Chapter 521: Ground Effect Test

The command center was temporarily set up on the high ground at the edge of the bay, where several of Long Country's top leaders and Military Representatives had gathered. Their expressions were solemn, yet they could not hide the anticipation and nervousness in their eyes.

"What is the test today?" Deputy Minister Liu asked Minister Zhang in a low voice.

Minister Zhang smiled mysteriously: "Chief Engineer Li calls this a 'ground effect test'. As for what exactly it is... I don't quite understand it either, you'll know in a moment."

"How shocking is it?"

"Ten times more shocking than the debut of 'Pangu'," Minister Zhang said with certainty. "Get ready to hold your chin; don't let it drop to the floor."

Meanwhile, "Kunpeng" had already been towed out of the Final Assembly Workshop and slowly moved along a special rail system to the launch platform at the edge of the bay. Shrouded in morning mist, its silhouette appeared even more mysterious and massive.

Li Mingyuan stood before the communication console in the command center, checking the various parameters for the last time. He wore a special flight suit and looked both nervous and excited.

"All systems checked, power Hexin stable, weather conditions ideal; we can begin the test." He reported into the communicator, then turned to the leaders present: "Comrades, I need to pilot 'Kunpeng' myself for this test. This is the first actual operation, and there are certain risks."

"Chief Engineer Li, no!" the Military Representative immediately objected. "You are the soul of the entire project; we cannot afford this risk."

Li Mingyuan shook his head firmly: "Precisely because I am the 'soul', I must pilot it myself. 'Kunpeng' is a brand-new concept of aircraft, and only I understand every one of its characteristics and limits best."

He looked around, his gaze firm: "Rest assured, I will be fine. More importantly, today you will witness history—humanity's first true 'ground effect' flight."

Looking at Li Mingyuan's resolute gaze, the leaders present knew they could not change his decision and could only nod silently.

"Alright, I'm going." Li Mingyuan finished briefly, then strode out of the command center and walked toward "Kunpeng".

When he boarded "Kunpeng", the entire bay seemed to hold its breath. Li Mingyuan passed through several hatches and arrived at the core control cabin located in the front of "Kunpeng". It was filled with advanced control panels and display screens; it was the "brain" of the entire behemoth.

He sat down skillfully in the main seat, fastened his special seatbelt, and began the startup sequence.

"Pangu, full system self-check."

"Self-check starting... all systems normal, power Hexin stable, energy output normal, flight control system ready, lift system ready..."

Li Mingyuan took a deep breath and placed his hands on the main controller: "Initiate main power preheating sequence."

Following his command, the giant lift fans at the bottom of "Kunpeng" began to rotate slowly, emitting a low hum. This sound gradually intensified, changing from a hum to a roar, and the entire launch platform began to tremble slightly.

Inside the command center, everyone stared nervously at the monitoring screens and various instrument panels. Minister Zhang's hands gripped the edge of the table tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"Lift system preheating complete, main thrusters preheating complete." Li Mingyuan's voice came through the communication system, "Ready for takeoff."

At the edge of the bay, in the morning mist, the lift fans at the bottom of "Kunpeng" were already running at full speed, churning up towering water mist and forming a massive air cushion. That massive body began to tremble slightly, like a giant bird about to spread its wings.

"Three, two, one, takeoff!"

Li Mingyuan decisively pushed the control stick, and the lift fans at the bottom of "Kunpeng" instantly erupted with astonishing thrust. Accompanied by a deafening roar, the hundreds-of-tons behemoth lifted off the launch platform as lightly as a feather, steadily hovering at a height of about five meters above the sea surface.

A gasp erupted inside the command center, but this was only the beginning.

"Enter horizontal flight mode, main thrusters ignite." Li Mingyuan's voice was calm and firm.

Following his command, the vector thrust engines at the tail of "Kunpeng" spewed out blinding blue flames, and that massive body began to move forward, its speed increasing rapidly.

"Ten knots... twenty knots... forty knots..."

The speed display in the command center jumped wildly, and everyone widened their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"Sixty knots... eighty knots... one hundred knots!"

In just thirty seconds, "Kunpeng's" speed had already exceeded one hundred knots, equivalent to 185 kilometers per hour, and it was still accelerating! Even more shocking was that it remained at an ultra-low altitude of only five meters above the sea surface, yet it did not stir up any giant waves, leaving only an unusually calm "wave-free corridor" in its wake.

"This... this is impossible!" the Military Representative exclaimed, "At this speed and such a low altitude, it should have stirred up towering waves!"

"One hundred and fifty knots... two hundred knots..." The speed continued to climb, and "Kunpeng" had turned into a silver-gray Lightning, speeding along almost parallel to the sea surface.

Inside the command center, everyone was dumbfounded, their mouths agape and unable to speak. The scene they were witnessing completely overturned their understanding of ships and aircraft—this was neither a ship sailing in water nor an aircraft flying at high altitude, but a brand-new form of existence, a miracle between flight and navigation.

"Three hundred knots!"

When the speed display stopped at this number, a burst of thunderous applause and cheers erupted in the command center. Three hundred knots, equivalent to 555 kilometers per hour, far exceeded the top speed of any known ship in the world at the time, and even exceeded the cruising speed of many fighter jets!

And at this moment, "Kunpeng" still maintained a stable "ground effect" flight state, just five meters from the sea surface, like a stunning sight speeding along the surface of the sea.

Li Mingyuan's relaxed voice came through the communicator: "Everyone, this is only 'Kunpeng's' cruising speed; the maximum speed can be increased by another 50%. However, since today is the first test, we are being conservative."

In the command center, Deputy Minister Liu asked with a trembling voice: "Chief... Chief Engineer Li, what is the principle behind this? Why can it fly so fast while skimming the water?"

"This is called ground effect," Li Mingyuan's voice came through the speakers clearly, "When an aircraft flies close to the ground or water surface, it forms a high-pressure air cushion underneath, greatly increasing lift and reducing drag. 'Kunpeng's' design is specifically optimized for this effect, allowing it to achieve maximum speed and stability with minimal energy consumption."

He paused, his voice filled with unconcealable pride: "Simply put, it is neither a ship nor an aircraft, but a brand-new transport platform capable of 'flying' over the sea at ultra-high speeds, while simultaneously possessing the functions of an aircraft carrier, able to carry fighter jets and weapon systems."

There was Silence in the command center; everyone was struggling to digest this information, trying to understand the significance of this disruptive technology. Minister Zhang looked around and saw faces distorted by shock and chins dropped to the floor.

At this moment, everyone realized that they were not just witnessing a successful test flight, but the beginning of a new era—Long Country had announced its technological prowess to the world in the most shocking way possible.