German Red Prince

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Listening to Father Rilvado's incoherent ramblings, the clergy felt as if he were possessed by a demon and had become erratic.

After knocking on the door for a long time without any response, Saparla figured the priest probably didn't want to see them today and was about to leave when they heard the priest scream from inside the church. This startled the people outside. Saparla didn't care anymore and called on his men to kick the church door open.

Inside the church, Father Rivaldo was being held captive by several people who suspected he was possessed and were preparing to exorcise him.

......

Father Rivaldo's hair and clothes were a mess, and he was constantly combing his hair with water. The atmosphere was a little awkward.

After Zapara's explanation, Father Rilvado roughly understood what he had heard in that church. He was speechless. How could the government possibly interfere with religion? They have their own beliefs, and everyone has their own beliefs. How could they possibly reconcile them?

"Sir, since you've created your so-called Catholicism, what are you doing here with me? I'm not the Pope. If you have any problems, go to the Vatican. There's no use coming to me."

“Father Rivaldo, we hope you can join us,” Zapara said to Rivaldo.

"to join you guys?"

After hearing what Zapara said, Rilvado looked at the man, who had no idea what stupid things he had just said, as if he were an idiot.

“I’m sorry, sir. If you want to pursue your so-called religion, then go find professionals. I can’t do it. It goes against God’s will, and I cannot do it.”

"Then, Father Rilvado, what is God's will?"

"Be ordained for salvation, become children of light, and fight for the truth. Build one another up, live in peace, and respect preachers or those who govern the church. Warn those who break the rules and encourage those who are discouraged. Do not repay evil with evil, pursue goodness, and hold fast to what is good."

Father Rilvado was very familiar with this and could recite it off the top of his head.

"Then our theology, which fights for the poor and for the pursuit of a society where everyone is equal, wouldn't that count as fighting for the truth?"

“Well, I guess so.” Father Rilvado nodded. This so-called liberation theology really did speak from the perspective of the poor, and he wasn’t too opposed to that.

“Then we help the villagers, help them repair their houses, and provide them with meals. Does that count as living in harmony?”

"this......"

"We warn against lawbreakers, encourage the poor to resist, and pursue a better life and an ideal society. Which of these goes against God's will?"

"You, you're using sophistry!"

Father Rivaldo was also entangled by Zapara, who said, "You have distorted the doctrine, which is wrong, which is against the will of the Lord!"

“Father, weren’t those doctrines altered before us?”

"Look at religions today. The purpose of religion is to give people hope, but has religion truly given people hope now?"

"Large churches monopolize local resources, seize land, exploit the people, and amass wealth madly in the name of God. Is all of this God's will? Do those high-ranking bishops really believe in God? If they do believe in God, why do they shamelessly oppress the people?"

“This group of people has turned religion into their tool. They have distorted the original doctrines and turned religion, which should serve ordinary people, into a tool for oppressing the people. We are restoring the original purpose of religion. How can this be considered distortion?”

"Religion only has meaning when it serves the people. Why do those people monopolize the right to interpret religion? They have deleted the most important parts. The most important function of faith is to give people confidence and then stand up to resist, not to pray."

“Father, look at those people. They used to pray in your church. We know you are a devout believer and often give them alms, but have their lives improved? After praying, have their lives really gotten better?”

"If you're going to say that their prayers weren't sincere enough, then come and see for yourself."

Sappara invited Father Rilvado to walk into the town.

"The Larrick family is the poorest family in town, but they are also the most devout. Even in their poverty, they always donate to the church, but does it work?"

"They go back to Lureca Church to donate money, every time they go back, but what do they do with all that money? Our staff investigated and found that he squandered all the donations from the believers. Lureca owns eight properties and two estates in Argentina. Based on that, is he truly devout?"

"Why can someone who so tarnishes God's reputation own eight properties and live such a luxurious life, while this devout believer is so poor? Is this God's will?"

“Our theology is about saving the poor. The Larrick family has gradually escaped poverty with our help. That is the meaning of religion, Father.”

“Our improved theology is not yet perfect, so we need priests like you to help us. Of course, if you are unwilling, we will not continue to bother you.”

Father Rilvado was clearly struggling with his thoughts. What was the meaning of religion? He seemed to have never thought about it before. He had only thought that devout faith could save a person's soul. Now that Zapara had said this, he realized that there were some things he had overlooked for a long time.

When is your next event?

Just as Sapala was about to leave, the priest finally spoke.

"Three days later, Father."

“Yes, sir. You have persuaded me. I will go there in three days. May the Lord forgive me.”

"Thank you for your efforts, Father. This is what a true believer should do."

Zapara saluted Lillevado. The same work was being done in many places throughout Patagonia, transforming religion into a weapon of thought to awaken the slumbering masses.

322. Sikorsky

Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky was a world-renowned aircraft designer and one of the founders of aviation manufacturing.

He led the design of the world's first four-engine aircraft and the first helicopter to go into production. He was also the originator of the modern helicopter design—a single rotor with a tail rotor.

Sikorsky was born in Kiev, Russian Empire, and was the youngest of five children, but his early education instilled in him a deep interest in flying.

During the Russian Civil War following World War I, Sikorsky worked as an engineer for the French forces in Russia. After the ceasefire, Sikorsky carefully considered the situation, given the severe damage caused by the war. Russia had experienced both a major war and a civil war, and the unstable domestic environment after the civil war could potentially lead to a new war.

Realizing this, Sikorsky saw no hope of flying in Russia; the terrible environment there was no longer suitable for him to carry out any useful research, so he chose to leave Russia.

After some consideration, Sikorsky immigrated to the United States in 1919. At that time, although Germany had won the war, Europe, which was ravaged by war, was still not a place to stay. Although Germany had won the war, the rise of socialist countries such as France and Britain made Sikorsky believe that peace could not last.

The United States pursued isolationism, separated from the Old World by an ocean, where it might not be disturbed. After crossing the ocean to the United States, Sikorsky chose to become a lecturer at a university in order to make a basic living and continued to seek opportunities in the aviation industry.

In 1923, with the help of several former Russian military officers, Sikorsky founded the Sikorsky Aircraft Engineering Company, but it was unsuccessful and the company was in dire straits. After the end of the war, Germany's economy rose rapidly, and the European trade alliance led by Germany dealt a huge blow to the American economy.

With the US economy in a prolonged slump, numerous riots broke out domestically. After several years of struggling in the US, Sikorsky discovered that the American Dream was not so easy to achieve, and his company was almost completely wiped out.

After failing to find opportunities in the United States, Sikorsky began to consider returning to Europe. However, Russia had become a puppet state of Germany, and everything it did was controlled by Germany, which was obviously not a good place for development. Therefore, he set his sights on Germany.

Germany's economy developed rapidly after the war, and its technology is more advanced than that of the United States. It also has many technology companies. Developing a business in Germany allows you to exchange ideas with these companies and improve your own company's technology.

After considering all this, Sikorsky decided to leave the United States. If he continued to stay in the United States, he would probably lose everything. After buying a ticket to Germany, Sikorsky decided to develop his career in Berlin.

He actually had some technical preparations before coming to Germany. While in the United States, Sikorsky's company had already cooperated with many companies, and the US government had also approached him for cooperation. His aerospace engineering company had cooperated with United Aircraft and Transportation Corporation for a period of time and received support from the US government.

However, these investments did not last long, perhaps because they believed that investing funds here would not have any effect. Sikorsky's research was also relatively slow, and soon the US government suspended the aid.

The reason for the slow progress of the research is that Sikorsky has been working on the whole thing. Back in Russia, Sikorsky began experimenting with helicopter-type aircraft. His VS helicopter sketches are still being revised. Give him a few more years, and he can guarantee that this helicopter will be able to take to the skies.

The Americans chose not to continue investing in Sikorsky, so he went to Germany and became a German citizen. However, the German government wasn't very interested in his research. If he had come earlier, he might have been able to attract investment, but now the Berlin authorities have no interest in that at all; all their focus is on making money.

After spending some time in Berlin, Sikorsky became disappointed. He wasn't being taken seriously, and his company wasn't doing well. Berlin didn't welcome him. However, the situation in Germany was somewhat unique, similar to that in the United States. Since Berlin wasn't interested in his research, he decided to try somewhere else.

Prussia, Bavaria, the Rhineland, and Berlin were out of the question, so he chose the Rhineland, which was in a better position. Although Bavaria was safer than the Rhineland, the Rhineland offered a lot of support for technology, and he had also heard that the Rhineland government had recently funded a lot of new research, so he decided to try his luck.

Sikorsky's gamble paid off. The Rhine Kingdom's current development focus is on aviation, and it is accelerating the construction of its air force. Although Sikorsky's research is not on traditional aircraft, it is still an aviation project, so it should be able to get some subsidies.

Sikorsky had prepared his materials long ago, hoping to obtain some subsidies from the government of the Kingdom of the Rhine. In fact, when he first arrived in the Kingdom of the Rhine, Sikorsky was already under close surveillance by the Gestapo. Thorne knew some famous people, and in order to get these people to work for them, he had also prepared a list.

Of course, this is not a list for the Great Purge, but a list that Thorne wants to protect. If any of the people on this list come to the Kingdom of Rhine, they must be protected. History may deviate slightly, but it should be roughly the same. Thorne wrote down some of the more famous people from their time, and because he was worried, he also marked some of their possible professions.

Sikorsky's name was on the list, and ranked near the top, so he was closely watched by the Gestapo from the start. No wonder Sikorsky felt his luck had turned around as soon as he arrived in the Kingdom of the Rhine, and everything he did went exceptionally smoothly.

When his flight company applied to the government, it was approved in less than half a day. He had spent a month traveling back and forth in the United States, but it only took him half a day to get to the Rhine Kingdom. The rest was quick. In short, his flight company had completed the relocation and successfully landed in the Rhine Kingdom in less than a week.

This also saved him a lot of time. Once the funding was approved, he could start researching the helicopter, which was still just a blueprint, just like he was back in the Rhine Kingdom.

"Has my application been approved?"

Upon arriving at the relevant department, Sikorsky began asking about the issues that concerned him most.

"Is this Mr. Sikorsky? Your approval has been granted."

The man handed Sikorsky a form, which was stamped with the red seal of the Kingdom of the Rhine and signed. To his disbelief, the approved subsidy was the highest amount available, a subsidy that would be considered a kingdom-level project in the Kingdom of the Rhine.

"Excuse me, is there a mistake? I didn't apply for so many."

Sikorsky was incredulous; he couldn't believe he was entitled to this subsidy.

"Sir, that's right. This was personally approved by His Highness."

Just then, two people walked over and spoke to Sikorsky.

“Mr. Sikorsky, the Kingdom is very interested in your research project. His Highness invites you to the Aviation Research Institute to discuss the future development of your research project.”

The two men took out the invitations. After dealing with the airplane, Thorne would now focus his attention on helicopters, as the helicopter field was currently a blank slate.

323. Development Direction

Why develop helicopter technology now? Because helicopters have many advantages that other aircraft cannot or will not be able to achieve, and their applications are very wide-ranging.

There are many types of helicopters, and Thorne also roughly analyzed the types and models he needed based on similar settings from later generations.

The field of helicopters is currently blank. Although there will be many different kinds of helicopters in the future, if we want to develop civilian helicopters, we must wait until the military helicopters are fully developed and used by the military before we can move to the civilian field.

Military helicopters also need to be subdivided. Thorne's primary focus now is on developing attack helicopters, mainly for attacking ground and surface targets, and to escort transport helicopters that will be developed in the future.

Armed helicopters should be maneuverable, quick to respond, and suitable for low-altitude and ultra-low-altitude close-in attacks. They should also be able to fire while moving and hovering. Of course, it may not be possible to meet all these requirements at once, but there is no rush. We can develop them for a while.

When Thorne thinks of helicopters paired with air force, he can't help but think of Huey during the Vietnam War. This mode of transport is much more convenient than ordinary land transport or large transport aircraft, as it does not have to consider site restrictions or be affected by terrain.

When the dark mass of aircraft flies over the enemy's positions, the scene will be truly awe-inspiring. These helicopters are not only for the air force, but also for the army aviation.

These people can provide direct fire support by helicopter, so a single armed helicopter Thorne is divided into two types: dedicated and multi-purpose.

Sikorsky held the invitation letter, still unable to believe he had been invited. It felt like a scam, but what was there to scam with his penniless existence? How long would he be staying?

"Is this really an invitation for me? Are you sure you haven't made a mistake, or is it just a case of the same name?"

Sikorsky was still not entirely at ease, so he asked those people for advice.

"Are you Mr. Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky?"

"Yes."

"Were you born in Kyiv?"

"That's true too."

"You were researching helicopter technology in the United States, right?"

“Yes, I research this kind of technology.” Sikorsky nodded.

"Then that's it, sir. You're the one we've been looking for. Please come with me."

"Okay, okay, let me catch my breath."

Sikorsky wiped the sweat from his brow. It really was someone looking for him. He never expected to be invited by such an important person. If he were chosen, wouldn't his career take off?

In his excitement, Sikorsky didn't even consider why, after only a few weeks in the Kingdom of Rhine, his background had been so thoroughly investigated.

Inside the aviation research institute, Thorne had recently had a conversation with Messerschmitt, who, inspired by the conversation, was accelerating the development of the kingdom's next-generation fighter jet. Now, Thorne was about to meet the father of helicopters in history. He could tell that if he could also come up with something this time, this room would probably become a tourist attraction.

Led by several people, Sikorsky quickly arrived at the aviation research institute. All the projects coming out of here were national-level projects. As Sikorsky walked, he sighed. There were many photos hanging in the corridor, all of which were of famous aerospace researchers from the Kingdom of Rhine. He also saw several famous figures he had admired in his youth.

Sikorsky sighed, hoping that one day his photo could be displayed there. He had been pursuing his aviation dream for a long time.

"Hello, Mr. Sikorsky."

As soon as Sikorsky entered, Thorne went forward to greet him. He was going to treat this guy with great respect, as he had brought many good things to America in history. Now that he had come here, Thorne had to treat him well.

"Hello, Your Highness Thorne."

Sikorsky was a little nervous. He sat there, not knowing what to say, and just started to stare blankly.

"Come on, let's take a picture together. Professor Sikorsky is an aviation expert, I'm just here to get a photo with him."

Thorne spoke to the person next to him, who quickly took a picture.

"Professor Sikorsky, I believe your photo will soon be displayed in the corridors of the aeronautical research institute."

"Thank you, Your Highness Thorne. I will work even harder in the future."

"Mr. Sikorsky, what stage is your helicopter research currently at?"

"In terms of theory, my exploration is basically complete. Now I am stepping up the design and research of the sketches. With the support of the Kingdom's funds, I should be able to develop a practical helicopter soon."

Sikorsky told Thorne that, frankly, he wasn't entirely sure what the future direction of helicopter development should be, or what specific direction the research should take. He could only build the physical aircraft first, and then classify it in more detail.

"Mr. Sikorsky, I would like to ask you to design a helicopter for our army. Can you develop it?"

"The military? Then may I ask what Your Highness's requirements are for these helicopters?"

Sikorsky took out a pen to take notes. The helicopter that Thorne wanted must be of great reference value. After all, he had heard about the projects that Thorne was in charge of not long after he arrived in Rhine. Those projects were now developing quite well in the kingdom.

"Your helicopter research hasn't been going on for very long, so my needs won't be too high."

"I hope to first design a helicopter specifically for attack purposes. It should have a long fuselage and a cabin that can accommodate about three people. My biggest requirement for this helicopter is that it can effectively strike ground targets and be used to replace fighter jets for some routine missions."

"It needs to be able to cooperate with ground troops to carry out joint missions. Most importantly, we hope that this helicopter can fight against tanks. Aircraft have obvious advantages in terms of visibility, speed, maneuverability and weapon range. Compared with dedicated fighter jets, helicopters have a greater advantage in destroying ground targets."