The Ming Dynasty "Pioneer" airship navigation experiment has its own process.
According to the plan, the Pioneer took off from Chongming Island, crossed the Nanyang Islands and entered Xinxiang, Australia.
After receiving supplies and maintenance at Shingo, it took off again and headed east across the Pacific, eventually landing in Washington, United States of America.
The entire voyage is 15,000 kilometers.
At this point in time, it was the first high-altitude voyage across the ocean in human history.
If this voyage is a complete success, it will mean that Ming Dynasty's airship technology has matured and is about to begin militarization and commercialization.
The General's Office is planning to design an air force that can integrate military power projection, reconnaissance, bombing, and artillery.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has set its sights on the air transportation industry, hoping to mass-produce civil aviation airships to provide transportation capacity for the mountainous areas and plateaus in the southwest of the Ming Dynasty.
The Pioneer sailed eastward, passing the Chongming Fortress Group, along the Chongming Military Port, and flew over the completed Statue of Liberty Supreme Laojun.
Officials from the Ministry of Rites, who were already prepared, took a photo of the airship and Lao Jun's statue in the same frame from a distance.
Since this voyage was published in the "Da Ming Bao", many idle people rented boats and followed the Pioneer to witness this great moment.
After the airship left the sky above Chongming Island and entered the sea, most of the small boats regretfully returned.
Only a few large sea-going ships and a dozen private steam yachts followed behind.
Eldenbao drove his beloved yacht "Anti-Qing", followed by Buyanda Lai and several other "elders of the two dynasties".
Soon everyone passed through Luzon, Sulawesi, and the Nanyang Islands.
Eventually, the Pioneer landed in Xinxiang, where it began to receive supplies and maintenance.
"If you take off again from here, the telegraph station on the ground will not be able to provide you with communications. You need to turn on the radio at 12 noon, Jinling time.
If you are lucky, you will receive greetings from the maritime communication ship. "
In the old palace of Xinxiang, Zhu Xianxue, an unemployed vagabond, reminded Li Siming about entering the Pacific Ocean while competing with half a watermelon.
In a few days, Zhu Xianxue will return to Jinling to attend the opening ceremony of Jinling Primary School.
But that night, Zhu Xianxue looked at the Pioneer in the distance and his eyes were shining brightly.
He quietly wrote a letter and left it on the table, then quietly entered the Pioneer with the package on his back.
The next day, the Pioneer took off again.
Li Siming stood on the podium and started busy sorting out the test forms.
In order to save power, the Pioneer began to climb and finally found a suitable wind direction at an altitude of 8,000 meters.
At this height, it is difficult for steam yachts on the sea to observe the airship.
Even if you are equipped with a telescope, it is difficult to see the black spots in the sky because of the glare of the lens.
There were only two Xinxiang communication ships galloping on the sea according to the navigation route.
It's noon.
Pioneer again released ballast water and entered the troposphere at 12,000 degrees.
The wind speed here allows the airship to reach a speed of 80 kilometers per hour.
Sailing made easy.
"How much ballast water is left?"
Li Siming asked the soldiers and got a reply quickly.
"Report to the captain, there are 1.5 tons of ballast water remaining, 0.6 tons in the first cabin, 0.6 tons in the second cabin, and 0.3 tons in the third cabin."
Li Siming nodded, made a record in the form, and asked: "What is the estimated ceiling of the remaining ballast water?"
"Estimated 6,000 meters!"
"Okay, get ready to arrange experiments."
The soldiers received the order and immediately went to the bottom tank to prepare to release the ballast water.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped into the cabin, he saw a figure flashing in the darkness.
"who?"
The soldiers were shocked, and words such as "the remnants of the Qing Dynasty", "the Anti-Ming Dynasty and the restoration of the White Lotus", and "the arthropod monster from Journey to the Center of the Earth" came to mind.
He immediately pulled out the pistol on his waist, pointed it at the figure, and punched the red button next to him. A piercing alarm sounded in the airship.
A few minutes later, Li Siming wrinkled his cheeks and twitched the corners of his mouth slightly. He looked at Zhu Xianxue who was touching his nose and shivering with cold, and his head felt big.
"Your Highness Prince Snow, why are you here?"
"Well, I got up to go to the bathroom last night and accidentally got lost, so I boarded the airship."
The upright soldiers standing around almost couldn't hold it back. They exchanged quick glances with a look of "do you think we believe it?"
It was obvious that Zhu Xianxue boarded the airship secretly.
Li Siming had no choice but to find a military coat and put it on Prince Xue. He also made two cups of ginger tea and asked him to sit on the command podium to warm up.
Then, Li Siming came to the telegraph room and asked the telegraph operator.
"How about, can we contact the communication ship?"
The telegraph operator put down his earphones and shook his head at Li Siming.
"Then wait until noon and see if we can get in touch."
Li Siming left the telecommunications room and came to the air bag cabin, where two patrolling soldiers were checking the air pressure.
At this time, the only weather soldier on the airship came to Li Siming and said: "Captain, after my calculations, there will be no westward airflow in the airspace below 12,000 in the next few days.
If you want to send His Royal Highness Prince Xue back to Daming.
We need to gain altitude and find a suitable wind direction in the troposphere above.
But I can't guarantee that there will be westward airflow! "
Now, Li Siming has to face a choice.
Either take the Snow Prince across the Pacific, or risk ascending to the troposphere and look for westward air currents.
Headache, headache.
Li Siming returned to the cab, rolled his eyes at Prince Xue who was sitting on the command platform sipping ginger tea, and sighed deeply.
And in Xinxiang.
A group of guards knocked on Zhu Xianxue's bedroom door.
"Your Highness Prince Snow, the steam locomotive is ready!"
"It's quite quiet on the street now, perfect for starting."
After waiting for a while, the guards saw that there was no movement in the bedroom, looked at each other, and silently put their right hands on the holsters on their waists.
When everyone was ready, the leader nodded and suddenly opened the door.
Everyone was tense and kept observing the abnormalities in the bedroom.
There were no assassins and the Snow Prince was not around.
A few people only saw a letter pressed with a music box on the table.
A guard picked up the letter. On the cover was a line of elegant font.
"To my guards~"
Everyone opened the envelope.
"As a jobless vagabond, I am really bored and am planning to take the Pioneer to the sky.
Don't tell Long Live Lord yet, wait until I return to Xinxiang. "
"Hiss~"
The guards gasped.
Everyone looked at each other, took the letter and went to find He Changxu, the mayor of Xinxiang City.
When He Changxu saw the letter, he jumped up from his chair in fright.
"Quickly, send a report to Jinling, saying that Prince Snow is on the airship!"
"Contact the Coast Guard and send ships into the Pacific immediately. Just send those steam speedboats that have just been completed. Be sure to contact the airship!"
He Changxu called a group of officials, quickly arranged all the matters in Australia, and then boarded the steam speedboat and set off.
"Hey dear mother, is it possible to board the experimental airship casually? The sky is not as good as the sea. There are lifeboats if there is an accident on the sea ship.
The airship in the sky had an accident. Either it used a parachute with no actual combat experience, or it had to wait for death. "
He Changxu was sweating profusely on the steamboat.
