The Junker F13 plane in which Hersmann was flying took off from Berlin and landed twice at Danzig and Riga for refueling, taking about 12 hours to arrive in Petrograd. Landed at a military airfield near the "Children's Village" (formerly Tsars' Village).

Greeted at the airfield were Hirschmann's old friend Mrs. Kollentai and Deputy People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of Soviet Russia Rakovsky, Natalie Brown. Leshinskaya was also at the airport, and next to him stood a middle-aged man who was a little bald, not very tall, wearing small round glasses and wearing a yellow-green military uniform. As he emerged from the cabin of the F13, Hersman noticed that the bald, middle-aged man was staring intently at the plane.

He must be an aircraft designer! Hersman thought to himself that this guy with glasses didn't look like a pilot either. Madame Collentay's introduction quickly proved his suspicions.

"Ludwig, let me introduce you, this is Comrade Tupolev of the Central Research Institute of Fluid Power."

It turned out to be Tupolev! How did Hersman not hear of the name of this man, who was one of the best aircraft designers in the Soviet Union.

Prior to Hersmann's visit to Russia, he had discussed the issue of "inspecting the Soviet and Russian aviation industry" with Korentai in Riga -- the purpose of the inspection, of course, was to further develop cooperation. So it is not at all surprising that such a Soviet Russian aviation expert as Tupolev appeared on the military airfield of the Children's Village.

Central Institute of Fluid Power...... This is the design of the aircraft, right? Hersman asked knowingly.

"At present, it can only be said that it is a theory of studying aerodynamics, and it is not yet possible to talk about designing aircraft." Tupolev replied.

Russia started early in the study of aerodynamics, and the wind tunnel of Moscow State University is one of the first in Europe, which was built as early as 1902. The first wind tunnel in Germany was built in 1913 (under the auspices of Junkers).

And Russia, although it cannot be said to be leading in the design and manufacture of aircraft, is not lagging behind either. During and before World War I, it was at least much stronger than the United States and Japan. The famous Sikorsky was a Russian aircraft designer, and at the end of 1913 he designed the world's first heavy bomber, the "Ilya. Muromets "Type A.

After the October Revolution, the Soviet authorities also attached great importance to the aviation industry, and not only in 1918 they created the Central Research Institute of Aerohydrodynamics. Also took over the aircraft factories of Tsarist Russia. Among them, the well-known Dukes and Petrograd plants have long been opened, and now the production of aircraft has begun.

Moreover, according to the information available to Hersmann, the Russian aviation industry received 25 million rubles in research and development in 1920.

"Comrade Tupolev, I would like to introduce you to two colleagues. This is Anthony. Falk, this is Hugo. Junkers. With a smile on his face, Hersman very kindly introduced the two aircraft designers who were now very famous to Tupolev.

"Mr. Fawker, oh, you're so young!" As if he had seen an idol in his heart, Tupolev hurriedly stepped forward to shake hands - this was Anthony. Falk! Although he is only 30 years old, he is already a star in the aviation industry.

Then Tupolev stepped forward again to shake hands with Junkers, "Mr. Junkers, this plane is the Junker F13 you designed, right?" What an epoch-making masterpiece. ”

"It's over, your Sikovsky is a real genius." Junkers' answer was a little awkward. It seems that he did not know that Sikovsky was no longer in Russia.

"Mr. Sikovsky is now not ours, but American." Deputy People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Rakovsky was frank enough. "Mr. Junkers, our aviation industry has regressed to a certain extent because of the civil war!"

"Not remaining in Russia is a loss for Sikovsky!" Hersman glanced at his future brother-in-law, Fokker, as he spoke, "Because the aviation industry is a strategic industry of a country...... Only with the support and support of the state can great aircraft designers be produced. If Sikovsky had kept Russia, he would have a good chance of becoming the greatest aircraft designer in the world! But in the United States, he will not have a brilliant future. ”

Hersman was talking about Fokker rather than Sikovsky.

When William. Edward. When Boeing sold its first seaplane, Anthony Brown. Fokker has created the "Fokker Disaster". But by the time Boeing had grown to become the world's largest aircraft manufacturer, Fokker had lost its glory.

If there is anything that Fokker is not as good as Boeing, I am afraid that there is an America behind Boeing.

However, in this plane, under the intervention of Hersman, Anthony. Fokker's aircraft company also has its back to the German tree, and has another chance to catch a ride on the Soviet Union. There must be a brilliant future in the future!

……

On the first night of their arrival in Soviet Russia, Hersman and others arranged to stay in the splendid Catherine Palace. A sumptuous dinner was prepared in a dimly lit and luxurious dining room - although the famine in Soviet Russia was getting worse day by day, this did not hinder the hospitality of the Russian people. Similarly, the famine did not affect Soviet Russian investment in the aviation industry.

"Ludwig, I'll give you some secrets." "The Supreme Council of National Economy is preparing a ten-year plan, and the aviation industry will be at the top of the list," said Korentai with a smile over his champagne. ”

A ten-year plan? Hersman had not heard of it, he knew that the Soviet Union had a five-year plan or anything -- but Kollentai did not deceive Hirschmann, and that Soviet Russia was indeed preparing a ten-year plan for a direct transition from military communism to communism. The specific way is to sacrifice agriculture and light industry and concentrate on developing heavy industry. It was similar to the two five-year plans of the later Stalin era. However, in the early 20s, Soviet Russia had just experienced a civil war, and it was really devastated, and the countryside was ****** in succession, and it did not have the strength to support the investment in heavy industry as it did in the two subsequent five-year plans.

As a result, the announcement of the 10-year plan provoked a lot of opposition, with even bigwigs like Trotsky disagreeing. Although Trotsky's ideas were not adopted, peasant uprisings and workers' strikes broke out in various parts of Soviet Russia against this economic policy, which ignored the development of Russian society. Finally, the Kronstadt sailors revolted and the Bolshevik leaders sensed the danger and were forced to suspend their unrealistic policies and start the NEP.

However, even during the NEP period, the Soviet government maintained high investment in such a strategic industry as the aviation industry, and did not relax in the slightest.

"That's great," Hirschman clapped his hands and laughed, "and I knew Russia was going to be a big market." He pointed to Fokker and Junkers, "and we have the most advanced aerospace industry in the world...... Not only the design of aircraft, but also the most advanced aero engines. You must know that the internal combustion engine was invented by us Germans, and we are at the forefront of the world in this regard. You have a market in Russia, and we have technology in Germany, which allows us to work closely together. ”

Rakovsky smiled and nodded, "Yes, we should cooperate." Lieutenant Colonel, do you have any thoughts on this? ”

"Of course I have an idea," Hersman said, "and my idea is to trade the market for the technology." ”

"Market for technology?" Rakovsky had not heard of this later famous policy. "How?"

"It is you who give the market, the land and the workers, we who give the technology and equipment, the companies that cooperate in the production of aircraft and engines, the production of aircraft in Russia for the supply of the Red Army and civilian use. At the same time, we will help you train your engineers and skilled workers so that they can master the production techniques according to German standards. ”

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