Just looking at the numbers on paper, you really can't feel the visual impact of the real thing.

When Viscount Douglas first knew about the four-engine bomber, the bomber had not yet been developed, so what Viscount Douglas saw was a half-finished product.

Winston came at just the right time, the four-engine bomber in full state is an absolute air giant, compared with some small airships are not inferior, Winston keenly noticed the metal fuselage of the bomber, which can certainly bring stronger fuselage strength, but also will definitely increase the weight of the fuselage.

Europe during this period, including the Gale fighters sold in Nyasaland, made extensive use of wooden materials to reduce the weight of the fuselage, and the benefits of metal are known to everyone, but weight is a factor that cannot be ignored.

"These materials are not steel, but aluminum." Roque's answer surprised Winston.

As recently as the last century, aluminium was a precious metal, and in 1889 the London Chemical Society gave vases and cups made of aluminium as gifts to Mendeleev.

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

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, and it is also amazing to say that most of the metal reserves in southern Africa are very high, only the production of aluminum is very small, but fortunately, the aluminum reserves in Madagascar are very high, so Nyasaland can use aluminum to produce bombers.

"That's too extravagant!" Winston was thoughtful, and the price is indeed high.

"Compared to fighters, the fuselage of a bomber is larger, more bloated, and more vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire from the ground, so a stronger fuselage is needed, look at our wing, all four engines are on the wing, using a wooden wing simply cannot carry the weight of the engine." Roque can't help it, the heavier the plane, the higher the requirements for the strength of the fuselage.

"Ground anti-aircraft fire?" Winston thought about it for a long time and couldn't remember what ground anti-aircraft fire was.

Only then did Roque remember that there seemed to be no such thing as an anti-aircraft machine gun in the world except for Nyasaland, so the bomber would not have encountered ground anti-aircraft fire earlier.

Of course, this is only now, Roque has used bombers in the East Indies, and some people will definitely notice this problem, maybe there are already countries in Europe that are developing anti-aircraft machine guns, and for Britain, France and Germany, there are not many technical difficulties to overcome in anti-aircraft machine guns.

"Just because we don't have it now doesn't mean we won't have it in the future." Roque took precautions, in the just-concluded Italian-Turkish War, the Gale fighter purchased by the Italian Air Force was actually shot down by the Ottoman Empire ground forces with rifles, and this kind of plot that he didn't dare to write was actually staged in reality.

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

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

"Twenty thousand." Roque is still the usual lion with a big mouth.

The corners of Winston's mouth twitched a few times and he didn't speak, although he had been mentally prepared, he still felt pain.

In fact, this price is really very conscientious, four of the most advanced engines plus six aviation machine guns are several thousand larger, not to mention that so much aluminum is used in the fuselage, and the "small plane" with only two machine guns in the strong wind costs 10,000, and the four-round bomber sells for 20,000 is really not too much.

"Is it in stock?" Winston's head iron, obviously a high-level military purchase, makes it look like an online seller who engages in hunger marketing.

"No, at least in half a year." Ten Roque aircraft are also sold, but they will definitely have to wait, and they are not worried about the technology leakage caused by Winston after buying the plane.

Fighter jets are still possible under personal research, but in the field of bombers, personal ability can not be played, whether it is technology or capital requirements are very high, not to mention personal enthusiasts, even enterprises with poor strength can not play.

In this kind of economic structure of the United Kingdom, it is impossible for the government to organize technological research, and the development of technology depends entirely on the consciousness of enterprises, as for whether the starting point is profit or national defense needs, only God knows.

"Yields are so low?" Winston felt too slow.

Roque is also very helpless, Nyasaland has been vigorously immigrating, but the labor gap is still very large, and the infrastructure areas that occupy the most labor are still using Africans or Indians, otherwise the current double of the manpower in southern Africa will not be able to meet the demand.

"Put these bombs on and I'll see how they work." Winston made a request to buy ten at once, and asked to see if the effect was normal.

Roque was not stingy, and invited Winston to get on the plane to feel it together, but unfortunately Winston resolutely refused, this is a gentleman who does not stand under the dangerous wall.

The institute is located on the outskirts of Milner, an astonishingly large area, next to the weapons test site.

In order to better simulate the battlefield environment, there are dug zigzag trenches and dummies on the test site, some livestock tied to pillars, and even houses, in short, how complicated and how to come.

Roque and Winston drove to the observation point, which was also a simulated battlefield environment, and the conditions were a bit rudimentary, and it was obvious that Winston was a little disgusted.

It's normal to dislike it, but people have to take the maid with them when they go to the battlefield, and the luggage alone fills dozens of boxes, which is the standard noble.

"The bomber is in the sky, how can you accurately drop the bomb on the enemy's head?" It was only when Winston entered the observation post that he thought about it.

"There are sights on the bombers, there are specialized bombardiers, and these are not problems." Roque didn't worry about these problems at all, and don't think how tall these devices are, the sights are indeed optical devices, but the sights at this time are still very rudimentary, and the Russians in another time and space are not only equipped with sights on the bombers that they successfully researched in 1913, but also various instruments used for piloting and piloting.

Don't underestimate the wisdom of your predecessors.

Roque and Winston didn't wait long before the low roar of the bomber could be heard faintly in the sky, and Winston didn't see the shadow of the bomber, and then the shooting range not far ahead turned into a sea of fire.

"What about airplanes?" Winston was puzzled, if he hadn't had faith in Roque's character, it is estimated that Winston would have thought that it was a pre-planted explosive.

Roque didn't answer, but raised his hand to the top of his head, and Winston saw that the bomber had drifted away.

"You think the bomber is going to dive?" Roque didn't laugh, and there really are examples of this in history.

During World War II, Germany required all bombers to raise a glass to dive bombing capabilities because of the excellent performance of the Stuka 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 strike at military targets behind the enemy's front line, not to the front line, so the strategic bomber does not need dive bombing capabilities, what is needed is a more stable flight attitude and maximum range.

"Why not? The closer you are to the enemy, the more accurate it is to attack. "Winston also has his own insistence and will not be easily persuaded by Roque.

"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." Roque thought for a moment and decided to look forward to 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. ”

"Locke, what do you mean by air supremacy? What is the difference between close support and strategic bombing? "There are more and more problems with Winston.

Roark found himself inadvertently digging a big hole, and for Winston, the Lord of the Admiralty, these Air Force terms were indeed a bit awkward.

Then, all the way to Port Edward, Roark explained to Winston what these proper nouns meant.

It's not a vain explanation, probably because of Roque's thoughtful service, Winston has added ten more bomber orders, so it is equivalent to these two orders, and all Roque's previous investment in four bombers has been repaid.

That's how the arms trade is profitable!

"Therefore, in future wars, there will be no large-scale cavalry charges, and there will be no infantry tactics, whether it is air or sea, it will become a battlefield for aircraft, and the role of ground forces will become smaller and smaller, so if we want to maintain the advantage of the British Empire, we must pay attention to the endless new technologies." As Roque spoke, he stood side by side with Winston in front of the aircraft carrier, which had begun to lay its flight deck.

In fact, Roque wanted to say something bloody, prompting Winston to make up his mind.

However, looking at Winston's appearance, he didn't mean to be surprised, it was completely different from the appearance when he saw the four bombers a few days ago, so Roque put away his little caution.

It's understandable when you think about it, Winston, as the Minister of the Navy, doesn't know how many warships he has seen, and the aircraft carriers under construction at Edward's Shipyard are very worthy of highlighting in Roque's opinion, but they are commonplace in Winston's opinion.

How to put it, probably not as many cannon barrels as battleships, so it doesn't really feel very strong, and the current aircraft carriers don't look very magical, just like enlarged flat-bottomed tugboats.

Looking at the marine steel plates piled up in the open space next to him, Winston finally broke out: "If you knock an iron-hulled ship with a thin iron sheet, you will sell me 1.68 million, what about your conscience?"

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

That's about 22.86 centimeters.

(End of chapter)