What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 293 Buying A4?

[Aircraft Spotted: Concorde]

Empty weight 78.7 tons, maximum commercial payload 12.7 tons, maximum fuel capacity 95.6 tons, maximum takeoff weight 186 tons, maximum landing weight 111.2 tons.

Performance data: Maximum cruising speed Mach 2.04, sea level climb rate 25.4 m/s, maximum payload range 6580 km, takeoff distance 3410 m, landing distance 2220 m.

[Comprehensive technology is 13 years ahead of the times, can be copied at a cost of 305500 (23500*13) experience points]

Standing beneath the supersonic passenger plane's wide delta wing, Tang Wen, holding onto the landing gear, truly felt the sheer size of the aircraft.

The Concorde can be considered the last jewel of Europe's aviation industry.

Despite experiencing numerous wars, its accumulated wealth over the past two centuries remains considerable.

In the latter half of the 20th century, European aviation technology even surpassed that of the United States.

In the 60s, the whole world was exploring supersonic passenger aircraft, but in the end only the Concorde, jointly developed by Britain and France, and the Tu-144 of Russia achieved mass production and practical use.

However, in terms of overall technical level, the Concorde is far superior to the Figure 144, being safer, more economical, and lighter.

Had it not been for several periods of turmoil that caused fuel prices to skyrocket, Concorde's orders would have been substantial.

Its eventual retirement was not only due to rising fuel costs, but also to bad luck. During a takeoff, it collided with parts that had fallen from a previous McDonnell Douglas DC-9, resulting in a crash and the loss of all lives on board, thus sealing its final fate.

However, before that, Concorde's frequent flights to Hong Kong were considered sacred among aviation enthusiasts.

"What a big plane! It only takes three hours to fly from England to the United States."

Chen Ming also sneaked in, marking his first time ever interacting with the Concorde.

Tang Wen: "Yes, this is an aircraft that can cruise at supersonic speeds throughout its entire flight."

Don't be fooled by the fact that Concorde's range is only over 6000 kilometers; that comes at the cost of nearly three hours of supersonic cruising throughout the entire journey.

而不管是图22M3、图160还是b1b，虽然都能超音速，但都做不到像协和式一样在1.8万米高空连续以2140公里/小时的速度冲刺三小时，几乎是独一份的能力。

Britain had the idea of ​​converting it into a supersonic bomber back then. In fact, if the pressurization system and cabin safety facilities required for passenger planes were removed, and the wing shape was slightly modified, it would not be impossible to obtain a strategic bomber with a range of about 8000 kilometers.

The domestic attempt to import it failed, partly due to concerns that it might be transferred to the Air Force for conversion into a supersonic bomber.

However, the 300,000+ experience points still made him hesitate, since it wasn't equipment that could be used immediately after purchase.

"Would you two like to take a picture together?"

Chen Ming waved the camera in his hand to bring Tang Wen back to his senses, and gently put his arm around the ship girl's right shoulder.

His phone rang right after he finished taking the photo.

"Did an agent spy on the A4?"

……

"A4? Where did this A4 come from!"

When Tang Wen returned, he saw Yan Jian looking shocked.

When Danny was found unconscious, it was nearly evening, just as the flight program was ending, and the small airport was immediately sealed off.

The unusual commotion couldn't be kept secret, and it was only then that Yan Jian realized Tang Wen had actually brought in a batch of A4 papers.

Not just one, but 14 perfectly aligned A4s.

But what's even more perplexing is Tang Wen:

"They've been here for almost a month now. They've not only flown, but several have also been sent to Hongdu for modification. Didn't you know?"

Yan Jian covered his head: "I don't know!"

In reality, with so many A4s coming in, the pilots naturally assumed that connections had been made and didn't think much of it. Not only did they fly less to begin with, but with the opening of the scenic area, they were grounded and left in the warehouse.

As for Hongdu? Those are two separate systems!
Danny, who had already woken up, awkwardly explained the whole story, while the pilot had already checked all the A4 reports:

"No missing parts or deliberate damage were found; it seems they only took some photos."

"That's fine."

Tang Wen didn't think it was a big loss, only Yan Jian was questioning his life choices. After a while, he came over and carefully examined Tang Wen's A4E. He didn't see any markings, but it was indeed very new, with no signs of wear on the tires.

He asked numbly, "Where did you get this A4 paper?"

"Don't worry, it's not stolen. It's a genuine, original import, and all of them are brand new aircraft."

"Where will it be imported from?"

"Nanyang" (Southeast Asia)

"That's what you call an original, genuine product?!"

"Anyway, it works almost the same as the original!"

Yan Jian scratched his head and cheeks for a long time, his face full of worry:

"Now what? How do you explain those dozen or so A4s?"

"..."

Tang Wen was now in a dilemma. It was not a good time to make enemies with Lao Mi, as causing a dispute would only ruin things.

But A4 is only exported to a few countries, so it's not easy to cover it up with them, and there are many variables.

Tang Wen thought for a long time, then shook his shoulder and came up with an idea:
"How about this, we'll say that the A4 here is a retired junk that was found in China, and the restored display model can't fly at all, so we'll bring it here as a museum exhibit."

Yan Jian rolled his eyes: "Who would buy a dozen A4s? That's a ridiculous reason."

"Then let's add one more."

Tang Wen put forward a bold idea:
“I went to McDonnell Douglas and told them that Geely was going to copy the A4 as a demonstration machine, just like the F4F and SBD. I asked them to buy the prototype and technical data.”

Anyway, the A4 is already an outdated model from the 50s, I don't think McDonnell Douglas would haggle over the money.

Yan Jian thought it sounded outrageous, but upon closer inspection, it became even more outrageous.

Tang Wen: "That would turn into a commercial dispute. Anyway, there's no harm in trying, and I'm willing to pay."

After all, it was his own fault for not keeping it a secret and causing this mess, so Tang Wen didn't care about spending a little money, and A4 paper was really cheap.

"This……"

While Yan Jian was still hesitating, Tang Wen had already dialed Zhao Yaohua's number, preparing to find a way to contact Maidao.

……

It turned out that personally going into the country to conduct intelligence gathering in the 90s was not a good job.

As a foreigner, Smith's whereabouts were extremely conspicuous and impossible to hide.

As he anxiously finished checking in and started queuing, several men in black stood silently beside the queue, staring at him.

Smith pretended nothing was wrong and continued queuing, noticing that the man in black hadn't followed.

He was not stopped at all, not even when he boarded the plane.

The men in black watched the transoceanic flight take off from the ground.

"Just let him go like that?"

"Otherwise what? Do you have evidence that he did anything that endangered safety, or that he wasn't a tourist?"

"Hey."

The Da Wan Scenic Area is not a secret location. Can an ordinary tourist taking some pictures of airplanes be considered a crime?
Even though we knew the other party was an agent, we certainly couldn't detain him without thoroughly verifying that he had forged his identity.

Even after the plane took off, the other search team found no useful clues.

Smith in the sky kept looking down at the ground, and only breathed a sigh of relief after realizing that they hadn't turned around. It seemed that the men in black didn't intend to completely break off relations.

Those photos and analyses had already been sent back via fax, and we couldn't get anything out of him.

However, he was still puzzled. The A4 was not an advanced model, and it was even inferior to the J-7. What was the use of this thing?

(End of this chapter)