The outcome of the Battle of Manila Bay, although having certain variables, was already doomed to defeat once blocked by the American forces. Without external material supplies after the blockade, the Spanish troops in the Philippines could only delay for some time. Ernst merely intended to seize this opportunity to cause some trouble for the United States, so he did not pay further attention.

Of course, there still was a possibility for a comeback: Spain could completely annihilate the main force of the United States Navy in the Caribbean Sea and threaten the mainland United States, but this possibility was even smaller. In the situation where the mainland navy preserved its strength and could not go all out, the fate of the Spanish navy would probably be similar to that of the Far East Empire.

...

June 5, 1889.

Bulawayo.

"Mankind has longed for the sky since ancient times, and the Courage carries our urgent hopes. If this experiment succeeds, it will be a day that changes history for East Africa and even the entire world."

At this moment, at the experimental site west of Bulawayo, researchers and reporters from the East New Agency were all set.

The chief designer leading this experiment, Liu Laide, and his research team were extremely nervous as well, being of mixed heritage.

Liu Laide received a formal education in East Africa. His father graduated from Heixinggen Military Academy and had made significant contributions to the expansion of East Africa, so the conventional path would be for him to follow in his father's footsteps into military development.

However, Liu Laide chose an unconventional path, being naturally more interested in invention and creation. He later pursued further studies at the University of Vienna in Europe and was recruited directly into the Vienna branch of the Heixinggen Energy and Power Laboratory for an internship after graduation. Finally, he returned to East Africa and was tasked with significant responsibilities, establishing the Bulawayo Aircraft Research Institute.

An airplane, in simple terms, is a flying machine, or an aircraft. During the critical period of the 19th century for project development, many researchers worldwide made unremitting efforts, but none succeeded, though they accumulated ample experience.

Liu Laide also had an understanding of airplanes, though many of the "aircraft" he knew of had no successful examples.

The reason Liu Laide could become the leader of the Bulawayo Aircraft Research Institute was entirely because East Africa lacked personnel, so they had to heavily utilize local talent.

After all, for such a scientific research project, Ernst naturally set a very high level of confidentiality, which meant that some projects had to be anonymous. For many fame-seeking scientists or inventors from Europe or America, even if East Africa offered a high salary, it would be unappealing.

For local talents like Liu Laide, who was indeed young, East Africa had ways to compensate for shortcomings; for instance, Liu Laide's core team had over forty people, all top students from East Africa.

Many hands make light work, and in East Africa, where education is "surplus," compared to other countries, the last thing lacking is the number of university students. East Africa may lack top-tier talent, but it can substitute ten for one, or even a hundred for one. This sheer manpower strategy greatly aids East Africa's research, with many national laboratories consisting of young talents achieving significant accomplishments.

Compared to many individualistic and imaginative inventions of 19th-century Europe, East Africa's collaborative research team model inherently holds an advantage.

For example, the Wright Brothers, who historically invented the airplane first, only had a high school diploma and made their living repairing bicycles.

In this context, compared to the Bulawayo Aircraft Research Institute, the Wright Brothers don't even count as a makeshift team, especially with Ernst guiding direction for East African researchers.

The fact remains that the "aircraft" in Bulawayo is visibly much more "luxurious" in appearance than the plane invented by the Wright Brothers in the previous world, featuring not only a simple mechanical structure but also equipped with certain electronic products and an exterior shell.

The Wright Brothers' aircraft in the previous world had no exterior shell, only a coarse frame, akin to driving a convertible car.

In reality, this aircraft, independently developed by East Africa, had already completed its maiden flight in early March of this year. However, this time it was more prepared, with the Central Government sending reporters to document this precious historical event.

"Buzz buzz buzz..."

As the propeller in the front started, the Seer made a loud noise and then clumsily pushed forward along the runway.

To the on-site "non-professionals," the so-called aircraft that had yet to take off seemed somewhat like a peculiarly shaped sports car.

A military representative casually remarked, "Can such a thing really fly? Its two wings are obviously fixed and completely made of metal. How could it possibly fly like a bird or an insect with wing flapping..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Seer had already left the ground, ascending with its nose up, leaving the ground in an instant, skimming close to the ground, and then rapidly climbing within a short time, eventually flying straight in the sky.

Facts speak louder than words, and although members of the Bulawayo Aircraft Institute had witnessed a plane takeoff before, they were still thrilled enough to almost leap for joy.

Reporters from the East New Agency were even more flustered in recording this historic moment. In the watchful eyes of cameras, the first human aircraft successfully completed its mission, flying in the sky for nearly seven or eight minutes before smoothly landing back on the runway.

Historically, the Wright Brothers' first airplane flew less than 300 meters within 59 seconds, indicating the high starting point of East Africa's first airplane.

Of course, this was as expected. Behind East Africa's first airplane were not only over forty core researchers but also shared data from other research institutions, top parts from various East African factories, financial support from East Africa, and more. In contrast, the Wright Brothers' team could only be considered a small workshop.

Given such support, if East Africa's first airplane were still as crude as in the previous world, it would certainly be implausible.

The East African research team was elated in demonstrating their prowess, having the foundation to feel proud as developers of the world's first airplane.

This also served as encouragement for many young individuals in East African research institutions. In terms of talent quality, although East Africa lagged behind Europe and America, this didn't imply a lack of intelligence but rather insufficient accumulation and experience.

Undoubtedly, the East African Government provided them with an excellent platform, allowing them ample opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and rapidly grow in national projects. With time, individuals like Liu Laide would become notable figures like the current European "masters."

This was precisely what Ernst hoped to see. Top-tier talent cannot only be acquired through recruitment. If local East African talents could consistently deliver results, it would naturally be ideal, as the sciences and nations, the scientist have borders.

This indeed was the case with many freelanced European and American scientists or scholars who, although coming to East Africa for money or other reasons, ultimately did not regard East Africa as their true home.

For instance, many university teachers hired by East Africa considered it merely a springboard, with their hearts ultimately set on returning to Europe for development.

Local talents, however, possessed stronger and inherent attachments to East Africa, which made them more likely to stay, constituting the most accessible talent pool for East Africa.

...

First Town.

"Great! Looks like the military budget will increase soon!" Ernst thought to himself upon learning of the success of this flight experiment.

In fact, Ernst had known as early as March that the Seer had successfully taken off, but with this reconfirmation, he couldn't help but feel excited. After all, airplanes are one of the significant inventions that can alter human history, and realizing this in East Africa made Ernst more optimistic about East Africa's future prospects.

Additionally, the first large-scale use of planes in history was in warfare, providing reconnaissance, attack, transport, and other functionalities. The successful takeoff of East Africa's plane also indicated that a third major military branch, the Air Force, was about to emerge.

With the ascent of the Seer, East Africa should also commence early preparation for an Air Force to prepare for future wars.