This concludes his ground equipment procurement work in Oslo.
There are plenty of street cars like the T-72 in Eastern Europe; there's no need to buy a few hundred from Russia to use as target vehicles.
The nearly 1,000 vehicles cost Xia Yu approximately $160 million, thankfully without exceeding the budget.
Next, they would look at the aerial equipment. Flying equipment is much more expensive than ground equipment, and Xia Yu was already prepared to spend a lot of money.
After deducting the payment for ground equipment, he still had more than 200 million yuan lying in his account.
If that's still not enough, given our relationship with Alexei, we can put down a 50% deposit first, since this will be a long delivery period.
Russia has a large number of tank graveyards and aircraft graveyards, which are aptly named museums. The largest one is located in Ulyanovsk, 875 kilometers from Moscov.
From helicopters to fixed-wing aircraft, from the former Soviet Union to the Soviet Union, this civil aviation museum houses more than 9,000 retired aircraft.
"I need An-2s, lots of An-2s. These aerial tractors are perfect for converting into unmanned target drones."
Onboard the Fischer at an altitude of 10,000 meters, Xia Yu explained his needs to Alexei.
The An-2 target drones previously used by the aircraft carrier museum were either red-modified versions supported by their home country or three-dimensional drones retired by various Afica countries.
This trip to Oslo is for serious sourcing, so naturally I'll buy as much as I can.
"The An-2 does look better than those primary trainer aircraft, but we only have 1,200 left in total, of which only about 300 have airworthiness certificates, and the rest, you know."
Zombie machines, that's what Xia Yu needs. These zombie machines that can't fly can be used to drastically reduce costs.
"No airworthiness certificate is needed. It's a one-time use aircraft. It just needs a little repair to take off smoothly. I want 300 An-2s of this quality."
This figure is basically the annual consumption of an aircraft carrier museum. Even if only half of the total production of the old An-2 aircraft carriers, which was nearly 20,000, were left, it would be enough for the aircraft carrier museum to use for 30 years.
However, Xia Yu was very skeptical that the anti-aircraft guns on the St. Paul would not last more than a few years under high-intensity use.
At first, the problem could be solved by replacing the barrel, but later, as more shells were fired, the barrel structure suffered severe damage and was eventually scrapped.
Those with a large stockpile of 88mm guns are fine, but only a limited number of twin 128mm guns were ever produced, so later on, modern replicas had to be used as substitutes.
"300 is a really good number."
Alexei said happily.
Even if he pumps $10,000 from each plane, that's still $3 million.
Once the quantity increases, even a small percentage will yield a very large number.
"I can offer it for $150,000 a unit."
Alexei knew that Xia Yu's An-2 target drones sold for 1 million each, but the cost of maintenance and modification was not cheap either. Moreover, the most important thing was that the old An-2 was only worth that much, and the airworthy aircraft only sold for 300,000 to 500,000.
"Yes, a total of $45 million, to be delivered in six batches."
Pointe-Noire Airport has only so many hangars and aprons; it simply can't accommodate 300 An-2 aircraft at once.
Compared to tanks, airplanes take up far too much space.
The two men, having finalized another contract, started drinking on the plane, though their destination wasn't any aircraft graveyard in Oslo.
After leaving western Syria, the Fischer flew towards Central Asia until it landed in Uzbekistan seven or eight hours later.
Yes, Xia Yu came from the legendary Chkalov, an aircraft manufacturing plant even larger than Antonov. Before the collapse of the Soyuz, more than 700 Il-76s rolled off the production line here, and a large number of unfinished fuselages still remain today.
With factory buildings providing shelter from the wind and rain, these semi-finished Il-76s are in much better condition than the more than 20 finished Il-76s that were completely scrapped in Wukelan.
But that's not the point. The point is that Er Mao doesn't have the model Xia Yu wants.
The Il-76MF was the only extended version of the Il-76 before Russia domestically produced the Il-76MD-90A.
Military transport aircraft converted into private planes generally suffer from problems such as excessively noisy engines, excessively high cargo hold height, and insufficient passenger cabin volume but not enough usable area.
Therefore, even if it is a battle-damaged Il-76, Xia Yu has a way to refurbish it into a new aircraft, and also a way to stretch it into an extended version.
However, modifications are not a matter of random additions. No matter how much the internal structure is modified, it doesn't matter. The obvious changes in the fuselage structure are something he cannot explain reasonably, so the only option is to make an official extended version.
Russia only has new Il-76MD-90A aircraft available, and ordering one requires waiting in line and is not cheap at all. Therefore, the older Il-76MF model became his best choice.
However, only two of these early extended Chkalov aircraft were produced, and they were sold to Russia by Russia to Israel for $50 million each back in 2005.
Given Xia Yu's relationship with the old king, transferring one of them wouldn't have been difficult. The problem was that last year, the king cut military spending and sold both of the Il-76MFs to Aiji.
There was no other way; Xia Yu's only option was to leave the Il-76MF prototype aircraft in Uzbekistan.
Because the early PS-90A-76 engine was unreliable, this prototype, which verified the feasibility of the extended version, failed to sell as successfully as the two production models.
But for Xia Yu, the engine issue is not a problem.
He had a way of getting Russia and Pratt & Whitney to jointly develop the PS-90A2 engine, which is quiet enough for passenger planes. With greater thrust and lower fuel consumption, this engine can be said to be a perfect fit for the extended version of the Il-76MF.
So Xia Yu has taken care of the aircraft, and after getting off the plane, the group headed straight for the Chkalov... no, to be precise, the Tashkent Machine Plant.
The old Cheka filed for bankruptcy eight years ago and was renamed Tashkent Machine Plant 12 years later, transforming itself into a manufacturer of household products, automobiles and agricultural equipment.
Perhaps Chkalov went with the Union when it collapsed, and the factory that continued to produce the Il-76 was just a soulless body that didn't breathe its last breath until nearly 20 years later.
The convoy drove into the vast factory area, passing by the workshops that had been reorganized to produce consumer goods, and finally arrived at the former core assembly workshop.
"Gala gala"
The unlubricated sliding doors opened to both sides along their tracks, and the warm sunlight shone into the towering workshop, illuminating the Il-76mf prototype aircraft painted with the white, blue, and red flag of the Osmium Federation.
This means it is the property of the Russian Empire, and Oros has the right to treat this prototype in the same way he treated the two production models. However, the high threshold has blocked all those interested in it from entering Xia Yu's life.
Looking in another direction, he noticed five unfinished Il-114 passenger plane fuselages.
Military transport aircraft like the Il-76 still have a chance to be reborn, but the Il-114, which has been completely phased out by European and American civilian airliners, can only remain a dead end.
"Sherlock, give me a month, and I promise I can make it fly."
On the way to tour the various cabins, Alexei patted his chest and assured them.
Since the broken PS-90A-76 was unreliable, he borrowed four D-30s to install on it, and first flew the Il-76MF back to the domestic Hangxing Aircraft Manufacturing Plant for a complete overhaul.
“Alexei, I believe you can do it, but I need a price now, a reasonable price.”
After a general look at the extended cargo hold and cockpit, Xia Yu felt that this Il-76MF was just a bit old, but the airframe was still quite new. So he directly asked for a quote.
“Since you don’t need the engine, and it’s a prototype from our inventory, I think $18 million is a reasonable figure. I’ll help you fly it to Bali for just $18 million.”
Alexei initially considered holding up two fingers, but after careful consideration, he decided that 18 million was a safer bet. He would need 12 million to get the goods from the supplier, coordinate the necessary relationships, and get everything ready for the seaworthiness stage. Adding his 15% profit, that would come to exactly 18 million.
With a budget of 20 million, the profit margin is already over 25%. This figure is normal for ordinary customers, but it's too high for competitors who frequently need to transfer goods or provide assistance.
"Then it's 18 million. I'll be waiting for your good news in Bali."
Xia Yu agreed with the figure and finalized the deal. However, the reason for choosing Bali as the destination can only be attributed to the fact that luxurious home renovations are always associated with the Chinese.
His hometown helped with the avionics and flight control, while he handled the defense and escape systems himself. Only the renovations required the old Bali White Flag to come.
Especially considering the difficult task of converting a military transport plane into a private aircraft, such a square cargo hold must be designed with staggered levels to effectively utilize every cubic meter.
Of course, there also needs to be enough space for families on the plane. Due to the height of the cabin, many interesting designs cannot be carried on the Airbus A319.
The shortcomings of the Il-76MF have now become advantages. Furthermore, having experienced the Il-76MDK at the Great Russian Space Center, Xia Yu really wants to add this simulated weightlessness function to his private plane as well.
If even an adult like him can't resist it, the kids will definitely love it when they grow up.
Instead of investing resources in activities like piano and painting that might cause fever, the Xia family is training astronauts from the very beginning, so that the whole family can go to space together someday.
Just as Xia Yu and his wife were describing this beautiful scene, Alexei's lips twitched involuntarily.
No wonder he wanted to buy the Little Bird spacecraft earlier; he really is a space enthusiast.
But he couldn't help but exclaim, "It's so good to be rich!"
Alexei had sold many Il-76s, but Xia Yu was a first for him; he would never be as carefree as Xia Yu in his entire life.
Well, the point is to spend the money you earn.
Xia Yu isn't interested in luxury yachts, but he'll definitely get big planes and submarines going.
After fighting for so many years, he definitely needs to enjoy himself. The budget for completely modifying this Il-76mf is $100 million, but by integrating his own resources, taking advantage of his home base, and making final system upgrades, he can definitely achieve the effect of $500 million.
With two more red fighter jets flanking them, one could say that this life has not been in vain.
After viewing the planes, the convoy finally left Chkalov and, at a fork in the road, a vehicle took Alexei directly to the airport.
He had to rush back to Oslo to work on restarting the Il-76MF, so Xia Yu and his family had a lot more time to relax. They stayed in Uzbekistan for another week, and only flew to Oslo after the old factory in Chkalov was busy again, ready to negotiate the next deal.
Xia Yu only acquired one Il-76 series aircraft. He had no interest in the standard version because, although it was also a four-engine transport aircraft, its carrying capacity was only enough to tow one Marder infantry fighting vehicle.
If we switch to a 50-ton Leclerc UAE, only the MF extended version can barely carry it; the regular version can't carry a single one.
Such a strategic transport aircraft is not strategic at all. Xia Yu needs a big guy that can carry two or three main battle tanks at a time, or that can deliver two infantry platoons at a time.
Such high-end equipment can cost tens of thousands of dollars per hour, and a single remote deployment can cost millions.
Two years ago, he was worried that the client couldn't afford it, but as Jihuo Defense has developed to this point, things have gradually become that you may not need it, but I can't live without it.
With the Endurance-class amphibious transport dock, Firepower Defense now has conventional maritime delivery capabilities, instead of relying entirely on merchant ship transshipment.
Now, with heavy strategic transport aircraft, Jihuo Defense has gained the ability to rapidly deploy globally.
This is similar to a contractor's luxury car; the enjoyment is secondary, the main purpose is to show off his power.
But isn't it a bit arrogant for a PMC company to be this powerful?
As a Chinese, Xia Yu decided to take a risk and start a transport aircraft leasing company.
I don't just transport my own vehicles; as long as you pay according to the fee schedule, I can transport anyone's car.
In the past few years, when the Malaysians launched Operation Serval, their own strategic airlift capabilities were insufficient, so they leased Russia's An-124 fleet.
Wouldn't it be great if Afica had a company that offered An-124 transport aircraft leasing services?
Yes, Xia Yu's next target is the An-124. The larger An-225 is currently out of the question; even if Er Mao were willing to sell it, his budget wouldn't be enough.
So let's buy an An-124 first to see how it goes... no, let's experience the operation mode of a heavy strategic transport aircraft.
It's not too late to expand the fleet next year or the year after when funds are more plentiful. Xia Yu is still happy to convert cash into various profitable assets.
Whether it's physical or virtual assets, a cash flow of several hundred million is usually enough.
After entering Osmium Federation territory, the Fischer headed straight for Bryansk Oblast in the direction of Moscovite.
It borders two countries to the south and three countries to the west and northwest. Long-endurance suicide drones can easily turn a corner and head straight for boomoomboom, an air force base in the state that operates an An-124 fleet!
Xia Yu wasn't interested in either the active-duty An-124s or those privately operated by the Russian military; he preferred the ones that were always out of service.
As is well known, large aircraft boneyards are owned by airports, while smaller aircraft boneyards are owned by airports.
Six An-124s, stored in the far corner of the Bryansk Air Base, are parked on the tarmac. Two of them have become organ donors for the active fleet.
There was nothing that could be done about it. Ever since that incident in 2014, Russia had cut off the supply of spare parts to Russia's An-124 fleet.
They produced what they could, and for what they couldn't, they made do with what they had, managing to keep more than 20 An-124s in normal operation.
However, for the Osmium Federation, apart from powerful weapons like the Tu-160 and Tu-22M that cannot be sold, there is nothing else that cannot be sold.
They are willing to sell the active An-124s and the mothballed An-124s, but they can't solve the maintenance problem of this kind of heavy strategic transport aircraft. No matter how cheap it is, they are afraid that what they buy is just a model.
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