February 1, 3900.
"Thank you for waiting! The 1st Onogoro Island Model Aircraft Competition is finally about to begin!"
An announcement rang out through the plaza.
The master of ceremonies was once again Luckhart Randol. He was followed by another introduction.
"Our commentator for today is Stayhart Randol-san!"
"A pleasure to be here."
Stayhart Randol was a middle-aged man who bore a passing resemblance to Reinhard. He was reportedly Luckhart's second cousin. He had likely been invited to provide commentary because he was a reliable magi-engineer.
On this day, the two-hundred-seat spectator gallery was packed to capacity. Because the spectators in these seats held the right to participate in the judging, a flood of reservations had poured in long in advance. The winners had been decided through a rigorous lottery.
"The venue has evolved even further since last year’s competition! We have installed four super-large magi-screens and four large magi-screens to ensure the best possible view of the action!"
The angles had been carefully adjusted so that the screens remained visible even from the far ends of the wide spectator stands.
"Since this is an aircraft competition, we have deployed force generators in the sky and installed magic eyes. These provide visual information directly to the pilots while simultaneously allowing all of you in the audience to enjoy the same view!"
A burst of applause erupted.
Next came an explanation of the regulations and the specific competition categories. These details had also been compiled into pamphlets, which were being distributed for free to anyone interested.
"Now, let us introduce the participants and their machines!"
The cheers reached a new crescendo.
"First is Bib #1, Natalia! Her machine is a triplane, the Halcyon!"
Painted a vibrant orange for better visibility, the aircraft was hard to miss.
"A triplane designed to maximize lift, I see. I expect it will be quite maneuverable," Stayhart Randol added.
(Halcyon, huh...)
Hearing that name, Jin recalled something Laojun had mentioned before—the trimaran Halcyon once built by Natalia's ancestor, Marcia.
Jin wondered briefly if an obsession with the number three in Marcia's bloodline was what brought the name Halcyon to mind.
"Bib #2 is Shu Nidou. His machine is the swept-wing craft Denkou!"
This aircraft was silver, left in the natural color of 64 light silver.
"He's focused on speed. It is impossible to tell from the exterior what countermeasures he has taken for low-speed flight, but that only makes it more exciting to watch."
Jin didn't think Shu Nidou would simply ignore the low-speed events. He looked forward to seeing the boy's actual performance.
"Bib #3 is Eugene Foul. His machine features orthodox tapered wings and has not been given a specific name!"
In a sense, it was the quintessential form for a propeller plane. Its white body featured blue and red lines along the fuselage and main wings, providing a sharp accent.
"It is a traditional design, but the balance looks excellent. If he manages to place high in every event, an overall victory is certainly within reach."
Jin didn't dislike such a balanced, steady approach. He marked the man as a formidable opponent.
"Bib #4 is Greena Kuzuma. Her machine is also orthodox, but it features elliptical wings! Its nickname is Tempest!"
The machine was painted a highly visible magenta with white lines.
"Elliptical wings? I wonder what effect that will have."
(...If I remember correctly, the Spitfire used elliptical wings because induced drag caused by wingtip vortices is minimized by that shape... was that it?)
Jin tried to fish some half-remembered knowledge from the back of his mind.
(But she probably prioritized the aesthetics...)
An elliptical silhouette was undeniably elegant. Jin suspected that while performance was a factor, Greena had chosen the design primarily for its beauty.
"Bib #5 is Sireen Eschenbach—a biplane! This one also does not have a specific name!"
The biplane was painted a vivid yellow. Its main wings had a slight taper, lending it a sleek, aggressive look.
"Another machine that looks to be very well-balanced."
Jin agreed. It looked like it would possess excellent maneuverability as well.
"Bib #6 is Sidney Marek. It is a rectangular-wing craft, but the main wings are foldable!"
The machine was red and lacked a nickname. While called "foldable," the wings were designed to retract and integrate completely into the body.
"I imagine he intends to use the fully extended wings for low speeds and fold them away for high-speed flight."
Jin found the concept fascinating. The cross-section of the main wing, the airfoil, was flat on the bottom and convex on the top—very close to a Clark Y profile. If such wings were folded downward so that the flat sides pressed against each other, they would form a symmetrical, teardrop-shaped airfoil, which was ideal for high speeds.
"Bib #7 is Werner Randol! It is a tapered-wing craft, and the main wings appear to be telescoping!"
The machine was grey and had no nickname. The main wings extended and retracted like a telescope, one section sliding inside the other.
"That is a clever piece of engineering. I look forward to seeing it in action."
Jin felt the same. He thought to himself that it was more like a two-stage Forming than simple extension.
"Bib #8 is Florence Fahlheit! A swept-wing craft, the Blue Sky!"
The machine was silver on top and blue on the bottom.
"That is a very careful Finish. It has a good chance of breaking into the top rankings."
Jin could also see that the machine possessed considerable potential. Even if it didn't take the top spot, it would likely place very high.
"Bib #9 is Elvis Alcott! A biplane, the Double Wing!"
The machine was painted bright green with white stripes.
"The wingspan is remarkably short. It seems he has prioritized maneuverability above all else."
Indeed, while the regulations allowed for a maximum wingspan of 1.5 meters, this aircraft was only about 90 centimeters wide.
"I bet it's incredibly light. That's a design concept that only works because the conditions are perfectly windless."
Without any wind to disturb its flight, a lighter machine offered numerous advantages. However, Jin also considered the alternative.
"But during the race, there will be turbulence from the other planes, so I wonder how he'll handle that..."
"Bib #10, Rubina Garrett! A delta-wing craft, the Nile!"
Unlike when Jin had seen it the previous day, the aircraft had been painted gold. Even so, the sight of a delta wing powered by a propeller felt entirely wrong to Jin’s sensibilities.
"Ho, what an interesting machine. Very much in her style."
Jin liked Rubina for her flexible, creative way of thinking. He was eager to see her compete.
"Bib #11. Our guest participant, Jin-sama! His machine is the variable-wing craft Zero!"
The machine was dark green, adorned with a family crest of two horizontal bars within a red circle. It was a pity no one was around to recognize the reference.
"Jin-sama's machine... well, he must be the favorite to win."
The name "Zero" had simply been the result of Jin panicking when asked for a name on the spot.
"Bib #12, also a guest participant, Lordtoss-sama! The tapered-wing craft Swallow!"
The aircraft was navy blue with red lines and looked exceptionally sleek.
"This one also looks very light. Since the competition area is windless, being lightweight won't be much of a disadvantage."
In a windless environment, there would be no gusts to upset the aircraft’s posture, making lightness a pure benefit. But Jin remained cautious.
"I wonder what will happen during the race when the air gets churned up by the other machines..."
"And finally, Bib #13, Marikka-sama! It is a tapered-wing craft, the Eagle, but this is..."
It was no wonder the MC, Luckhart, faltered. The Eagle's wingspan was clearly over 1.5 meters. The yellow machine with blue lines was striking.
"Uh, there is a question of whether this violates the regulations," Stayhart explained. "The rule states that the aircraft must fit inside a cube measuring 1.5 meters on each side. And this machine did, in fact, fit."
Jin had confirmed this himself just a few days ago.
"I can't believe she used the diagonal so effectively."
Indeed, Marikka had not placed the aircraft parallel to the cube’s sides. Instead, she had angled it so that the wings, the widest part of the machine, spanned the cube's diagonal. The actual wingspan was 2 meters.
"It’s not a violation, I suppose..."
Jin made a mental note that for the next competition, he should define the maximum length, width, and height more strictly.