Thousands of sparks

Chapter 49 Experimental Vehicle No. [-]

The internal combustion engine has advantages over the steam engine in the field of land vehicles - even if it is still very immature and requires pre-heated fuel lines to run smoothly when starting up.But this still does not affect the internal combustion engine vehicle to completely hang the steam engine in the wild environment.

Yes, the steam engine has a large torque and mature technology, and it can also have quite good flexibility when coupled with a gearbox.But it can't stand the high "thirst" of the steam engine for fuel and heating medium.A steam train operating in the New Saul area consumes about thirty to fifty tons of water and at least five tons of coal for a sixty-mile journey.

Carrying at least 35 tons of water and fuel, no matter how ingeniously designed the vehicle will be, it will be reduced to a tortoise lying on the ground and unable to move.Therefore, the navy is not equipped with land vehicles other than steam horses at all.The Imperial Army equipped the Steam Knights with replaceable heavy-duty high-pressure gas cylinders as a source of power.On average, a heavy-duty gas cylinder can maintain the Steam Knight for three quarters of an hour at low intensity, and a quarter of an hour at high intensity.

The three-meter-high steam knight is equipped with three heavy-duty high-pressure gas cylinders. The steam knight with a humanoid mechanism takes into account the mobility and combat needs of the complex terrain inside the city.In the wilderness battles outside the city, the main steam knights used by the Imperial Army were six meters high.If the steam knight dragged an unpowered carriage that could store high-pressure gas cylinders, theoretically the main steam knight could fight continuously in the wilderness for two hours.Then, through a quarter of an hour of gas cylinder replacement, the battery life of about two hours can be obtained again.

To have such a combat capability, the Imperial Army needs to set up a large number of forward pressure positions on the front line.In other words, it is necessary to prepare a large number of boiler rooms to pressurize the reserve gas cylinders for the steam knights.

And the coal and water needed for a large number of burning boilers is an extremely terrifying figure-that's why the army is so despised by the navy.

In the eyes of the Navy Staff, a steam knight with a lot of equipment but never tested in actual combat is a waste.So many pressurized positions, so much black smoke rising straight into the sky, they are simply perfect bombardment indicators.

If there is a war, as long as two waves of artillery cover, the army's steam knights will become a pile of scrap metal.

It is precisely because of this understanding that the current Royal Navy commandos are not equipped with even a steam knight at all.It can even be said that today's Royal Navy Commando is the purest traditional ground force in the entire empire.

Imperial commandos fought with bolt-action rifles with magazines, and carried small-caliber mortars and light field guns.And their main "mobile vehicles"...are real horses and mules.

Horses were expensive animals, bought and bred by nobles for their social needs.Some free folk living in remote locations will buy mules for transportation.And these expensive animals are the best mobile solution in the eyes of Royal Navy commandos who value reliability and all-terrain combat capabilities.

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"Are you sure... this kind of thing can achieve the same maneuvering effect as a mule?" Duchamp, who was called home by a letter again, appeared on the hillside outside the workshop.He looked at the strange-looking metal machine in front of him, and frowned.

Dusande and Polina looked at each other, then nodded vigorously.Du Sande emphasized, "Father, the capability of this vehicle is definitely not comparable to that of animal power - it is only the earliest experimental product, but the effect is already very good."

The compression-ignition gas engine designed by Polina has a lot of horsepower. According to her calculations, the power of this engine is about twelve horsepower.Although it is not as powerful as the Ford Model T, it is more than enough to drive the vehicle to achieve low-speed off-road and relatively high-speed flat road driving.

Of course, Du Sande would not be so stupid as to let the world's first car be born with a bunch of luxury equipment and leather seats.Since the target is military equipment, it should look like military equipment—the closest structure on this car is the rear open cargo compartment, and the cockpit is simply a fully open design.

The solitary steering wheel and three pedals are directly exposed in the air, and there is a metal stick of the seat shifting mechanism abruptly protruding beside the driver's seat.The driver's seat itself is simply a splicing of wooden frames and iron sheets, which looks completely like a product of wasteland survival style.

Vehicle tires are downright off-the-shelf products.Polina removed four steel wheels that were still intact from an abandoned steam carriage, and Dusande instructed Polina to widen the wheels with thin steel plates, and then added welding to the widened wheels. There was a pile of steel plates in the shape of a herringbone, about three centimeters in height.

Of course, pure steel wheels are extremely heavy, and it is even more impossible to use such "tyres" to drive quickly on stone roads... this is even more impossible.

But such a tire is very suitable to show its off-road performance on the dirt outside the workshop.

Dussand insisted that this was definitely not a sleight of hand.Instead, it is showing the characteristics of the equipment "flexibly changing the shape according to different terrains".

With Duchamp watching, Dusande jumped into the driver's seat and began to demonstrate to his father.At seven or eight yoles next to Dusand, Todd was driving a flatbed cart pulled by two mules, ready to serve as a reference group to assist in the experiment.

Metal ingots weighing about a ton were stacked on both vehicles.As a few snowflakes began to fall, the experiment officially began.

After the first "accelerator" was stepped on, the "Experimental Vehicle No. [-]" driven by Dusand began to twist.Four steel off-road tires with a diameter of one joule rotated together, and after a little digging of the ground, the vehicle started to drive forward with a spray of green smoke.

Todd also waved the whip in his hand at the same time, urging the two mules to move forward.The four-wheeled carriage itself has a strong load capacity, and it is also suitable for the drag capacity of two mules.But... the mule still seemed a little strenuous when it started, but luckily it became a lot easier when it started to walk.

The starting advantage gained by Experimental Vehicle No. [-] was quickly equalized by two strong mules, and Dusan frowned.This is not quite in line with what Dusande boasted about.

But soon the mules slowed down—then came an uphill, not at a great angle, but still a considerable burden on the poor beasts.

However, Dusand's speed was hardly affected. The four huge metal wheels gnawed two deep marks on the ground, and then roared and dragged himself up the hillside.From the beginning of the ascent to the top of the mountain, Dusand's experimental vehicle directly abandoned the mule-drawn cart, and was far ahead by at least forty joles.

After flexibly turning around on the top of the mountain, the experimental vehicle started to drive down the mountain.When the vehicle stopped directly in front of Dusan, the mule cart had just completed its U-turn and was about to start going down the mountain.

After Dusand stopped the car, he reversed the car into the garage again, parked the car next to Paulina, jumped off the driver's seat, and began to help replace the gas cylinders.After the gas cylinders were replaced, the mule cart also arrived at the finish line.

"This thing is pretty good." The serious expression on Dusan's face finally changed. He looked at the experimental car made by Dusand and Paulina in surprise, and then praised, "If it can be faster, Marine commandos would certainly be interested."

"You haven't seen the most potential of this invention." Dusande was obviously dissatisfied with this evaluation, and he stood in front of his father and said loudly, "Our experimental product is a machine, and it will be replenished after a certain distance. Fuel can continue to travel at the same speed - as long as there is fuel, it can drive to the end of the world! But animal-drawn vehicles cannot do this, they will only go slower and slower, and finally have to stop to rest."

Du Sande patted the metal monster behind him and said proudly, "As long as we improve it a bit more, if we use a 33-pound high-pressure gas tank to store gas, its fuel can support driving for 60 miles!"

"The same speed?" Duchamp's expression turned completely shocked, "Just at the speed just now, 60 miles at a time?"

"If it is on a dry and flat road, the distance can be doubled at least." Dusand nodded solemnly, "Father, Teacher Polina's invention is indeed the most important invention of this era. It is an important invention, and its role is far more than just such a scene!"

(End of this chapter)