Six out of ten lights flew away, and one performed spontaneous combustion in the air.
At the end of the second test, only three lights entered the target area as planned.
Only one of the bricks tied under the three lights fell into the target area.
The purpose of this experiment was not to carry people, but to drop bombs.
If you want to drop the bomb to the target location, you not only need accurate calculations to make the sky lantern fly over the target, but you also need a device to control the fuse.
Through calculation, the flight time of the Kongming Lantern is determined. When it reaches the target, the fuse is ignited and the bomb falls off.
The entire process needs to be controlled extremely tightly. If there is any flaw in any link, accurate bomb delivery will not be achieved.
Of the three lights that had just entered the target area, only one of the bricks tied under the light landed accurately in the target area. The other two bricks, the first one fell early, but the third one fell too late.
From this perspective, only one of the ten lights succeeded.
However, this only one has given everyone enough confidence.
The next step is to find problems, analyze and summarize, and adjust the plan.
Regarding the measurement of air flow, the length of the lead, the sensitivity of the mechanical buckle device...
All details need to be constantly adjusted, experimented, accumulated data, adjusted again, experimented again...
This process is extremely cumbersome. Fortunately, the Academy of Sciences is not short of people or money, and the manufacturing process of Kongming lanterns is not difficult. However, daily experiments require at least hundreds of lamps, which consumes too much material.
Bei Lin and Mei Chun once tried using paper, but the paper lamp was too light and floated away with the slightest airflow. The orientation was completely uncontrollable and it was easy to spontaneously ignite. In the end, they had to give up.
Later, let alone cow and sheep skins, there were no more dog skins on the market!
A huge Kong Ming Lantern rose up. This lantern was similar in size to the one Mei Chun made, and people could sit inside.
On the outside of the lampshade are written the words "Observation No. 1", indicating the purpose of this lamp.
Moreover, a rope is tied to the bottom rattan frame, like flying a kite, firmly tied to the ground.
About two quarters of an hour later, Observation No. 1 slowly landed.
"The wind force is force five to six, the wind direction is southeast, and the wind speed is nine to twelve!"
After obtaining the data, each group immediately took out paper and pen to calculate and then obtained the data.
"Attention all groups, the seventeenth experiment and the first live-fire exercise, there are thirty lights in total, let them fly now!"
"Flight No. 1 is completed!"
"The flight of No. 2 is completed!"
"Fly on the 3rd..."
It's almost evening, the sun is slowly setting, and night is gradually covering the sky.
The exercise area has long been sealed off and no one is allowed to approach. There are a large number of scarecrows and some temporary houses placed within a radius of a hundred steps.
The sky lanterns rose up and floated slowly past.
After half a month of hard work, the technology for measuring airflow has become increasingly mature. Most of the thirty lights released this time sailed according to the established route, with only a few falling behind.
"Arrived at the target area on the 1st!"
"No. 2 has arrived at the target area!"
"Deviation No. 3!"
Thirty lamps, sixty recorders, each in a group of two, one of whom stares at his own lamp with a telescope, and the other is responsible for recording.
"Arrived at the target area on the 4th!"
"No. 5 deviated..."
"No. 6... No, the bomb carried by No. 6 fell off early!"
boom!
The bomb carried by Lantern No. 6 fell down and exploded the moment it hit the ground.
Mei Chun was startled and asked quickly: "Go and see if anyone was hurt!"
"No need to panic!"
Beilin held his shoulders and said: "The people for dozens of miles around have been evacuated. The six groups have taken notes and gone back to find the problem. The experiment will continue!"
"Arrived at the target area on the 7th!"
"Anomaly No. 8 has exceeded the predetermined altitude and started to lose control..."
Boom!
Boom!
Under night, the mountain col was filled with flames and a series of explosions.
Twenty of the bombs carried by the thirty lamps accurately landed in the target area, with a hit rate of up to 60%.
Early the next morning, Zhu Qizhen was overjoyed when he saw the data.
"A small sky lantern can defeat a hundred thousand soldiers and horses!"
Bai Lin said: "It's just that the control of the upper air flow is not enough now. It is greatly affected by the weather. I think it is not possible to put it into actual combat for the time being. We need to increase the intensity of experiments to further improve the hit rate of bombs."
"That's enough!"
Zhu Qizhen put the experimental data aside and said seriously: "What are you fighting for?"
Beilin was stunned and said: "Weapons and equipment?"
Zhu Qizhen looked at Mei Chun again and asked, "You tell me!"
Mei Chun thought hard for a while, and then said: "Is it a tactical technique?"
"What you two said is right, but wrong!"
Zhu Qizhen nodded, shook his head, and said, "In my opinion, what you are getting is money and food!"
Bei Lin and Mei Chun looked at each other, seemingly confused.
Zhu Qizhen continued: "Weapons and equipment are important, as are tactics and techniques, but these are all based on money and food. Let me ask, if there is no money and food, where will the weapons and equipment come from? If the opponent has strong soldiers and horses, it will be exhausted.
Where did you get these tactics and techniques?"
"The reason why King Ning suffered repeated setbacks in his attack on Uzang on the front line is not because our army's equipment is not good enough, nor is it a technical and tactical problem, but because the price to be paid is too high."
"You can do some calculations. What is the configuration of our army? How much silver does a rifle cost? How much silver does a bullet cost? Artillery, shells, all kinds of military supplies... these are all silver. What is the price of Uzang?
Even if we attack this shitty place with casualties, what will happen?"
"Whether something is beneficial or not cannot simply depend on the result. If you kill a rabbit with a bow and arrow, you will definitely make a profit. However, if you shoot a rabbit with a rifle, the wasted bullets can be converted into silver, which is enough to buy two.
It’s a rabbit, do you still think it’s a profit?”
Beilin suddenly understood, nodded and said: "I understand, as long as Uszang can be captured, even if the hit rate of Kongming Lantern bombs is still poor, as long as there are enough, this tactic will still be effective!"
"exactly!"
Zhu Qizhen smiled and said: "Compared to muskets and artillery, the cost of making Kongming lanterns is too low. Even if the hit rate is lower, just make more. Compared with the consumption on the front line, this amount of money is just a drop in the bucket!"
"
Bei Lin saluted and said: "Just now, Wei Chen was too bookish and picky about technique. The emperor's words were like a revelation, which made Wei Chen enlightened!"
"Without further ado, you go back and count your personnel, and we'll set off tomorrow!"
"yes!"
Zhu Qizhen looked at Mei Chun again and asked: "The Qing family's injuries..."
"Go back to your Majesty, I'm already well!"
"It takes a hundred days to break your muscles and bones, how can it be so fast?"
"I just injured my arm, my legs and feet are fine, it won't affect me."
Looking at Mei Chun's eager look, Zhu Qizhen knew in his heart that the Kongming Lantern was the result of his personal research, and of course he was not willing to miss the first actual combat.