Return to Hong Kong Island for a Century

Chapter 339 Speaking German (Second Update)
Of course, London and Paris don't get along, so when the Starliner landed in London, the London media gave it a huge amount of coverage.

The Starliner operates on the route of Hong Kong Island – Singapore – Egypt (refueling) – London, with a total distance of over 15,000 kilometers.

In later times, most journeys from Hong Kong Island to London took place from the northwest of mainland China, making the route shorter.

However, during this period, the northwest of the mainland was in turmoil, and the "fat bear" (referring to the Xiongnu) launched a heavy attack in Tokharistan, while Iran and Iraq were also fighting each other.

So we took a detour through Singapore and then refueled in Egypt.

The entire journey is over 15,000 kilometers, so we need to refuel in Egypt.

The Starliner's maximum cruising speed is Mach 0.88, or 980 kilometers per hour, but on average it is only about 900 kilometers per hour.

星辉客机是4月2号早上8点起飞，到达伦敦花了18个小时，就是港岛时间4月3号凌晨两点，也就是伦敦时间4月2号晚上六点。

It doesn't get dark in London until after 19 p.m., and Parkson has made preparations in advance.

There were many media outlets outside the airport, partly from Parkson's public relations team, and partly from people who were curious about aircraft from certain Eastern countries.

Of course, there are also political reasons. Everyone knows what Britain is best at.

It can be said that in the controversial areas of later generations, most of them are related to troublemakers. They feel uncomfortable if they don't stir things up when they get the chance.

Of course, another important point is Li Song's reputation.

Today, The Times, The Guardian, and other newspapers reported that the crowdfunding club has secured orders for over 50,000 Panda aircraft.

So that evening, news programs on channels like the BBC reported on the Starliner, though they only took photos outside the airport.

The BBC has been smearing certain Eastern countries for a long time. Of course, it's a capitalist media outlet; money talks.

Everyone knows who's supporting them.

The Starliner has been making headlines in various London media outlets recently, starting with its landing on Hong Kong Island.

Reuters provided a more detailed report, as they followed the Starliner throughout the entire flight.

In Reuters' evening news, the host interviewed two reporters who were aboard the Starliner.

"David, Hans, you took the Starliner from Hong Kong Island, a flight that lasted over 18 hours and covered more than 15,000 kilometers. Can you share your feelings about it?" The host was a busty blonde beauty, and the two reporters, David and Hans, were in high spirits as they were interviewed.

David spoke first, saying, "I must say, it was a very relaxing trip. There was coffee and tea on the plane, and I felt like I was staying in a luxury apartment. I slept with an eye mask on for half the time, and we played cards and listened to music for the other half. Moreover, the Starliner's seats have a massage function. If Mr. Li Song were to launch a massage seat, I think I would buy one."

"Really?" the host asked.

“Of course, there’s even a large bed inside, about 1.8 meters wide, and you can hardly hear any noise on the plane.” David nodded.

The engines of small jet airliners are located at the tail, and combined with the design of private jets, the noise level is far lower than that of ordinary commercial airliners.

"And what about you, Hans?" the host asked again.

"This is the most comfortable private jet I've ever flown on, whether it's the space design, the layout, or the experience, especially the wine and cigar cabinet, if other people don't mind smoking."

"There was also a microwave, and we even had a nice meal along the way."

"However, I prefer tomato, egg, and beef brisket instant noodles."

"Although the sofa doesn't have a massage function, it's still very comfortable to sit on, much more comfortable than the chair at my workstation," John said.

"So what do you think of the performance of this aircraft?" the host asked.

“I’m not a professional in aircraft manufacturing, but from my personal experience, it’s fantastic. Of course, I’ve only flown in a private jet a handful of times, maybe once or twice,” David continued.

John chimed in, "I also think this plane is fantastic. It looks beautiful, and there were no problems at all during the flight; the flight was very smooth."

The host then asked, "So what do you think of Li Song as a person?"

"entrepreneur!"

"writer!"

"A billionaire!"

“A conscientious billionaire, otherwise, would not be able to charge $10,000 for a single-engine small plane. When I heard this price, I admit I thought it was an April Fool’s joke.”

"So do you think this aircraft will be able to obtain flight permits and airworthiness certificates?"

"Of course, this aircraft is superior to its peers, just like the Panda aircraft compared to other aircraft of its type."

“I also think so. Of course, we still need to see the certification from aviation-related agencies, but I believe Mr. Li Song would not lie.”

Some aviation experts rolled their eyes when they saw the interview, saying that small jets are for the wealthy and are definitely more comfortable than commercial airliners, much more comfortable than first class.

Of course, it must be admitted that this aircraft has flown more than 15,000 kilometers, which is basically acceptable.

Many people are interested in this aircraft, largely because they want to know its specific parameters and manufacturing process. Simply looking at videos or photos won't provide very accurate answers.

Currently, the Joint Airworthiness Authority (JAA), headquartered in the Netherlands, is responsible for flight certification in Europe. The Star Shine aircraft is manufactured by Parkson Aircraft Company, and Hong Kong Island is now under British control, making the relevant procedures much simpler. The Star Shine has garnered attention not only in the media but also within the industry, as its design reflects the manufacturing prowess of the suddenly emerging Chang'an Aircraft Manufacturing Plant and showcases the advanced manufacturing capabilities of the entire Eastern nation.

Because the application had been submitted in advance, and the industry was eager to know the result, at 10:00 AM London time on April 3rd, staff from the Joint Airworthiness Authority (JAA) conducted a preliminary inspection of the aircraft in a hangar at the airport.

A group of more than a dozen people first checked the size of the aircraft, etc., because there was relevant data when the application was submitted.

"It was made by a forging press with a capacity of at least 50,000 tons." The three men responsible for inspecting the landing gear examined it carefully.

These experts can determine the approximate manufacturing process from the smoothness, material, and texture of the metal.

In addition, in terms of size, for the same parts, the finished products made by the ultra-large 10,000-ton forging press are lighter and smaller than those made by other methods, but have higher strength and other properties.

Therefore, you can roughly determine the size by measuring the dimensions of the aircraft's landing gear.

"How did they do that?"

"Is the technology sourced from Fat Bear?"

"Impossible, Fat Bear didn't even let them visit."

"Fat Bear isn't stupid!"

"Furthermore, the manufacturing process of these components has reached the world's mainstream level."

The expert who was observing the aircraft engine turned the blades and then examined them closely.

Two technicians from Chang'an Aircraft Manufacturing Plant came this time, but they didn't have much to do throughout the trip, and two pilots were also on standby.

A local security company dispatched twenty security personnel to protect the aircraft, and the company also hired an aviation expert as a consultant for the mission.

The reason for hiring aviation experts is primarily to supervise the work of the Joint Airworthiness Authority (JASA) personnel and prevent anyone from causing trouble.

Li Song knew exactly what kind of people these so-called Western institutions were.

The subsequent setbacks in the domestic soybean market stemmed from a so-called authoritative institution's prediction of reduced production, which led domestic processing plants to purchase futures at high prices. As a result, the soybean harvest was bountiful, and the inland processing plants went bankrupt.

Some rating agencies also operate in the same way.

Moreover, the industry standards in these European and American countries are actually developed by the relevant companies.

They act as both players and referees, using industry standards to exclude others from the market.

What environmental standards, what emission standards? Eventually, the show couldn't go on, and some countries withdrew from the climate agreement.

Moreover, environmentally conscious people cut their own firewood.

Parkson's actions are public knowledge; they're practically ready to put up a sign saying they don't believe it.

However, the United Airworthiness Agency (UAA) really couldn't do anything about it, and the composition of its personnel was very complex, with spies from various parties gathered inside.

Because the airworthiness agency has access to the latest technologies from various countries.

The first day of testing is complete. Flight tests will follow to assess noise, fuel consumption, cabin pressure, automatic fire suppression system, takeoff and landing distance, and other parameters.

The time difference between New York and London is five hours, so when people in London finished their first day of work, it was only noon in New York.

Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Aramco all received the first day's assessment reports.

Although these people were already mentally prepared, after all, a flight lasting more than 16 hours and covering a distance of more than 15,000 kilometers, and considering the reactions of the reporters, it's well known that in the journalism profession, as long as there's a topic, someone will definitely bring it up.

If the plane had any defects, the reporters on board would have complained about it publicly long ago.

Even if these reporters are paid, they will still leak information privately.

However, the fact that no information has been leaked also speaks volumes.

Earlier, when the official media in mainland China spread the word, a small number of people actually believed it, but most people did not, thinking that it was a smokescreen released by the mainland because of the negotiations between the mainland and McDonnell Douglas.

"The manufacturing technology has reached the level of mainstream manufacturing technology!"

"The finished parts have reached a first-class standard, and the tolerances of the same model of parts are within the specified range."

"Some components did indeed utilize technology from a 10,000-ton hydraulic press!"

"The design has reached a first-class level." After receiving the preliminary assessment report, Aramco's relevant department minister was speechless.

No one knows better than these people what an ultra-large 10,000-ton hydraulic press represents.

This indicates that the mainland has the foundation to manufacture large-scale equipment.

In fact, the mainland also made breakthroughs in ultra-large 10,000-ton hydraulic presses in the past, and various types of military and civilian equipment appeared all at once.

"These damn potato-eating bastards, if it weren't for us Americans, they would have been speaking German by now!" Karl was most annoyed by London's attitude, so he cursed loudly.

(End of this chapter)