Five days later, hundreds of craftsmen gathered on the open ground outside the mansion, gazing at the helicopter that had been installed.
Two unexpected guests were also present.
Yelü Goudan and Yelü Ting Tian.
"Hahahaha, this thing, can it fly?"
Yelü Goudan asked, pointing at the helicopter with a look of curiosity.
"Goudan, why do I feel like you're mocking me?"
Fang Er glanced at him askance.
It seemed this fellow's habit of chuckling was unchangeable.
"Hahaha, Duke, you jest. How would this humble prince dare to mock you? I am merely curious, purely curious!"
"Well, no need to be curious. We'll let Tian Ying go up and try it out shortly."
Fang Er pointed to Yelü Tian Ying, who was leading Big Horn.
Yelü Goudan was stunned: "Duke, you're not joking?"
Fang Er nodded: "When would I have the time to joke with you!"
Yelü Goudan was dumbfounded.
Xi Gua Ting Tian, stroking his goatee to the side, gloated: "My son-in-law, isn't it time you considered who to choose as your successor?"
"Choose soon, make up your mind early. My daughters are waiting."
Fang Er's mouth twitched upon hearing this fellow's words.
"I have always been fair. Later, I'll let Bu Tian have a go as well."
"This is the first aircraft of the Great Tang. If it succeeds, it will be a contribution that will go down in history!"
Xi Gua Ting Tian was also stunned. What a coincidence of being fair!
Without paying attention to the two bewildered individuals, Fang Er stepped forward and began to call out names.
"Zhang Tian, Yelü Tian Ying, Xi Gua Tian, you three will come up with me for the test flight!"
Zhao Gang grabbed Fang Er's arm.
"Duke, you cannot! What if something unfortunate happens!"
The others also looked on with apprehension.
This was different from a hot air balloon. That thing relied on fire to ascend, rising and descending slowly, giving one time to react if something went wrong.
But this wooden helicopter, with its engine and fuel tank, weighed over four thousand catties. If it fell, what would be left?
Fang Er waved his hand: "What are you afraid of? We don't even know if it can fly yet. Even if it can fly, we'll just fly lower. Even if there's an accident, it won't be a major problem."
"Then, Duke, I'll go up with you."
Zhao Gang's expression was resolute, his hand clinging to Fang Er's arm.
"Teacher, your student wants to accompany you too!"
Mo Ming stood behind Zhao Gang, joining in the commotion.
"Chancellor! And this prince! These blueprints were all drawn by this prince, stroke by stroke!"
"Alright, alright. Mo Ming and Prince Wei can accompany you. Old Zhao, you must supervise from below and record the flight posture. These will be useful data later."
Fang Er broke free from Zhao Gang's arm and was the first to board the helicopter.
Yelü Tian Ying, Xi Gua Bu Tian, Zhang Tian, Mo Ming, and Li Tai followed closely behind.
The engine had been converted to electric start, using an electric start module salvaged from a tractor.
Zhang Tian sat in the co-pilot's seat, watching Fang Er's every move. He aspired to be the man of the Flying Number One!
Fang Er calmly pressed the electric start button.
"Zzzzzzzzt!"
After a burst of electric start sounds, the engine began to hum.
From the outside, the four massive rotor blades also began to spin with the engine's activation, kicking up a storm of dust.
Fang Er pulled the control stick and gradually increased the throttle. The rotor speed increased, and the air it displaced roared.
The crowd gathered outside was forced to retreat by the dust, shielding their eyes and peeking through their fingers at the helicopter.
There were no tachometers, no altimeters, no radar, no electronic displays.
There was only a fuel gauge, its needle indicating that the six-hundred-liter fuel tank was full.
"Hold on tight!"
Feeling the helicopter slowly lift off the ground, Fang Er roared and increased the throttle again.
The helicopter shot up into the sky!
"It's flying! It's really flying!"
Zhang Tian excitedly slapped his thigh!
"Hahaha! It's flying! My blueprints are correct!"
Li Tai was so happy he was in tears!
He could already imagine himself piloting a helicopter, circling above the Two Poles Palace!
Yelü Tian Ying and Xi Gua Bu Tian were dumbfounded!
Hailing from the grasslands, they revered the sky, but also feared it. They had never imagined that they, too, would one day soar through the blue heavens!
Fang Er's lips curved into a satisfied smile.
This was just the first step. Once aluminum alloy was developed, helicopters could be mass-produced!
The helicopter flew higher and higher. Below, Zhao Gang and the others, after their initial excitement, began to worry.
It had to be at least a hundred meters high now!
What if something happened?
In the back courtyard, Chai Yue and Xiao Qing were also drawn by the roar of the helicopter, their attention fixed on the sky.
"Ah! Madam! That's the helicopter Prince Wei made!"
"It's actually flying!"
"Look, it's flying higher and higher!"
"Madam, this servant really wants to go up and see."
Several maids gathered around Chai Yue, pointing and chattering about the helicopter in the sky.
Chai Yue also looked on with longing.
Up in the sky, would her mother be there?
Fang Er reduced the throttle, and the rotor speed gradually decreased.
He pulled the rudder, controlling the helicopter to turn. After circling the mansion, it landed slowly at the main entrance.
Fang Er turned off the engine, appeared at the cabin door, and shouted to Zhao Gang and the craftsmen waiting outside:
"I declare, the helicopter's test flight is successful!"
The entire place fell silent.
After a long moment, Zhao Gang tremblingly approached the helicopter, his hands stroking the wooden exterior.
This was something he and his men had painstakingly crafted, piece by piece.
Mo Ming's eyes welled up with tears. After centuries, through the power of mechanics, insignificant humans had once again taken to the sky!
The revitalization of the Mohist school was imminent!
The other craftsmen rushed forward, cheering.
Yelü Goudan and Xi Gua Bu Tian each called their sons over, asking about their experience of flying.
After the craftsmen's enthusiasm had lingered for a long time, Fang Er cleared his throat, sat at the cargo door of the helicopter, and addressed the crowd.
"Answer me!"
"At this moment, are you filled with a sense of accomplishment?"
"Do you feel pride as craftsmen?"
Zhao Gang and the other craftsmen nodded heavily.
In their hearts, at this moment, as Fang Er had said, they felt immense pride!
"I am proud of you too!"
"You have every reason to be proud, and you are qualified to be arrogant!"
"But, you must never be satisfied!"
"This is just a wooden prototype!"
"In the future, you must use stronger materials to build helicopters!"
"This helicopter has only one engine, it's not enough! The power is far from enough!"
"Your goal is dual-engine, tri-engine, quad-engine helicopters!"
"Imagine, in the future, countless helicopters hovering over the battlefield, with countless bullets and bombs raining down from the sky."
"What will be the fate of the enemies of the Great Tang?"
"This is what you, as craftsmen, can do for the Great Tang!"
"With your hands, make the soldiers of the Great Tang fight ten against one, a hundred against one, even a thousand against one!"
Fang Er seemed to recall his past life, when his master had patiently taught him, explaining the mission of a great nation's craftsman.
His tone gradually became more impassioned, and he loudly asked the crowd:
"Do you have confidence!"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Zhao Gang, Mo Ming, and the host of craftsmen expressed their determination with the loudest voices.