World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

"The German experts are arriving next month, and our 'Swift-I' prototype must be built before they arrive." Chen Feng looked at Master Ma. "Are there any difficulties?"

"Time is tight..." Master Ma said honestly, "We've only completed 60% of the parts processing so far. Final assembly will take at least half a month, and then there's testing..."

"Then we'll work overtime." Chen Feng said firmly. "Three shifts, the machines will keep running even when people stop. Just tell me what equipment or materials you need, and I'll give you special approval."

"But the quality..."

"We can't compromise on quality," Chen Feng said. "But we can simplify some non-critical components. For example, the instrument panel, we'll use a modified version of Blériot's; the seats, we'll use the simplest ones; the paint scheme, we'll omit it entirely. What we need is a demonstrator that can fly, not a perfect product."

Master Ma gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! I swear on my promise, the plane will be on the runway by the end of August!"

For the next month, the base entered a frantic work rhythm.

The hangar was brightly lit, with people working 24 hours a day. Wood shavings and metal chips piled up like mountains, and the sounds of sawing, hammering, and welding never ceased. The engineers slept in the workshop, taking short naps by their workbenches when they got tired, and then continuing to work when they woke up.

Chen Feng practically lived at the base. During the day, he handled state affairs (documents were delivered by Uncle Wang for review), and at night he worked with the technical team to tackle key problems. He personally participated in the design of critical components, solving one difficult problem after another.

He designed a new reinforcing structure to address the connection problem between the wings and the fuselage;

Regarding the landing gear shock absorption problem, he proposed a solution using rubber ropes and hydraulic damping;

Regarding the friction problem in the control system, he instructed the workers to install small bearings they made themselves...

Zhou Afu and the other trainees were not idle either. They split into two groups: one group continued flight training, while the other group participated in aircraft manufacturing—not core work, but rather assisting and familiarizing themselves with every part of the aircraft.

"This is the elevator, used to control the aircraft's vertical movement..."

"This is the rudder, used to control left and right steering..."

"This is the aileron, used to control roll..."

Touching real parts and listening to engineers' explanations, the trainees' understanding of aircraft advanced rapidly. They began to understand why coordinated controls are needed when turning, why speed needs to be controlled during landing, and so on...

By the end of July, all components of the "Swift-I" were completed and the project entered the final assembly stage.

Inside the hangar, the fuselage frame was hoisted onto the support structure. Workers assembled the wings, tail, and landing gear one by one, like building blocks. Each component had to be measured, leveled, and secured before being measured again.

Chen Feng comes to check the progress every day. He takes the blueprints and calipers and personally measures the key dimensions, demanding rework if there is even the slightest deviation.

"Here, the wing installation angle is off by 0.5 degrees. Readjust."

"This bolt isn't tightened properly. Where's the torque wrench?"

"The fabric tension is uneven; it's loose here, so we'll tighten it again."

The engineers initially complained a bit—the president was being too meticulous. But Master Ma said, "Listen to Engineer Chen! With airplanes, a small difference can mean life or death! Have you forgotten Lin Guodong?!"

No one dares to forget.

By mid-August, the aircraft was basically assembled. A silver-gray aircraft (actually a mixture of the original color of aluminum panels and the natural color of wood) appeared in the hangar, its shape already resembling an old-fashioned fighter jet from later generations—although the details were still very rough.

"Is the engine installed?" Chen Feng asked.

"It's installed." Master Ma pointed to the engine head. "It still uses a Blélio engine, but we've improved the cooling system and added an oil cooler. In addition, the carburetor has been recalibrated, so it should be able to deliver maximum power."

"What about the control system?"

"Everything is connected. The joystick, foot pedal, and throttle lever have all been adjusted, and the travel and force have been set according to your requirements."

Chen Feng walked around the plane, touched the surface of the wing, checked the tension of the cover, and shook the control surfaces.

"Ground testing will begin tomorrow. We'll start with a runway test to check the handling response. If everything goes well, we'll have a test flight the day after tomorrow."

"Test pilot..." Master Ma looked at Chen Feng.

Everyone looked at Chen Feng. Zhao Tianxiang's arm was just healed, so he wasn't suited for taking risks. Zhou Afu, the most skilled trainee, only had a few dozen hours of flying experience, and all of that was in low-speed aircraft like the Blériot.

"I'll fly," Chen Feng said.

"No!" Uncle Wang was the first to object. "Young Master, you are the commander-in-chief of Lanfang. You can't take this risk!"

"It is precisely because I am the President that I must fly," Chen Feng said calmly. "First, I understand the design of this aircraft better than any of you, and I know where its limits are. Second, if the test flight fails and I, the designer, die, it will be an explanation to everyone."

"But--"

"No buts." Chen Feng waved his hand. "This is an order."

The meeting ended unhappily. But Chen Feng's attitude was firm, and no one could change it.

That evening, Chen Feng sat alone in the hangar, in the cockpit of the Swift-I, familiarizing himself with the instruments and controls. Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the silver-gray fuselage.

Uncle Wang quietly walked in and stood next to the airplane.

"Young Master, are you really going to fly?"

"We must fly."

"just in case……"

"In case something happens... nothing will happen! Do me a few things." Chen Feng poked his head out of the cockpit.

Old Wang, tears streaming down his face, said, "Please don't say such things..."

"I'm serious." Chen Feng jumped off the plane, patted the old man on the shoulder, and said, "Uncle Wang, do you know what I'm most afraid of?"

"What?"

"What I fear most is that we've spent so much money and lost so many people, only to end up with something useless." Chen Feng looked at the plane with a complex expression. "That's why I want to fly it myself, to see it with my own eyes, to feel it with my own hands. To see if it's any good, if it's worth it."

Uncle Wang wiped away his tears: "Young Master, you will definitely be able to fly. You definitely will."

"Thank you for your kind words."

The next day, ground testing.

The Swift-I was pushed onto the runway. Chen Feng sat in the cockpit, and Master Ma led the ground crew in a final check.

"ignition!"

The engine started, its sound deeper and more resonant than Blélio's. The tachometer stabilized at 800 rpm.

"The gliding test begins!"

Chen Feng released the brakes and gently pushed the throttle. The plane began to taxi, accelerating smoothly. He gently pulled back on the stick, the nose lifted, and the nose wheel lifted off the ground—this was to check the elevator's response. Then he applied the rudder pedals left and right, and the plane swayed slightly—the rudder was functioning normally.

The car glides to the end of the track, brakes, turns, and glides back to the starting point.

"Everything is normal!" Chen Feng gave a thumbs up in the cockpit.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"The test flight is tomorrow," Chen Feng said. "This afternoon, the aircraft underwent a full inspection and was refueled. I'm going back to Dubai to handle some business and will be back tomorrow morning."

He didn't actually have anything urgent to deal with. He just wanted to be alone before the test flight.