"Thank you, thank you, Sherlock!"
Paul clapped his hands and thanked Xia Yu.
"Classic equipment should not disappear into the long river of history, leaving only scattered written records. They should exist in the world in physical form, allowing people to truly feel the glory of the military weapons of that era. I just did what I should do."
Xia Yu said in a very sophisticated manner.
"That's true, but you also did something that I couldn't do with money."
As Paul spoke, the USS Allen, having turned and re-aligned itself with the flight deck of the USS St. Paul, officially landed, its later-installed hook catching the arresting cable.
"Although this is a French aircraft carrier, it makes up for the regret of the Ju-87C."
A little-known fact is that the Stuka also developed a carrier-based version with folding wings, but with the Graf Zeppelin's unfinished mission, the Ju-87C never had the chance to be deployed on a ship.
It's a real shame. Before he died, San Dezi scuttled the Graf Zeppelin. If it had been a wreck, Xia Yu might have been able to find a way to salvage it.
It was clearly sunk by a saturation attack from various torpedoes and naval guns, and the exact location is still unclear.
It's only right for a godson to visit his godfather's grave, but he didn't expect Paul to be so fashionable.
I have some cheap Phantom 2000s here, do you want one?
I can bring it to you if you want.
The problem is that of the remaining 11 airworthy fighter jets, only two have been sold after several years of promotion, and the remaining nine are about to become unsellable. However, Xia Yu's purchase of F-5 Tiger IIs and MiG-21 Fish Nests today has given the Pasig people hope for a turnaround.
“Mr. Minister, the main reason that the São Paulo project was made possible is the special nature of my industry, coupled with Afica’s relatively lenient policies. Ticket revenue alone cannot fill this bottomless pit.”
When the Pasir Air Force was preparing to retire the Mirage IIIebr/DBR, due to historical inertia, they took a liking to the Mirage 2000-BR, which was developed by the Germans based on the Mirage 2000-9.
"This, of course, is no problem. I'll have that kid Xia De burn it for you when the time comes."
Upon hearing Xia Yu's words, Fernando expressed the same sentiment.
So, just as the Navy acquired the British helicopter carrier after retiring the São Paulo, the Air Force no longer considered British fighter jets and directly purchased the Swiss Gripen NG.
"Of course I'm interested, but as you know, Minister, I buy these fighter jets to convert into target drones for our clients to shoot down. If the price is too high, our profits..."
He said this solemnly to Paul.
"By the way, I heard Mr. Sherlock is acquiring various fighter jets around the world. I wonder if you'd be interested in the Mirage 2000?"
"Mr. Sherlock, thank you for bringing the St. Paul back to life. Whether it was dismantled or sunk as a target ship, it would have been a heavy burden for the taxpayers. Perhaps operating it in a different way is the best outcome for it."
“500,000, just 500,000 US dollars, we will be responsible for delivering 9 Mirage 2000-B/C aircraft to Pointe-Black Port.”
"Yes, I will continue to collect Stuka units for repair and attempt to replicate the real JU-87C."
Of the four World War II aircraft carriers that were buried with him, there should at least be a place for the Graf Zeppelin.
Xia Yu readily agreed.
However, the former Soviet Union salvaged it and used it as a target ship for research on "how to sink an aircraft carrier using fighter jets and warships," before its whereabouts became unknown.
Excluding the cost of missiles, spare parts, and personnel training, this batch of Mirage 2000-b/c aircraft cost a total of $72 million, which translates to a unit price of $6 million – truly a bargain.
After saying so much, Lao Fei finally brought up another purpose of his trip: to sell fighter jets to Xia Yu.
And now the aircraft carrier is officially welcoming passengers!
Tourists who booked tickets had priority boarding, while those who bought tickets on-site formed long queues and might have to wait two or three hours to board the aircraft carrier.
Xia Yu wanted to take over Paul's deep-sea exploration team because of this consideration. If there are no records to look up the address, then it's like searching for a needle in a haystack, spending decades searching all the sea areas.
He thought it was cool, and after finding professionals, he made a whole bunch of models of his collection, planning to burn them all on that day.
However, the German fighter jets are not cheap, and the Pasir Air Force, which could not afford them, opted to buy 12 second-hand older model Mirage 2000s as a temporary measure.
The bustling crowd made Paul feel somewhat exhausted, so Xia Yu quickly asked his assistant to take him to the VIP lounge on the St. Paul.
"Then it's settled. I need to find a place to rest. You can go and do your thing."
After Paul decided that he would become Little Yuzu's godfather, he learned a lot about traditional Chinese culture, including funeral customs such as burning paper money and making various paper offerings.
The problem is that once you get your hands on it, you realize how much of a rip-off it is. Flying for just one hour requires almost a whole day of maintenance, and the price of easily damaged spare parts is expensive. It's just as troublesome as the São Paulo.
“You’re right, it’s like a bottomless pit that’s swallowing up our budget, and we can’t get the world’s richest people to foot the bill.”
Two prototypes of this thing were built back then, and they were all later converted into Ju-87Bs. The originals definitely did not survive and were not preserved. Replicating them is the only way.
Fernando made a direct offer.
Meanwhile, Xia Yu, who was still on the beach, chatted with the Minister of Defense of Bashi.
These Mirage 2000-b/cs were retired after only 5 years of service, but they cost $200 million, so they couldn't just sit on the shelf. They could recoup some of the costs by selling them a third time.
As a former BRICS nation, it's impossible for them to operate their active aircraft carriers like the Taiwanese, who charge admission fees for keeping them in port. Retiring them directly is the best option, since even if they were to transfer them to civilian operation, they wouldn't be able to handle so many types of carrier-based aircraft.
However, Xia Yu likes this kind of fighter jet. It only takes 10 man-hours to get it back into the sky, saving a cost equivalent to 100,000 dollars per man-hour.
"Sherlock, I am both happy and regretful. I regret that I will not be able to see this scene. I just hope that you can make two small models for me when the time comes."
Fernando also expressed his gratitude to Xia Yu.
The nine Mirage 2000-B/C aircraft in Pattaya are said to be airworthy, but they have been sitting in the hangar for almost five years. It would probably take two $500,000s to bring each one to airworthiness.
This isn't about cutting off a vital artery; it's just that they're only worth this price in the current market.
There's no need to rush today, or even for the next week. Opening hours will be extended to 9 PM, and entry will stop at 7 PM, guaranteeing everyone two hours of effective visiting time.
It's a bit like an 80,000 RMB Audi S8 or a 100,000 RMB Porsche Cayenne; the fault codes can fill several pages, and the repair cost is more expensive than buying the car.
Ultimately, they were converted into unmanned target drones and sold to wealthy individuals, costing at least three to five million per unit.
After all, this is a luxury fighter jet from Germany. If you add Super 530 and Magic II to it, it will easily cost seven or eight million.
Like Hamandan, he knows what it's like to pilot a Phantom-2000, but he's never actually tried shooting down a Phantom-2000.
So why not buy a squadron of four aircraft and shoot them down?
"Then the deal is done."
Xia Yu didn't haggle, after all, the other party was also responsible for delivery to his door. Even if the wings of the nine Mirage-2000s were removed, they couldn't be transported by a 5,000-ton cargo ship; a larger cargo ship would be needed.
Nowadays, shipping costs are rising year by year. If he didn't have a better plan, he would really have bought a high-speed cargo ship to operate it himself.
"make a deal!"
Having shed one burden, Fernando felt much more relaxed, even though they still wasted a significant portion of their budget.
Well, don't cry over spilled milk; face life with optimism.
South Americans are optimistic, otherwise they wouldn't keep wasting military spending like this. If you gave Xia Yu $200 million, he could have assembled a squadron of 20 Fighting Falcons, but there's no need for that, is there? At least Afica doesn't have any clients who can afford it.
Two Red Falcons are sufficient for Jihuo Defense Operations, and can even handle both civilian escort and military strike operations.
Of course, in the future, the number of pilots can be increased from 2 to 4, so that the aircraft can continue operating even when the pilots are resting.
"It's almost noon, Minister. Let's board the ship and get some lunch!"
After finishing the business negotiations, Xia Yu extended an invitation.
Ordinary tourists have to queue to buy meal tickets to eat in the ship's restaurant, while all VIPs who receive an invitation can enjoy a sumptuous lunch for free.
It was difficult to arrange the carrier-based aircraft experience program, as all flights were booked, and only the anti-aircraft guns were available for a few shots.
"Knock knock knock"
Everyone showed great interest in the German anti-aircraft guns, which were the most representative of the Germans during World War II.
Especially when they were used to fire at F-4K, F-4J, and MiG-29UBK aircraft in the sky, the shells from the twin 88mm and twin 128mm anti-aircraft guns chased after them, blooming into black roses, but they could never hit the target.
Flying outside the designated range, it's naturally impossible to shoot down these "live targets," but air defense is a never-ending battle; missing isn't a big deal, the point is to participate.
If you want to experience the thrill of shooting down targets, Focus Fire Defense offers free piston-propeller target drones; if you find the quantity insufficient, you can choose to purchase them yourself.
Unable to secure a slot for carrier-based aircraft, the rich guy opted for a less desirable option and splurged on several target drones, enjoying a good time firing them.
Those tourists who booked carrier-based aircraft on the first day were even luckier, as an F-4K carrying four gun pods began its dive from high altitude.
A large cargo ship, with only its interior dismantled and its outer hull relatively intact, was adrift on the sea. The numerous bullet holes on its surface indicated that it was a target ship.
"shooting!"
Upon hearing the command from the pilot in the back seat, the tourist in the front seat immediately pressed the launch button.
"Click-clack"
The four pods under the wings opened fire simultaneously, firing countless 20mm shells.
The numbers on the shell counter jumped rapidly, and the tourists, whose ears were filled with the roar of the cannons, could not hear the sounds of "-$100x4", "-$100x4", etc.
He didn't realize he had fired off $480,000 worth of shells until the third round of dive-firing when all the ammunition in the pods was depleted.
"Well done, Lieutenant Jim!"
The pilot in the back seat praised the customer according to the script he had been trained to use.
"We didn't completely sink this nag merchant ship, but we severely damaged and crippled it. Let our allies take over the rest!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he maneuvered his F-4K to turn around and give up the attack airspace, and a MiG-29UBK following closely behind successfully filled the gap.
Unlike the old Phantom, which was covered with cannon pods, this Red Fulcrum, in addition to its built-in cannon, had nine hardpoints filled with multi-barrel rocket pods and single large-caliber unguided rockets.
For an ordinary family like ours, who are moderately well-off, it's no big deal if we can't afford missiles, but surely we can afford rockets?
Fill all the mounting racks with S-13s and S-24s, I want to have a good fight!
"shooting!"
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh"
Diving towards the battered cargo ship, the MiG-29UBK fired rocket after rocket at close range.
"Boom boom boom boom"
The explosion's flames mingled with the smoke, a sight more comforting than eating a large bite of chilled watermelon on a hot summer day.
Cannons are in a class of their own, but for tourists with a tighter budget, rockets are the best alternative to missiles. A thicker one costs 30,000 to 50,000 yuan, while a thinner one costs several thousand yuan. Even if you fill the racks with rockets, it will only cost around 300,000 yuan.
Of course, we can't forget the classic GSH-301 cannon.
During the second round of dive-firing, he emptied another 150 30mm shells.
"boom"
The MiG-29UBK returned to base with afterburners engaged, leaving behind a target ship riddled with holes to welcome the next big guest.
Based on the ammunition consumption of 8 jet fighters and more than 10 World War II electric fans, Xia Yu could also conduct a study on how much conventional ammunition would be needed to sink a cargo ship.
Even if we sink it, there's still a second cruise ship in reserve. Because it has a multi-deck structure, this thing is even harder to hit than a cargo ship.
Unlike the Fulcrum Squadron and Phantom Squadron, the Stuka and Sea Hurricane, which took off again, flew inland.
The shipborne electric fan and the second phase of the project share the same firing range, since the torpedo project hasn't even started yet!
Using its heavy machine guns to shoot down tanks, and having its nose riddled with 12.7mm heavy machine gun barrels to sweep up wrecked vehicles, is a pretty good thing, or rather, it's not very effective at strafing cargo ships.
Time passed little by little during the business hours until the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky darkened completely.
It's already 8:30 p.m. After the last sortie of carrier-based aircraft took off with passengers, the tourists who had left the São Paulo gathered on the beach to wait for the final curtain call performance.
After emptying their munitions, the Phantom Squadron and the Pivot Squadron regrouped and flew towards the St. Paul following the two Super Étendards.
"boom"
Amid the roar of engines, squadron after squadron soared over the aircraft carrier, trailing colorful fireworks.
"What a beautiful fireworks display! This is all the general's military parade can offer!"
Upon seeing this, someone in the crowd shouted.
"The general doesn't have an aircraft carrier, but he has a slightly larger number of MiG-29s."
Then another voice shouted.
"The final performance alone was worth the ticket price; it was definitely worth the special trip to Afica."
Some were satisfied, while others were frustrated by not getting in line but eventually felt relieved.
"I couldn't get tickets, but luckily there are free shows."
Xia Yu was very sincere, ensuring that unlucky tourists didn't leave empty-handed, and making them willing to come back the next day.
As the carrier-based aircraft landed one by one on the flight deck of the São Paulo, the aircraft carrier museum officially closed, ending its first day of operation with a perfect conclusion.
Xia Yu and Lao Yefu, who were just having their meal, were toasting each other in the restaurant, while the maintenance team was just starting their day's work.
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