The Rise Of Australasia
Chapter 563: Chapter 439: Passenger Airplane and Aircraft Carrier_2

In the next construction plan of the Transportation Department, in addition to the thorough completion of the central railway construction, a large number of railways will be built in the newly occupied areas, including New Guinea Island, Sulawesi Island, and along the coast of the Persian Gulf, to strengthen the rule in these areas.

At the same time, within Australasia, along the Mure River, and in New Zealand, further railway construction will be carried out to ensure that the military can quickly reach every inch of the territory.

Of course, various major military factories in Australasia have not been idle. The independent Royal Aircraft Manufacturing Factory can produce more than 500 aircraft per year, and the Agricultural Machinery Factory has also built more than 500 T-14 tanks.

Both the fourth-generation military aircraft and the T-14 tanks are the ultimate hidden cards of Australasia.

They represent the most advanced military technology in Australasia and are crucial for ensuring the country's interests.

Arthur temporarily does not plan to reveal the T-14 tank, as this tank technology is at least ten years ahead of British tanks.

At most, when the third-generation tanks are about to be born, they will disclose the first-generation tank technology to obtain adequate funds.

This approach is used by many countries both now and in the future. Theoretically, no country will expose its latest technology unless it is absolutely necessary.

The so-called hole card you think is just my conventional weapon, and my conventional weapon is your hole card.

Anyway, it is essential to ensure that military technology is sufficiently ahead of most or even all countries to carry out plans without fear.

There is also good news for Arthur that, in addition to military aircraft, research on civilian aircraft, i.e., passenger aircraft, has also made significant progress.

It has been six years since the success of the previous generation of passenger aircraft, SF-1, nicknamed "Big Belly No. 1" by researchers.

Through the joint efforts of Engine Research Lab, the former Aviation Laboratory, and several other factories, Big Belly No. 2, officially designated as SF-2 Passenger Aircraft, was successfully developed and had undergone preliminary testing.

When Arthur received this news, he immediately went to the current Royal Aircraft Construction Factory for inspection.

Compared to the less stable airships, aircraft are undoubtedly a better choice for travel. They not only save more time than airships, but they are also safer.

The maximum load capacity of the SF-2 Passenger Aircraft is 3.7 tons, and in addition to carrying up to 12 passengers, including the pilot, it can also transport over 500 kg of luggage.

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After the engine upgrade, the average flight speed of the SF-2 has reached 190 kilometers per hour, and the maximum flight speed can even break through 215 kilometers.

This speed is almost twice the speed of improved trains and more than three times the speed of unimproved trains.

In addition, the fuel tank has been upgraded, and the SF-2 with a larger fuel tank has a maximum range of over 1,700 kilometers, greatly facilitating daily travel.

Taking a train from the westernmost to the easternmost part of Australia requires at least two to three days of travel.

But if you switch to flying, you can arrive in just over one day at the fastest.

By installing a few more fuel tanks, the maximum travel distance can be extended to over 2,000 kilometers, saving time for refueling during the trip.

Of course, like airships, airplanes are currently only a means of transportation for the wealthy.

Because each aircraft has only 12 seats, excluding one pilot, the maximum number of passengers that can be carried is only 11 people.

This results in the current passenger aircraft primarily serving governments and high-level officials, and it is almost impossible for middle and lower-class populations to popularize it in a short period.

Even in later generations, many people still could not afford to fly, let alone over 100 years ago.

According to the Aircraft Factory's estimate, the cost of such an SF-2 Passenger Aircraft for one trip is at least 2,000 pounds.

This means that even if the cost is shared, each of the 11 passengers would have to bear almost 200 pounds, or 400 Australian dollars.

This is 7 to 8 times the per capita annual income of Australasians, and people with low to middle incomes cannot afford to spend nearly ten years' worth of wages for a single airplane experience.

Although it seems that the cost of airplanes is lower than that of airships, in reality, it is the opposite.

At present, the ticket price for airships to travel around the world has dropped to about 600 pounds, but if you use airplanes to travel around the world, the cost is at least 50,000 pounds, with an average of over 4,700 pounds per seat.

Looking at the whole world, those who can spend nearly 5,000 pounds to travel around the world are definitely the highest echelons in their respective countries.

It might not be until after World War II that airplanes can achieve true popularization among common people.

This does not prevent Arthur from planning to build airports throughout Australasia, both for his own convenience to inspect various places in Australasia and to facilitate domestic and international exchanges.

For Arthur, both the royal family's private plane and his own are essential. In fact, Arthur already plans to build a private royal airport near Sydney Palace to facilitate the daily travel of the royal family.

The most obvious point is that the distance between Sydney and Lington is just over 2,200 kilometers, and with the installation of two auxiliary fuel tanks, the SF-2 Passenger Aircraft can reach it in one trip, achieving a 12-hour mutual connection between the Australian Region and the New Zealand Region.