Ermu
Chapter 1380 Phoenix Wings
The cockpit resembled a bulging bubble, entirely encased in flawless glass, obviously taking into account the impact of airflow at high speeds. The cockpit was positioned quite far back, with the rear of the bubble slightly higher than the front and smoothly integrated into the fuselage. The advantage of this layout was immediately apparent, as the low front and high rear significantly improved the pilot's visibility. The converging curve of the glass cover, combined with the tail rudder, made the aircraft appear very clean and neat, with all parts seamlessly integrated.
The biggest difference of the new aircraft, and a feature that no trainee could ignore, was the absence of a propeller at the nose!
Without the flat engine, the entire head converged into a sharp cone, creating a sense of piercing through clouds and waves. Most of the aircraft was painted in a bright orange-red, making it resemble a slender flame. Several white lines running from the head to the tail added a sense of vibrant energy to the fuselage.
Even a layman who knew nothing about flying could feel the elegance and beauty of its contours.
The first time Tilly saw the new aircraft, she realized she was deeply in love with it.
However...without a propeller, how could this aircraft fly?
This was not only Tilly's thought, but also the thought of most people present.
The question was not answered until the other two cargo boxes were opened.
The second iron box contained the wings and tail. In terms of quantity, it only had one pair of wings, instead of the two pairs of main wings like the Skyfire. There were two symmetrical interfaces on the underside of the wing surface, obviously reserved for other large components.
The last cargo box contained two engines.
But if you just say it's an engine, the volume is a bit too big.
Compared to the one on the Skyfire, it was more like an integrated whole that could be replaced at any time. The careful Tilly had already noticed that its surface was painted in the same red as the fuselage, with many inspection ports distributed on it, and black muzzles were installed in the holes below the shaft.
Thinking of the reserved interfaces on the wings, a rough picture of the new aircraft gradually emerged in her mind.
The fuselage no longer bears the power system, the slender single wing is located below the fuselage, further reducing drag; the two engines are distributed on both sides of the wing, giving the aircraft double the thrust...
She couldn't wait to board it and experience it!
"By the way," Moriel rummaged in her pocket and took out a letter, "This was sent by His Majesty along with the goods. The envelope says it must be opened by you personally."
Tilly took out the letter and spread it out in her hand.
"Dear sister,"
"This is the gift I promised, I hope you like it."
"Detailed introductions and specific parameters are in the instruction manual in the cockpit, but I think you are unlikely to read it carefully, but will rush straight to the point."
"If it can fly now, then you are likely to read this letter after flying - which is why I sent it to Dawn. At least when the workers assemble it, you can have time to read the instruction manual first."
"After all, it has a completely different structure and characteristics from the Skyfire. Even if you are a Transcendent, it wouldn't hurt to have a comprehensive understanding of it before taking off."
What the heck... Tilly pouted a little embarrassedly, was she that easy to understand?
"What did His Majesty say? I want to see too..." Moriel leaned over.
She quickly turned sideways, blocking the other person's view, "Cough, it's all nonsense, it's okay not to read it."
"Eh--"
"Want to drink Chaos Drink?"
"Yes!"
"Go to my office to get it."
Tilly pointed a finger, and Moriel immediately trotted towards the direction she pointed.
She breathed a sigh of relief and turned her gaze back to the letter.
"In addition, it is about the name of this aircraft."
"I originally wanted to continue to use the name Unicorn, but I always felt that it was a little short of the red electric light that dominates the sky, so I simply changed to a new name."
That was a term Tilly had never seen before—undoubtedly, it was created by Roland.
She tried to read it.
"Phoenix..."
"In our place, the Phoenix is a kind of divine bird, always associated with fire, which matches red perfectly. Of course, the most important thing is that legend has it that the Phoenix is immortal. Every four thousand six hundred days, it will form a golden cocoon, and after four thousand six hundred days, it will break out of the cocoon and be reborn."
"This is also what I want to say - no matter what kind of enemy you face, I hope you can return alive."
"Like a Phoenix."
"I will bring back the ashes for you, so you must also keep your promise."
"We made an agreement, didn't we?"
For some reason, Tilly suddenly felt a little sore in her eyes.
She blinked hard, held back the surging warmth, and took a deep breath.
"The Phoenix is immortal..." she murmured in a voice only she could hear, "Not a bad name. I accept this gift, brother."
"...Your Highness?" the guard asked in confusion.
"It's nothing," Tilly raised her hand and said, "Notify the ground crew and let them assemble the Phoenix as quickly as possible, I can't wait to test fly it."
...
Three days later, the assembled new aircraft drove out of the hangar and slowly slid onto the runway.
"Oh? Is this the dedicated aircraft you mentioned? It looks really good."
Lightning's voice came from the Listening Charm.
Tilly looked up - through the glass canopy, she could clearly see the Explorer Team hovering in the sky. As the first flight of the Phoenix, she specially called Lightning and Maggie in case of accidents.
It must be said that the interior design of this aircraft is even better than the exterior.
When she was in the cockpit, she even had the illusion that it was not a purely war machine. For example, the seat was thicker and softer, and she would not feel back pain after driving for a long time; all kinds of levers and buttons had manipulation feedback, making them easier to use; and there was a special slot reserved for the Listening Charm, so she could easily talk to multiple holders even in combat.
Compared to the Unicorn, it is indeed more like an aircraft designed specifically for her.
"Do you want to compete to see who flies faster later?" Tilly replied with a smile.
"Let's forget it. The previous Skyfire couldn't even beat Maggie's seagull form, let alone compare with me." Lightning's tone revealed undisguised pride, "Am I right?"
"That's right, even I can't beat you, goo!"
"How would you know the result if you don't try?" Tilly accelerated the throttle, and the roar of the engines on both sides suddenly increased. Compared to the Skyfire's slow acceleration, the Phoenix's fuselage was as light as if it had no weight. The surrounding scenery quickly receded, she gently touched the main rod, and the aircraft had already tilted its head and soared into the sky.