was directly shaped according to the hand shape and then covered with rubber. This design probably would not need to be changed for decades, unless some control devices were added to the handle in the future, but there was no need for it now. Under the pilot's feet were two foot pedals, which were the throttle and flaps respectively. The flaps could be opened at different angles depending on the force of the pedal, but they were easy to control and the pedals were very light. There was a very convenient locking device next to the throttle. By placing his toe against it, the pilot could temporarily lock the throttle, making it easier to reduce labor intensity during long-distance flights. All of this design made Xu Jin feel fond of it. After the technicians installed the control stick, he buckled his seat belt, put on his flight cap, and pulled down his goggles. The goggles used by these test pilots were not small goggles that separated the two eyes, but a whole piece of curved glass in front, providing a very good field of vision. After the technicians checked all the items and retreated one by one, he pulled the ring under the seat, and the engine immediately roared, the sound was crisp and clear, showing vigorous power, but the vibration of the fuselage was not large. Xu Jin was overjoyed, it seemed that the technicians' epiphany this time had made greater progress than he had imagined. After the propeller in front rotated, the aircraft slowly taxied on the runway. Xu Jin held his breath and concentrated, watching the speed increase little by little. He felt it was almost there, so he immediately pulled the control stick. At that moment, he felt as if the entire aircraft lightened, he knew that this was the result of the disappearance of ground resistance. He gripped the control stick tightly and peeked out. The aircraft had quickly climbed up, breaking the height of thirty meters in an instant, and the speed of the aircraft far exceeded his imagination. This was an airplane, a flying machine completely different from an airship. If the airship gave people the feeling of being calm and unhurried, of containing threats and power in silence, then the airplane gave people the feeling of flamboyantly expressing a kind of pride, a kind of arrogance towards the world. It was like a sharp arrow about to pierce the sky...