I Pioneered Scientific Magic

Chapter 401: Do You Want Fighter Jets to Fly as Fast as Light Too?

While Orlando and the others eavesdropped, Lydia, controlling the first-generation fighter in the sky, gradually became accustomed to this giant toy beneath her. Soon, she initiated combat testing!

Lydia pushed the throttle to the limit, propelling the machine downwards at tremendous speed, resembling a majestic eagle swooping from the sky. The immense sonic boom created by its descent was swiftly overridden by the sound of machine gunfire from both sides of the aircraft's wings!

The magically reinforced stone road on the ground immediately bore deep craters from the impact. Lydia, filled with excitement, stretched the machine to its limits, transitioning from a rapid descent to a swift ascent. The fighter skimmed just thirty meters above the ground, causing Orlando and the others to feel their hearts leap in fear, dreading the possibility of this contraption spiraling out of control...

Their worries didn't materialize; even though Lydia was piloting a real fighter for the first time, her technical expertise wasn't lacking. She effortlessly executed perilous maneuvers at ground level, and just before completely veering away from the ground, she opened the bomb bay underneath, dropping several incendiary bombs...

Echoes of explosive blasts reverberated, instantly covering about a quarter of the runway in intense white phosphorus flames!

In pursuit of maximum speed, the fighter's carrying capacity for such bombs was limited, just enough for one such attack.

However, according to their initial design, this thing wasn't supposed to have a bomb bay. After all, the primary mission of the first-generation fighter was to eliminate threats from the sky, leaving the rest to airships.

It was apparent that its production was intended to deliver another deadly weapon...

In this valley, Victorio, Orlando, and the observing alchemists were incredibly satisfied with the performance of this new type of aircraft after watching the display.

Only Lynn, gazing at the burning runway and the craters, wore an expression of helplessness.

"You've blown up the runway, how do we land?"

As Lydia proudly admired her marksmanship from high above, this concern suddenly dawned on her. Being the designer and creator of the fighter's blueprints, Lydia was well aware that this thing needed a very smooth surface for takeoff and landing; any mishap would mean destruction.

Yet, this valley, aside from the magically reinforced runway, was filled with soft, uneven soil and obstructive trees, hardly suitable for landing.

Lydia had no choice but to continue hovering in the sky, waiting for the wizards below to fix the runway. However, after circling in the air for several rounds, there was no sign of any action.

Just as she was getting anxious and preparing to fly back to the capital, Lynn finally intervened, using magic to extinguish the burning flames and repair the damaged runway.

Once the fighter successfully landed, Lydia, previously thrilled, was now filled with apprehension.

"The speed of the fighter is incredibly fast, which is its strength and sometimes its weakness. At extreme speeds, even colliding with a bird can be fatal," Lynn warned seriously.

Lydia's knack for engineering was undeniable, but she tended to forget this crucial aspect in moments of excitement, a huge taboo for a pilot.

Perhaps they should consider adding a parachute or something similar, just in case, coupled with magic for a softer landing, to ensure the pilot's survival in dangerous situations.

Most of the time, the person controlling the weapon is much more critical than the weapon itself...

This becomes increasingly true as technology advances.

"The ascent and descent of this new aircraft rely on a runway, which is quite a significant flaw," Victorio suggested. Since the aircraft was made of metal, maybe they could experiment with adding electromagnetic magic to the fuselage, using electromagnetic propulsion to lift the fighter directly into the sky.

"You mean an electromagnetic launch into the air?" Lynn immediately understood Victorio's suggestion, yet still shook his head, vetoing the idea. "The speed of this aircraft is too slow for that. The instantaneous acceleration is far from sufficient. Being launched straight into the sky will only result in a fall!"

The ones capable of using electromagnetic launch technology are jets that move at several times the speed of sound, even reaching supersonic speeds, utilizing jet propulsion, capable of accelerating instantly to sustain flight.

This kind of propeller aircraft won't cut it!

Seeing Lynn reject his proposal, Victorio wasn't particularly bothered. What puzzled him was Lynn's belief that the new fighter's speed of 360 kilometers per hour was too slow.

If this was considered slow, what on earth could be considered fast?

Could they really expect this flying steel box to travel at the speed of light, circling the continent seven and a half times per second?

Orlando and the others also chimed in with various improvement suggestions, precisely why Lynn had invited them.

Some suggestions were far-fetched and lacked logical sense, but others held practical value.

For instance, optical invisibility, already achieved on airships, and the addition of laser emitters on the fighter. Both could significantly enhance the fighter's survivability and combat abilities without compromising much on weight or affecting its performance.

The happiest among them was naturally Lydia. To her, the biggest drawback of this fighter wasn't its need for a runway but rather its poor combat endurance!

It could only use one set of incendiary bombs, and if the machine guns were used continuously, the ammunition would last for just one minute, rendering it defenseless after. It could only be used for reconnaissance or had to return for resupply.

That's what they called flying for hours and enjoying only a minute of action...

However, if equipped with laser emitters, it would be different. After expending the ammunition, it could engage in close combat with enemies, much like a bayonet on a musket.

That's the kind of battle that ignites one's spirit!

Under the brainstorming and suggestions of the alchemists, a magical improvement plan was formulated in just two hours.

Of course, drawing alchemical arrays on the fuselage and subsequent adjustments would take another week.

"But then we might miss the upcoming battle," Lydia said with frustration. She had stayed up for several days hastily making this just to be ready for the first fight!

"Reclaiming the kingdom won't require such high-end stuff as fighter jets," Lynn chuckled. Their opponents were merely a group of fickle, opportunistic nobles within the kingdom.

When they truly invaded the empire, that's when these machines would showcase their prowess.

And what good would one fighter jet do? To ensure air superiority, at least a squadron was required!

>

Unlock exclusive early access to The Complete Novel (All the chapters) before anyone else by becoming a valued member of my Patreon community.

As a cherished member of our Patreon community, here is what you'll get:

For just $5, you'll receive:

• Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public. (You can find all the novels I'm translating HERE, all the novels have 100s of exclusive early access chapters and some are COMPLETE.)
• Your name will be prominently featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
• The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
• You Get Ad-free Chapters.

If you decide to pledge $10, you'll get all the perks from the $5 tier, plus:

• You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
• Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).

And if you're feeling generous with a $20 pledge, you'll unlock all the perks above:

• You get to recommend an abandoned Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
• Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).

Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!