Chapter 316: The Global Voyage
April 10, 1912, Sydney.
After more than a week of careful preparation and securing agreements from all the countries at the planned stops, the airship circumnavigation officially began.
The news of Australasia's airship circumnavigation quickly became another sensational story following the Balkan War, drawing attention across Europe and even the world.
Unfortunately, due to time constraints, European media couldn't reach Sydney before the airship's departure. However, they had other means, namely setting up at the stopping points to capture the news as soon as the airship arrived.
Though it was only 8 AM, Sydney was already packed with crowds, including major media outlets from Australasia, curious citizens, and officials from the government and royal family.
To maximize the government's public image, the official sponsors of this global voyage were the Australasia government and the royal family, with all expenses being jointly borne by them.
"Oh my goodness, can this giant really fly in the sky? And it's going on a global voyage?"
Among the crowd, some looked at the massive airship in the distance with doubt.
"Damn it, do you still doubt that His Majesty will deceive us? Even if it's an iron lump, if His Majesty says it can fly, it'll fly," came a sharp response from a companion nearby.
"Have you not seen this thing fly in the sky? It's huge! The shadow it casts is bigger than an entire building," another spectator, who had seen the airship in flight before, chimed in.
For the people of Australasia, such monumental events like the global voyage naturally became a hot topic of conversation.
Since it was pushed by Arthur and the government, the event naturally attracted even more curiosity and attention from the citizens of Australasia.
The airship was not an unfamiliar sight to the people of Australasia, as their airships had been around for several years and were not considered a closely guarded secret.
What truly shocked and intrigued them, however, was the size of the airship in front of them, emblazoned with the Australasia flag and the royal crest.
Compared to previous airships, this one was at least several times larger, appearing far more grand and imposing.
"Your Majesty, everyone. This is the latest creation from the aviation laboratory—an airship capable of carrying 40 tons of weight and reaching speeds of up to 110 kilometers per hour, the AU-3!" On a temporary platform set up in the area, Theodor, the head of the aviation laboratory, was enthusiastically explaining to Arthur, the government officials, the media, and the crowd below.
Theodor's voice, amplified through a speaker, carried far enough for almost everyone nearby to hear clearly.
"Based on our conservative estimates, the AU-3 can carry at least 105 people, with supplies for at least half a month. Even when fully loaded at 40 tons, the AU-3 can maintain a speed of at least 70 kilometers per hour, significantly reducing the time for intercontinental communication."
In addition to the royal family, government officials, media, and general public, a number of small and medium-sized capitalists from Australasia were also present at the global voyage's departure ceremony.
Currently, Australasia did not have a long-established aristocracy, with the few noble titles consisting of non-inheritable knight titles conferred by Arthur himself.
"Theodor, how many people are needed to operate such a massive airship?" A government official asked curiously.
"Although the AU-3 is several times larger than previous airships, the operating system is simpler. Including all the operators, only two shifts of 32 crew members are needed to make this airship fly smoothly in the sky. For shorter flights, we only need 16 operators," Theodor replied confidently.
The new airship, designed for long-distance flights, naturally had to account for operator fatigue.
While the airship could travel for days or even half a month, operators would need to rotate every ten or so hours to avoid accidents due to exhaustion.
This meant that the airship's long-haul journey would require at least two shifts of operators to ensure smooth operations.
The crowd nodded in understanding. For such a huge vehicle, needing only 16 operators for short flights and 32 for long-haul flights seemed completely reasonable.
However, due to the airship's maximum capacity of only 105 passengers, after accounting for the 32 operators and 15 attendants, the maximum number of paying passengers was just 58.
It's worth noting that at the request of European and American countries, the 58 available passenger tickets for the global voyage were not entirely claimed by Australasia. The tickets were distributed as follows: 6 for the United States, 10 for the United Kingdom, 8 for Germany, 7 for Russia, and 5 each for France, Austria, and Italy.
This meant that Australasia could only sell 12 tickets to its own citizens, roughly one-sixth of the total.
However, this did not diminish the prestige of the global voyage being solely attributed to Australasia. Additionally, the interest from other nations in the airship tickets was a reflection of their curiosity about the airship itself, which Arthur welcomed.
The price of an airship ticket was steep, with each ticket costing several hundred pounds, beyond the reach of most common people in Australasia.
Arthur was pleased to see that European countries were taking an interest in the airship tickets. Once the circumnavigation was successfully completed, it would mark the beginning of airships entering the commercial sector.
As the first country to achieve an airship circumnavigation, Australasia's airships would leave a deep impression on countries and people around the world.
Selling airships and their technology would bring massive profits, much more valuable than the few dozen tickets for the global voyage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our aviation laboratory has now achieved mass production of the AU-3 airship. If this circumnavigation is a success, we plan to support the establishment of airlines and seek partnerships with aviation companies worldwide," Theodor announced with a smile at the end of the airship presentation.
If everything went according to plan, this announcement would be echoed at every stop, reaching the ears of capitalists and aristocrats across Europe and America.
Theodor's intent was clear—he aimed to promote the airship market and earn significant profits for the aviation laboratory.
Once the airship completed its circumnavigation, the value generated would rival that of cruise ships.
In terms of time, airships and cruise ships were on entirely different levels. Even traveling from Europe to America would take at least a week or two by ship, and over a month to travel between Europe and Australasia or Asia.
Even with the most advanced warships, a global circumnavigation would take two to three months. However, with the airship's speed, a passenger airship could travel from Europe to North America in just a few days.
Even traveling to distant places like Asia or Australasia would only take ten days to two weeks.
This meant that airships would save passengers time in terms of weeks, making intercontinental travel far more convenient.
More importantly, passengers would be able to enjoy the view and the experience of flying, which was not something cruise ships could offer.
"Your Majesty, the airship presentation is complete. We are ready to begin preparations for takeoff," Theodor respectfully addressed Arthur after finishing the airship's introduction.
"Indeed, it's time for the circumnavigation to begin. Theodor, I wish you and your team the best of success!" Arthur nodded with a smile, giving his approval.
Theodor, the director of the aviation laboratory, would be the one leading the airship circumnavigation and piloting the AU-3.
"Yes, Your Majesty, we will not disappoint you!" Theodor said seriously, nodding as he turned his attention to the airship.
At that moment, the airship's maintenance crew and pilots, having received their orders, quickly began their final checks to ensure there would be no mishaps before takeoff.
Once everything was in order, the 12 Australasians with tickets were eager with anticipation, guided by attendants as they boarded the airship.
"Australasia AU-3 airship, codename Dawn, is ready for takeoff!"
Once all the supplies and passengers were on board, the Dawn airship slowly lifted off the ground, soaring into the sky, and gradually became a small white dot, disappearing from view.
"The era of airships has begun," Arthur said, watching the airship disappear into the sky, his expression filled with deep meaning.
As the giant airship flew away, many Australasians marveled at the sight, discussing it excitedly with their friends.
Although they had heard of airships before, nothing compared to witnessing such a massive vehicle take to the skies. Many Australasians began to imagine what it would be like to board such an airship and embark on a spectacular global voyage.
(End of Chapter)
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