I want to be emperor

Chapter 1115: Playing with cars and building airplanes

Since Luo Zhixue officially inspected the aircraft's flight performance, Dachu Chaobao also published relevant reports...

As the news about the airplane was published in the court papers, many people in the Chu Empire knew that there was such a thing as an airplane.

Of course, this is only limited to ordinary people!

For some people in the industry, and even the industry, aircraft are no longer a secret... In fact, the aircraft research and development team under the Royal Institute of Technology Flying Laboratory in the Dachu Empire has never conducted research and development of aircraft or related experiments. Keep it confidential...

By the way, the Chu Empire does not have any confidentiality system when conducting most scientific research or even military equipment research and development... It is not necessary!

Surrounded by a group of indigenous vassal states that can't even build a steam engine, why are you keeping military equipment secret... Even if you package all the design drawings and send them to them, they won't be able to build one!

On the contrary, for some conventional weapons and equipment, instead of keeping them secret, the Chu people will carry out large-scale publicity after they are put into service...whether it is internal or external!

Even the North American-class battleship, the top battleship of the Dachu Empire Navy, has actually been officially announced by the military newspaper during the design stage. Anyone who pays attention to military news can basically know... When it is built, it will be built openly and openly in the Songjiang Naval Shipyard. Build.

The subsequent launching ceremony is also open to the public, and ordinary people can even apply to see it... However, the places are limited, and you have to apply long in advance to get a place... But you can watch it by yourself outside on the riverside, but no one will care about you!

After the battleship USS North America was officially commissioned, as the first giant battleship in the Chu Empire with a full load displacement of more than 20,000 tons and a two-stage main gun, its first official mission was not to fight, but to dock at the dock. The star battleship serves as the navy's open house and welcomes people to visit!

At this time, the USS North America has been officially in service for only two months... It has not even completed many sea trials, let alone many training day tasks. According to the Navy's standards, the ship has not even formed combat effectiveness. Woolen cloth.

But... it has already ushered in its first Navy Open Day, welcoming many ordinary people to visit the ship.

Confidential?

nonexistent!

The most important thing is to seize every opportunity to increase the navy's influence and reputation among the people!

And this is also the true fate of a series of top battleships in the Chu Empire: to serve as visiting battleships to enhance the naval prestige!

As for the real combat mission... it is a group of several thousand tons of cruisers and destroyers, as well as a large number of offshore patrol ships and inland river gunboats!

But what's the matter without battleships... Let alone these battleships of 10,000 or even 20,000 tons, even the second-class battleships of 8,000 or 9,000 tons do not actually undertake combat missions in their daily service lives, but serve more as various tasks. Flagship of the squadron, hotel for senior admirals and visiting ship!

Of course, from time to time, I would go to the ports and docks of some vassal countries to show off... and tell the potential rebels in these vassal countries clearly: I know you want to resist, but I tell you not to do it... Otherwise hundreds of kilograms of naval gun shells will fall on your head!

Battleships are used internally to enhance national self-confidence, and externally to deter vassal states.

As for fighting... there is really no need for them. Strictly speaking, even cruisers and destroyers are not needed. The types of ships used daily to suppress the indigenous people are generally offshore patrol ships and inland river gunboats of several hundred tons.

It is precisely based on this that in recent years, the design of ocean-going battleships in the Chu Empire has become more and more inclined to cost control, seaworthiness, endurance, living performance and other seemingly irrelevant things... As for firepower As well as protection and speed, these are the three traditional elements of a warship: just have it, it doesn’t need to be too good.

So here comes a rather strange thing, that is, the cruisers designed and put into service after the 1950s, if they were really pulled out, they might have the same combat effectiveness as the old guys who served in the 1940s... and even be better in some situations. Cruisers that were in service in the 1930s that have been modernized may not be able to defeat them...

And don’t think this is because the Da Chu Empire Navy has fallen... This is the result of comprehensive considerations based on practical needs and cost control.

There are no serious enemies at sea, so you can’t make any extreme designs...

In fact, the Dachu Imperial Navy has not given up on the research and development of various new technologies. The construction of top-level battleships... is just concentrated on the battleship level, such as the North American-class battleship.

The technical difficulty of this thing is not simple, and the cost is also very expensive... It can be said that it is a comprehensive product of the industrial technology of the contemporary Dachu Empire...

However, even if it is such a thing, the Chu Empire does not hide it, but makes it public from beginning to end...

There is really no need to keep it a secret...

And this is also a manifestation of the Chu Empire's strong confidence in itself: the battleship is here, you can see it, you can understand it... If you have the ability, you can make a replica for me and see... No, if you have the ability, you can find someone to resist it. Method!

What do you want the natives to do to resist the giant artillery shells fired from 300mm tubes?

Unstoppable!

Battleships are like this, let alone small things like airplanes... By the way, the current goal of Royal Institute of Technology's aircraft research is for military use. As for civilian use, they haven't considered that much yet.

The main reason is that the performance of aircraft these days is still too poor, and it is too immature to use it for commercial transportation... At least in the short term, it will not be feasible for a few years.

This is why the design direction of the No. 23 prototype is a two-seater reconnaissance aircraft.

However, even military-purpose aircraft are now widely reported... Because in addition to military purposes, the aircraft more importantly represents the Chu Empire's conquest of the sky once again.

After the airship, the Chu people developed a second type of maneuverable aircraft... Well, hot air balloons and gliders are not included in these aircraft that cannot fly autonomously and controllably.

After all, if this counts... then if humans just find a cliff and jump off, wouldn't that be considered conquering the sky?

Autonomous and controllable flight is the necessary factor to conquer the sky.

After the relevant situation of the aircraft was reported, many ordinary people also knew that such a new gadget had appeared in the empire... Naturally, it also attracted the attention of some people.

But... to be honest, my attention is limited.

Because airplanes are too far away from ordinary people... In today's world, this thing is still a product of top scientific research laboratories, and it is too far away from ordinary people's lives.

However, although it is relatively far away from ordinary people, the industry, and the automobile industry, which is closely related to aircraft, is very concerned about aircraft...

Because contemporary aircraft are also vehicles that use gasoline engines...

Almost all contemporary gasoline engines are reserved for the four major automobile manufacturers... Even if many core patents on gasoline engines will expire in a few years, other manufacturers will also be able to enter the gasoline engine industry!

However, the technology accumulated by the four major automakers and a large number of patent barriers are enough to allow them to continue to maintain the first echelon in the field of gasoline engines.

The power of the aircraft is a gasoline engine... Even though the gasoline engine used in the aircraft is a bit special and is a specially-made aeroengine, some of the underlying technical principles are actually the same...

Nowadays, the homemade aero engines in the flying laboratory of the Royal Institute of Technology... all use a large number of patents from the four major automobile companies.

There is no way. The four major car manufacturers have been accumulating in the field of gasoline engines for too long and have invested too much. They have produced a lot of various patents, making it almost impossible for latecomers to enter...

People have blocked the road.

Under such circumstances, even if the military has decided to purchase aircraft for testing equipment and explore the military application value of the aircraft... even if the flying laboratory of the Royal Institute of Technology has already built the aircraft and has also applied for many related technologies for the aircraft. patent.

But if you really want to build an aircraft and put it into practical use, even if it is just for military use... you still can't go around the four major automobile companies!

Even if you don't consider the patent issue, you can't actually get around the four major automobile companies... Because if you want to mass-produce aero engines, many of the top materials and even processing equipment are owned by the four major automobile companies... You can connect outside I can't find any OEM factories.

But the good news is... among the four major automobile manufacturers, except for the latecomer Lee Power Company, the other three are companies affiliated to the Ministry of Industry.

So as long as it is carried out normally, there is no need to worry about the aircraft business being stuck... On the contrary, in fact, the four major automobile manufacturers are very actively contacting the Royal Institute of Technology, trying to obtain the patent for the aircraft as soon as possible...

Why?

The four major car manufacturers plan to build their own aircraft...

Well, it’s not just airplanes. In fact, these days, apart from engineering equipment, anything related to gasoline engines, the four major manufacturers are very interested in getting involved.

By the way, the four major automobile manufacturers not only produce passenger cars...in fact, they are also manufacturers of agricultural machinery, manufacturers of special power equipment, and even suppliers of small boats equipped with gasoline engines...Currently, they are used in agriculture Various gasoline engine tractors and other agricultural equipment in the production field are basically the exclusive domain of the four major automobile manufacturers.

As for engineering equipment... this thing is quite special, because it involves many special patents in engineering equipment. In addition, engineering equipment has already been developed in the steam engine era. Powerful engineering equipment companies like Anton Machinery Company have emerged, and subsequent It will be difficult for the four major automakers to re-enter... they cannot obtain patents.

Therefore, strategic cooperation can only be adopted.

In addition to engineering equipment, the four major automobile manufacturers are all interested in getting involved in other products that basically use gasoline engines.

New gadgets like airplanes are no exception. The four major car manufacturers even think that this thing has great future prospects and are ready to bet heavily on research and development.

In the autumn and September of Chengshun 51, Tangshan Machinery Group Corporation, the parent company of Tangshan Automobile Company, held a meeting of senior officials to analyze in detail the current status and future development of aircraft, and most importantly, the future commercialization prospects of aircraft.

After talking about a lot of various professional analyses, a person in charge of aircraft affairs in their company said in an extremely excited tone: "Although the performance of current aircraft cannot be said to be commercial, do you still remember that in the Fifteen or twenty years ago, when we started developing internal combustion engines, gasoline engines, and spark plug ignitions, could we have predicted the huge market for automobiles today?”

"The current technological development is in a state of rapid development. Countless patented technologies are applied for almost every day. According to the predictions of our technical experts, if we are optimistic, aircraft will be able to achieve a range of more than 1,000 kilometers within five years, and This is when carrying at least one ton of cargo.”

"What about ten years from now? What about twenty years from now? Is it possible to build an aircraft that weighs tens of tons empty, carries five, six or even seven or eight tons of cargo, and can fly two thousand kilometers or even three thousand kilometers?"

"Our analysis department predicts that this is very feasible... because the current technical route has been clear, and there is no need to make major adjustments in the future. We only need to further optimize the development of the engine and optimize the airframe design. What key issues need to be carried out, it is difficult to break through the technical breakthroughs! ”

"In the field of engines, our group company has unparalleled advantages!"

"Relying on the R&D investment in automobiles, we don't even have to invest much in the R&D field of aircraft to obtain quite a lot of results and then use them in the R&D and manufacturing of commercial aircraft!"

"Once this kind of aircraft is manufactured and the cost is controlled within an acceptable range, we will usher in an unprecedented era in the future: humans travel by airplane and goods are quickly transported by airplane."

"At that time, those of us who participated early will become the leading company in the era of human flight... just like we are ahead of our peers in the current automobile era!"

"This is a great cause, a cause that, like the automotive industry, is enough to make our company a great enterprise for a century, so in the end, I strongly request the board of directors to formally approve entering the aircraft industry and allocate sufficient funds!"

However, an independent director above said: "We all know the bright future of aircraft, but your request for five million yuan in upfront funding is too exaggerated... As far as I know, the Royal Institute of Technology does not There is no high threshold for aircraft patent authorization. Even if all patent authorizations are packaged, it is expected to only cost around 400,000 Chu Yuan!”

"So tell me, what do you want these five million Chu Yuan for?"

"Before you answer my question, I would like to remind you carefully that this is not 500 Chu Yuan, not 50,000 Chu Yuan, but 5 million Chu Yuan. Even if it is given to those losers in the Navy, it is enough to buy a top-notch Navy ship. Battleship."

"And many R&D are also handled by the company's other subsidiaries and friends. For example, the core aero engine will be handled by the company's engine department. This aircraft is currently just an assembly, and at best it can only be done on paper. Design, why do you need so much money?”

When the manager heard this, he was speechless for a moment... Then he tried to defend himself, saying that he was developing an airframe, and that he needed to recruit a large group of fluid mechanics experts to design the airframe, build a professional laboratory, etc. if!

But in the end, maybe he was embarrassed, and finally said: "If five million is more difficult, actually three million is also possible..."

Okay, before the report is over, the person in charge has cut himself first...

After a final discussion, the headquarters of Tangshan Machinery Group Company approved the plan to enter the aircraft industry, and prepared an initial allocation of 1 million yuan, part of which was used to purchase patent licenses, and the rest will be used for the early stage. Research and development, prototype manufacturing and test flights, etc.

Similar things also happened to three other car manufacturers...

These four major car manufacturers are all sworn enemies of each other. Whatever one wants to do, the other three will most likely follow suit...even if they don't understand why the other one wants to do it!

But your competitors have already done it, and if you don’t follow up, what if the thing they do is so important that it kills you in the future?

Therefore, no matter what your opponent does, just keep up with yourself... everyone will suffer together.

Not to mention, the other three major car manufacturers also have professional think tank teams. They can also foresee the huge potential of future aircraft, so it is normal to invest in advance... they have money anyway!

Although each of these four major automobile companies owes a lot of debt, they all have a lot of cash flow in their hands... There is no way, they are engaged in large and expensive industrial consumer goods.

The price is high, and the production and sales volume are huge... There is a lot of money in this hand.

This hand holds a lot of cash, use it to pay off debts? Impossible... Anyway, the money borrowed by the four major automobile companies is basically low-interest or even interest-free loans. If you pay it back early, you will lose money.

Therefore, this money is basically used to expand production, research and development, and layout of the upstream and downstream industrial chains.

Therefore, every car company these days is one with deep pockets and a lot of money. Even the North American Automobile Company, which is an assembly plant, invests more than two million yuan in research and development every year... It's scary. Very!

Car companies in the automotive industry often invest millions in R&D every year, which is almost invisible in other industries...

Spending millions of dollars to enter the aircraft industry is a small matter...

Soon, the four major car companies... no, the five major car companies soon signed a patent licensing agreement with the patent management agency of the Royal Institute of Technology... This fifth car company was scornfully called an assembly plant by the four major car companies. North American Motor Company.

Song Erniu had also heard about airplanes for a long time, and he had great expectations for this new thing... He felt that this thing was more suitable for the vast and sparsely populated America than trains and cars.

Moreover, in the automotive field, North American automobile companies entered the industry too late, so it is difficult to catch up now... and are even limited by multiple core patents being stuck, even if they have already been developed in the laboratory and can be mass-produced. engine, but it still cannot be produced and commercialized.

They can only buy engines from the four major automakers at high prices, and most of the profits are taken away by the four major automakers. North American Automobile Companies can only make some hard-earned money... It is very frustrating.

And despite the fact that North American Automobile Company is booming now, it still has not been able to turn a profit... However, the debts are not much, and the money they are burning now is the funds brought in from several strategic investments... But there is no need to worry about North America. The car company has no money. After launching several strategies, it still has a cash flow of more than 10 million Chu Yuan on its books!

The strategic investment shareholders behind the North American Automobile Company are all companies that are not short of money. They are either giants in the financial industry or giant companies in the traditional manufacturing industry.

The strategic investor leading the investment is 'West Lake Investment Company'. Despite its ordinary name, this investment company is the fund company with the strongest financial strength in the Da Chu Empire, and its business covers all kinds of capital investments. In addition to a large number of stable investment businesses, they will also occasionally involve high-risk investments, such as automobiles.

The source of funds for West Lake Investment Company is mainly pension funds from multiple provinces...the main thing is not bad money...By the way, West Lake Investment Company is also the third largest shareholder of Songhe Automobile Company...Hekou Machinery Company previously moved to After Songjiang, with the help of the Songjiang Mansion Yamen, he invested heavily as a leading investor and became the third largest shareholder.

Among the many shareholders of North American Automobile Company, in addition to purely financial investment companies such as West Lake Investment Company, there are also a number of traditional manufacturing companies.

These are basically related industrial chain enterprises that were not able to get on board during the expansion process of the four major automobile companies, such as steel, machinery manufacturing, tires and other related large enterprises... These enterprises also do not want to miss the era of automobile explosion, but The four major automobile companies don't let them play, so they can only put their hopes in the North American Automobile Company's breakout battle.

So even though North American Automobile Company is still suffering from losses, they are really rich... After looking at all the major companies in the empire, there are only a few companies with more cash flow than his company...

It is easy to invest a huge amount of money in the aircraft industry.

In the field of aircraft, he does not want to continue to lag behind others, but wants to enter it from the beginning and compete with the four major automobile manufacturers!

The automobile industry in the Dachu Empire...the cars were made well, and then they went to make airplanes...which also confused a group of people outside.

But through this move, more people realized that the age of human flight might really be coming.

Otherwise, why would giant companies like the Big Four, or even the Big Five, spend huge sums of money to announce their entry into the aircraft industry?

It's easy to say that one company will enter the aircraft industry, but if five automobile giants enter at the same time, there will be too much news exposed.

You can blame one of the companies for their business decisions...but you have to respect the unified business decisions of the five auto giants!