Chapter 123: New Plans for the Base
Chapter 123: New Plans for the Base
After the completion of the Mark 1 aircraft, Wu Hao immediately conducted a series of tests within the base. After thorough testing, it was found that all aspects of the aircraft were functioning properly. Wu Hao entered the cockpit through the front-opening cockpit door.
The opening and closing mechanism of the cockpit door resembled that of a fighter jet, opening from the top front position. The key difference was that, unlike the transparent glass doors of fighter jets, Wu Hao's Mark 1 aircraft had only a small transparent section in the front, with the rest covered in stealth material.
Even the small transparent section had a special reflective film. Although this film's stealth capability was not as strong as the stealth material covering the rest of the aircraft, it still possessed a quarter of the stealth ability.
In other words, the stealth capability of this section of the cockpit door was relatively weaker, but its impact on the overall stealth of the aircraft was not significant. Typically, the aircraft would be at a considerable distance from human observers during flight, and Wu Hao had no intention of bringing the aircraft into crowded areas without reason.
"Boss, Mark 1 has been tested and is ready for takeoff at any time," echoed the voice of the base's intelligent program, Zero, throughout the facility.
Without delay, Wu Hao entered the cockpit of the aircraft. After closing the cockpit door, the interior was not dark but rather exceptionally bright. Sufficient lighting systems and other electronic devices, such as global positioning navigation and satellite communication systems, illuminated the interior. If not for the current energy constraints relying on high-energy batteries, Wu Hao would have considered installing more functions.
Inside the cockpit, Wu Hao could not only see a portion of the outside through the front door but also view several video screens displaying images from cameras installed in various directions around the aircraft.
Even when piloting the aircraft, if Wu Hao's eyes couldn't directly see the outside from within the aircraft, he could still perceive the surroundings through telekinesis and mental sensing.
With these cameras providing visibility, Wu Hao could save some mental energy, no longer needing to use telekinetic power constantly to ensure the aircraft's flight orientation.
Soon, as the main channel of the base opened, Wu Hao used telekinesis to lift the aircraft off the ground and then retracted the landing gear. Consequently, the entire outer shell of the aircraft slowly became transparent. Only from a very close distance could observers see a ripple-like distortion in the area where the aircraft was located.
The characteristics of the stealth material on the aircraft's outer shell were similar to those of transparent products still in the experimental stage, such as the widely circulated concept of transparent smartphones on the internet. However, Wu Hao's aircraft had much stronger stealth capabilities than these so-called transparent smartphones and could directly block radar detection.
As the aircraft lifted off the ground and the main channel of the base opened, Wu Hao piloted the aircraft out of the base and into the airspace above.
"Well done, Mark 1 is operating very well in all aspects. Now, let's see how it performs in high-speed flight!" After flying out of the base, Wu Hao was relatively satisfied with various aspects of the aircraft. Piloting a telekinetically controlled aircraft weighing just over a ton was a piece of cake for him. So, Wu Hao immediately began controlling the aircraft to ascend and then accelerate.
The efficiency of the telekinetically controlled acceleration by Wu Hao was rapid. In the blink of an eye, the aircraft ascended to an altitude of several thousand meters, then flew at a steady subsonic speed.
At this point, the system data of the aircraft showed that the stealth material on the outer shell could no longer withstand the pressure from continued acceleration. Wu Hao quickly allocated a portion of telekinetic power to form a protective shield on the surface of the aircraft.
With this protective shield in place, as Wu Hao continued to increase his telekinetic force, the aircraft immediately reached the speed of sound, generating a strong sonic boom. The passage of the aircraft through the sky also produced intense whistling sounds.
However, at an altitude of several thousand meters and over the sparsely populated Qinling Mountains, these noises were inconspicuous.
"Fortunately, the aircraft, without the support of telekinetic power, can achieve a decent subsonic speed. Currently, apart from the need for recharging after a certain period of flight, there are no other issues." After this flight test, Wu Hao began to return to the base, aware of the current shortcomings of Mark 1 and the most pressing issues to address.
Back at the base, Wu Hao began planning the next crucial steps. First, the next phase of the base's expansion project could commence. With the aircraft, Wu Hao could conveniently transport raw materials from the outside to the base. Moreover, with the absence of national personnel guarding the nearby wooden house, the risk of exposure was significantly reduced.
Now, with the aircraft, each shipment of raw materials to the base was faster and heavier than before.
Once the development plan for the base was determined, Wu Hao immediately placed several orders online and had the suppliers of raw materials deliver these goods to his warehouse located on the outskirts of Chang'an. The raw materials Wu Hao ordered were mainly some of the best steel and other metal materials currently available on the market.
The most scarce materials for Wu Hao's base were undoubtedly various metals. Due to the weight of these metal materials, Wu Hao was unable to transport too much in the past.
However, with the aircraft now, the situation had changed. For example, this time he ordered several hundred tons of steel and other metals. Even if he transported around 6 tons per trip, he could make at least two or three round trips in an hour. In other words, with just a day or two of effort, he could transport a sufficient amount of metal materials for the base.
The main reason for the swift speed now was Wu Hao having the aircraft. Although there was a bit more time spent on loading and unloading, when flying over kilometers of distance, the aircraft's speed allowed him to reach the destination in just a few minutes.