Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 646: Square, really square (fourth update, please subscribe)

In fact, the expansion of Palau Airport is basically due to the needs of the "Good Morning Plan". After all, after the atomic bomb test, planes need to be sent to fly through the mushroom cloud to obtain corresponding data. Although there is the Navy's Truk Base near the test site, a backup airport needs to be set up to ensure nothing goes wrong.

The big island of Palau has become a backup option. Except for military needs. Of course, it is also for the future development of Palau. After all, in another world, Palau’s economic pillar is tourism, and the development of tourism cannot be separated from the airport.

Of course, it’s also inseparable from airplanes.

In fact, as far as the archipelago country in Nanyang is concerned, airplanes are even more important than ships. After all, ships are too slow to transport cargo. If it is a passenger ship, it will take at least five or six days from Chang'an to Dongning.

Because of this, in Nanyang's long-term planning, airplanes are indispensable means of transportation between cities.

The noise of the turboprop engine can also be heard across the cabin. Although the "Viscount" passenger aircraft is much faster than piston propeller aircraft such as the C95, in Li Yian's view, this type of passenger aircraft will eventually be eliminated.

"Jets are the future."

While talking to himself, Li Yian wrote a series of words on his notepad.

Two turbofan engines

80 to 100 seats.

Range 4000 kilometers...

"You can fly directly from Chang'an to Dongning..."

While talking to himself, Li Yian sketched the appearance of the aircraft with a pen on his notebook.

In fact, a suitable object has emerged in his mind - SE-210, which is the Clipper. This aircraft has a beautiful appearance. Unlike other previous jet airliners, its two engines are mounted at the tail of the aircraft and it has a very distinctive triangular porthole. This kind of aircraft is the third type of jet airliner in the world. It is the only two profitable aircraft for Europeans before Airbus.

And it also created many firsts.

For the first time, only two jet engines took off a huge airliner;
For the first time, the engines are designed on both sides of the tail of the passenger aircraft fuselage;
For the first time, the cabin windows were designed as triangles;

For the first time, a boarding ladder is designed at the tail of the aircraft;

For the first time, the concept of cost control was truly introduced in the field of civil aircraft manufacturing, and many mature designs were adopted;

This is the first time to purchase engines from another country on a civilian passenger aircraft;

For the first time, the French had a civilian jet airliner of their own design;

For the first time, European aircraft were sold to the United States;

Making a commercial jet commercially profitable for the first time

……

This aircraft that created many firsts was designed and produced by the French Southern Aircraft Company. This company was historically formed by the merger of the Southwest Aircraft Company and the Southeast Aircraft Company. However, after Li Yi'an bought the Southwest Aircraft Company, the current Southwest Aircraft Company has become a Nanyang enterprise - part of Nanyang Aviation Industries.

"Such a regional aircraft should be very suitable for Nanyang. Since it can meet the air transportation needs of various regions in Nanyang, it can also improve regional transportation and economic development."

After drawing two emphasis lines under these words, Li Yian looked at the sketch and said to himself.

"Okay, that's it!"

While making the decision to develop "Kuaifan", Li Yian even came up with Kuaifan's "routines". As the third type of jet airliner in the world, the speed of development of the Clipper is astonishing. It only took three years from proposal to test flight.

The reason why the development speed is so pleasant is that it is the first time to truly introduce the concept of cost control in the field of civil aircraft manufacturing and adopt many mature designs; for example, it draws heavily on the successful experience of previous propeller-powered aircraft, such as in the propeller era. The fuselage section of the highly successful DC-6/7 is 3.2 meters in diameter. at the same time. Taking into account the considerations of reducing development time and facilitating the operation of European airlines, the Clipper aircraft also uses some technologies and some parts used on the Comet aircraft.

Of course, the Clipper also improved on the Comet’s biggest flaw—the square windows that would cause structural fatigue. So there is a unique triangular porthole design that is only found on fast sails.

"Porthole..."

Suddenly, Li Yian seemed to realize something. He quickly turned his head and looked at the porthole of the cabin, and then said with a little peace of mind.

"Okay, okay, it's round, but...what shape of portholes are used in big airplanes? They can't be square!"

The reason why Li Yian came up with this idea is because the "Comet" passenger aircraft, as the world's first jet airliner, has become a milestone in the civil aviation industry. At the same time, it has also been nailed to the pillar of shame in history due to successive major accidents. ——In just one year, the Comet passenger plane disintegrated and crashed three times. The cause of the Comet crash was metal fatigue, which was ignored by people in this era. The first place where cracks caused by metal fatigue occur is at the porthole! The real culprit is the square shape of the portholes.

“Shouldn’t the 707 project use a square shape with portholes?”

Sitting on the plane, Li Yi'an couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. You must know that he hopes to rely on that large jet to build Nanyang Aviation Industries into a civil aviation manufacturer that is not inferior to Boeing and Airbus.

The large jet aircraft manufacturing industry will also be part of Nanyang's industrial upgrading. If there was a plane crash, it would be the end of the world.

Just like the "Comet" passenger plane, it was really a comet flashing across the sky - 4 years after the air crash, although the "Comet" passenger plane returned to the blue sky again, the previous air crash had long made this originator of the jet airliner The tarnished reputation directly led to its complete failure in the commercial field.

As the originator of jet airliners, de Havilland Company got up early, but it was not to mention late. Didn't even make it in time.

Devastated by the crash, it was later absorbed by Hawker-Sidley Company due to lack of orders, and the engine department was merged into Bristol-Sidley Company. It has since disappeared into the long river of history.

During this period, the famous Boeing 707 came out, and immediately began its experience of killing everyone. It dominated the jet airliner market in the 60s and became ubiquitous throughout the 70s. By the time the last Boeing 707 rolled off the assembly line in 1979, total production of the aircraft had reached 1010. It became the first large civil aviation aircraft in history with a production volume of more than 1000 aircraft.

Thanks to the strong sales performance of the Boeing 707, Boeing has become the world's largest passenger aircraft manufacturer.

What Li Yian wants to copy is actually the success of the Boeing 707. He even has the model in mind - the 707.

In short, in one sentence, follow others' path and leave others with nowhere to go.

This is the truth!
But the problem is that Nanyang Aviation Industry has not really gone the way of the "Comet" passenger aircraft. If I remember correctly, when developing the jet passenger aircraft project, they borrowed a lot of information from the "Comet" passenger aircraft. Mature program engineering, and even introduced part of the "Comet" passenger aircraft technology directly from de Havilland.

Thinking of this, Li Yian really lost his composure, because he really doubted that with the rigidity of those German engineers, it was very possible that they... used square ones.

……

A few hours later, Li Yian couldn't sit still while looking at the model of the A707 aircraft in the officer's official residence office.

Fang - this is a real prescription!
"Square porthole?"

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

As the chief engineer of the project, Satista said proudly.

"The square portholes are not only beautiful and delicate, but also make the cabin appear more spacious and bright because of the large lighting area... The British also used similar square portholes on the "Comet" passenger aircraft, but ours are larger and brighter."

(End of this chapter)