The chubby guy couldn't believe his eyes. He controlled the drone, executing unimaginable agile maneuvers over the sea with the control stick on the central console Castle had specially made for him. His mouth was agape in an O-shape. He never thought his Uncle Rick, who he considered a useless novelist, had actually made an incredible drone.
Due to being a homebody, the chubby guy had extensively researched the US military's drones, especially the Northrop Grumman-designed 'Global Hawk.' While he couldn't claim to be an expert, he knew more than most people. The 'Global Hawk' used an AE3007H turbofan engine, easily achieving a cruising speed of 635 kilometers per hour and a range of 26,000 kilometers, allowing it to reach altitudes of 18,000 meters. These were the results of meticulous design and manufacturing by the US military and Northrop Grumman. Yet, his Uncle Rick, using some strange parts from who-knows-where, had built a drone with a completely different technical approach but with flight speed and control systems comparable to the 'Global Hawk'? The chubby guy had mixed feelings about this.
As the test flight progressed, the chubby guy, as the operator, deeply understood the drone's impressive capabilities. Besides being highly responsive, he discovered a more astounding fact—there was virtually no delay in controlling the drone.
What did this mean? It meant the drone could indeed perform reconnaissance missions far from the control station, just as Uncle Rick described, akin to a real military drone. This was the key difference between military and civilian drones.
It seemed his Uncle Rick had truly created something extraordinary this time. The chubby guy, filled with glee, controlled the new drone to perform various maneuvers over the sea while internally rejoicing. He didn't care how his Uncle Rick made the drone. Concerns about attracting attention from the Department of Homeland Security or the military never crossed his mind.
In reality, Castle's actions could easily attract attention from Homeland Security and the military. A person single-handedly building a drone comparable to the US military's 'Global Hawk' would definitely raise suspicions and scrutiny. Northrop Grumman, after all, spent considerable effort and time to develop their drones. For Castle, an outsider, to create one effortlessly would not sit well with the only US company capable of building aircraft carriers.
However, no one knew that Castle was merely a copycat. This drone was entirely plagiarized from Tony Stark's memories in the Marvel universe. Castle had preemptively considered the consequences of the drone being discovered. Besides its different structure from any existing drones, the only thing hard to explain was the flight control system, directly copied from Stark Industries in the Marvel universe. Other than that, every part of the drone could be sourced from the real world.
Castle had planned his escape route from the beginning. Even if Homeland Security or the military discovered the drone, they would only think Castle had designed and built it himself with a different technical approach, allowing him to confidently argue he had not stolen any military drone designs. As long as he had complete design drawings and technical plans, Castle wouldn't fear any investigation, leveraging his social connections in New York.
The most crucial aspect of the drone was its flight control system's source code. Fortunately, Castle possessed the hacking and computer skills granted by the System, so he wasn't worried about being questioned. The unique codes used in the drone weren't something the current US military could easily decipher. Hence, Castle boldly handed the drone to the chubby guy without installing any weapons on it. He knew that as long as the drone remained unarmed, it would just be a toy. Installing any weapon would fundamentally change its nature from a toy to a weapon.
The chubby guy also understood the significant difference. Previously, he had clamored for Castle to arm the drone. Now, he realized the vast difference between a drone equipped with just a camera and one armed with weapons. Satisfied with the drone's performance, the chubby guy was no longer concerned about the lack of weapons. The drone's capabilities far exceeded his expectations, making it perfect for monitoring Simon's gang and Vincent Adler's men.
Castle and the chubby guy spent the entire day testing the new drone at Staten Island's seaside. The results left both highly satisfied. Due to its different design from mainstream military drones, Castle's drone was just over two meters long and less than three meters wide due to the embedded rotor design. While the smaller size affected its endurance, the excellent flight control system allowed it to stay airborne for at least 24 hours on a full tank, reach speeds of 650 kilometers per hour, and fly up to 8,000 meters. These specifications were satisfactory for Castle.
Considering this was just a few days' work, if they had more precise parts and a higher-performance engine, the drone's capabilities could be even more impressive. However, such enhancements were unnecessary for Castle and the chubby guy. The current specifications were more than enough for the chubby guy to monitor Simon's gang or Vincent Adler's men.
The only drawback was the lack of high-performance reconnaissance equipment due to time constraints. But this could be seen as a good thing, as it provided an excuse if Homeland Security or the military discovered the drone. Castle could claim it was just a toy he made.
The chubby guy had a blast controlling the drone, which was far superior to the remote-controlled planes he previously played with. After a whole day of testing, he was reluctant to leave when Castle called him back to New York.
Seeing the chubby guy's reluctance, Castle, sitting in the van's driver's seat, scolded with a smile, "Why are you so reluctant? We're taking the drone and its control center to your place. What's the point of being reluctant now? Once we get home, you can fill up the drone's engines and fly it around to your heart's content tonight."
"Yeah, Uncle Rick made this drone for me!"
Revived by Castle's words, the chubby guy eagerly urged Castle to drive to his place, anticipating Uncle Rick helping him set up the central control station at home.
Drooling, the chubby guy fantasized about using the drone to spy on everyone from the comfort of his home. Castle shook his head and said, "Don't get too excited. I'll make two more drones in a few days, and I'll give them to you too…"
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