noon
This sleek little commercial plane was manufactured by the Swift Construction Company in charge of Ned Newton . Early the next morning Tom and his father drove to Enterprises , and the young inventor plunged into the job of organizing an engineering crew for the missile hunt . Art Wiltessa , a crack underwater specialist as well as engineer , was placed in charge . By noon the group had taken off for the South Atlantic in a Swift cargo jet . A small portable model of Tom 's atomic earth blaster was included in their equipment . A jetmarine and a diving seacopter were also dispatched from Fearing to assist in the operations . `` It 's apt to be a long-drawn-out job -- and dangerous , '' commented Mr. Swift as he lunched with Tom in their office .