Those outside the industry would certainly think this price is expensive, but for naval equipment, especially one with the word "special," the price of 12 million euros is only so-so.
After all, only a dozen or so of the purebred Bison have been produced, and neither Russia nor Russia is currently capable of producing such large hovercraft.
Even the homeland that has mastered the relevant technology has only produced a single-digit number of red bison. One reason is that they have the wild horse, which can be integrated into their own system, and the second reason is that this thing is too expensive.
Not to mention that because the quantity required is small, the cost cannot be offset by increasing production capacity.
"Can we go aboard and take a look?"
After a few seconds of contemplation, Xia Yu said he wanted to inspect the goods first.
"sure!"
The helicopter carried the group to the naval base, where they saw two Zubr-class submarines on the shore. Unlike the other two newly built ones, these two were constructed from the stockpiled hulls left after the collapse of the Union, resulting in numerous minor problems and frequent breakdowns.
Even so, this thing is still not cheap.
Xia Yu went to Damao and Ermao to buy goods last time, but he didn't have a chance to find any bargains. This time, he took the opportunity to try his luck in Xila.
"Its biggest problem is that one of the turbo engines is malfunctioning. We consulted with the people at Wukelan, and their quote was 2 million euros."
The accompanying naval lieutenant commander spoke very honestly.
"This price is too high. You know, a Zubr has five turbine engines. We decisively suspended the operation of two Zubrs. The one on the other side has already had one engine removed. This one is in better condition."
It is indeed very expensive. Replacing a complete engine set alone costs 10 million euros. For the people of Selatan, whose defense budget in 2018 was 4.11 billion euros, less than half of Turkey's, they must live frugally.
[Project: zubr-classoflcacproject1232.2]
Completeness: 97.5% (Ready for repair)
“12 million is fine, but you must be responsible for delivering it to Kongluga.”
After confirming the quality of the Bison, Xia Yu didn't try to bargain; he just hoped the other party would cover the hundreds of thousands in shipping costs.
He can transport the fighter jets himself, but these bulky, heavy-duty hovercraft should be delivered to his door!
"Can!"
Having finalized this last deal, the couple, who had stayed in Syracuse for almost a month, immediately boarded the Fischer and returned to Germany.
The Lunar New Year was just last week. Let's wait until next year. Next year, their whole family will definitely be able to return to China, and then their small family will be a family of five.
"Darling, take my Sherlock back next year. The interior will be fully renovated by then, so we can take it back to upgrade the avionics and other necessary subsystems."
Sitting in the bulletproof Audi Q8, Xia Yu and his wife chatted about the Il-76MF, which was still undergoing modifications in the United States.
The two countries are adjacent, and he decided to visit them before returning to Afica.
"You can decide things at home. But will the Sherlock also have that kind of escape system?"
Liv asked.
"Of course, safety is the most important thing. There was more than one Il-76 that was shot down."
Xia Yu said with a serious expression.
Compared to fighter jets, military transport planes and civilian airliners are too cumbersome. They can be shot down by old-fashioned anti-aircraft missiles. Once heat decoys and chaff fail to fool the seeker, they can only rely on the accompanying F-16s to act as human shields to absorb damage.
After all, a second-hand Fighting Falcon is worth less than 10 million euros, while the Sherlock, once completed, is worth close to 100 million US dollars. It's best not to resort to such a last resort if possible.
"I always feel like the PMC industry is so dangerous!"
Liv looked scared; her little pistol was quite powerless against the anti-aircraft missiles.
"As long as the armor is layered thickly, it's not dangerous at all."
Xia Yu comforted his wife.
We're a player with a cheat code, we've got all sorts of conventional and unconventional security measures in place, no matter what we do, you can't possibly carry out a decapitation strike against him.
"Look, it's snowing outside."
Liv pointed out the car window.
The pure white snowflakes fell in a flurry, a scene rarely seen in Afika.
"My mom said it didn't snow in our hometown this year, and she doesn't know if it will snow next year."
Xia Yu said with emotion.
"Hopefully it will download."
The convoy soon arrived at the castle where the branch office was located. During this period, they did not stay at their mother-in-law's house, but stayed at their own home in Germany.
The castle didn't have natural gas, but fortunately there was plenty of wood in the forest that couldn't be burned all at once. By lighting all the fireplaces in the hall and rooms, the indoor temperature rose to over 20 degrees Celsius, so it wasn't cold at all.
The only problem was that it was a bit of a hassle to add firewood frequently, and Xia Yu, who quickly got tired of it, handed the job back to the staff looking after the castle.
In the following days, Xia Yu took his wife to prenatal checkups, went to the United States to check on the progress of the Sherlock's refit, and then the batch of fighter jets sent to Kongluga arrived at the port, at which point they were due to return.
The USS Fisher arrived at the West Philippine coast first, and all nine F-16C/D and nine F-4E fighters had been landed and taken to the airport.
Those aren't the main point; the main point is the two ships that will arrive in port in the coming week.
One of them was a European bison delivered by the Xila people, and the other came from their hometown. The cargo hold contained an old Tu-4 turboprop aircraft and a previously decommissioned ASH-73TK piston engine.
If you're looking to find vintage Soviet-era phones, unless they're rare models, there's no need to make a special trip to Da Mao or Er Mao; they're readily available back home.
Xia Yu had the old Tu-4 with its wings removed lifted out of the cargo hold and brought back to the museum for restoration.
He will take all eight ASH-73TK piston engines to the United States for testing, but before that, he will have to restore them to their factory settings.
He found an A-1 Skyraider as a temporary platform for engine maintenance, and restored each ASH-73TK to 70% new condition.
After doing all that, Xia Yu finally had time to pamper his European bison.
"Get ready!"
An engine failure is unacceptable, and there are also various hidden damages accumulated from being a stockboat. These problems must be resolved before it officially goes into operation.
[Estimated remaining man-hours for preparation: 341.1]
Preparing a bison to be 80% new requires more than 300 man-hours.
He should go to the United States first for the next ten days or so, and then experience it after he comes back from taking care of his business.
"Buzz"
The Fischer flew toward the other side of the Atlantic, while the Ash-73TK piston engines, which could not fit in the passenger plane's cargo hold, were transported by Firepower Air Transport Company's C-160.
The Cold War branch's AC-130s have been modified, but only one AC-160 has been modified. The other two are used for cargo transport to earn money for Xia Yu.
Thanks to the terrible roads in Afica during the rainy season, and the fact that many countries' air forces cannot afford to maintain too many transport aircraft, a company that provides military transport aircraft leasing is naturally doing very well.
Xia Yu hired several German pilots specifically to fly these German C-160s.
If he were to acquire a German C-160 later, he would have to hire a German pilot, prioritizing avoiding collisions, since these older aircraft were somewhat new. A dozen hours later, Fischer arrived in Seattle via New York. As soon as he disembarked, Xia Yu saw Thompson.
"Mr. Thompson, how's the delivery going?"
Xia Yu stepped forward and hugged the other person, then inquired about the delivery progress.
"The first batch of Soviet-made aircraft that arrived have all been delivered because they were registered earlier. Only half of the American-made F-4Es have been delivered, and the other three F-16C/Ds are still in the hangar!"
Thompson briefed Xia Yu on the delivery details of the fighter jets.
The remaining aircraft are all heavyweights, and he plans to bring his partners to Seattle for delivery, to support the reopening of the FHC Museum.
Similarly, this is also a great opportunity for external publicity.
The simultaneous delivery of six fighter jets is sure to make headlines and attract more wealthy individuals to purchase fighter jets from them.
In particular, once they join Tacair, the fighter jets they purchase do not need to be deweaponized.
This is the best advertisement for wealthy collectors with a passion for complete collections. Offense is the soul of a fighter jet; what's the difference between a fighter jet without offensive capabilities and a flying castrated rooster?
As the saying goes, I may not use these features, but you can't be without them.
The wealthy have been suffering from magnesium poisoning for too long; it's time for a change.
“That’s fantastic. I’ll have them work overtime to get the B-29 ready for the delivery ceremony.”
Understanding what bulk delivery means, Xia Yu added.
Important symbols of World War II culture in the United States, such as the Superfortress, have an exceptionally strong appeal. The frequent tours of the two flyable B-29s do not diminish the enthusiasm of the locals.
This third B-29 to regain airworthiness, and the only one to retain live-fire capability, will be the game-changer for the FHC Museum in igniting a new era.
"That's right. After the delivery ceremony, how about we form a team to accompany the flight? I can imagine the exciting scene."
Thompson then suggested.
No wonder he's a veteran pilot who flew over the Super Bowl back in the day; he has a firm grasp on the psychology of Americans.
Leaving aside the super-rich with net worths of tens or hundreds of billions, even those with assets of tens or hundreds of millions can't resist impulsive spending under the influence of emotions, buying a cheap MiG-21 to satisfy their cravings.
Yes, that's all they can afford now. The AK-47 in the air lives up to its name; each landing gear tire costs only $600 and can take off and land 17 times before needing to be replaced.
They can afford to buy it, and they can afford to keep it.
Unlike fighter jets like the F-16, new tires cost over ten thousand yuan each and can only be used for a limited number of takeoffs and landings.
This is why many amateur players add their own deceleration parachutes, because they really can't afford to burn tires. Fortunately, Jihuo Defense uses third-party alternatives, which saves a lot of money.
"I'll do whatever you say. You can make the arrangements when the time comes."
Leave the professional work to the professionals. When the time comes, three F-16s, each piloted by two people in a two-seater D-type, will protect the single-seat hero in the center position. It will definitely set the scene on fire.
"By the way, about Boeing..."
Xia Yu then asked about the Ultimate Ghost project.
Only after obtaining McDonnell Douglas's original technical data could he add ingredients as needed and officially launch the project.
This is also the basis for the cooperation between Xia Yu and Thompson, so the meeting after the New Year directly asked about the progress.
"I recently attended Boeing's Christmas party and met one of their key figures, and we happened to talk about this project."
Old Tang is reliable; he keeps his partners' affairs in mind, which is also laying the foundation for future plans for the F-18 Hornet.
If you don't cultivate relationships normally and only come to someone when you need them, you won't get anything done, no matter which country you're in.
The United States is also a typical society based on personal connections, as evidenced by the large number of lobbying firms and military-political revolving doors. People like Old Tang, who chose to go into business, started building their networks even before retiring.
Otherwise, as an Air Force Major General, you wouldn't even be able to sell many books, and you can't get rich with that meager pension.
"We reminisced about the old technology of variable-sweep wings, and even talked about you, since not many people can get an F-14 out of the Navy."
Old Tang said with a smile.
"So, Mr. Thompson, you've become friends with that person?"
Xia Yu confirmed.
"Yes, we played golf twice more after that."
The upper class in the United States loves golf, and the real estate developer on the stage can only be described as fanatical. He spends his days either giving speeches, tweeting, or on his way to the golf course.
Unlike him, others value the private and social aspect of golf. Once they drive their electric cars and stand on the open lawn, no one will bother them.
Thompson's relationship with the other party is also progressing steadily. Going to great lengths for them is a joke, but facilitating some mutually beneficial projects is not a problem.
“The FHC Museum and Boeing’s passenger plane factory are neighbors in Paine Airport. Although the other party is in charge of the military department, I can invite him over on the day of the collective delivery ceremony and introduce you to him.”
Major General Tang also had a penchant for killing multiple birds with one stone. He managed to accomplish so much in a single collective delivery, and losing him was a loss for the US Air Force.
"Thompson, I really don't know what to say, thank you so much."
Xia Yu said, moved.
"Haha, this is all just a side effect. Aren't we partners? I have no problem with Boeing ripping off taxpayers, because that's not something I can handle. But they can't rip off us businessmen!"
Old Tang smiled and waved his hand.
In front of Xia Yu, a fellow professional, he didn't have to keep many things to himself.
As the saying goes, if you don't take it and I don't take it, how can Commissioner John take it? But what he takes is the hard-earned money of the people of the world. We must cooperate and achieve win-win results among our peers.
If Boeing were to refurbish the F-18 Hornets that Tacair acquired at the Navy's service price, Thompson would be bankrupt. Therefore, he would have to find a way to get the lowest possible price.
“That’s right. It’s not easy for us small business owners to start a business. If the price is a few percentage points higher, the profit will be gone. If it’s any higher, we will lose money. Big companies should take responsibility like big companies.”
Charlotte agreed with Thompson's view: why not take advantage of Boeing's bargain? Warthogs are $8.8 million a pair, and the enhanced wings are outsourced; whoever wants them can buy them.
"It's a pity they don't have that. They even hire employees with a history of drug use. Aren't they afraid that the planes they build will crash? I'll definitely have to be on-site to supervise the work."
Old Tom, who doesn't even smoke, expressed concern about Boeing's current situation.
Whether it's military aircraft or passenger planes, the older Boeing aircraft from the last century are more durable. New products and projects have a lot of problems, and even spacecraft might have an accident.
"Yes, this is absolutely necessary. Our small business can't afford to crash. We have to keep a close eye on things ourselves."
Xia Yu gave it 120 likes; he's not joking about things that fly in the sky.
"Let's not talk about that now. I can only introduce you. The most important step is up to you."
Thompson steered the conversation back on track.
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