Post by Archduchy of Borealis on Oct 31, 2022 1:58:21 GMT
The Watney Brothers were standing outside of their new "airfield" in Rockwell. It was a nice, beautifully paved road, but no cars would ride on it. Instead, Prototype XVII was making its final checks, with it's pilot, Yakiv Kirdan manning the controls. They expected this one to sustain flight of five minutes, and land safely back on the air strip. The government in Cape Providence is not issuing funding to aircraft that couldn't make both requirements, and right now their two competitors, the Watney Motor Company and Imperial Tractor Company, have both completed one requirement each. Watney had up to seven minutes of flight at one point, but could not figure out landing in a way that left the frame in working order. ITC could safely land a plane, but could not crack three minutes, let alone five. Focusing on the safe landing first may have been an advantage though, they had yet to lose a pilot to a crash. Douglas had watched four of his first seven hit the ground too hard, luckily only the first pilot had lost his life. The other three would never walk again, which was a hell in its own right.
Looking down the field in his binoculars, Douglas Watney knew this plane wouldn't crash.
He was unsure of what the new committees had designed, believing there was far too much weight added with the new reinforcements and landing gear, but the pilot would be safe. That's what they had to master next.
The plane took off, but it was clear XVII was under stress. Douglas watched as Kirdan turned to the right, and made a pass right at the small crowd of engineers, financers, and technicians in the viewing bleachers. He flew maybe 10 meters overhead, far below the established parameters. No damage, but the plane was not agile. Not as much as the two before it.
One Minute
The plane made another lap, and started coming in early. One engineer calmly mentioned "Too much strain on the engine. If he takes it in slow, we can count ourselves good on landing."
Two Minutes, and Kirdan slammed into the ground. The wheels held, leaving the plan to careen hard to the left, and right off the road. Dust swirled and hay filled the sky as it plowed head first into the hay barricades on either side of the air strip.
Kirdan was carried out by three technicians, bruised and bloodied, but smiling nonetheless. "We'll get there boss. We'll get there"
Douglas wasn't as positive. Not only was the needed time for this air force contract not met, the frame was still too mangled to take off. He stood there shaking his head, wondering what was next for the Aviation Division. He couldn't think for too long though, as a technician yelled to him that he had a letter. It was from the ITC's own Air Travel Department.
"The Boreali Air Force need not rely on the planes of outsiders. We need to do this, and we need to do it together. Air Power is the way of the future, and it is the way Borealis must move towards. Not as the Imperial Tractor Company, not as the Watney Motor Company, let us get our people to the skies, and next the stars."
Douglas smiled much like Kirdan had. He looked to the horizon "What the hell, we said we'd get there."
Looking down the field in his binoculars, Douglas Watney knew this plane wouldn't crash.
He was unsure of what the new committees had designed, believing there was far too much weight added with the new reinforcements and landing gear, but the pilot would be safe. That's what they had to master next.
The plane took off, but it was clear XVII was under stress. Douglas watched as Kirdan turned to the right, and made a pass right at the small crowd of engineers, financers, and technicians in the viewing bleachers. He flew maybe 10 meters overhead, far below the established parameters. No damage, but the plane was not agile. Not as much as the two before it.
One Minute
The plane made another lap, and started coming in early. One engineer calmly mentioned "Too much strain on the engine. If he takes it in slow, we can count ourselves good on landing."
Two Minutes, and Kirdan slammed into the ground. The wheels held, leaving the plan to careen hard to the left, and right off the road. Dust swirled and hay filled the sky as it plowed head first into the hay barricades on either side of the air strip.
Kirdan was carried out by three technicians, bruised and bloodied, but smiling nonetheless. "We'll get there boss. We'll get there"
Douglas wasn't as positive. Not only was the needed time for this air force contract not met, the frame was still too mangled to take off. He stood there shaking his head, wondering what was next for the Aviation Division. He couldn't think for too long though, as a technician yelled to him that he had a letter. It was from the ITC's own Air Travel Department.
"The Boreali Air Force need not rely on the planes of outsiders. We need to do this, and we need to do it together. Air Power is the way of the future, and it is the way Borealis must move towards. Not as the Imperial Tractor Company, not as the Watney Motor Company, let us get our people to the skies, and next the stars."
Douglas smiled much like Kirdan had. He looked to the horizon "What the hell, we said we'd get there."