Invasion of the United States

At the southernmost tip of Florida, a string of pearl-like islands adorns the azure Caribbean Sea.

Among them, Key West Island lies like a dazzling pearl, quietly resting on the blue ocean.

This is the southernmost city of the United States mainland, approximately 240 kilometers from Downtown Miami, connected by the famous Highway 1.

This small island is not only a tourist destination with an international airport and luxury cruise docks but also an essential hub connecting the United States mainland and the Caribbean region.

Today, Key West Island will welcome a special guest—the test flight of the "Electric Flight" company.

The validation aircraft will take off from 'Boca Raton' in Downtown Miami, fly 100 kilometers, and first reach the outskirts of 'Homest'.

After landing to swap batteries, it will take off again, reach 'Key West' 150 kilometers away, and then fly back, the entire journey taking approximately two hours.

If traveling by car along Highway 1, the entire trip would take seven hours. If by helicopter, while faster, it would be much more expensive.

Before the morning fog had fully dissipated, five validation aircraft were already fully prepared on a piece of open ground in 'Boca Raton'.

Journalists had long focused their cameras on the temporary constructed helipad and dirt runway, with the live broadcast title prominently stating: "The ugly 'Warthog' lands on Miami Beach".

'Warthog' is not a nickname but the official name of the validation aircraft. For ease of manufacturing and cost reduction, this thing was indeed made quite ugly.

It is significantly different in configuration compared to the currently popular multi-axial aircraft.

Multi-axial aircraft are more like oversized drones, while the 'Warthog' is a conventional airplane driven by electric motors and propellers.

The 'Warthog' abandoned the previous thirty-two small electric motors, switching to eight medium-sized electric motors, with a two-front, six-rear layout to provide power for the aircraft.

Its landing gear is relatively tall, and the propellers are moderate in size, allowing it to perform vertical takeoff and landings while also enabling short-distance rolling takeoffs.

Vertical takeoff and landings ensure its deployment capability in remote and harsh areas.

Short-distance rolling takeoffs allow it to achieve greater range and cargo capacity with the same energy consumption in better conditions.

Precisely because it is so ugly, its unique appearance draws considerable media attention.

"Dear viewers, we are now live from Boca Raton airport," a female journalist said excitedly to the camera, "Today, 'Electric Flight' will conduct its first public test.

These five validation aircraft will display their unique vertical takeoff and landing, plus short-distance rolling takeoff capabilities in unloaded, fully loaded, and unmanned modes."

At 9 AM, with clear weather, on command, the first unloaded validation aircraft began its launch; eight electric motors hummed deeply as the propellers stirred the morning air.

It first vertically ascended to about 50 meters in height, then transitioned to level flight, heading towards 'Homest' 100 kilometers away. Visit My Virtual Library Empire (MV-LEMP-YR) for more.

The second validation aircraft, also lightly loaded, demonstrated a short-distance rolling takeoff, elegantly lifting off after rolling roughly fifty meters on the runway.

The site burst into applause, though most murmured—such an ungainly aircraft can actually fly!

An engineer from 'Electric Flight' stepped forward to accept interviews from local media, explaining that electric motors can withstand short-term overloading, making them especially suitable for the power surge needed during takeoff.

Next, the two fully loaded validation aircraft took off, particularly transporting some goods to the destination—Key West is a holiday island with a permanent population of over 26,000.

The island consumes a large amount of daily supplies.

Currently, transportation by ship and truck is more convenient and cheaper. Using aircraft for cargo transport would be lucky not to lose money, let alone make a profit, which necessitates entering the passenger transport market.

Finally, the unmanned 'Warthog' took off empty, not stopping for battery swaps, directly heading to the destination.

As 'Holy Light Logistics' CEO, the recently high-profile William Congers spoke to reporters at the site,

"As long as the test is successful, we will quickly obtain airworthiness certificates for the aircraft, then inaugurate a regular cargo flight route from Miami to Key West.

In the future, our goal is to cover the entire Florida, providing quick and convenient logistics services to millions of residents and customers."

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On the outskirts of the bustling test site crowd, Jeff Connally leaned against his luxury car, hands in the pockets of his tailored suit, a smug smile on his face.

Standing beside him were a few investors, some in business attire, some casually dressed, all exuding an air of confidence and importance.

As the five validation aircraft successively ascended with a low hum, Jeff noticed the elderly white-haired man beside him frowning slightly.

This veteran Wall Street investor adjusted his glasses and asked softly, "Jeff, I believe this thing is cheap to produce, and I trust its low operational costs.

After all, the maintenance cost of electric motors is low, and electricity is much cheaper than aviation fuel. But..."

The veteran investor paused, his eyes following the distant validation aircraft, "Have you considered the production capacity issue?

I don't want to repeat the failure of investing in Tesla. Back then, they held a lot of orders but struggled to profit due to insufficient production capacity, keeping us waiting indefinitely."

Upon hearing this, Jeff let out a hearty laugh. His laugh was particularly noticeable amidst the hubbub of the test site, causing a few photography journalists to turn and look this way.