I was a tycoon in World War I: Starting to save France

Chapter 960 Inverted Gull Wing

The researchers started discussing it animatedly:
"This is an unsolvable problem. We only have two options: either use high-strength materials or lower the requirements."

"Yes, we can reduce the dive speed, although this will reduce accuracy, but it's the only thing we can do."

"The error could potentially double, to around 60 meters."

Others said:

"We don't seem to need this bomber much right now; we have enough aircraft to control the battlefield."

"Yes, fighter jets gain air superiority, and level bombers destroy targets."

"The only problem with level bombers is the number of bombs they need."

……

Charles remained silent; neither of the two paths the researcher had suggested satisfied him.

Error: 60 meters.

If the target of the bombing is a bridge, railway, or even a warship in the future, this margin of error is certainly not enough.

Why not develop dive bombers?

Shire's ability to control Britain and the United States, especially the United States, the world's leading industrial power, was due to its superior air technology.

Therefore, it must develop, no matter how difficult it is or how much funding is needed, it must continue.

Charles wondered how the Germans had managed to do this in history.

Did they put expensive titanium alloy on the Stuka?
Or perhaps the accuracy requirements have been lowered?

It's unlikely. It's said that more than 6000 Stukas of various models were produced in total, and their performance was quite good, making them a classic.

So there must be a way, it's just that I forgot something.

Charles stared at the picture of the prototype on the workbench for a while and finally found something that didn't look right.

“Its front landing gear appears to be raised,” Charles said.

“Yes,” Dorn explained, pointing to the design drawings.
"To achieve higher speeds, we increased the length of the propeller."

"But this could cause the propeller to collide with the ground when the plane lands."

"To avoid this, we have no choice but to lengthen the front landing gear."

(The image above shows the Camel fighter jet, which has a long and large propeller at the front of its nose. In order to prevent it from colliding with the ground during landing, the nose landing gear must be raised to make the nose stand tall.)
Charles pointed to the landing gear and asked, "So, does its length affect the stress on the wings?"

“Of course,” Dorn replied confidently.
"During a high-speed dive, the drag experienced by the landing gear will act directly on the wing."

"The longer the landing gear, the longer the lever arm, and the greater the impact on the wing."

Then Ciel knew how to change it.

"Shorten the landing gear," Charles said calmly but firmly.

Dorn was stunned:

“But we can’t do that, Lieutenant General.”

"As we've said, shortening the landing gear increases the risk of landing."

"A propeller hitting the ground is not much better than a broken wing..."

Charles interrupted Dorn: "What if the landing gear were shortened, but the propellers didn't hit the ground?"

"This, this is impossible." Dorn shrugged. How could there be such a perfect solution?

Other researchers also thought it was unrealistic, even a pipe dream.

Charles calmly picked up his pen and made two changes to the wing of the prototype on the design drawing: "If we change the shape of the aircraft to this, we can shorten the nose landing gear without affecting the propeller."

(The image above shows an inverted gull-wing aircraft. Because of the inverted gull shape on the wings, the nose landing gear can be shortened while maintaining the same height of the nose to avoid hitting the ground.)
Dorn understood instantly, and he looked up at the Ciel, who was so shocked he was incoherent:
“This, this is fantastic, Lieutenant General.” “You may be able to solve this problem completely.”

"What I mean is that it's not just about shortening the landing gear to reduce stress on the wings; this shape can also reduce the stress on the wings during a dive recovery."

The researchers were skeptical, but they all crowded around to take a look, and then they were both surprised and delighted:

"God, what a clever method."

"Yes, it can significantly reduce the stress on the wing during a dive recovery without any changes to the materials or lowering of requirements."

"Thank you, Lieutenant General. You are amazing. This plan should be feasible. You have solved a major problem for us."

Some people cheered and applauded for Ciel.

Charles was somewhat puzzled. He had only recalled that these inverted gull-shaped wings were used to shorten the landing gear, so how did that "solve the problem"?

I understood it after thinking about it for a while.

If the wing is straight, the sudden increase in force during a dive recovery can easily break a straight wing.

If the wing is "V" shaped, the force at the wing root during a dive recovery will shift upwards against the fuselage instead of being broken off.

It was only then that Charles fully understood why so many aircraft used this inverted gull wing during World War II.

He had previously thought it was just a design for aesthetics or to make flight more stable.

Later, Charles learned that this inverted gull wing design had more than just these benefits; it also enhanced wing rigidity and reduced flutter during dives, making it almost tailor-made for dive bombers.

(The two images above show the Stuka bomber, which also features an inverted gull wing design.)

Dorn was increasingly convinced of Charles's abilities, and he excitedly hugged him, saying, "You are simply a genius, Lieutenant General! I really should keep you working at the research institute. Don't you want to consider it? I'm serious!"

The researchers laughed.

Dorn was indeed serious, but they all knew it was impossible.

If they leave Charles here today, the army will probably come and take him away tomorrow.

"Keep it up, gentlemen." Charles patted Dorn on the shoulder. "Your task is daunting, I mean, it may be much heavier than you think."

Dorn asked cautiously, "For example..."

“You should be able to figure it out.” Charles smiled without saying a word.

Dorn nodded, a hint of helplessness in his eyes:
"Alright! Today it's a bomber, tomorrow it'll be a fighter jet."

"All-metal fighters will certainly replace wooden fighters, am I right, Lieutenant General?"

Charles hummed in agreement: "That's right, but not exactly right either."

"What?" Dorn asked, puzzled. He didn't understand what he had missed.

Charles provided the answer:
“We may also need a ground attack aircraft, Dorn.”

"I mean a dedicated ground attack aircraft."

"Sweep infantry with machine guns, or attack tanks with large-caliber cannons."

Dorn tapped his finger in the air, and after a while said, "It's speed, isn't it? There's a contradiction in speed."

Ciel nodded.

He secretly praised Dorn, whose skill had reached another level.

Fighter jets can also strafe infantry with machine guns or tanks with autocannons.

However, fighter jets need to be as fast as possible in order to maintain an advantage in air combat.

Ground attack aircraft, on the other hand, must maintain a low speed so that the pilots have enough reaction time to hit the target.

(End of this chapter)