"Appleton, Victor - Tom Swift Jr 16 - And the Cosmic Astronauts" - читать интересную книгу автора (Appleton Victor)

out."
"All right. Order the base to send all available seacopters and planes to the
area for a rescue search," Tom said. "I'll take off from here as soon as possible."
He pressed the telephone cutoff button, then dialed his father, Tom Swift Sr.,
at their Enterprises office. The elder scientist was shocked at the news but
wasted no words. "I'll meet you at the heliplane hangar at once, son!"
SKY PIRATES! 3
Tom and Bud dashed out of the laboratory and hopped into a jeep. There
was no time to discuss the mystery as the boys sped across the grounds of the
sprawling experimental station toward the Enterprises airfield.
Within minutes, the heliplane was fueled and ready for take-off. This
revolutionary aircraft, dubbed "the whirling duck," was one of Tom's earlier
inventions. It had pulse-jet rotors for vertical lift or hovering, but was also
designed to fly as a transonic jet, with the rotors folded sleekly into the fuselage
after the ship was air-borne.
"You have the crew's position, son?" Mr. Swift asked, as they climbed into
the heliplane's cabin. The distinguished scientist, like his son, was lean in build
but slightly shorter.
Tom checked the latitude and longitude figures on a chart. "About fifty miles
southwest of the Windward Passage between Cuba and Haiti," he replied. "But
Captain Church was probably dead reckoning from his last position."
Tom took the controls and the "duck" rose steeply into the blue. Soon they
were spearing high over the Atlantic toward the Caribbean area at a speed faster
than sound.
Half an hour later they were winging past the coral reefs of the Bahamas.
Presently the green coastline of Cuba loomed on the horizon.
Tom decreased altitude as they approached the Windward Passage. Several
other aircraft were al-
4 COSMIC ASTRONAUTS
ready on the scene, though visible only as distant specks in the sky. Bud was
able to identify three through binoculars as part of the search mission from
Fearing Island.
"Two are Swift jets," he reported, "and that baby skimming low is the good
old Sea Hound!"
The latter craft was one of Tom's ingenious diving seacopters-combination
submarine-whirly-bird-an atomic-powered ship able to fly, hover, or speed
through the ocean depths.
Tom flicked on the radio. "Tom Jr. to all ships of rescue mission! Report at
once any sign of the castaways!"
"Surely we can't miss the Sea Charger's crew if that position was anywhere
near correct!" Mr. Swift muttered tensely, sweeping the sea below with
binoculars.
"Davis to Tom! . . . I've spotted 'em, skipper!"
All three aboard the heliplane were electrified with hope as the voice of Slim
Davis, piloting a seacopter, came over the radio.
"Give us a bearing, Slim!" Tom shot back.
"One-nine-five degrees. . . . About two minutes' flight from here should bring
me directly over them!"
In the distance they could see Slim's vapor trail as his plane changed course
sharply and shot off in a southerly direction.