Chapter 639 Aviation Plan
"The stained glass windows decorate the ancient church. You can see it in the direction of the sound of the piano, and the roses are clinging to the thousand-year-old stone corridor. I stood in the square of Boyheim at dusk and cast my hope in the wishing fountain. In the corridor of the square , the dancers were dancing and spinning.”
In recent days, many articles introducing the Bohemian region and the largest city, Boeheim, have appeared in newspapers and magazines in Weissenburg, describing it as a beautiful, romantic, and joyful land.
Father Arms, a local man, also wrote an article recalling the happy life of his childhood when there was no war.
Maria began to prepare her luggage and spread the word that she was going there with Frederick.
This time it was an official trip for Archduke Wesson, and it was quite large. There were six trucks loaded with clothes for Frederick and Maria, one truckload of jewelry, and three cars modified with washing machines.
Baron Christian, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, took half of the staff team of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Guard Corps to go ahead and make preliminary preparations.
Tony, the leader of the guard regiment, ordered two male and female guard companies and a mage platoon. He also personally went to the remaining black cat troops to select a squad, and went to the 2nd and 4th divisions to select two engineer platoons each. Together with the logistics personnel, they formed A guard camp.
The army also sent two radio trucks and more than 20 operating and maintenance personnel.
In terms of internal affairs, Afu and Tarot have established a team of nearly two hundred people, including attendants, maids, doctors, chefs, tailors, makeup artists, photography teams, and artistic teams.
In order to maintain communication and government affairs, Vanessa will lead a group of more than 30 secretaries.
After hearing the travel plan, Psyche said: "Your travel lineup is enough to defeat the city of Boeheim."
Frederick just smiled.
There are still a few days before departure, and he needs to deal with a lot of things before leaving. Today, he came to the Wesson Science Society to ask Psyche about the progress of the aircraft development, and by the way, "Aren't you going to play together?"
Psyche shook her head and said: "Forget it, I just went there decades ago."
"Now the airship faction and the airplane faction are about to fight, and I need to be in charge."
After hearing this, Frederick said: "Personally, I tend to favor airplanes, and the upper limit of airships is too low."
Psyche nodded and said: "The research on airships will slow down next."
"There are many problems with fixed-wing aircraft now, especially high-horsepower engines."
"Due to machining accuracy issues, the vibration of a high-power, high-speed radial engine can shake itself apart. We need to continue to study it."
"Currently, investment in in-line six-cylinder engines has been increased. The production of 80-horsepower engines has been completed. The next target is a 200-horsepower engine. However, crankshaft design and processing is a problem, which is expected to take one or two years to solve."
Frederick was very satisfied with the current progress and said: "Don't be in a hurry, take your time, at worst, install a few more engines."
Although the Wesson Science Society hired a magician who was proficient in anti-gravity magic from the Piast Kingdom with a high salary. It is reasonable to say that he can fly bricks with great force, but anti-gravity does not resist air resistance, and the magic power consumed per hundred kilometers is too high. It is provided through the wings. It is more economical to lift and reduce the weight of the aircraft.
Frederick continued: "There is also the matter of the Aerodynamic Research Institute. I need you to follow up."
Aerodynamics is now in its infancy stage, and the design of aircraft is full of various "I'm thinking".
The wind tunnel has been built, but the measurement of wing lift, body resistance and other data relies on spring scales, which requires students to be tied to the side to take readings.
Psyche said: "Aerodynamics have to be taken slowly, there is a long way to go."
"At present, the structural strength problem of the monoplane wing has not been solved. There were several wing fracture accidents last year and this year."
"Fortunately, the ejection seat can be used, and the test pilot's most serious injury was just a fracture."
"The wing load of a biplane is smaller than that of a monoplane, and its structure is relatively safe. The large air resistance can give way to safety, so resources will be heavily tilted towards it."
Frederick nodded when he heard this. Fixed-wing aircraft are not comparable to powered delta wings in terms of air resistance, speed and overload, and require higher structural strength.
He asked: "What are the plans next?"
Psyche replied: "I plan to develop a four-engine transport bombing biplane based on the Ilya Muromets type in the third five-year plan starting next year. When using anti-gravity magic, the load capacity will exceed 1 tons, with a maximum speed of more than 150 kilometers per hour, a ceiling of at least 6 kilometers, and machine gun turrets installed on the front, rear, left, and top. ”
"The plan is to focus on small single-person biplanes in 1038 and 39 to accumulate experience. We will summarize the experience in 40 years and start designing. We will strive to test the prototype in 41 and finalize it in 42."
"Fighters are also mainly biplanes, with a target speed of about 200 kilometers per hour and a ceiling of 6 kilometers, which is enough for now."
Frederick was not familiar with the pre-World War II aircraft in his hometown and didn’t know the model she was talking about. He just said: "I can rest assured that you can do the work."
He asked again: "Do you think it is possible to produce transport aircraft like the Y-5?"
He has been coveting the aerial tractor for a long time, thinking that he should be able to make it by hand.
Psyche said with a black line: "The Y-5 uses a 1,000-horsepower radial engine."
Frederick was at his wits end.
Psyche added: "The current aircraft is only in the research stage, and the production scale is not large. It can take advantage of the airship factory."
"I think airships can be used for export. Just keep the existing production workshop." "I think you will definitely want to mass-produce aircraft in the future, and you will have to find a new place to build a factory."
Frederick was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said: "Forget exporting hot air airships. They are too expensive. I have not even used a few of them myself. No one can afford the export price."
"I have an idea. If planes can be used to deliver letters now, we can rely on the Postal Department to carry out air mail services."
He recently studied the Postal Department's work report.
Nowadays, postal stalls have spread across the Rhineland and extended their business to the Lowlands and the Helvetia Federation, two places that are closely economically connected to the Principality of Wesson.
There are a lot more urgent deliveries of documents, valuables, etc. than expected. In the past, nobles, chambers of commerce, etc. sent their own people to deliver these. Now, the post office has armed escorts and compensation for losses, making it more convenient and cheaper.
So Frederick came up with the idea of air express.
Psyche thought for a while and said: "Now there is a single-engine, single-seat biplane that can fly at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour when carrying a load of 100 kilograms. It takes about 8 hours to fly from here to Amstel. ”
"If we modify it again, install a fully enclosed cabin, add a heating system, improve the pilot's working environment, and add an anti-gravity cargo warehouse, transporting 200 kilograms of cargo will not be a problem."
Just when Frederick was about to nod, Psyche continued: "The internal price is 1,000 florins per aircraft."
Now Frederick was silent.
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The Postal Department's money wasn't his, but it wasn't that generous.
He had never bought an airplane in his previous life, but he also knew that buying a car is cheap but maintaining a car is expensive. The same goes for airplanes. Maintenance plus energy, lubricants, depreciation, pilot wages, etc. would cost an estimated three to four hundred florins a year, not counting. Airport construction fees.
"Can you carry passengers?" Frederick asked, "Just one person."
Nowadays, few people can fly in the sky. Hot air balloons can make a lot of money, and flying to kill people must also be possible.
Psyche hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "I don't recommend doing this. In other worlds, my students have done this kind of thing. As a result, they encountered wind shear in the air and scared the passengers to death. They were charged with regicide. I had to rebel in advance and become the emperor.”
This was the first time that Frederick heard her talk about things in other worlds, and he couldn't help but curiously asked: "Then what official position did you get in the end?"
Psyche's face twitched, and she didn't look happy. She didn't answer, but waved her hand at him like a fly.
Frederick became more curious and asked: "Could it be the queen?"
Psyche raised her fist, which became bigger than a pressure cooker, and said, "Don't accuse someone of their innocence out of thin air. Don't think I won't beat you!"
"At that time, I had already faked my death and ran away. That bastard actually named me the Empress Dowager and gave me a super long posthumous title of more than 30 words!"
At this time, the corners of Frederick's mouth also twitched.
"Back to the topic." Frederick continued the previous topic, "Otherwise, I will order a cross first and rent it to the Postal Department at cost price to test the waters."
"If it makes money, expand the scale. If it doesn't, keep it as a reconnaissance aircraft or a training aircraft, and treat it as training pilots."
"The Postal Department coordinates matters at airports in various places, and the Air Force is responsible for pilot recruitment and training. It is estimated that it will be almost ready for use when I come back from Bohemia."
Psyche nodded and said: "That's okay, let's do it step by step."
"The conditions for pilot recruitment can be relaxed."
Frederick nodded. The Air Force did not have enough manpower.
The conversation about the plane ended here. After the two discussed the next five-year plan and government affairs for a while, Frederick returned to the castle first.
This year is the last year that he will live permanently in the castle. The first phase of his private palace outside the city will be completed and handed over next year, and he will be able to move there then.
At that time, the new government office building of the Principality of Wesson was also completed and put into use. It shared a back garden with the palace and only had to walk 500 meters to work.
In the castle study room, Susan sat on the sofa and read the book, then picked up the teacup and drank tea.
Frederick sat on the sofa, held her in his arms, and rubbed his face with his beard.
"I hate it!" Susan pushed his face away, "I still want to endorse it."
Frederick asked her: "Are you really not going to play together?"
Susan reached out and pinched his nose and said, "I won't go. I have to take the professional qualification certificate examination for practicing assistant physicians this year."
Frederick said: "Well, I will go somewhere else to play when I have the opportunity."
He stopped disturbing Susan's reading, went to see Maria to see how preparations were for the trip, and then returned to his study to prepare his speech at the Second Five-Year Plan Summary Meeting and the Third Five-Year Plan Mobilization Meeting.
(End of chapter)