Return to Hong Kong Island for a Century

Chapter 336 Interview (First Update)
"Wow, it's amazing!!" Tian Jiahui had never seen an actual airplane before. Although he had applied for a patent and seen what it looked like on TV, he was still very surprised to see it in person.

This layout includes a bed; the aircraft's cabin layout is also calculated to account for weight distribution.

Li Song sat in a chair, a genuine leather seat made of calfskin.

Arlene sat down near the porthole, opened the sunshade, and looked outside.

Private jets don't fly very high, so they don't appear as tall as large passenger planes.

Tian Jiahui and his group toured the place, which included a restroom, a refrigerator, a microwave, tea sets, a small wine cabinet, and a place to store cigars.

Of course, the most intriguing feature is a 1.8-meter double bed.

The cabin interior is actually not very large, as the passenger cabin is only 16.2 meters long, 2.24 meters wide, and 1.88 meters high, with a passenger capacity of 14 people.

Because there are beds, there are only 14 seats; the layout without beds has 18 seats.

Additionally, a shower room can be added, which would shorten the cabin length somewhat.

As for why the height is only 1.88 meters, it's because this height is optimal. The larger the diameter of the aircraft, the more power is required during flight.

The oval cabin layout makes the space feel more open.

This height is already suitable for the West. While there are indeed tall people in the West, most of them sit down when they board a plane.

The cabin height of the Gulfstream model is 1.88 meters.

Arlene also saw the large bed in the back, the kind that could be enclosed, and her face turned a little red, thankfully she was wearing sunglasses.

"Mr. Li, it's so beautiful."

"I originally thought there would be a lot of Eastern elements."

“This design looks simple, but on a private jet, it’s more like art.” Nick was a little excited, because he had never been on a private jet before.

That thing costs at least $300 million USD, and even if you entrust it to a professional aircraft management agency, the annual cost is still beyond your means.

Professional aircraft management organizations do not need to hire pilots, flight attendants, or ground maintenance staff separately, as these are also managed by the company.

Another aspect is flight routes; the company handles the application process for flight routes and where the planes are going.

Most business jets are managed by professional companies. As for pilots and flight attendants, the wealthy can choose or recruit them themselves, or they can use company-provided services.

The interior looks simple, but this is a private jet, so even the simplest design becomes significant here.

Furthermore, the craftsmanship and unique lighting layout give the interior a soft and inviting feel.

Lighting plays a very important role in decoration.

“I think this plane will definitely surprise some people. Engineers from Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and other jet aircraft manufacturers have all said on television that the Starliner will not be able to be produced within five years.” Nick actually wanted to say that Western media generally belittle the manufacturing industry of the East because most of the East’s exports in manufacturing are very low-end and cheap things, or handicrafts.

high tech?

It seems this connection with the East is lost.

Li Song knew, of course, that this was because he had brought all the aircraft parts with him last time, including the air conditioning pipes and wiring.

Otherwise, Li Song estimated it would take several years.

Having only blueprints, or having blueprints plus parts, are completely different things.

Technicians compared the drawings and samples one by one, which helped them to understand the technology more quickly.

The same applies to medium- and long-range passenger aircraft; they have complete parts, not to mention some core components for manufacturing aircraft.

Meanwhile, many reporters were taking pictures outside the airport.

Hong Kong Island now uses Kai Tak Airport, one of the most feared airports for pilots in the world.

Because of Lion Rock, planes need to detour through Cheung Chau and Lantau Island to land.

There will be a series of sharp turns in the middle. When the plane is turning, passengers on the right side can see the faces of pedestrians on the ground because the altitude is only 300 meters at this time.

Pilots can only see the runway from a distance of three kilometers.

Moreover, Kai Tak Airport is located in a harbor, so there are not only crosswinds, but also sea breezes during landing.

The airport terminal and tarmac are surrounded by tall buildings, so reporters can find many places to take pictures.

"Wow, this plane is amazing!" A reporter was carefully observing the StarHub passenger plane with his camera.

"Yes, some people in Hong Kong used to say that Mr. Li's aircraft manufacturing was a lie, let's see what they say now."

"I also think that the Western media are exaggerating a bit. If the mainland can manufacture missiles and has intercontinental ballistic missiles, it's impossible that it doesn't have airplanes."

"Yes, yes, the mainland also has its own fighter jets." These reporters weren't professionals in the field, so they weren't very clear on the details.

We will spare no expense to develop military equipment. For example, while the mainland can indeed manufacture fighter jets, the lifespan of their engines is relatively short.

Civilian passenger planes cannot be developed at any cost like military aircraft; that would be too expensive. What civilian products need is stability.

Who is the woman next to Mr. Li?

"I don't know, he was wearing sunglasses and a trench coat."

"She looks like a secretary?"

"Zhang Shuwen, the secretary of Parkson Company?"

"I think so too. Zhang Shuwen is about the same height, and her legs are long too."

"Mr. Li is so young and so rich, he must have no shortage of women."

"Could it be that actor from the TV station?" "I don't know, I can't see clearly."

"Hurry up, Mr. Li is probably coming out soon." The reporters speculated about the identity of the woman beside Li Song.

In the early days, Li Song and A Lin would wander around together, but they weren't famous at that time.

After becoming famous, Li Song became more mindful of his influence.

However, the reporters couldn't stop Li Song. Today, Li Song mainly brought his company people and Alin for a tour.

Hong Kong Island newspapers that evening reported on the Starliner incident, accompanied by various photos.

The title is rather subtle: Billionaire takes his girlfriend to see a private jet.

The Starliner makes its debut!

A billionaire's commuter plane has been unveiled at Kai Tak Airport.

Some of these reporters only took photos of Li Song and A Lin beside him, nothing else, and then came up with an eye-catching headline.

Arlene was wearing a trench coat, sunglasses, and a hat, so she couldn't be photographed at all, but you could tell she was tall and had long legs.

At this time, Li Song was at home with A Lin. A Lin was very excited because Li Song had introduced her to his subordinates today, so she was putting in extra effort.

Li Song also thoroughly enjoyed himself.

The following day, reporters from Phoenix TV, RTV, and some international media outlets, including ABC, CNN, AFP, Reuters, Ta Kung Pao, and Xin Wan Bao, received an invitation from Li Song to come to Kai Tak Airport for an exclusive interview with him.

The ground staff at Kai Tak Airport had already received the aircraft maintenance manuals, which included instructions on how to refuel the aircraft, add water, pump out wastewater, and so on.

However, Li Song's design met Western design requirements, so the ground crew knew what to do after seeing it.

Two pilots, one next to the plane and the other inside the cockpit.

The main purpose of having people in the cockpit is to prevent them from being too numerous and distracted, and to prevent anyone from getting handsy or groping.

There were also security personnel from Anjie Security outside the plane; these personnel had also undergone training.

"What you see is the Starliner!"

"It's a small jet airliner designed by our Baisheng Company and manufactured by Chang'an Aircraft Manufacturing Plant in mainland China!"

"The Star Shine passenger jet has a fuselage length of 29.9 meters, a wingspan of 29.5 meters, a height of 7.9 meters, a maximum takeoff weight of 40987 kilograms, and an empty weight of 21709 kilograms."

"Our new passenger aircraft can easily cross the Pacific Ocean, with a maximum range of 12051 kilometers."

"As everyone knows, we have complete independent patents and manufacturing technology for this aircraft." Li Song stood in front of the aircraft, surrounded by several bodyguards. The reporters approached the aircraft for the first time, listening to Li Song speak and taking pictures.

Li Song noticed that some guys were focusing their cameras on certain details.

For example, the landing gear, the fuselage skin, the aircraft engine—you can tell these reporters have other identities just by looking at them.

Because ordinary reporters only take pictures of the whole thing from different angles, who would take pictures of the landing gear for no reason? Of course, it must be for ulterior motives.

"The aircraft uses many advanced technologies. The landing gear uses die-casting technology, which makes it stronger and lighter."

"Utilizing state-of-the-art rubber technology, the tires are more wear-resistant and safer."

"The aircraft uses a dual hydraulic-mechanical control system."

"Equipped with two independently developed, designed and manufactured CA001 turbofan engines."

"Single-unit thrust is 69.6 kN."

"It has reached the world's advanced level."

"Our company, Baisheng, can be said to be one of the few companies in the world that has mastered the technology of the entire jet airliner industry chain!"

"Now please enjoy the tour. However, due to limited seating in the cabin, only five people can enter at a time. Also, please follow the instructions of the staff," Li Song said.

So some reporters quickly went inside the cabin to see what it was like inside the plane.

Then some people took cameras and video cameras and toured the plane. The Starliner was parked in a relatively remote part of the airport and a cordon was set up.

Many passengers at the airport can see the Starliner. It can be seen from the terminal building, and also from the windows on one side of the plane.

"Mr. Li, are you confident that you will obtain the airworthiness certificate?" asked a reporter from Phoenix TV.

"Of course, the performance of the Starliner is far superior to European standards," Li Song replied confidently.

The reporter and host from Phoenix TV was named Qi Meizhen. She had long, wavy hair, was very pretty, and was wearing Phoenix TV's uniform.

Once on board, the reporter's eyes lit up when he saw the oval-shaped cabin layout. He noticed there was a bed, microwave, tea set, refrigerator, wine cabinet, cigar cabinet, and more. He took a lot of photos, especially of the 1.8-meter king-size bed, which was in a separate space.

There are several types of seats, including adjustable massage seats and non-adjustable ones.

There's also a small table, which can be used for working, drinking tea, or playing mahjong.

A CNN reporter, camera in hand, snapped photos of the plane's landing gear and tires from every angle.

There are also critical components such as the aircraft's wings, skin, and flap controls.

Because these photos are analyzed by professionals, a lot of data can be obtained.

"Mr. Li, what is your box office prediction for National Treasure?" Of course, more reporters surrounded Li Song.

"Sorry, I haven't seen the sample footage yet, but anything produced by Golden Harvest is bound to be high-quality, and we also have international superstar Ah Long." Li Song's answer was reasonable and well-founded, and he even gave Golden Harvest a shout-out.

"Mr. Li, if the aircraft cannot obtain an airworthiness certificate, what will the company do next?" another reporter asked.

(End of this chapter)