"Sherlock, you actually took down the Little Bird! That's amazing!"
Alexei's voice was full of surprise. He hadn't expected that old Yev would actually make a move, and that the other party really carried weight with that person.
"Let's not talk about that for now. How's the situation on your end? My An-225 will arrive in a week. I was thinking that we don't need those MiG-29s, so I'll remove the wings and take a few back with me."
Xia Yu explained his plans over the phone.
"Then you've come at just the right time. The negotiations are almost complete, and they're willing to lower the price to 30 billion tenge in US dollars."
Alexei's tone finally relaxed.
Persistence pays off. After spending nearly a month here, he finally managed to negotiate the price down.
It's 40% cheaper than the original $50 billion, meaning they only need to pay $88.2 million to take all 117 old fighter jets.
The average price is $750,000 per aircraft. With that price, you could only buy a brand new Cessna 400. But the ones they're wholesaling are all fighter jets!
As previously agreed, Xia Yu initially covered 30%, or 26.46 million. In addition, he paid 15 million for the purchase of the Little Bird and 1 million for shipping, bringing his total expenditure for this trip to Kazakhstan to 42.46 million.
It went slightly over budget, but the actual payment should be less than 40 million. Alexei and the other party calculated the package price, and now it's time to calculate the price for each sub-package.
Xia Yu skipped the Caspian Sea trip and went straight back to Retigen Air Force Base.
He purchased 2 MiG-21s, 8 Su-25s, and 15 MiG-29s, for a total of 25 fighter jets.
After discussing for most of the day, the two agreed on a discounted price of $100,000 for a fishbed, $600,000 for a frogfoot, and $900,000 for a fulcrum, totaling $18.5 million.
It's roughly the cost price of a Su-30SM, but you can't even buy half a Su-30SM for export, so the profit margin is still quite good.
Of the $26.46 million paid by credit card, nearly $8 million belonged to Xia Yu.
He originally planned to get an equivalent number of fighter jets, but even if we get 10 more Su-25s, it won't be worth 8 million!
After thinking it over, I'll just put this money in the book for now!
Besides the 21 MiG-31s to be handed over, Alexei still has 71 fighter jets to process. The funds will probably not be enough to cover the costs for a year. Xia Yu can ask for something else instead of money.
The inheritance that Da Mao received was very attractive to him, but he had already made a fortune this time, so he wasn't in a hurry.
Once the money arrived, these fighter jets legally became Xia Yu's private property. So, apart from the six MiG-29UBs, he waved his hand and ordered the four best-condition of the remaining nine MiG-29s to be dismantled.
The engines were unloaded first, and they, along with the other RD-33s and cannons, were transported by land to Konluga via the Mediterranean-West Philippines route.
After removing the wings, the weight of this upgraded MiG-29S with the MiG-29B airframe was reduced to 5 tons.
Xia Yu overestimated the cargo hold size of the An-225. It and the An-124 both have a cargo hold that is 6.4 meters wide and 4.4 meters high, only the length has been stretched from 36.5 meters to 43.35 meters.
With such a cargo hold, only four MiG-29s with their wings removed can fit inside; transporting eight at once is impossible.
There's no other way, four is four. They're just a sideline for transporting the Little Bird. We can keep the three in good condition for now, and of the six in poor condition, we'll refurbish one and keep it as a collector's item. The rest we'll take back and dismantle for parts.
Although the MiG-29 production line at the Sokol Aircraft Plant has not stopped, it is basically only producing K-series carrier-based aircraft now. The classic MiG-29 is becoming increasingly rare with each loss.
Buying several disassembled parts while the wholesale price was cheap was undoubtedly the right choice.
As for Ermao, which has been dealing with its meager legacy, it has stopped exporting MiG-29s since the Crimean incident a couple of years ago.
Xia Yu suspected that it and Da Mao would fight sooner or later, and he wondered how many of the 200+ MiG-29 series that it had originally inherited would be left after the war, apart from those that had been sold.
It's normal business practice to stockpile spare parts while supplies are still plentiful.
Soon, three days later, An-225 arrived as scheduled in the early morning.
Before landing, the landing gear is deployed. The seven pairs of wheels on both sides are more than the wheels of a tank. It slides for nearly 2,000 meters after touching down before finally coming to a stop. At maximum weight, a runway of 3,500 meters is required for takeoff.
The 2,400-meter runway at Konluga Pointe-Noire Airport is fine for fully loaded landings and lightly loaded takeoffs, but fully loaded takeoffs will cause the aircraft to overshoot the runway.
Such limitations also make the An-225 less versatile than the An-124. Although its maximum payload is only 150 tons for three Leclerc vehicles, the An-124's range at its maximum payload is more than twice that of the An-225 with 250 tons.
Moreover, the rental fee of 50,000 euros per hour is more cost-effective, and a whole trip can be done for a maximum of 500,000 euros.
For defense transport vehicles, the only options are either by land or sea. If there is generous support from the client, Xia Yu would not mind renting An-124s for a rapid deployment.
Even the most impenetrable defenses can be breached by a main battle tank and three heavy infantry fighting vehicles (9.87 meters + 3 x 6.88 meters < 36 meters).
Of course, leasing depends on the airline's availability, but nothing beats operating your own strategic heavy transport aircraft, which can take off and land anytime, anywhere.
However, even if Old Magnesium's C-5 and C-17 were sold, the price would be unaffordable for Xia Yu.
An-124 still has a chance, but it will have to wait until its net worth exceeds 10 figures and the number of its full-time employees exceeds 100.
Otherwise, it would be like an ordinary person selling their house to pretend they're rich and buy a luxury car.
"Then I'll be going now."
With the flapping nose section opening upwards, Xia Yu watched as four MiG-29s, along with their detached wings, were pulled into the An-225's cargo hold by the aircraft's onboard winch. He then spoke to Alexei.
"Let's go, see you in Afica."
"See you in Afika!"
After waving goodbye, Xia Yu boarded the dream transport plane and transferred to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, more than 1,000 kilometers away.
After entering the level flight phase, he went from the passenger cabin through the engineer's cabin to the cockpit. Of the six crew members, two engineering officers and two air traffic officers were still downstairs, and only the captain and first officer were here.
"Mr. Sherlock, I've heard you're also a pilot."
After handing over the controls to his deputy, Captain Dmitro Antonov, who had flown the An-225 for 20 years, struck up a conversation with Xia Yu.
"Yes, but apart from a few types of fighter jets, I can only fly the C-130. The An-225 is too difficult for me."
Xia Yu said modestly.
Starting such a large machine is not as simple as it is in the apocalyptic movie "2012". Its pilots must be selected from the captains of the An-124.
Demetro flew for over 20 years, and his skills were undoubtedly among the best of strategic transport pilots.
Even so, this was the first time the veteran captain had piloted the An-225, undertaking its original mission—transporting the Soyuz space shuttle.
“Oleksandhalunenko, my old partner, used to pilot the An-225 carrying the Buran back then, traveling between Kiev and Baikonur. I never imagined that today we would be piloting the An-225 with the Little Bird away from Baikonur forever.”
"Dmitro said with emotion."
Before this trip, he specifically called Oleksandr to inquire about the operational details of carrying the payload, in order to complete the mission in the best possible condition. This is also the mission that history has bestowed upon every An-225 captain.
"I heard you're interested in selling An-225s."
Xia Yu changed the subject.
It wasn't that he was a spoilsport, but rather that he was quite interested in it.
"After the alliance broke up, there was nothing that couldn't be sold, but the prices in Kyiv were too high. We could get orders to lease them, but there weren't many customers who were interested in buying the An-225."
The veteran captain stated frankly.
The high price is only one aspect; another is that customers interested in the An-225 are more concerned about the D-18T engine than the transport aircraft itself.
The engine is the heart of an aircraft, and it's the part that needs the most time to mature.
For individual buyers and corporate users, having the physical product is enough; the only obstacle is the high price, which affects subsequent profitability.
Time flew by as we talked, and the Baikonur Cosmodrome was right in front of us.
"Click, click, click"
The clicking of camera shutters filled the air; it was flight enthusiasts who had come to photograph the An-225. They had found its schedule online and arrived in Baikonur ahead of time, like waiting for a celebrity.
But is there anything here that absolutely needs to be transported by the An-225, such as the return capsule or the first stage of the rocket?
No, the hangar doors, locked for years, were opened, the surface dust was removed, the graffiti was washed off, and the little bird was pushed out by a tow truck and sent to Ubireni Airport.
"Look, that's..."
As soon as the An-225 landed, a sharp-eyed photographer spotted the little bird entering the airport.
"No way, it's here to transport the Little Bird."
Only then did everyone belatedly realize the purpose of An-225's mission, and they started snapping photos even faster.
The last time I saw them together was back in the last century. I never expected to be so lucky today to be able to take first-hand photos.
The rig used to lift the rocket core stage lifted the Little Bird rocket and positioned it at the correct angle on the back of the An-225 aircraft below. Workers secured it with safety ropes, tightened the locking pins, and then withdrew, instantly increasing the aircraft's load by more than 70 tons.
"boom"
As the plane slowly taxied to the start of the runway, the pilot and co-pilot pushed all six throttle levers to the bottom. When the engine thrust reached its maximum, the plane pulled up and took off. After flying more than half a circle, the An-225 completed its turn and sped towards Afika.
The photographers who captured countless precious photos immediately turned on their computers and posted the carefully selected images online.
Some people filmed videos, edited them slightly, and uploaded them to YouTube, where they quickly gained popularity.
"This is the former Soviet Union space shuttle."
"Yes, this is the Little Bird, but where are they going?"
"My friend works in Baikonur, and I heard that an Asian person bought it; it's probably being shipped back to Asia."
"No, the destination of this An-225 sortie is Afica. The Little Bird is to be transported to Komluga, the second largest city in the country."
"Are you sure there isn't a war museum in Kongluga where you can fly Tiger tanks and Tiger IIs?"
"That's right, it's that Konluga. That museum just bought a Bassian aircraft carrier a few months ago, and now they've bought a Kazakhstani space shuttle. What are they trying to do?"
…………
The comment section quickly grew from a few hundred to over a thousand posts, and users interested in the matter pieced together the story from the revelations in the comments.
A military museum specializing in World War II tank driving and shooting, acquiring military and non-military vehicles from non-World War II periods around the world.
In summary, they made money and plan to invest in developing more new projects.
However, aircraft carrier museums, which primarily showcase space shuttles, probably don't generate much profit.
Of the two former Soviet aircraft carrier museums in China, one has already closed down, and the other has only just turned a profit, though its gross profit margin doesn't seem to be very good.
As for the five American counterparts, with the Apollo lunar return capsule and the F-14 Tomcat as their advantages, the most competitive Hornet only costs $20 a ticket.
How much does the ticket price for this aircraft carrier museum located in Afica cost?
Most people are not optimistic about the profitability of this company's new projects, and I find it laughable that they're setting up a science museum in Afica.
Xia Yu said, "You people don't understand what a cheater is. Why do you compare yourself to your peers? Why can't he create a new industry standard?"
In the tank museum project, he led the industry's intensified competition. In the aircraft carrier project, his peers may not be as competitive, but at least they are unique.
Also, the Little Bird is his private collection, and a science museum is definitely not Afica's style.
"Look! It really is An-225 and Little Bird! This trip was definitely worthwhile!"
At Konluga Pointe-Noire Airport, whether passengers have just landed or are preparing to depart, they are drawn to the classic combination of vehicles brought to a stop at the end of the runway.
Compared to before, Pointe-Noire Airport has seen at least 30% more passenger traffic, with private planes taking off and landing from time to time, all of them tourists visiting the Afica War Museum.
Unlike those who were pessimistic online, those who were thrilled by the chariot were supporters of the company and were naturally willing to let Xia Yu develop more projects.
Even if it's not very interesting, it'll give them more places to go when they come to Kongluga to drive around and play with cannons again.
Without a dedicated lifting platform, several cranes worked together to unload the Little Bird from the back of the An-225. It was thought that the large aircraft was about to leave, but then the flappered nose opened upwards, and parts that looked like those of a fighter jet were unloaded one by one.
"This design looks like a MiG-29."
Even with the wings removed, military enthusiasts still recognized it as a MiG-29 from its outline.
So the Air Force bought MiG-29s and transported them back in one trip with the Little Bird.
It's not that tourists dare not dream of it; it's because Busa's air force is too weak, with only four Su-25 attack aircraft and not a single proper fighter jet. It's understandable that they are now purchasing MiG-29s to strengthen their capabilities.
But there isn't a single MiG-29 from Busa here; they all belong to the war museum under the jurisdiction of Jihuo Defense.
After settling the final payment and watching the An-225 depart after completing its mission, Xia Yu, with the assistance of the airport ground crew, pulled the Little Bird and all four MiG-29s back to the hangar.
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