Chapter 190: Three Concepts for Airplanes
A ladder was brought over, and Ludwig Dür climbed up to the aircraft's cockpit. After receiving Arthur's permission, he began the final preparations for takeoff.
With a roar of the gasoline engine, the airplane was officially started, and the propeller at the front quickly began to turn.
However, the airplane didn't have enough power at the moment, so a longer runway was needed to help the plane take off.
After about 200 meters of taxiing, the airplane wobbled and finally took off, successfully soaring into the sky.
To prevent any accidents and avoid causing damage to the city and industrial areas of the Capital Territory, the flight would take place in the western suburbs of Sydney, mostly in sparsely populated mountainous regions.
Ludwig Dür's task was to test the airplane's stable and maximum speed, as well as its endurance. He was to land back on the runway before the fuel tank ran out.
This was Australia's first domestically produced aircraft, and while it had some differences from the planes of World War I, it was an important achievement.
Although most of the airplanes in World War I were used for reconnaissance, they could reach altitudes of 6,000 to 7,000 meters, while Australia's airplane was only expected to reach a maximum altitude of around 1,000 meters.
In addition to testing the airplane's speed and range, Ludwig Dür was also tasked with using the airplane's simple camera to document the scenes observed in the air.
This was all part of Arthur's vision. If the current airplane could already perform reconnaissance tasks, it could naturally enter production.
Of course, the first-generation airplanes wouldn't be produced in large quantities, but their importance for Australia was undeniable.
About three hours later, Ludwig Dür returned with the airplane into Arthur's line of sight.
During those three hours, he had completed a journey of hundreds of kilometers in the mountainous region.
If it weren't for the fuel gauge showing that the fuel tank was nearly empty, Ludwig Dür had planned to fly for a little longer.
After all, before Ludwig Dür, humans had only been able to take to the sky with airships.
But airships had many limitations—they were too heavy and couldn't fly as flexibly as airplanes. Moreover, airships were common in many European countries, where there were still many experts working on airship development.
But airplanes were different. At least when it came to actually flying in the sky, Ludwig Dür and Australia's research lab were the first in the world to achieve this.
The historical significance of this accomplishment made Ludwig Dür incredibly excited, even while soaring at such high altitudes.
Compared to normal flight, the most dangerous parts of flying were takeoff and landing, especially with an aircraft still in the developmental stage. A small mistake could lead to a malfunction or even a fatal crash.
Ludwig Dür understood the importance of the situation, so he didn't dare to be careless and kept all his attention focused on landing.
Fortunately, perhaps due to the German tradition, whether it was Diesel, Theodor Kober, or Ludwig Dür, all were extremely meticulous in their manufacturing. The components had to be perfect, which made the aircraft's performance relatively reliable.
After successfully landing on the runway, Ludwig Dür let out a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. When his assistant brought the ladder back, Ludwig Dür shakily climbed down from the plane.
The trembling wasn't from nervousness or fear, but from the excitement and exhilaration of having flown in the sky.
"How did it feel, Mr. Ludwig Dür?" Arthur asked with a smile.
"Unprecedented, Your Highness! I could even see the entire Capital Territory. The feeling of soaring in the sky is so cool!" Even after some time, Ludwig Dür couldn't get over the sensation and excitedly said.
"What about the flight data?" Theodor Kober, who had also come out, asked.
Since he hadn't experienced it himself, Theodor Kober was more concerned with the aircraft's data. Only by obtaining this data could they make further improvements.
"It fully met our expectations, Mr. Theodor Kober. After reaching a stable flight, our airplane can maintain a speed of at least 160 km/h, with a maximum speed of around 210 km/h. However, this greatly depletes the fuel, and I only tried it for a few minutes before giving up," Ludwig Dür replied.
After checking all the aircraft's hardware and finding no issues, Theodor Kober nodded and looked at Arthur. "Your Highness, if the hardware is fine, then our airplane can achieve a minimum speed of 160 km/h and a maximum of 210 km/h. At the lowest speed, the maximum range is about 430 kilometers, while at the highest speed, the range is about 360 kilometers."
In terms of data, this plane was already comparable to airplanes from World War I in terms of speed.
During World War I, airplanes had a maximum speed of about 180 to 220 km/h, with a range of around 500 to 700 kilometers.
With two auxiliary fuel tanks, the current airplane could almost match the performance of World War I planes in these areas.
However, this didn't mean the plane was already very advanced. On the contrary, there were still many flaws to improve upon, and there was a long way to go before it could match the airplanes of World War I.
"Your Highness, our airplane can easily perform more difficult reconnaissance tasks than airships. With a camera on board, the aircraft can clearly see the facilities and environment below, especially with a high-powered telescope," Ludwig Dür said. "If we add another seat at the rear, making the front for the pilot and the back for reconnaissance, this would be a perfect reconnaissance aircraft!"
Arthur nodded. Even though current camera technology could capture images from the sky, the photos were often blurry, and it was impossible to see the details of areas several kilometers away.
A more reliable method of reconnaissance was using high-powered telescopes, observing the terrain, and reporting via radio to the headquarters.
At present, with a few modifications, this aircraft could become an excellent reconnaissance plane, and its performance was trustworthy.
"We could think of it as a prototype, Your Highness," Theodor Kober suggested with a different idea.
"If we add more seats, it would become a perfect reconnaissance plane. But what if we equip it with machine guns or small cannons? Wouldn't it become a perfect aerial weapon?" Theodor Kober asked.
Theodor Kober's two ideas were, in fact, the evolution of reconnaissance planes and fighter planes.
Although these ideas were only simple versions, reconnaissance planes and fighter planes had indeed evolved in this manner step by step.
"Based on what you're saying, could we develop a shell that explodes upon hitting the ground? If this shell is mounted on an airplane and dropped, it would explode upon contact, turning the plane into a flying artillery station?" Arthur said, pretending to be inspired and laughing.
Seeing the surprised expressions on Theodor Kober and Ludwig Dür, Arthur nodded in satisfaction.
These three ideas also marked the birth of the concepts for reconnaissance planes, fighter planes, and bombers.
If these ideas could continue to be developed, Australia would be the first nation to create reconnaissance planes, fighter planes, and bombers.
"These three ideas still need more experiments and improvements. But I believe there will be a day when these three concepts will come to life," Arthur said, looking at Theodor Kober and Ludwig Dür, who were now inspired. "If we can indeed develop three different types of aircraft based on these ideas, you will both become heroes of Australia, and I will personally award you medals!"
Australia's three medals offered very generous benefits, which was an honor and reward no one living in Australia could refuse.
Theodor Kober and Ludwig Dür, naturally, were no exception. After Arthur outlined the reward, their eyes gleamed with joy over the successful airplane experiment, along with a new sense of ambition and hope for the future.
"Your Highness, our airplane still doesn't have a specific series name. The three types of aircraft we may eventually develop also need Your Highness to name them," Theodor Kober and Ludwig Dür said, looking eagerly at Arthur.
Arthur nodded, somewhat troubled.
Most of Australia's new weapons and series were named by Arthur. But Arthur was notoriously bad at naming things. What should these aircraft series be called?
After thinking for a while, Arthur finally said, "Since this is the first airplane ever created in Australia, I believe it should be called the 'Pioneer-1.' It will be the first model in the Pioneer series and the beginning of Australia's dream of flight."
Looking at the eager expressions on Theodor Kober and Ludwig Dür, Arthur continued, "For the reconnaissance planes, we'll call it the 'Eagle Series.' I hope it will have the vision of an eagle, contributing to Australia's intelligence gathering at any time."
"As for the aircraft equipped with machine guns and meant for combat, its main purpose is to fight enemy planes. Though this is just an idea for now, no other country has planes capable of flying in the sky. Therefore, I will call these planes 'Fighter Planes,' and Australia's fighter planes will be named the 'Wild Tiger Series,' one of the most powerful types of aircraft."
"As for the aircraft acting as aerial artillery platforms, their main purpose is to conduct more effective bombing. So, I think this kind of aircraft should be called 'Bombers,' and Australia's bombers will be named 'Ghost.'"
(End of Chapter)
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