Huang Zhe also nodded. Zhang Zhi said that the situation was quite professional. Until the arrival of the missile era, carrier-based aircraft had mainly two forms of ship attacks. One was airdrop bombing; the other was airdrop fish-thunder attack. Among these two, only aviation fish-thunder had the greatest effect. In the Second World War in the old time and space, 80% of the warships sunk with carrier-based aircraft were sunk with fish-thunder.

However, there is still a big difference between the aerospace thunders of carrier-based aircraft and the aerospace thunders used on warships. Of course, for carrier-based aircraft manufacturers, the torpedo is not important. What is important is the weight of the aerospace thunders. The carrier-based aircraft must be able to carry at least 1 ton. Generally, the weight of the aerospace thunders is much lighter, and the lightest one is less than 300 kilograms. Therefore, the weight of the aerospace thunders is also determined by the load capacity of the carrier-based aircraft. The two are mutually restricted.

Huang Zhe thought for a while and said, "If it is an air-optimized aircraft, the ammunition volume can be controlled within 100 kilograms, but bombers and torpedo aircraft must be able to carry at least 300 kilograms of ammunition. As for aviation fish* thunder, I will go to the military factory to solve the problem."

Zhang Zhi nodded, took out a notebook, recorded all the data they had negotiated just now, and said, "Okay, if it was just such a requirement, I can guarantee that before 1914, I could hand over the finished prototype, but how to solve the funding problem?"

Huang Zhe said: "We will solve the funding matters. I will report all these expenses to the shipbuilding plan. As long as the Executive Yuan approves our shipbuilding plan, the funds will naturally be solved."

Zhang Zhi also smiled and said, "That's good. As long as the funds are solved, I can guarantee that the aircraft can be developed."

Huang Zhe said: "At that time, we will write a detailed project mission book, which will have clear requirements for the technology of carrier-based aircraft and formally sign a R&D contract with the aircraft R&D team."

Zhang Zhi said: "Of course, it's untrue to say anything, everything is based on a formal contract."

Huang Zhe said: "Okay, my business is done. If you don't delay your business, I will leave first."

Zhang Zhi smiled and said, "I finally came here, so I can just leave like this! We happened to have a test flight project today. If Director Huang can stay and see, I think Director Huang will be interested."

When Huang Zhe heard this, he couldn't help but become interested. Anyway, he had already come out, so he was not in a hurry to go back, so he would go and have a look together. So he nodded and said, "Okay, let's go and have a look together."

So Zhang Zhi called Zhang Kaili, took several staff members out of the office, got on a shuttle bus, and drove to the beach. Not long after, the shuttle bus arrived at the beach and stopped by a trestle.

After everyone got off the car, Huang Zhe looked around and saw that there were still many people on the trestle. There was an airplane parked in the sea, leaning against the edge of the trestle, and there was a small motorboat. This aircraft was no different from ordinary fixed-wing aircraft, but was not a wheel under the belly, but two large bell-shaped floaters, connected to the fuselage with two steel pipes, so they could float on the water surface.

Huang Zhe was stunned for a moment and said in surprise: "You have created a seaplane!"

Zhang Zhi nodded and said, "Yes, it's a seaplane. Today's test flight. I originally thought your navy would be interested in seaplanes, so I planned to tell you after the test flight was successful. I didn't expect you to start fiddling with the aircraft carrier. Let's go and take a look."

Several people walked up the pier. At this time, the people on the pier saw Zhang Zhi and greeted him, "The team leader is here."

Zhang Zhi also replied one by one, briefly introduced Huang Zhe to everyone, and then said, "Are you all ready?"

A person who looks like a supervisor said, "We are all ready. Just wait for you to come and you can start the test flight."

Zhang Zhi nodded and asked again: "What about Qicai! Is he ready?"

The man said, "He can't wait any longer, he went to check the plane."

Zhang Zhi then looked at the plane and saw a man wearing a leather jacket, leather pants, goggles, and buoys, fiddling with the plane's propeller. He is today's test pilot Chen Qicai. This is a local person and one of the first pilots trained by the aircraft R&D team. He is now staying in the aircraft R&D team as a test pilot. Today he will be the test flight of the seaplane.

Seeing Zhang Zhi coming, Chen Qicai said: "Team leader, I have checked it just now. There is no problem. You can start the test flight."

Zhang Zhi nodded and said, "Then let's start, Qicai, you must be careful!"

Chen Qicai also nodded and said, "Don't worry, the team leader." Then he pulled the connecting rod between the upper and lower wings, climbed onto the plane, and got into the cab.

At this time, on the trestle, some people untied the airplane cable tied to the trestle, and some people boarded the motorboat next to the plane, started the motorboat, dragged the aircraft away from the trestle, and let the nose face the distance to the sea. Then they untied the cable pulling the aircraft and the motorboat left.

Chen Qicai made a start gesture to the people on the trestle in the cab, then turned on the engine, so the propeller began to rotate, pulling the plane forward slowly, and the speed became faster and faster. At the back of the float, splashing waves were stirred up, dragging two white water lines on the sea surface.

Not long after, the plane slanted into the air and left the water surface. Everyone on the trestle immediately made a cheering sound to celebrate the successful takeoff of the plane. Zhang Zhi also waved excitedly.

At this time, the plane had already flown into the sky and became a small dot. Many people on the trestle took out their telescopes and chased the plane to watch. The plane circled in the air for several circles, and made flight movements such as rolling, rushing, climbing, and flying backwards. They also flew against the sea at a very low altitude for a distance, and then pulled up to climb into the sky, which also attracted a burst of applause from people on the trestle.

The plane flew for about 30 minutes and started to land from the air. People on the trestle were also a little nervous because everyone in this journey knew that it was not difficult to take off the plane. As long as the engine was powerful enough, a door panel could fly into the sky. The real difficulty and the most dangerous thing was the landing of the plane, so everyone naturally felt worried.

The plane was getting closer and closer to the sea, and the two floating bamboo slips finally came into contact with the water surface, and another splashing water curtain was thrilling. People on the trestle immediately burst into cheers and applause, and some even jumped up on the trestle because this had already meant that the landing had been successful.

Sure enough, the plane rowed hundreds of meters above the sea before it stopped. The small motorboat also started, drove towards the plane, drove to the side of the plane, threw out the cable, held the plane, and pulled the plane back to the side of the pier.

After the plane stopped steadily on the side of the trestle, Chen Qicai got off the plane and boarded the trestle, which attracted everyone to cheer. Someone sent flowers to celebrate the complete success of this test flight.

After everyone's emotions stabilized, Zhang Zhi called everyone, dragged the plane to the shore, checked the plane, and asked Chen Qicai to write a test flight registration for a comprehensive summary. Then he found Huang Zhe and said, "I'm sorry, Director Huang, I was busy with the test flight just now, I forgot that you are still here."

Huang Zhe also smiled and said, "It's okay, it's all for work, and I'm happy to congratulate you, the test flight was successful."

Zhang Zhi said: "How is it? I wonder if the Navy is interested in seaplanes!"

Huang Zhe said: "Of course I'm interested. I forgot about this. I didn't expect that you have started developing seaplanes, and they all reached this progress and started to test flights."

As a enthusiast of heavy ships and giant cannons, Huang Zhe certainly knew that seaplanes were simple in technology and could take off directly from the sea, and as a navy's reconnaissance method, it had a great effect. Therefore, before the aircraft carriers appeared, seaplanes were once popular. Some countries even created seaplanes, which were actually a warship specially used to carry seaplanes, and installed a crane on the warship. When the seaplane was released, first use the crane to put the seaplane into the seawater, so that the aircraft could take off at sea. After the aircraft landed on the sea surface, they used the crane to lift the aircraft onto the warship. This would bring a large number of seaplanes to operate with the fleet and improve the reconnaissance capabilities of the entire fleet.

After the emergence of aircraft carriers, seaplanes were not eliminated. Although seaplanes were not built again, when constructing battleships, countries would consider installing cranes on the ships and carrying several seaplanes. After all, in the early days of aircraft carriers, battleships were still the main force of the navy and often fought independently. Aircraft carriers would not always follow the battle. Therefore, several seaplanes were carried as a fleet reconnaissance.

Although the Navy plans to build an aircraft carrier now, seaplanes are still very useful, especially now that the seaplane has been successfully tested and is basically set. Moreover, the structure of the seaplane carrier is simpler and can be transformed with cargo ships and transport ships. Therefore, if the project can be established, at most about one year, 1-2 seaplane carriers can be transformed, which can greatly enhance the reconnaissance capabilities of the East China Government Navy.

Even if the aircraft carrier is successfully built, seaplanes and seaplane carriers are also useful. First, the number of aircraft carriers is limited. During this shipbuilding cycle, at most two aircraft carriers can be built. Seaplanes and seaplanes can be used as supplements to aircraft carriers; second, in the non-aircraft carrier formation, there is a seaplane carrier or several seaplanes, which can improve the fleet's reconnaissance capabilities.
Chapter completed!