Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 393 Eagle One

1897 was undoubtedly a year of great technological breakthrough for Spain. Not long after Diesel's success with the diesel engine, the Sky Project team brought Carlo another piece of good news: an aircraft named Eagle I had been completed and was scheduled to conduct its first flight test at the end of October 1897.

Flying into the sky has been a great dream of humankind since ancient times, and people have been constantly exploring ways to achieve this dream.

From the European Renaissance onwards, Europeans developed a more defined imagination of flight. Leonardo da Vinci drew numerous design sketches of flying machines, and people's imagination of flight evolved from possessing the ability to fly themselves to flying with the aid of machinery.

Today, there are many pioneers in the field of aircraft around the world who are conducting various flight experiments and explorations in their own ways, contributing to the development of this entirely new design.

The Spanish Sky Project team is definitely the most advanced among all the research teams in the world studying flight and aircraft.

Because current diesel engines are not yet perfect, the aircraft manufactured by the Sky Project team uses a specially designed four-stroke gasoline engine as its power module.

Of course, it's completely out of the question to think about using this four-stroke gasoline engine for long-distance, long-duration flights.

Because the gasoline engine was not powerful enough, the Sky Project team's goal for this aircraft was simply to enable it to fly for a short period of more than a minute.

You have to understand that airplanes need to carry people into the sky. The weight of all the parts of an airplane, plus the weight of a pilot, is at least several hundred kilograms.

Flying into the sky with such heavy luggage, even for a short flight of just over a minute, is unimaginable for people today.

This also shows how difficult it was for the Sky Project team to conduct scientific research. Apart from a few scientists who firmly believed in it, most people even thought that humans would not have the ability to fly, even with the help of external objects.

Because current aircraft propulsion makes it difficult to fly directly into the sky, flight experiments require the support of a suitable location.

How can a suitable location be selected for flight testing? This requires choosing a location with relatively stable and fast wind speeds so that the aircraft can take off at the right time by using the wind speed and its own power.

The good news is that Spain has relatively abundant wind resources. The hilly areas of Andalusia are a region of strong winds, and with the help of the strong winds blowing from the hills, aircraft may be able to take off and successfully complete flight tests.

To maintain secrecy, this flight experiment will not be made public, and no newspapers or media outlets will report on the experiment.

Carlo did not want European countries to focus on aircraft development too early, as this would make World War I more difficult.

During World War I, countries valued airships more than airplanes.

The reason is simple: engine technology at the time was not mature, and the aircraft's flight altitude, flight time, and flight distance were all limited.

Even due to power limitations, aircraft cannot carry powerful weapons; most aircraft are equipped with machine guns, resulting in very limited combat capabilities.

World War I aircraft served only two purposes: their primary purpose was reconnaissance, and their secondary purpose was to attack enemy reconnaissance aircraft.

It wasn't until World War II that airplanes were classified into various types, and the weapons they carried also differed.

Compared to airplanes, which cannot carry heavy weapons, airships historically had a clear advantage in terms of payload.

Because airships could carry several tons or even tens of tons of cargo, they were the most popular means of transporting passengers before World War II, rather than airplanes.

The decline of airships began with the Hindenburg airship disaster of 1937. A massive airship suddenly caught fire in front of onlookers, resulting in the deaths of 36 people and causing the once-thriving airship business to collapse almost instantly.

Although airships did not completely disappear from public view, airplanes have indeed surpassed airships in transportation since then, and people tend to use airplanes rather than airships in most air transport scenarios.

Because of the high level of secrecy surrounding this flight experiment, there were no onlookers at the scene. To avoid arousing curiosity, the experiment was conducted in a remote, uninhabited area, ensuring that it would not cause any harm to the public.

Because the flight experiment was fraught with uncertainty, Carlos accepted the advice of the experimenters and did not come in person. Instead, he sent the Minister of State for Royal Affairs, Grant Jerevos, to observe the experiment on his behalf.

It is worth mentioning that the person in charge of this flight experiment, the chief engineer of the Sky Project team, is a pure-blooded Spaniard.

Lionel Martínez was born in 1854 and is only 43 years old this year. He graduated from the Barcelona School of Mechanical Design in 1877, and then went on to study at the Royal Academy of Sciences, where he received his doctorate in 1884, thus gaining entry into the Royal Academy of Sciences.

After the Sky Project was established, Lionel Martinez was selected to join the project team as its chief advisor.

Because of his imaginative ideas in aircraft design, he eventually gained Carlo's support and rose through the ranks to become the head of the Sky Project team.

The Eagle 1 aircraft in front of us, which is participating in flight tests, was designed by Lionel Martinez.

"Your Excellency Grant, all preparations for the experiment are complete, and the flight test can begin at any time," Lionel Martinez, the head of the Sky Project, reported respectfully to Grant Jerevos, the Minister of State for Royal Affairs, after completing all preparations for the flight test.

Grant Jerevers nodded and said with a smile, "Good luck, Mr. Lionel."

Lionel Martinez nodded seriously, took a deep breath, and slowly climbed onto the rather novel-looking aircraft.

This aircraft, named Eagle One, was built by the Sky Project team after conducting various wind, lift, and drag tests.

The design modification process alone took nearly two and a half years after it was manufactured. The Sky Project team had high hopes for this aircraft; if this flight test was successful, it would mean that all the researchers in the Sky Project team had not wasted their efforts over the years.

The Eagle No. 1 aircraft has a total length of 6.5 meters, a wingspan of 12.41 meters, and a height of about 2.9 meters.

The total wing area reaches 48 square meters, and the expected takeoff weight can reach 360 kilograms, which is just enough to support the weight of the aircraft itself plus the weight of the pilot.

As the designer of the aircraft, Lionel Martinez naturally became the pilot for the flight tests.

There was no other way; Lionel Martinez was the person most familiar with the aircraft. Given the exceptionally dangerous nature of the flight experiment, it was essential to involve the person most knowledgeable about the aircraft to maximize the chances of success.

As for Lionel Martinez's safety, that can only be hoped for by God's blessing for the success of this experiment.

That's just what these pioneering aviators had to do. Without their efforts, aircraft technology wouldn't be as advanced as it is today. If our predecessors didn't plant the trees, where would we find shade to rest under?

Resolutely boarding the plane, Lionel Martinez first offered a prayer in front of his chest, and then solemnly pressed the ignition button.

The roar of the gasoline engine soon filled the air, and the propellers mounted on both sides of the fuselage quickly began to spin.

As Lionel Martinez released the deceleration device, the seemingly massive aircraft slowly began to glide across the open ground.

"Hey, buddy, give me a push!" Seeing that the speed seemed a bit slow, Lionel Martinez quickly called out to the experimenters around him.

With the help of several experimenters, the Eagle-1 aircraft's taxiing speed increased. Gradually, the experimenters pushing the aircraft realized they could no longer keep up with its speed, indicating that the aircraft's engine power had reached its maximum.

Boom! Buzzing~
First came the ear-piercing roar of the engine, followed by the buzzing of the plane soaring through the sky.

The researchers quickly looked down at the wheels of the aircraft, which were now about ten centimeters off the ground.

"My God, it's flying!"

Without prior arrangement, all the experimenters looked at the plane with excitement, their faces showing a mixture of excitement, joy, and a hint of relaxation.

Since the establishment of the Sky Project team, most of the researchers have been on edge. There's no way around it; creating an aircraft that can fly in the sky is indeed a challenging concept for them.

If it weren't for Lionel Martinez's wildly imaginative ideas, most of the researchers wouldn't even know what the so-called airplane actually looked like.

Some people even think that an airplane is nothing more than a flying chicken.

But here's the question: if chickens have wings, why can't they fly?

Returning our attention to the flight test site, several cameras that were already prepared were quickly taking pictures of the aircraft that was gradually taking off.

Although the flight test was kept highly confidential, the only precautions were against possible leaks from the civilian media.

The likelihood of official Spanish newspapers, including El Soleil and El País, leaking information is extremely low.

After all, the top executives of these newspapers are all Spanish, and as official media outlets, they also need approval from the propaganda department to print their own newspapers.

Such a significant event as the first flight experiment naturally warranted the taking of numerous photographs to commemorate it.

While the cameras of these official newspapers captured this moment, the experimenters were also nervously recording the data related to the experiment.

The flight lasted very short a time; from the moment the tire lifted off the ground until it returned to the ground, it actually took less than 20 seconds.

In less than 20 seconds, the Eagle One aircraft glided a distance of approximately 52 meters.

Although the time and distance were short, it was already a milestone for the Sky Project team.

This is because it marks the first successful flight in human history of a powered, maneuverable, stable, and manned aircraft.

This flight was of profound historical significance, opening a new chapter in mankind's conquest of the skies and marking the arrival of the airplane age.

In plain terms, this experiment is destined to be recorded in history. Lionel Martinez and the team of researchers at Project Sky will become true pioneers in the field of aircraft.

Anyone who follows in the field of aviation must regard them as pioneers. Carlo allowed the official newspaper's camera to capture their images so that he could later claim credit for the first flight experiment and for Lionel Martinez to be hailed as the father of the airplane.

The famous Wright brothers had not yet conducted similar flight experiments at this time. This means that Lionel Martinez was a true pioneer.

With these photographs and related experimental data, no one can deny that Lionel Martinez is the true father of airplanes.

Although the first flight lasted only a short time, the good news is that the Eagle 1 aircraft landed successfully on the ground, and the aircraft was intact and could continue to carry out a new round of experiments after inspection.

The so-called flight test is not a one-time event, but requires multiple experiments to summarize the results and provide more theoretical data for the next generation of experimental aircraft.

After resting for about half an hour, Lionel Martinez boarded the plane again and began experiment after experiment.

Compared to the first flight, the second flight went much more smoothly. The flight time exceeded thirty seconds, and the flight distance reached over 70 meters.

The third flight was less successful, with a flight time of just over 20 seconds and a flight distance of less than 60 meters.

After another round of inspections and repairs, Lionel Martinez achieved unprecedented success in the fourth flight test.

The fourth flight lasted an astonishing 75 seconds and covered an unprecedented distance of 353 meters.

This record-breaking experimental data immediately drew cheers from all the researchers present. Lionel Martinez, who had just disembarked from the plane, also joined the celebration, fully understanding what such experimental data represented.

Despite the various problems with current aircraft, these experimental data have demonstrated that current aircraft possess enormous potential.

Once a more powerful engine becomes available, the flight time, distance, and altitude of the next generation of experimental aircraft will be greatly improved.

This also means that long-distance flying aircraft seem to be just around the corner. All that's needed is to make certain modifications to the aircraft's engines, structure, and other designs, and we can look forward to the day when aircraft can fly for kilometers or even tens of kilometers.

With this in mind, Lionel Martinez did not hesitate at all. He immediately summarized the data from the four flight experiments and handed a complete experimental report to the Minister of State for Royal Affairs, Grant, requesting him to pass it on to Carlo and report the progress and results of the experiment to him.

(End of this chapter)