Chapter 59: 59, Deal Reached, Boeing 80 Delivered
Boeing sales representative Neil from Toledo picked up the pottery bottle of Shuanggou Dagou, pouring himself a glass.
He downed it in one gulp, then ate vegetables with a fork and scooped peanuts with a spoon.
He was a man who could hold his liquor, and under the stimulation of alcohol, he became lively all over.
“Two years ago, our company developed a twin-engine fast bomber B-9 for the Army, with a speed of 186 miles.”
One mile is 1.6 kilometers, and Commonwealth countries and the United States were still using this standard at the time.
Fang Wen calculated it on paper with a pen, about 300 kilometers.
Astonishing speed.
Neil’s words continued.
“The Army was very satisfied with this high-speed fighter jet and asked us to continue developing high-speed fighter jets. After more than a year of research and development, we finalized the model as P26-A. This great change means biplanes will eventually be eliminated, and the future belongs to high-speed monoplanes.”
“Hmm, what about P26-B?” Fang Wen timely guided the conversation.
“P26-B was an improvement plan proposed by the Army. They wanted a fighter jet with even higher speed, so we replaced the R-1340-27 engine with the R-1340-33 engine, but the injection fuel device paired with this engine had problems and was ultimately returned by the Army.”
“It has problems.” Fang Wen gave Shunzi a look, signaling him to open another bottle of Shuanggou Dagou.
After pouring wine for Neil, Fang Wen asked, “Can you explain the injection fuel device? I’m not familiar with it.”
“Sure.” Neil spoke enthusiastically about his professional field. “This equipment uses high pressure to spray fuel out at high speed through the oil nozzle, entering the injection pump device. In the injection pump, the high-speed oil flow drives and mixes with the surrounding low-speed oil flow, then enters the diffuser pipe. In the diffuser pipe, the oil flow speed decreases, the oil pressure increases, and finally it flows out at a certain pressure for the system to use.”
It was a bit complex; Fang Wen felt that even with decades of future knowledge, he couldn’t understand what the other was saying.
This was called specializing in one’s field.
He thought of the chemistry top student Huo Duanyang; perhaps he could understand.
He then leaned back and said to Shunzi standing behind him, “Go call Huo Duanyang.”
Shunzi ran out of the canteen and brought Huo Duanyang over a few minutes later.
Fang Wen handed the translated text to Huo Duanyang.
“See what this means.”
“Injection fuel device?” After carefully reading, Huo Duanyang replied, “It should roughly be a pressurized fuel supply device that ensures stable oil line supply.”
A device to ensure stable oil line supply was ultimately returned by the US Army due to its own instability.
Fang Wen continued talking with Neil.
“Can the injection fuel device be fixed?”
“Of course, but the Army didn’t want to accept this design hidden danger, so we had to stop production of this model.”
“Where are the P26-Bs that have already been produced?”
“In the company warehouse, there are two. In a couple of years, they might be disposed of as scrap after financial inventory.”
“If I want to buy one P26-B, is that possible?”
Neil sobered up instantly.
He still remembered what Fang Wen had said before.
“This is your plan? Give me your East tung oil supply source, and I’ll give you a P26-B?”
Neil’s words were not Fang Wen’s plan.
Fang Wen had been thinking of using tung oil as bait, then paying a high price to buy that P26-B.
This way, driven by interests, Neil might agree.
But now, Neil was willing to use tung oil as the transaction price to exchange for a P26-B for the tung oil business.
This was obviously more cost-effective; at that time, he just needed Fourth sister’s husband to ship another batch of tung oil to complete the transaction.
To confirm the other’s words, Fang Wen asked.
“Are you sure you can get it? I want a P26-B with no problems.”
“I’m sure, but this matter needs to be handled differently. It will be included in the trade fighter jet project; we can modify its paint job to make it like the M281.”
According to Neil, on the surface Fang Wen would be buying Boeing’s foreign trade fighter jet ‘M281’, but actually obtaining a P26-B fighter jet.
This was a win-win transaction.
But details still needed to be discussed.
“Given the current situation, I require you to handle shipping; payment of all balance will be after receiving goods at the port.”
“Fine, loading tung oil onto the ship and the airplane arriving at port will be completed simultaneously, just like this transaction.”
“I need double quota for all accessories of the P26-B.”
“That will require additional expenses.”
“No problem.”
Fang Wen extended his hand with a smile: “Pleasant cooperation.”
Neil also smiled broadly, his drunkenness completely gone.
Fighter jet transaction reached.
This cooperation was different from purchasing Boeing 80; it was a private deal beneficial to both sides.
Neil could gain more profit from it, such as long-term tung oil trade and the price difference from reselling the test aircraft P26-B.
For Fang Wen, it was a big win; a repaired injection fuel device P26-B would even have better performance than the P26-A that the US Army was about to equip, giving him more confidence in future air combat.
At the same time, due to the signing of the ceasefire agreement, although there were still Japanese Army troops in Zhabei District, people’s daily economic activities were gradually resuming.
People from the Eight Great Families returned to Shanghai one after another, starting preparations for the private airline company.
The airline company was named Taishan Airlines, implying as steady as Taishan Mountain, to reassure passengers.
As for the airport, it rented the airport of China Airlines. At this time, there were only two airline companies with no conflicting flight paths, and plus it was due to the company old employee Fang Wen, China Airlines didn’t mind the extra stable income.
Propaganda for the airline company was also starting.
Newspapers sold by newsboys on streets big and small all carried advertisements for Taishan Airlines.
Radio broadcasts inserted information about Taishan Airlines’ upcoming opening during broadcast breaks.
Until twenty days later, a cargo ship flying the United States flag docked at Shanghai’s Sixteen Wharf.
Year 21 of the Republic of China, May 16 in the Gregorian calendar.
Sixteen Wharf on the upper section of Shanghai’s Huangpu River was as bustling as ever.
This was Shanghai’s largest passenger transport dock for sea shipping, with large passenger ships coming and going every day.
Cargo ships from overseas also passed through the Yangtze River Estuary into the Huangpu River and docked here.
Passenger transport and cargo transport were separated by some distance.
One side’s passenger dock was crowded with people.
The other side’s cargo dock had coolies carrying sacks off the cargo ship, walking towards the cargo warehouse on wooden boards.
The distant loud whistle sound attracted people’s attention, and they all turned to look at the Huangpu River surface.
That was a really big cargo ship!
To avoid colliding with ships on the river channel during navigation, it continuously sounded its whistle to warn.
Shanghai’s maritime police ships went over and boarded to check the situation.
While the cargo ship paused on the river surface, sharp-eyed people saw something on the ship.
“Isn’t that an airplane!”
“Right, these past couple of days everywhere has been talking about Taishan Airlines shipping a large airplane from the United States by sea; I think that’s it.”
“It’s really big; the deck is almost full, tied down with so many cables.”
