Judging from the readings from Weiss' special vision, this silver winged aircraft has 15-16 members, and the flight speed is faster than those common flying ships, and has certain self-defense firepower. The corresponding protection ability is not as good as that of flying ships, but it is stronger than any previous aircraft.

Before the aircraft could land, Weiss asked the management staff of Bellakasse Airport to check the Normans' reports. The files show that the Normans registered that a light aircraft would arrive today. Its type is a "small cargo aircraft" and its carrying capacity is smaller than the smallest transport ship. The registration name is "Meteor 1". In the trade agreement of the international airport, there is no agreement on what tonnage or volume the vehicle must reach. If the Normans want this aircraft to land in Bellakasse, they need to complete the corresponding registration and registration procedures and occupy a quota to arrive. Of course, it only needs reasonable allocation. Its "stop line" will not affect normal trade transportation. The Normans sent a large tonnage transport the next day to fill the traffic gap on that day.

Weiss stood on the second floor terrace of the office building, looking at the silver aircraft getting closer and closer. The airport was prepared for the flight ships, and no regular aircraft take-off and landing runway was built. It maintained its original speed until it approached the airport. Then it landed in the transportation area in a different attitude than the aircraft and the flight ships. It was not until this time that Weiss saw the shape of the visitor clearly: unlike the long-range aircraft developed by the Starry Sky Group, this silver aircraft was not special.

Don't have a wide wing, but like a fish on the seabed. The pair of short wings are in order to maintain balance rather than gain aerial power, which shows that it is essentially still an aircraft that uses star source stone to provide aerial power. It has two engines, and the size of the propeller seems to be smaller than that of the Star Group. The propeller is installed behind the engine to produce a backward push. Its body is like an elegant pike, or it can be seen as an enlarged spindle, and its tail is triangular, which is generally like a Q-version aircraft in the comics.

Perhaps in order to maintain a streamlined shape, or as a technical concern, the silver aircraft did not have a circular machine gun tower, but set up shooting windows everywhere in the fuselage. At first glance, there were about twenty, and they should be equipped with medium-caliber machine guns or machine guns with a caliber or above. For flying warships, these weapons can only be scratched through the shoe, but there is still room for dealing with fighter jets that are also highly maneuverable.

Recalling the announcement from the Norman Empire a few days ago, Weiss couldn't help but speculate, is the so-called space shuttle the thing? This thing in front of him is indeed one gear higher than the previous aircraft, but it does not seem to have a completely closed structure. Perhaps that thing is the further improvement of the enclosure and high-altitude performance on this basis, coupled with the auxiliary rocket propeller, so that it can fly in the atmosphere with conventional power, use the rocket to help rush out of the atmosphere, and conduct a short space travel.

When Balas came, the entire Bellakasse Air Port became busy again. Gunnivel went to meet his lover. Weiss did not go for dinner, but typed a typewriter in the office that was temporarily prepared for him, sorting out the original written report about Gunnivel's activities in Bellakasse and the meeting with Bass into a written report, and promptly reported to the Federal President's Office and the Federal Security Supervision Department. He was involved in this matter with good intentions, but private contact with the Normans is very sensitive in the federal government, and it is also a big taboo in the military and political circles. With Octavier at that time, they could testify with each other, but Octavier had not come yet. He had to avoid being alone with Balas and prove his behavior by reporting in a timely manner, so as not to die in this matter in the future.

Because of some temporary missions, Octavell arrived at Belakaser at noon the next day, and the commissioner of the federal security supervision department arrived at almost this time. After all the procedures were complete, Weiss had a safe meeting with Prince Balas again. As usual, he did not go roundaboutly, but pointed out the problem. Balas still answered in an ambiguous way. He told Weiss that the space explorer was real and that it did leave the atmosphere and enter space. He could use his reputation to guarantee this. As for the details, he could not disclose it because of the confidentiality involved.

This time, Balas stayed in Bellakass for three days and two hours less, a full day shorter than the last time. Weiss paid attention to the observation that this guy seemed to be idle and had been with Guniville all day, but in fact he did not completely ignore government affairs. After he arrived in Bellakass, the number of telegrams received and sent by Norman managers here increased significantly, but these codes were all encrypted.

Although deciphering the code felt very difficult, and in peacetime, the military's funds were weakened compared with those of war, and the radio monitoring and deciphering departments seemed to have been reduced in size. Weiss sought help from the federal security monitoring department, and they sent a radio team. Although the squad had not made any achievements before Prince Balas left, Weiss believed that efforts from various channels and details would eventually pay off.

During his stay in Balas, Weiss met with him three times, all of whom took the opportunity of breakfast to have some conversations. It was really difficult to draw some truth from this smart man's mouth, and sometimes he was easily led by him, but it was better to have communication than to speculate in a closed way. At least from the confidence shown by Balas, the Norman Empire should be constantly digesting and absorbing the results of the last major discovery. If they were allowed to continue, maybe a few years, maybe a dozen years. They would have great advantages in the field of technology, and then reflect this advantage in military strategy.

Just a few days after Weiss returned from Belakass, Nicholas came to Lorraine and told him personally that the Federal Military Commission issued a tender for spacecraft design plans to Starry Sky and Dosen, two of the most powerful corporate groups in the field of aeronautical machinery, requiring them to come up with short-term achievable design plans within three months. The winning party will receive a special R&D fund of 20,000 gold kroner and a guaranteed order of "5+20", namely: at least 5 test aircraft and 20 small-batch production aircraft.

20,000 gold crowns are enough for the Lorraines to build twenty or thirty artificial canals, or provide sufficient financial support for their ten-year development plan. This is only a special R&D fund. The later-stage test machines and small-batch production machines will also pay order fees at a certain proportion of the cost. Not to mention the expected profit, at least in terms of scale, this is a considerable "big order"!

Nicholas came to Weiss not to discuss cooperation, but to listen to his ideas about spacecraft to see if he could inspire him. She said that after receiving the military's design proposal, the core technical personnel of Starry Sky Group were "brain storming", and various ideas were confusing people's eyes, which made her feel very stressed. Of course, if Weiss had no reliable ideas here, she would just come out to relax and find inspiration.

After hearing this, Weiss was very calm from head to toe. Not to mention anything else, he was quite good at making suggestions and giving ideas in the field of technology, and was more reliable than most people on this planet.

"It's not long before the war ended, and a new round of military competition began again. Developing arms is undoubtedly the most expensive in various fields. 20,000 gold crowns... How much can it be used to do? According to my estimate, if you want to truly enter the space age, the federal government spends much more than this, maybe fifty times or one hundred times!" Weiss did not rush to give advice to his good friends, but gave him a sigh.

"In the era of Lebold, the federal government could generally maintain restraint, but now..." Nicholas shook his head helplessly, "Forget it, don't say these boring things, let's talk about serious matters! I have an idea that, with our current technical conditions, the only thing that can send the aircraft into space is the Star Source Stone. In an environment without air, the engine cannot work. After flying out of the atmosphere, our aircraft either use compressed air to drive the engine to provide power, or use batteries to provide power, or both, but they maintain the maximum time for the Star Source Stone to operate for only one quarter of an hour, which is too short!"

"Yes, under the current conditions, the general direction you are considering is correct. We have no other way. I suspect that the so-called spacecraft of the Normans also followed this idea to design and manufacture. I did a simple calculation before. From the limit altitude of a normal aircraft to leaving the atmosphere, it only takes twenty minutes at least. It is not much different from the quarter of an hour you calculated. It should be bridged through some technical means. I think the biggest problem now is... What is the practical significance of manufacturing such a spacecraft? Transform altitude advantage into relative air supremacy?" Weiss pondered.

Nicholas did not answer this question, but instead thought about it: "After entering space, can the aircraft maintain its existing altitude without power, just like the earliest glider? No, without air, there is no way to glide."

In Weiss's cognition, artificial satellites and space station technologies will become very mature in the near future. There is no difference in whether to carry them by rockets or by spacecraft. So he said to Nicholas: "You just got a positive answer from the perspective of physics... Yes, it can maintain unpowered flight under specific conditions, even if the star source stone does not work. Well, this is knowledge in the field of space physics. I remember it seems to be called space orbit or something. You can ask for a few questions from top physics experts."

Nicolato thought: "But even if it can stay in space for a while, even if it is three or four days, what is the actual effect? ​​From a height of 100,000 feet or even higher, even if it is a telescope with a maximum multiple, it is difficult to see clearly on the ground! Or, go over the enemy's head and launch an attack from the top of the enemy's target? At such a high place, the hit rate should be very bad. If you enter the atmosphere and attack again, what is the difference between it and an ordinary aircraft?"

Seeing her so distressed, Weiss said: "Want to know the answers to these questions? Ask Professor Yang, ask her to recommend one or two top physics experts, and then be a student and listen to their professional insights on this."

Nicholas nodded: "Are you going together?"
Chapter completed!