Reborn South Africa as a police officer

Chapter 786 The Dog Eats Your Conscience

Just looking at the numbers on paper, I really can't feel the visual impact brought by the real thing.

When Viscount Douglas knew about the four-engine bomber, the bomber hadn't been successfully developed yet, so what Viscount Douglas saw was a semi-finished product.

Winston came at just the right time. The four-engine bomber in full condition is an absolute giant in the air, comparable to some small airships. Winston keenly noticed the metal fuselage of the bomber. It can bring stronger fuselage strength, and it will definitely increase the weight of the fuselage.

During this period in Europe, including the strong wind fighters sold by Nyasaland, a large number of wooden materials were used 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. The London Chemical Society gave Mendeleev a vase and cup made of aluminum alloy as a gift in 1889.

It was also during that time that Frenchman Paul Herut and American Charles Hall invented the electrolysis process of aluminum at the same time without knowing each other's work, after which the price of aluminum products dropped sharply.

Even so, in the impression 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 of the metal reserves in southern Africa are very high, but the output of aluminum is very small. Fortunately, Madagascar has high aluminum reserves, so Nigeria Assaran was able to produce bombers out of aluminum.

"That's too extravagant!" Winston thought thoughtfully. There was indeed a reason for the high price.

"Compared with fighter jets, the fuselage of a bomber is larger, more bloated, and more vulnerable to ground anti-aircraft fire, so it needs a stronger fuselage. Look at our wings. All four engines are on the wings. Using wooden wings simply cannot carry the weight of the engine." Rock also has 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 antiaircraft firepower was.

It was only then that Rock remembered that besides 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 earlier.

Of course, this is only now. Rock has already used bombers in East India. Someone will definitely notice this problem. Maybe some countries in Europe are already developing anti-aircraft machine guns. For Britain, France and Germany, anti-aircraft machine guns do not have many technical difficulties. capture.

"Not now, doesn't mean there won't be in the future." Rock planned ahead. In the just-concluded Italian-Turkish war, the strong wind fighter jets purchased by the Italian Air Force were actually shot down by the ground troops of the Ottoman Empire with rifles. The plot that I dare not write is actually staged in reality.

"How much does this bomber cost?" Winston was ready to be slaughtered.

Unlike aircraft carriers, which cost millions at every turn, bombers are not that expensive even if they are expensive, so Winston is going to buy a few to try the effect first. If the effect is really good, it will not be too late to equip them on a large scale .

"Twenty thousand." Rock opened his mouth like a lion.

The corners of Winston's mouth twitched a few times and he didn't speak. Although he was mentally prepared, he still felt pain in his flesh.

In fact, this price is really conscientious. Four of the most advanced engines and six aviation machine guns are thousands of dollars larger, not to mention that the fuselage uses so much aluminum. "Airplane" costs [-] yuan, and [-] yuan for a four-engine bomber is really not too much.

"Is there any stock in stock?" Winston nodded. It was obviously a high-end military purchase, making him look like an online seller engaged in hunger marketing.

"No, it will be at least half a year later." Rock also sells ten planes, but it will definitely have to wait, and he is not worried about technology leakage after Winston buys the plane.

For fighter jets, it is still possible for personal research. When it comes to the field of bombers, personal ability cannot be used. Both technology and capital are very demanding. Not to mention individual enthusiasts, even companies with poor strength cannot play.

With this kind of economic structure in the UK, it is impossible for the government to organize technological research. The development of technology depends entirely on the self-consciousness of the enterprise. As for whether the starting point is profit or national defense needs, only God knows.

"Such a low output?" Winston felt that it was too slow.

Rock is also very helpless. Nyasaland has been immigrating vigorously, but there is still a large labor gap. The infrastructure field that takes up the most labor is still using Africans or Indians. Otherwise, the manpower in southern Africa will be doubled now. One can not meet the demand.

"Put these bombs on, I want to see the effect." Winston made a request, buying ten at a time, and asked to see if the effect is normal.

Rock was not stingy, and invited Winston to get on the plane to experience it together, but Winston resolutely refused. This is a gentleman who does not stand under a dangerous wall.

The research institute is located on the outskirts of Milna, with an astonishingly large area, next to the weapons testing ground.

In order to better simulate the battlefield environment, there are dug zigzag trenches and dummies on the proving ground, as well as some livestock tied to pillars, and even houses. In short, it is as complicated as it is.

Rock and Winston went to the observation point by car. The observation point was also a simulated battlefield environment, and the conditions were a bit crude. It was obvious that Winston was a little disgusted.

It's normal to dislike him, but he has to bring a maid with him when he goes to the battlefield. The luggage alone is filled with dozens of boxes. This is the standard nobleman.

"The bomber is in the sky, how can we accurately drop the bomb on the enemy's head?" Winston didn't think of this question until he entered the observation post.

"There are sights on the bomber, and there are dedicated bombers. These are not problems." Rock never worried about these problems at all, and don't think how tall these devices are. The sights are indeed optical devices, but At that time, the sights were still very simple. The bomber successfully researched by Russians in another space-time in 1913 was not only equipped with sights, but also various instruments used for driving and piloting.

Never underestimate the wisdom of predecessors.

Rock and Winston didn't wait too long, and the low and surging roar of the bomber was faintly heard in the sky. Winston didn't even see the shadow of the bomber, and then the shooting range not far ahead turned into a sea of ​​flames.

"Where's the plane?" Winston was puzzled. If he hadn't had confidence in Rock's character, Winston would have thought it was a pre-planted explosive.

Rock didn't answer, and raised his finger to the top of his head. Only then did Winston see that the bomber had drifted away.

"Do you think the bomber will dive again?" Rock didn't laugh, and there are really such examples in history.

During World War II, Germany required all bombers to toast their dive bombing capabilities because of Stuka's excellent performance in use, and the same was true for strategic bombers.

The reason why the strategic bomber is called this name is because the purpose of the strategic bomber is to attack the military targets behind the enemy's front line, not to the front line, so the strategic bomber does not need the dive bombing capability, but needs a more stable flight attitude and the largest range .

"Why not? The closer you are to the enemy, the more accurate your attack will be." Winston also had his own insistence, and he would not be easily persuaded by Rock.

"Let's put it this way, as the types of aircraft become more and more abundant in the future, different aircraft will be used in different situations." Rock thought for a while, and decided to look forward to the future: "For example, the role of fighter jets is to seize air supremacy, attack Enemy fighter jets or bombers, bombers are also divided into close support and strategic bombing, the kind you mentioned is close support, and strategic bombing are two different things."

"Locke, what does air supremacy mean? What's the difference between close support and strategic bombing?" Winston asked more and more questions.

Rock found that he had inadvertently dug a big hole. For Winston, the Secretary of the Navy, these special terms for the Air Force were indeed a bit of a mouthful.

Then all the way to Port Edward, Rock was explaining the meaning of these proper nouns to Winston.

It's not for nothing, probably because Rock's service is very thoughtful, and Winston added an order for ten bombers, so it means that with these two orders, Rock's previous investment in the four-engine bomber has all been paid back.

This is how the arms trade makes money!

"So in future wars, there will no longer be large-scale cavalry charges, nor will there be crowd tactics of infantry. Whether it is in the air or in the sea, it will become a battlefield for aircraft, and the role of ground troops will become smaller and smaller. Therefore, If we want to maintain the advantages of the British Empire, we must pay attention to the emerging new technologies." When Rock was speaking, he stood side by side with Winston in front of the aircraft carrier that had begun to lay down the flight deck.

In fact, Rock wanted to say some passionate words to make Winston make up his mind.

However, looking at Winston's appearance, he didn't feel very surprised. It was completely different from the appearance when he saw the four-engine bomber a few days ago, so Rock put away his little thoughts.

It is understandable if you think about it. As the Minister of the Navy, Winston has seen countless warships. The aircraft carrier under construction at the Edward Dockyard is worth highlighting in Roque's view, but it is commonplace in Winston's view. .

How should I put it, there are probably not as many cannon tubes as battleships, so the feeling is really not that strong, and the current aircraft carrier doesn't look so amazing, just like an enlarged flat-bottomed tugboat.

Looking at the marine steel plates piled up in the open space next to him, Winston finally broke out: "You knocked an iron-hulled boat with a thin iron sheet, and you're going to sell it to me for 168 million. Where's your conscience?"

This, it seems that there is really no way to explain it. The battlecruiser Tiger that the UK will launch next year has the thickest armor on the main armor belt of nine inches.

Converted to about 22.86 cm.

(End of this chapter)