Chapter 145: Progress on Steam Catapults

Very quickly, in just a few days and nights, through the tireless flying back and forth between the Qingtianchang and the experimental base by several Transport Twelves,

Zhang Wen soon gathered the equipment needed for the laboratory.

Next came a period of rigorous assembly and testing work.

There were also some devices that Zhang Wen had the people at the Qingtianchang make and ship over simultaneously.

During the time spent waiting for materials,

Zhang Wen and his group went to visit Professor Dou's steam catapult experiment.

Zhang Wen headed to the side of the aircraft runway.

He saw that the area beside the runway was piled high with all sorts of instruments.

There was also a boiler specifically used to supply high-pressure steam to the device.

Professor Dou was adjusting the steam pressure with his students.

Zhang Wen leaned in and asked, "How much pressure do you intend to use?"

"Just about enough to catapult a sixteen-ton aircraft."

"That's the one bad thing about steam catapults."

"When facing aircraft of different weights, you can't flexibly adjust the steam pressure."

Professor Dou flipped the switch.

The boiler on the side instantly began to operate at an extremely high speed.

Professor Dou explained, "This is the boiler we specifically use to supply high-pressure steam."

"Otherwise, the experiment couldn't be done."

"After all, as you know, there are no steam turbines from a ship here."

"Indeed."

Zhang Wen said.

Placed in front was a car that looked like it was about to be scrapped.

Seeing Zhang Wen looking at the car, Professor Dou explained, "Oh, that's the test car."

"When it's time for launch, the slider on the ground provides a traction force to the car. As long as this force is enough to throw this car out,"

"it won't be too late to use an aircraft for the experiment."

"That's right, after all, we can't use our soldiers' lives to conduct experiments."

Zhang Wen said.

However, he suddenly thought.

There was plenty of steel in the Qingtianchang anyway.

Wouldn't it be fine to just have the factory make some model aircraft for him?

Just make the empty shells, using steel.

Anyway, steel production capacity is currently being cut, and the price of steel is falling all the way down.

At this time, it would just happen to help them digest some capacity.

Anyway, the price of steel is cheap now.

Zhang Wen immediately notified the Qingtianchang to build some aircraft models and send them over.

No need for too many, 100-plus would be enough.

Zhang Wen hung up the phone and said, "I've already had the factory build some aircraft models and send them over."

"After all, a car just doesn't quite cut it."

Professor Dou said enviously, "That would be great."

"I really envy you people who have factories."

Subsequently, the two continued talking.

Over there, Professor Dou's student raised his hand and called out to Professor Dou.

Confirming that the steam pressure had reached the target.

Professor Dou hurriedly told the others to return to the safe house.

He and Zhang Wen also quickly entered the safe house.

Inside the safe house, there was a switch connected to the steam device outside.

"Your safety awareness is very good."

Zhang Wen said.

He had spent countless brain cells on safety awareness for his own factory.

"Last time, just this student, his hand was almost steamed cooked by high-temperature steam."

"One has to learn a lesson eventually."

Following Professor Dou's finger, that student was standing there looking embarrassed.

"Start!"

Professor Dou said.

He pressed the button.

The high-temperature, high-pressure steam was released instantly, rushing forward along the track.

And that car was also directly dragged away.

Subsequently, dozens of exhaust vents beside the runway vented instantly.

For a time, white steam filled the entire aircraft runway.

After a few minutes, the steam finally dissipated.

"Now, we have to store energy again."

Professor Dou complained.

Zhang Wen knew that this was a major drawback of steam catapults.

After all, steam catapults rely on high-temperature, high-pressure steam for propulsion.

Once released, there is no steam left in the storage tank.

It can only be resupplied through a boiler or steam turbine.

Even if the supply is fast.

There is still an interval in between.

There is no way to reuse it immediately.

Zhang Wen and Professor Dou hurriedly began to record where the car had flown to.

The camera on the side recorded the distance and height the car flew out.

They immediately began to calculate.

Calculating the distance and height the car flew, obtaining the kinetic energy, and then performing calculations.

The result obtained was already close enough.

"It's just about enough to catapult a ten-ton aircraft."

"That's already quite good."

Zhang Wen said.

After all, the difficulty of a steam catapult is not how many tons of aircraft it can catapult.

It is the durability of this entire system.

High-temperature, high-pressure steam, you know.

This thing is no joke.

A moment of carelessness, and it's a human life.

"It's also hard to handle."

Professor Dou said.

"Current main battle aircraft can barely be catapulted."

"But what if there are new aircraft?"

"It's really too difficult."

Zhang Wen expressed agreement, saying, "That's how it is; results come bit by bit."

"Don't be anxious."

"Wait until tomorrow, after the aircraft models arrive."

"We'll test it again."

"If there are no problems at all,"

"basically we can put real people on it."

Zhang Wen said.

Subsequently, Zhang Wen and Professor Dou stayed on the runway for a day.

Helping Professor Dou solve many problems.

The next day.

That Transport Twelve came again.

And it wasn't just one, but four or five.

Because there were really too many, even like this, one trip couldn't finish transporting them.

Zhang Wen could only put these things beside the runway first.

Use them first.

Zhang Wen hurriedly found Professor Dou.

"It's ready."

"Let's conduct the experiment."

Professor Dou hurriedly and ecstatically used a vehicle to pull a small aircraft model marked with ten tons into the aircraft runway.

That's right, Zhang Wen had the factory start from ten tons and go all the way up to forty tons.

Starting from ten tons, one model for every five tons added.

Professor Dou hurriedly installed the catapult device onto the aircraft.

The landing gear of these aircraft was about the same as that of real aircraft.

Nothing was shrunk.

Professor Dou immediately prepared to start all the work.

And Zhang Wen watched them from the safe house.

After a period of time.

Professor Dou and the others finally finished all the preparatory work.

Starting the experiment.

They returned to the safe house.

Watching the aircraft outside the runway with bated breath.

"Prepare."

"Start!"

Professor Dou said.

Subsequently.

Steam filled the air.

But that aircraft followed the runway.

Within an extremely short distance.

It flew into the sky.

Then it began to glide.

Falling onto a small hill not far away.

Seeing this scene, everyone present cheered.

This meant that finally, it was possible to catapult a ten-ton small aircraft.

A huge step forward!

Zhang Wen also watched them with a smile.

His own electromagnetic catapult was also just about ready.

The energy storage module would be temporarily replaced by batteries.

Energy recovery would directly use the promax version of the electric vehicle.

All sorts of reinforcements.

And electromagnetic acceleration was the most difficult part of this.

Zhang Wen and the engineers at the factory worked for a long time before completing it.

However, once this was completed.

It meant that it wasn't just electromagnetic catapults.

The key problem of the electromagnetic railgun had also been solved.

The next day.

Zhang Wen took people to another aircraft runway.

Starting to lay out the equipment. ===== CHAPTER 146 =====