Hunting Spies E-Book

Albin Honauer

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 174

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Marc, Ueli and Reto love airplanes. Whenever an interesting aircraft is on display, they meet at the airfield near Lucerne. One day, they notice a strange man secretly taking pictures with a camera. Ueli has a bad feeling about this and decides to follow the stranger. He overhears him talking to another man and finds out that the three men want to tamper with one of the aircraft, the Arbalète research plane, at night. This makes not only the three friends, but also Ladina, Reto's twin sister, suspicious, and they decide to help the police with their own investigation. They even go so far as to break into the spies' house. But they are not alone...

Leseprobe

Dear young readers

Although the technical elements, airplanes and POHWARO missiles are based on facts and are real, this story is fictitious. The description has nothing to do with actual events. The main aim is to provide young people with exciting entertainment. The protagonists were created especially for this spy story and have nothing in common with real people.

The airplanes featured here date from an earlier era. They were used in the 1950s and 1960s and are part of Switzerland's industrial history. However, the airplanes have been transferred to the present day for this story. Such transfers are the freedom of the storyteller.

All the aircraft featured in this adventure can be visited and viewed at the Flieger-Flab-Museum at Dübendorf airfield in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland.

www.afc-fliegermuseum.ch/

I hope you young readers enjoy yourselves and have lots of fun as you dive into the adventure.

Albin Honauer

Chapter 1

The first day of vacation

The sun was burning hot on the three boys, soon to be seventeen, who were lying in the freshly mown grass. Lying on their stomachs with their heads in their hands, they watched the planes take off and land at the Emmen airfield north of the city of Lucerne. Marc, Ueli and Reto enjoyed the first day of the long-awaited school vacations at their favorite observation point.

The airfield was located on a wide plain. To the south, Mount Pilatus, Lucerne's famous local mountain, rose into the sky like a monolith. To the north, the terrain gradually rose to the higher Lucerne plateau with Lake Sempach.

"Attention, 9 o'clock low," shouted Ueli. In a flash, the other two turned their heads to the west. On the runway axis, a Mirage IIIS fighter plane roared towards them at low altitude. At the end of the runway, the pilot pulled the plane up steeply and ignited the SEPR rocket motor installed in the rear part of the fuselage, which gave the plane additional thrust with a long flame shooting backwards. The three watched spellbound as the Mirage shot up almost vertically. The plane was already invisible at high altitude, with only the rocket engine shining like a bright star in the blue sky. "Wow, that was a show," exclaimed Marc enthusiastically. Reto said: "Yes, that was a show, but not exactly environmentally friendly. The SEPR rocket is a dirt slinger, it pollutes the environment. It burns nitric acid mixed with kerosene." "But it was still impressive," said Marc. Shortly afterwards, two Hawker Hunters approaching the start of the runway from the direction of Emmenbrücke captivated the three of them again. Even though the Mirage and the Hunter were totally exciting, the boys were waiting for the yellow test aircraft, the jet glider called Arbalète. Reto's father was an engineer at the Emmen aircraft factory, whose buildings and construction halls were not far from the three lapwings on the edge of the airfield. Reto learned from his father when and where there was something exciting to see at the airfield. Another test flight of the Arbalète jet glider was being carried out today.

"What does Arbalète actually mean?" asked Ueli. "Ueli, didn't you pay attention in French class? L'Arbalète is a crossbow," Reto instructed him. "The Arbalète is a scaled-down test aircraft, 2/3 the size of the new N-20 fighter plane, which is under construction at the aircraft factory. The purpose of this yellow test aircraft is to test the aerodynamics and various other flight characteristics for the new N-20 jet," Reto explained, "My father told me that various attempts had already been made from abroad to obtain the new, revolutionary flight data via espionage. So far, however, these unwanted attacks had been fended off. Millions would be paid for precise flight data and construction plans, so many a spy would be happy to do business."

The newly developed N-20 Jet

Ueli's exclamation, "Attention, 9 o'clock tie", is an indication of location and determines the position of an object. With an imaginary clock face, 12 o'clock in the north. Following clockwise, east is 3 o'clock, south 6 o'clock and west 9 o'clock. "Attention, low" means an object on the ground or just above it. "High" means high in the sky. "Medium" is roughly between "low" and "high". When Ueli shouted "Attention, 9 o'clock low", he spotted the low-flying Mirage from the west.

The three noticed mechanics opening a hangar door. A small vehicle pulled the yellow test aircraft out of the dark hall and into the glistening sunlight. "Wow, here we go," Marc exclaimed enthusiastically. Reto went on to explain: "The Arbalète is a flying wing, a delta-shaped wing with a vertical stabilizer and four turbines positioned one above the other at the end of the wing. Two engines above the wing, two below. For weight and space reasons, the Arbalète does not have an ejection seat. A so-called black box is housed in the fuselage. This recording device registers all measurement data during the flight. After landing, the engineers are thus able to precisely retrace the flight sequence and evaluate the measurement data for the further development of the N-20 aircraft. In the event of a malfunction that can no longer be controlled, the pilot leaves the aircraft by parachute. In order to save the black box, the pilot detaches the box from the aircraft with a small explosion. The recording device then glides safely to the ground. Contact with the ground then activates a transmitter to localize the box."

Today, however, something extraordinary was to be tested. An acquaintance of Reto's father, engineer Winter, had developed a new short take-off procedure, called POHWARO, for airplanes.

This is an environmentally friendly aircraft launch rocket that uses steam to generate the additional launch thrust. In the cylindrical rocket, 250 liters of water are heated to 300 degrees Celsius. This hot steam escapes by opening two valves and provides the necessary launch thrust. The short launch method is suitable for short or damaged runways. The rocket works according to the same principle as the release of an inflated balloon.

Today, a Mirage with two POHWARO missiles mounted under the fuselage was to carry out a launch test. On such occasions, the three friends always had their noses not in front, but at least well ahead. They had already had to be whistled back by security personnel. Suddenly, Ueli elbowed Reto in the side. The latter exclaimed: "Ouch, what's wrong?" "Look at the weird guy behind us," Ueli whispered. The other two turned around and asked: "What do you find funny about him?" "I don't know, I just have a feeling." The guy didn't seem to notice the three people lying on the grass. "It's strange wearing a jacket in this heat. Did you see that? He was taking pictures with a camera with his jacket half open at the front," whispered Ueli. Not very far away on the fence there was a sign: "Military facility photography prohibited."

Ueli suddenly got up on his knees and massaged his lower legs with his hands: "I'm lying on an ant trail, it's tingling and crawling everywhere. We'd better shift to our vantage point." A stone's throw away was an old, grass-covered bunker. At the top, a comfortable, ant-free bench invited us to continue observing. Halfway up, Reto tore off a tuft of herbs and held it under Marc's nose: "What's this?" "I don't know, but it smells spicy and good." "Wild thyme," Reto instructed him. "But kerosene burnt by the engine smells just as good," Marc remarked with a laugh. Ueli said: "Thyme is my favorite spice for seasoning food."

Although they were good friends, apart from their shared hobby of flying, their interests were very different. Marc was the technician, he found everything to do with engineering and technology exciting. Reto was more familiar with biology. He was interested in plants, animals and the environment. And then there was Ueli, who was a keen amateur cook and sometimes annoyed the other two with recipes. His parents owned a medium-sized hotel in the city of Lucerne. Ueli loved experimenting in the hotel kitchen. If something turned out well, his friends were often allowed to try it. He wanted to take over his parents' hotel one day. Despite their different interests, they went through thick and thin together. If one of them got stuck, another was sure to come up with a solution. In the meantime, the stranger moved away and walked leisurely towards the street as if he were an aviation fan. "I want to take a closer look at him," said Ueli, and he left the observation hill with a leap. He followed the stranger at a sufficient distance so as not to arouse suspicion. What began as a harmless observation was to become a risky adventure for the three of them. When Ueli had disappeared from Marc and Reto's view, they were captivated by what was happening outside the hall.

There stood the yellow Arbalète, which seemed to be vibrating. It was the hot air on the concrete forecourt that caused the yellow fuselage to shimmer. The canopy was pushed back and a boarding ladder was placed against the cockpit. The test pilot fastened his seatbelt with the help of a mechanic. He then carried out checks using a list.

Using the control stick and foot pedals, the pilot moved the vertical and horizontal stabilizers back and forth to check them. The mechanic, now at a sufficient distance from the aircraft, signaled to the pilot Jean Mathys with his arm that everything around the aircraft was in order. Then the four turbines began to whine one after the other. The high-pitched whistling of the engines at idle turned into a roar as the pilot increased the thrust and the experimental aircraft slowly began to taxi.

The old grass-covered bunker with the comfortable bench. The Arbalète at the top right of the picture.

On the way to the take-off site, less than ten meters away, Reto and Marc spotted the pilot in the cockpit and waved enthusiastically. The pilot greeted them with his hand, then turned his attention back to the plane. Neither the friends nor the pilot had any idea that they would soon meet in person under unusual circumstances. After reaching the beginning of the runway, the Arbalète stopped for a few minutes to give way to an approaching and landing Mirage. A white brake chute reduced the Mirage's landing speed. At the height of the two young observers, the brake chute detached from the aircraft and collapsed. A mechanic collected the package of material lying on the runway and carried it to a vehicle. The Arbalète was then cleared for take-off. As they taxied off, they heard the roar of the engines. After only a short taxiing distance, the aircraft separated from the asphalt runway and began to climb. The concept of the new aircraft project also involved minimal take-off and landing taxi distances. At the height of the two, the yellow Arbalète was already flying at an altitude of 300 meters. With a slight right turn, it disappeared from their view.

Ueli, who was following the stranger, learned some mysterious things. He was able to overhear the stranger talking to a second man in the parking lot. However, the Arbalète taking off made such a racket that he couldn't hear the rest of their conversation. Shortly afterwards, the two men ended their conversation. The second man drove off in a white Porsche. Ueli recognized an Aargau license plate on the Porsche. As he was too far away from the car, he couldn't make out the numbers.

Suddenly, Ueli felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and looked into the eyes of the illegal photographer. He spoke to him in English. Ueli shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't understand. In broken German, the man said: "Did you overhear us?" Ueli replied: "No, I didn't understand anything. It's forbidden to take photos at the airfield." Ueli was then shouted at by ann:

Arbalète yellow test aircraft

Arbalète from the front with measuring sensors

"Mind your own business, don't stick your nose in other people's business!" After the brief interlude with the boy, the stranger left and got into a silver Range Rover. From a distance, Ueli could just make out the license plate number. He wrote the number on the back of his hand with a felt-tip pen he found in his trouser pocket so that he could later track down the car owner. This first encounter with the man was the beginning of an unwanted adventure.

Now let's get going, back to our comrades. Arriving at the foot of the observation hill, Ueli climbed the hill in two great leaps. There he threw himself onto his back in the grass. "Watch out, there's a hay horse in the grass," Reto called out. "Ouch, the horse kicked me with its hind legs," grinned Ueli. "Nonsense, the green grasshopper measures up to five centimetres and is the largest grasshopper in our area. It doesn't kick anyone, but it can bite hard. I experienced it for myself when I picked up a grasshopper. Now tell me, what did you see and experience?" "It's getting too hot here, and I'm really thirsty. Let's go home and I'll tell you everything there. It will be exciting," said Ueli. "I want to watch the Mirage with the hot steam launch rockets," Reto called out, "because my father told me that the launch would take place at this time." They didn't have to wait long before a Mirage photo reconnaissance aircraft rolled onto the main runway. "Do you see the two long red cylinders under the fuselage? That's the POHWARO." Measuring vehicles lined up at a sufficient distance from the main runway. The Mirage turned on the runway towards Emmenbrücke and positioned itself on the runway axis. Before taxiing off, the pilot ran up the engine a few times. As the aircraft slowly began to taxi, the engine noise increased. After ten meters of taxiing, the pilot ignited the additional thrust, the afterburner. The three of them covered their ears with their hands because of the infernal roar of the engine. At the boys' height, the pilot opened the launch rocket valves. With a loud hiss that mingled with the roar of the engine, two jets of steam shot 20 meters from the cylinders under the fuselage. The plane accelerated rapidly, after a short distance the nose wheel lifted and the Mirage separated from the ground. The whole runway was full of white steam, which was blown towards the boys by a light wind. "Phew, it's hot as a pressure cooker, we're getting all wet. Let's go back now," said Ueli. The three friends would find out in a few days that this steam was not so harmless.

Chapter 2

Ladina comes out on top

The three of them deposited their bikes in the garden of Reto's parents' house. They cooled off with a powerful jet of water from the garden hose. The three-year-old family dog Bero, a border collie, romped around the boys after the water jet. Flurina, Reto's seven-year-old older sister, had brought the young dog home two years ago. The whole family immediately took Bero to their hearts. After completing her medical studies, Flurina got a job as an assistant doctor in the accident department at Lucerne Hospital. In her limited free time, she trained Bero to become a sheep herding specialist.

Dried by the sun, the three of them held a war council in Reto's spacious bedroom, craft and study room. Ueli was just about to start talking about his experiences when the second sister, Reto's twin sister, entered the room. Ladina put a large jug of lemonade on the table: "I think it's good for you to drink in this heat, otherwise you boys will get tired."

Ladina was a sporty girl, almost as tall as the three tall boys. She wasn't afraid of anything. She was only afraid of cute little animals with ball eyes, gray fur and long tails. She was a keen track and field athlete, and the 400-metre sprint was her favorite event. She had tied her brunette, shoulder-length hair into a ponytail today. When Ladina left the room, she left the door ajar. None of the three noticed. They were eager to finally find out what Ueli had experienced. "I followed the stranger carefully," Ueli began the story, "At the parking lot on the other side of the street, the strange photographer met a tall, broad-shouldered man. I used a passing truck as a screen to cross the road. In the parking lot, it was then easy to approach the two behind parked cars. I was able to follow the short conversation they were having in English at earshot." "Well, you always paid attention in English lessons at school." "Yes, that was my luck. The two of them didn't speak pure English, they're certainly not British or American. The smaller one, who we caught taking photos, explained to the other that the development team was testing the plane in flight every four days. In the meantime, the flight data was being analyzed by the engineers. This meant that the next flight would be on Friday. They would therefore have to take action during the night from Thursday to Friday. They would meet there in the parking lot at 2 a.m. on Friday morning. The tall man then left.

I watched him get into a white Porsche with Aargau license plates. Unfortunately, I couldn't make out the number. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. Turning around, I looked into the eyes of the illegal photographer. He spoke to me in English. I pretended not to understand him. In broken German, he asked what I was spying on, he had been watching me for a while." Marc grinned: "You're still no good as a detective if you're so easy to spot." Ueli continued his story: "I explained to him that photography was forbidden on the airfield. He told me to take care of other things. Then he turned around, got into a silver Range Rover and drove off. I was able to write the car number on the back of my hand with a felt-tip pen I found in my pocket." Ueli held out the back of his left hand to Reto: "Look on the Internet to see who this car belongs to."

Reto started his laptop and after a short pause, he explained: "Tough luck, the car number is registered to a car rental company in Lucerne." "Then we'll just ask who they rented the Range Rover to, a phone call should be enough." "You're crazy, the rental company is never allowed to give out the address of the car owner," said Ueli, "except to the police." "Then we'll go to the police and report what we've discovered." "That's just conjecture, the police have other things to do than pursue the fantasies of three boys."

At that moment, Ladina came back into the room and picked up the empty lemonade jug. She discreetly looked at the back of Ueli's hand and memorized the car number. "Suggestion," Reto called out, "if you agree, I'll tell my father everything we know and have discovered tonight. He's involved in the Arbalète project as an engineer. The aircraft factory can decide for themselves what they want to do with our information and we're in the clear. We could still keep snooping around on our own." The three of them agreed. "Tomorrow at 10 a.m. here with me," said Reto, "then I'll also know what my father thinks about our investigations."

At 10 o'clock sharp the next morning, the three of them were back in Reto's room. "Dad told me on the phone half an hour ago that he had informed the management of the aircraft factory that they were discussing how to proceed." "Wow, that's a big deal if things develop in that direction," said Ueli. The door to the room opened a crack and then Bero, the border collie, stormed into the room. He jumped up at Reto with joy and greeted the other two with a short bark and a vigorous tail wag.

Flurina, the twins' older sister, practiced dog sports with Bero. She used whistles and commands to guide the dog towards a group of sheep so that the Border Collie could drive the sheep to a predetermined destination.

Border Collies were originally bred in the border region between Scotland and England. That is why they are called Border Collies. The white and black dogs are specialists in herding flocks of sheep and are an indispensable support for the shepherd. When the ancient Romans occupied Britain, they took such herding dogs with them to Italy. Research has shown that Border Collies are among the most intelligent of all dog breeds.