If you only look at the numbers on paper, you really can’t feel the visual impact of the real thing.
When Viscount Douglas first learned about the four-engine bomber, the bomber had not yet been successfully developed, so what Viscount Douglas saw was a semi-finished product.
Winston arrived at just the right time. The four-engine bomber in full condition was an absolute behemoth in the air, not inferior to some small airships. Winston keenly noticed the metal fuselage of the bomber.
It can bring stronger fuselage strength and will definitely increase the fuselage weight.
During this period, Europe, including the Strong Wind fighter jets sold in Nyasaland, used a large number of wooden materials to reduce the weight of the fuselage. Everyone knows the benefits of metal, but weight is a factor that cannot be ignored.
"These materials are not steel, but aluminum." Rock's answer surprised Winston.
Just in the last century, aluminum was still a precious metal, and the Chemical Society of London gave vases and cups made of aluminum alloy as gifts to Mendeleev in 1889.
It was also during that time that Frenchman Paul Herut and American Charles Hall simultaneously invented the electrolysis process for aluminum without knowing each other's work. After that, the price of aluminum products dropped significantly.
Even so, in the minds of ordinary people, the price of aluminum products is still very expensive.
The aluminum used in the production of bombers in Nyasaland is produced in Madagascar. It is amazing to say that most metal reserves in southern Africa are very high, but the output of aluminum is very small. Fortunately, Madagascar has high aluminum reserves, so Nigeria
Only Asalan can produce bombers out of aluminum.
"That's too luxurious!" Winston thought thoughtfully, and the high price was indeed justified.
"Compared with fighter jets, bomber fuselages are larger and more bloated, and are more vulnerable to ground anti-aircraft fire, so they need a stronger fuselage. Look at our wings. All four engines are on the wings.
Using wooden wings simply cannot bear the weight of the engine." Rock had no choice. The heavier the aircraft, the higher the requirements for the strength of the fuselage.
"Ground anti-aircraft firepower?" Winston thought for a long time but couldn't remember what ground anti-aircraft firepower was.
Only then did Rock remember that except for Nyasaland, there seemed to be no such thing as anti-aircraft machine guns in the world, so bombers would not encounter ground anti-aircraft fire early.
Of course, this is only now. Rock has already used bombers in East India. Someone will definitely notice this problem. Maybe there are already countries in Europe developing anti-aircraft machine guns. For Britain, France and Germany, anti-aircraft machine guns do not require many technical difficulties.
capture.
"It doesn't exist now, but it doesn't mean there won't exist in the future." Roque was prepared for a rainy day. In the just-concluded Italian-Turkish war, one of the Gale fighter jets purchased by the Italian Air Force was actually shot down by the Ottoman Empire's ground troops using rifles. This is unusual.
The plot I dared to write was actually played out in reality.
"How much does this bomber cost?" Winston was ready to be ripped off.
Unlike aircraft carriers, which can easily cost millions, bombers are not that expensive even if they are expensive, so Winston plans to buy a few of them to try the effect first. If the effect is really good, it will not be too late to equip them on a large scale.
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"Twenty thousand." Roque opened his mouth like a lion.
Winston's mouth twitched for a few times without speaking. Although he was mentally prepared, he still felt pain in his body.
In fact, the price is really reasonable. Four state-of-the-art engines and six aircraft machine guns cost several thousand more, not to mention that the fuselage uses so much aluminum. A "small aircraft like the Qiangfeng" with only two machine guns is
"Planes" cost 10,000, and selling a four-engine bomber for 20,000 is really not too much.
"Is it in stock?" Winston said with a stern head. It was obviously a high-end military purchaser, and he acted like an online seller engaging in hunger marketing.
"No, it will be at least half a year later." The Rock Cross is also for sale, but it will definitely have to wait. We are not worried about the technology being leaked after Winston buys the aircraft.
As for fighter jets, it is still possible for personal research. But when it comes to the field of bombers, personal ability cannot be used. Both technology and funding are very demanding. Not to mention individual enthusiasts, even companies with weak capabilities cannot be used.
With the economic structure of the UK, it is impossible for the government to organize technical research. The development of technology depends entirely on the initiative of enterprises. As for whether the starting point is profit or national defense needs, only God knows.
"The output is so low?" Winston felt it was too slow.
Roque is also very helpless. Nyasaland has been vigorously immigrating, but the labor gap is still huge. In the infrastructure field that takes up the most labor, Africans or Indians are still used. Otherwise, the number of people in southern Africa will increase again.
Not even one can meet the demand.
"Put these bombs on, I want to see the effect." Winston requested, buying ten of them at once, and asking to see the effect was normal.
Rock was not stingy, and even invited Winston to board the plane and experience it together, but unfortunately Winston refused resolutely. This is a gentleman who does not stand under dangerous walls.
The research institute is located on the outskirts of Milna city and is surprisingly large. Next to it is a weapons testing site.
In order to better simulate the battlefield environment, the test site has dug zigzag trenches and dummies, as well as some livestock tied to pillars, and even houses. In short, it is as complex as it comes.
Rock and Winston took a car to the observation point. The observation point also simulated a battlefield environment, but the conditions were a bit crude. It was obvious that Winston was a little disgusted.
It's normal to feel disgusted. A master who has to take a maid with him to the battlefield, and whose luggage alone fills dozens of boxes, is a standard nobleman.
"With bombers in the sky, how can we accurately drop bombs on the enemy's heads?" Winston only thought of this question after entering the observation post.
"Bombers have sights and dedicated bombardiers. These are not problems." Rock has never worried about these problems at all, and don't think that these devices are so high-end. The sights are indeed optical equipment, but
The sights at this time were still very crude. The bombers successfully developed by the Russians in another time and space in 1913 were not only equipped with sights, but also various instruments used for driving and navigation.
Never underestimate the wisdom of your predecessors.
Rock and Winston didn't wait too long. The low and surging roar of bombers was faintly heard in the sky. Winston didn't even see the shadow of the bombers. Then the shooting range not far ahead turned into a sea of fire.
"Where's the plane?" Winston was puzzled. If he hadn't had confidence in Rock's character, he would have thought it was a pre-planted explosive.
Rock didn't answer, but raised his finger to point above his head. Only then did Winston see that the bomber had drifted away.
"Do you think the bombers are going to dive?" Rock didn't laugh. There are indeed such examples in history.
During World War II, Germany required all bombers to have dive bombing capabilities because of the excellent performance of the Stuka in use, and the same was true for strategic bombers.
The reason why strategic bombers are called this name is because the purpose of strategic bombers is to attack military targets behind the enemy's front line, not the front line. Therefore, strategic bombers do not need dive bombing capabilities. What they need is a more stable flight attitude and maximum range.
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"Why not? The closer you are to the enemy, the more accurate your attack will be." Winston also has his own insistence and will not be easily persuaded by Rock.
"Let's put it this way, in the future, as the types of aircraft become more and more abundant, different aircraft will be used in different situations." Rock thought for a moment and decided to look into the future: "For example, the role of fighter jets is to seize air supremacy and attack.
Enemy fighters or bombers, and bombers will also be divided into close support and strategic bombing. What you are talking about is close support, and strategic bombing are two different things."
"Locke, what does air superiority mean? What is the difference between close support and strategic bombing?" Winston had more and more questions.
Rock found that he had inadvertently dug a big hole. For Winston, the Lord of the Admiralty, these air force nouns were indeed a bit difficult to pronounce.
Then all the way to Port Edward, Rock was explaining the meaning of these proper nouns to Winston.
It’s not a vain explanation, probably because Roark’s service was very considerate, Winston placed an additional order for ten bombers, so with these two orders, Roark’s previous investment in four-engine bombers was fully repaid.
This is how profitable the arms trade is!
"So in future wars, there will no longer be large-scale cavalry charges, nor will there be mass sea tactics of infantry. Whether it is in the air or at sea, it will become a battlefield for aircraft, and the role of ground troops will become smaller and smaller, so
If we want to maintain the advantages of the British Empire, we must pay attention to the endless emergence of new technologies." As Rock spoke, he and Winston stood side by side in front of the aircraft carrier that had begun laying the flight deck.
In fact, Rock wanted to say some passionate words to make Winston make up his mind.
However, Winston didn't look surprised at all. It was completely different from the way he looked when he saw the four-engine bomber a few days ago, so Rock put away his little thoughts.
If you think about it, you can understand that as Lord of the Admiralty, Winston has seen countless warships. The aircraft carrier being built by Edward Shipyard is worth highlighting in Rock's opinion, but in Winston's opinion, it is ordinary.
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How should I put it? It probably doesn’t have as many cannon tubes as a battleship, so the feeling is really not that strong. Today’s aircraft carriers don’t look that magical either, they are just like enlarged flat-bottomed tugboats.
Looking at the ship steel plates piled up in the open space next to him, Winston finally exploded: "You built an iron-hulled ship with thin iron sheets and sold it to me for 1.68 million. Where is your conscience?"
There seems to be no way to explain this. The British battlecruiser Tiger, which will be launched next year, has a thickest armor on the main armor belt of nine inches.
