Franz smiled.
"Large things have large uses; small things have their own wonders. After all, we can't expect those large warships and cargo vessels to pass through narrow streams. You should have felt it when you went to London—our ships simply can't navigate the River Thames.
"Likewise, we can't lay railroads through every little alley, which is why horse-drawn carriages are still the most common means of transportation."
Olga nodded as though she understood, though doubts still lingered in her heart. After all, there were no terrain obstacles in the sky. But she was a clever woman and knew when enough was enough.
This time, Franz awarded a prize of one hundred thousand Florins. He felt that seventeen minutes and fifty-one seconds was more or less the limit of Austrian Empire aircraft at present, and luck had likely played a considerable part in it as well.
In fact, according to Franz's own plan, he would already have been quite satisfied if the Austrian Empire could produce a truly practical aircraft within twenty years.
The test flights continued. Before long, another prototype achieved the excellent result of nine minutes and fifty-two seconds. This time, it was finally Vincent Augustin's turn. This was the product of the Austrian Empire Weapon Development Bureau.
Franz had no choice but to admit that technological development in this era was advancing far too quickly. If it continued like this, his previous plans would most likely have to be discarded.
But that was part of the surprise as well.
Testing for the fourteenth prototype began. Rather than using the safer drop-weight launch method, this prototype used the more advanced catapult-and-gravity rail takeoff.
The intense friction even sent sparks flying as the aircraft accelerated along the track.
Though thirteen of the fourteen prototypes were biplanes, No. 14's takeoff