[A/N: Got a bit late :\ ]
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Farnborough, England – Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) – April 7th, 1949
The damp English spring clung to everything at the Royal Aircraft Establishment like a persistent reminder that better days might be coming, but weren't here yet. Hans Multhopp felt that same dampness in his career prospects.
He sat in his small, cluttered office surrounded by stacks of research papers and experimental wing models, feeling the familiar weight of frustration settling on his shoulders.
Since the war ended, he'd found refuge here at RAE, contributing to British aviation research. But his real passion, supersonic flight and radical new wing designs, felt constantly constrained by cautious budgets and bureaucratic thinking that seemed to fear genuine innovation.
He watched his most brilliant German colleagues get absorbed by the Americans and Soviets while he remained here, doing competent but uninspiring work.
He was reviewing wind tunnel data when his secretary knocked. "Dr. Multhopp, sir? Two visitors from the Indian High Commission are here to see you. A Mr. Menon and a Dr. Ghante."
Multhopp looked up from his papers, genuinely surprised. India? He knew they'd been making some news lately.
Their independence, recent conflicts, and even launching their own airline. Impressive for a new nation, certainly, but hardly at the cutting edge of aerospace research. Still, curiosity got the better of him. "Send them in."
Krishna Menon entered with that smooth diplomatic confidence that seemed effortless, followed by Dr. V.M. Ghante, who carried himself with the quiet intensity that Multhopp recognized in serious engineers.
The contrast was interesting. Menon looked like he could charm his way into any room, while Ghante looked like he could design his way out of any technical problem.
"Dr. Multhopp," Menon began, offering a genuinely warm smile, "thank you for seeing us. I'm Krishna Menon, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Bharat. This is Dr. Ghante, one of our leading aeronautical engineers."
Multhopp stood and shook their hands, his engineer's eye automatically assessing Ghante while his diplomatic instincts sized up Menon.
"Gentlemen, welcome. I have to admit, I'm curious what brings India's Foreign Minister to my small office here at Farnborough. India isn't typically associated with advanced aeronautical research, if you'll forgive my directness."
Menon chuckled, not seeming offended at all. "Your directness is exactly why we're here, Doctor. You're absolutely right about India's current status in aerospace. But we're here because we're determined to change that completely.
Prime Minister Arjun Mehra has personally identified you as someone with the vision and expertise to help us build something truly revolutionary."
Multhopp felt a small flicker of interest despite himself. Personal attention from a head of government was unusual, especially from a nation he'd barely considered in terms of aerospace development.
But he'd been disappointed by grand promises before. "I'm flattered, Minister. But building an advanced aerospace industry requires enormous infrastructure, highly trained personnel, and national commitment on a scale that..." He gestured around his modest office. "Well, that even established powers struggle with."
He could hear the weariness in his own voice. "The British, with all their resources, still move cautiously. The Americans and Soviets have already recruited most of the real innovators from Germany. I wonder if India truly understands what you're asking."
Menon leaned forward slightly, his expression becoming more serious. "Dr. Multhopp, India is building that industrial base as we speak. Massive steel plants, heavy machinery factories, new technical institutes.
But more importantly, we're building it with a unified vision and commitment that established powers, frankly, can't match. We don't have competing interests and inherited bureaucracies fighting over resources."
Ghante spoke up for the first time, his voice quiet but confident. "Dr. Multhopp, I've studied your work on transonic aerodynamics extensively. Your concepts for managing wave drag and swept wing design are genuinely visionary.
The problem isn't that your ideas are wrong. The problem is that existing institutions are too cautious to fully explore their potential."
Multhopp studied Ghante more carefully. There was something in the younger man's eyes, a kind of focused intensity that suggested he understood the technical challenges at a deeper level than most.
"My work is hardly unique, Dr. Ghante. Others are reaching similar conclusions about high-speed flight. The real challenge is converting theory into practical, flyable aircraft. The forces at transonic speeds are incredibly complex."
"Which brings us to why we're really here," Menon said, nodding to Ghante.
Ghante reached into his briefcase and withdrew a set of carefully bound papers with no identifying marks. "Dr. Multhopp, what I'm about to show you represents a classified research that my colleagues and I have been developing under Prime Minister Mehra's direction. We call it the 'Area Rule.'"
Multhopp took the papers, his curiosity genuinely piqued now. He began reading, and almost immediately his expression changed. He found himself standing without realizing it, beginning to pace as he absorbed what he was seeing. The diagrams were elegantly simple, but the implications were staggering.
This wasn't just theoretical speculation. This was a fundamental principle that could solve major problems in supersonic aircraft design, problems that had been frustrating aerodynamicists for years.
The mathematical foundation seemed solid, the practical applications were clear, and yet the concept was completely unknown to him.
He looked up from the papers, his mind racing with possibilities and questions. "This is... this is extraordinary. Where did this research come from? How did you develop this? I've never seen anything like this approach to managing cross-sectional area distribution for drag reduction."
His excitement was quickly tempered by professional skepticism. "But surely this can't be entirely original to India? Your aerospace industry is still barely at the development stage. This represents years of advanced theoretical work and experimental validation."
Ghante met his gaze steadily. "Dr. Multhopp, I understand your surprise. This research emerged from a very small team working under exceptional circumstances and with unusual support from our government.
Prime Minister Mehra has personally ensured that our most promising research faces no bureaucratic obstacles. He's committed to making India a leader in aerospace technology, not a follower."
He paused, choosing his words carefully. "What you're seeing is genuine, and it's only the beginning. If you join us, you'd have the opportunity to build upon this foundation, to explore its full potential without the constraints you face here."
Menon stepped forward, his voice taking on a more persuasive tone.
"Dr. Multhopp, both America and the Soviet Union would value your expertise. But they'd ask you to fit into their existing programs, their established priorities, and other Cold War objectives. We're offering you something completely different."
He gestured to the papers still in Multhopp's hands. "We're offering you the chance to shape an entire nation's aerospace future from the ground up. To pursue the kind of revolutionary research that established powers are often too cautious to attempt.
To work with minds like Dr. Ghante's on problems that haven't been solved anywhere else in the world."
Multhopp looked down at the Area Rule research again, then back at the two men. Part of him was deeply skeptical. Could India really support the kind of advanced research that these papers suggested? But another part of him, the part that had been frustrated by years of incremental progress and bureaucratic caution, was genuinely intrigued.
"The research is impressive," he admitted, "but building supersonic aircraft requires more than just theoretical breakthroughs. It requires precision manufacturing, advanced materials, and extensive testing facilities."
"All of which we intend to building," Ghante replied.
"But more importantly, we're building them specifically to support this kind of advanced research. We're not trying to retrofit old systems or work around existing limitations. We're designing everything from scratch with a clear vision of where we want to go.
So, yes we might not have the advance infrastructure to convert these theories to practical application now, and you might share the burdens in helping to build it and train the cadres, what you'll have is the complete Government backing. And those words were said my Prime Minister himself, not by me."
Multhopp felt something he hadn't experienced in years: genuine excitement about a professional opportunity. The Area Rule research was proof that serious, original thinking was happening in India. The question was whether they could actually deliver on their promises.
"If I were to consider this," he said slowly, "what exactly would my role be?"
"You'd be one of the leader in our supersonic aircraft development program," Menon replied immediately.
"Complete authority over research direction, access to whatever resources you need, and collaborate with engineers like Dr. Ghante who are already pushing the boundaries of what's possible."
Multhopp looked at both men, weighing their words against years of disappointment and compromise.
The rational part of his mind catalogued all the reasons to be cautious. But the papers in his hands suggested that India might actually be serious about revolutionary aerospace development.
"The future of flight," he murmured, more to himself than to them.
"Exactly," Menon said with a confident smile. "So? What's your decision, Doctor? Are you up for it?"
Multhopp nodded slowly, feeling a decision crystallizing in his mind.
For the first time in years, someone was offering him the chance to do the kind of work he'd always dreamed of. The opportunity to build something truly new, to push the boundaries of what was possible in aviation.
He took a deep breath as he glanced at the papers once again.
"Gentlemen," he said, meeting both their eyes, "I think we have a great deal to discuss."
And thus, this moment would be etched into history as one of the defining milestones of the Indian aerospace sector.