What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 60 Recruitment
"Wow, after more than half a century, you can't tell you've aged at all."

Yang Tai climbed straight into the cockpit and was a little dazed when he touched the metal surface that showed no signs of oxidation.

Not only does it look good on the outside, but the inside is also so finely crafted that even the surface of the rivets is invisible.

He couldn't help but grip the joystick, and the slightly awkward feeling made it feel almost like it was brand new.

There is a bracket for the flight plan next to the cockpit, and everything is so harmonious.

He even had a strong illusion that this was not a collectible at all, but a completely modern restoration of a real machine.

Moreover, compared to the Type 4 primary trainer aircraft he had studied, the FF, although a contemporary aircraft, had far more instruments as a fighter.

Moreover, the Type 84 primary trainer aircraft, namely Ki-4, was designed by an island country, while the FF is a US aircraft, and their internal layouts are also very different.

Fortunately, the basic instruments are common, so it is not completely without foundation.

Compared to the village head who could sit in the cockpit and inspect everything, Chen Yonggui's academic qualifications could only support him to exclaim "Wow".

Airplane, what a high-sounding word.

When Pingtan Airport was first completed, local residents thought the most luxurious thing to do was to go to the airport and watch passenger planes take off and land...

"The outside of this plane is well maintained. Has the inside been maintained as well?"

“Of course, the entire engine and controls have been disassembled and meticulously serviced, leaving it ready to go.”

Tang Wen lied without batting an eyelid, but after these days of hard work, starting this F4F was not a problem.

There is now a little fuel in the plane and all parts are fully lubricated.

And starting a fighter jet only requires the simplest method.

Fighter planes of the F4F era did not yet use electric starting, and were mainly started by Cowes slow starters and cranks.

Needless to say, the core of the Cowes slow starter is to use a shotgun-caliber blank cartridge to cause the gunpowder gas to expand through firing, thereby driving the engine to run.

Tang Wen told the two men to retreat, then he skillfully stuffed a blank bullet under the engine, pulled the trigger, and heard a "bang".

Gas from the gunpowder leaked from the bottom of the aircraft, and the powerful R1830 Twin Wasp engines began to work.

The three-bladed propeller immediately began to rotate under the action of the engine, and the "tapping" sound of the engine's exhaust became faster and faster, and then stabilized at a low speed.

The 14-cylinder radial piston engine made a huge noise. The "clicking" sound when idling even made the whole warehouse tremble, and the surrounding air was full of the noise of the engine and propeller.

Yang Tai's heart trembled as the engine started. After confirming that the brakes were effective, he gently tried the accelerator and immediately felt the violent restlessness of the 1200 horsepower engine.

Compared to the aggressive wild cat, Ki84 is just a timid mole.

The noise from the plane was so loud that Chen Yonggui could only shout at the top of his lungs:

"It won't fly out suddenly, will it?"

"If I can't fly, I'll try!"

Yang Tai was also worried about the engine overheating. After trying the joystick's control of the wings and the instrument display, he closed the throttle and stopped the engine.

He landed on the wing, unable to suppress the joy on his face.

"This plane is in such great condition. If all planes in tourist areas were in this condition, there would be no need to worry about flight safety.

Why hasn't the airport been built yet? This is the core focus of tourism development, and it must be expedited!"

The latter sentence was said to Chen Yonggui. The shipyard did not have the conditions for takeoff, and the dirt road outside Dayuan Village was not flat enough to be used as a field runway.

"For this type of fighter jet, a runway that's 1000 meters long wouldn't be necessary. A -meter concrete runway would suffice. Are there any land acquisition issues?"

"No no."

Chen Yonggui quickly shook his head. After Yang Tai got on the plane, his enthusiasm for the tourist village project almost doubled. He couldn't wait to see the F4F flying in the sky the next moment.

Besides, the land used for these projects in Dayuan Village are all bad land, most of which are owned by the village, so there is no need to worry about disputes.

"That's good."

Yang Tai nodded with satisfaction, and then encouraged Tang Wen:
"Xiao Tang, if you have any difficulties, please feel free to ask. The township will give priority to those that can be handled. If they can't be handled, I will go to the town to help you." "What a coincidence, I really have something here that I need an expert's help with."

Tang Wen saw Yang Tai's expression clearly, so he didn't have to be afraid to speak now.

"Do you know anyone from the old aviation school? Could you tell me how to get a pilot's license now? Otherwise, no one here can fly a plane."

Yang Tai subconsciously wanted to say that he could do it, but then he thought that after all, the business was to serve tourists, and it would be troublesome to fly an aircraft without a license.

"It's a small matter. I'll ask those old friends right away. Let's wait for good news."

……

Echeng, a military community.

Huang Dongshun drove his brother's Fiat car and parked it directly on the road opposite the community.

As a resettlement community for retired/serving families, outsiders are generally not allowed to stay in the area for too long.

However, as a retired sailor, Huang Dongshun is very clear that the boundary of the deportation area is just opposite the community, and the gate guards generally don't care about this place.

A small car is still very eye-catching, and people entering and leaving the community will almost subconsciously take a few more glances at it.

Huang Dongshun wanted the effect. He took out a wooden board and placed it diagonally on the roof of the car, facing the gate of the community. It was written on it:

"Steam Turbine Seamen Wanted, High Salary, Food and Accommodation Included."

He brought a small stool and sat next to the car facing the community.

This scene instantly attracted the attention of passers-by. It was very rare for people to come here directly to recruit.

Almost everyone passing by would turn their heads to take a look before leaving with curiosity.

After a while, a man on a bicycle was about to go home. When he turned around, he saw a car opposite the community with a sign saying "Recruitment" on it.

When he looked at Huang Dongshun sitting on a small stool, he immediately knew that he was also a veteran, and he immediately became interested.

He got off the bike and pushed it across the road, and Huang Dongshun quickly stood up.

"Comrade, have you ever maintained a steam turbine?"

The man pushing the bicycle shook his head:
"I'm from the shore and have never been on a ship. Are you recruiting crew members?"

When Huang Dongshun heard that it was the sailors on the shore, he knew that they were not his target and slowly sat down again.

Although a little disappointed, Huang Dongshun still replied:
"I'm the manager of Fudong Fisheries. I used to be a sailor, and I'm just looking to see if I can recruit some of my old comrades."

"Fishing, doesn't that mean getting on a fishing boat?"

The man was a little surprised for a moment:

"Fishing boats all use diesel engines, so why are we hiring people for steam turbines? This position is only found on large ships like destroyers and frigates."

"I have a ship that uses steam turbines, so I need sailors who can do that."

Huang Dongshun had no choice. Apart from the navy, no civilian ship used this thing.

Gaijin Shipyard has started building ships and laying steel plates for the bottom of the ship. Bokdong Fisheries must find manpower as soon as possible.

It was easy to find fishing crew members, but there were at least 10 vacancies for maintaining and operating steam turbines, and no one, including himself, was qualified for the tasks.

Because the anti-submarine boat Huang Dongshun had served in before was only diesel-powered, he really didn't understand how to use a steam turbine.

Only then did he think of trying his luck in the sailors' family community. If he could find a retired soldier, it would be much easier to trace their comrades.

"Wait, your fishing company uses steamboats?"

The man on the bicycle was a little surprised. Even he knew that steam-powered civilian ships were out of date.

However, Huang Dongshun did not answer his thoughts. He nodded casually and was unwilling to explain further.

The man found it a little funny, but he didn't walk away. Instead, he rolled his eyes and said:
"But I know someone who did this before, who just retired this year. He used to work in the engine room of the 108th ship. Would you like me to introduce you to him?"

(End of this chapter)