For an aircraft carrier, it must have a high enough speed because it must provide better take-off conditions for carrier-based aircraft.
The faster the aircraft carrier is, the higher the additional speed it will give the carrier-based aircraft, and the carrier-based aircraft will take off more smoothly. If there is another sea breeze, then turn to the headwind to gain greater relative speed, which is better for ski jumps. This is true for takeoffs, and it is also true for catapult takeoffs. The most typical one is the May 25th aircraft carrier of the Crying Country. Because the catapult performance is limited, if there is no wind, then their fighters will Unable to take off, during the 1982 war, a British Navy aircraft carrier formation was discovered, but the windy South Atlantic was calm that day, so they missed an opportunity to attack!
Speed is related to power. If the power is insufficient, it is useless to want high speed. European aircraft carriers are all lame. Whether it is the Charles de Gaulle or the Queen class, due to lack of power, the final speed is fixed at more than 20 knots, but As for Dongfang's aircraft carrier, with the full output of the eight boilers, there is no problem in reaching thirty knots.
Standing on the deck, Delano took off his hat and put it down gently. The hat was suddenly blown back, as if he was standing in front of an electric fan.
“The speed of thirty knots has reached the standard. The construction quality of your aircraft carrier is really good!”
Just like when the mushroom bomb exploded, the famous nuclear physicist Fermi just tore up a handful of paper and estimated the yield of the nuclear bomb. Now, Delano has also shown such a unique skill. Qin Tao is very curious: "De Rano, how do you know the speed is up to standard?"
"Because in the past, when I was walking on the deck, I didn't wear a helmet, but a hat. As a result, the hat was blown away by the wind, and it flew so far." Delano explained.
At this moment, someone ran over: "Mr. Qin, everyone, we have started the maximum speed test, and the rudder may be full at any time. Please enter the ship island to prevent falling."
Is this really the maximum speed?
Qin Tao glanced at Delano approvingly, "Okay, you are awesome. This is experience, almost the same as an oil seller."
“Engine room report, the boiler is running smoothly!”
“The integrated power system control module reports that power distribution is normal.”
“The ballast tank has been filled with water!”
Reports one after another continued to reach everyone's ears, and the atmosphere seemed a bit tense.
“Check each pipeline to see if there is any leakage.” Zhang Zhen continued to issue orders.
This kind of boiler is a further improved model. After all, from more than 60,000 tons in 001 to 80,000 tons in 002, the displacement has increased a lot, but the speed cannot be reduced. The steam generated by the boiler must be further increased, and the boiler and steam pipes Whether it can withstand such high temperature and pressure needs to be tested to know. If the quality is not good, it will explode the boiler like Asan.
The test is very dangerous. If the boiler explodes, the sailors and technicians in the engine room will be directly steamed by high-temperature and high-pressure steam, but no one flinches. They all know how important this kind of test is, and they will do so in the future. It often sails in this state, and when it is necessary to eject and recover carrier-based aircraft, it must work at full power.
Furthermore, they also believe in the construction quality of Mingzhou Group. Mingzhou Group’s products have never had any accidents, and there will be no accidents this time.
“In addition to driving the warship, the steam turbine also allocates a certain amount of power to drive the generator, and the power output fully meets the standard!” Zhang Zhen said, and personally signed his name on the form for testing the power system output.
The power output has only reached the standard, and the durability has not yet been tested. Therefore, it is necessary to continue moving at full speed to test the speed of the aircraft carrier.
However, the two accompanying ships could not keep up.
The 054 uses four diesel engines and follows a cost-effective route. The maximum speed is only 25 or 6 knots. The accompanying nanny ship is actually not a professional warship. It is similar to a cruise ship and has a speed of only a dozen knots. Therefore, when the 002 aircraft carrier When driving at full speed, they were immediately thrown away, and the distance became farther and farther.
"Attention, prepare to full left rudder!" Zhang Zhen shouted loudly. His order was quickly issued. Thousands of people immediately held on to things around them. Full rudder operation at full speed is no joke. .
The tension in the cockpit also reached its peak at this moment. The sailor in charge of the steering stared straight ahead, holding the steering wheel tightly with both hands, ready to turn at any time.
In previous eras, the steering wheel system of a ship was mechanically operated. The steering wheel rotated and drove the chain to move. The chain was mechanically transmitted and finally transmitted the torsional torque to the rudder at the tail, thereby achieving the steering of the ship.
The larger the ship, the larger the rudder wheel must be, and the more turns it must make at the same time, otherwise it will be impossible to rotate the rudder. Even so, if the 80,000-ton giant ship wants to turn, it is definitely not possible to operate it manually. .
The modern aircraft carrier steering system actually no longer requires a steering wheel. The control system on the aircraft carrier can rely on special devices, such as electronic charts, electronic compasses, etc., to automatically control the aircraft carrier on the appropriate route, especially To enter and exit certain ports, the winding waterways are definitely not easy to operate manually.
This is a bit like autonomous driving, except that the driving object is a bit larger.
However, the steering wheel is still useful. For example, on the battlefield, to avoid sudden torpedoes or bombs dropped overhead, even if this possibility is very small, you still need this kind of professional operating tool, using a keyboard The mouse is certainly not as convenient as this steering wheel.
Of course, the steering wheel is also changing. It is no longer the large vertical disc that it used to be. There are many handles on the outside. It appears inconspicuously on the console next to the porthole. It is about the same size as a car steering wheel. , is also vertical, which makes it easier to operate while standing. Except for the British aircraft carrier, which is operated while seated, the aircraft carriers of other countries are all standing.
Makarov stood aside, looking out the porthole, waiting quietly.
“Left full rudder!” Finally, Zhang Zhen gave the order.
The sailor immediately turned the steering wheel to the left, just like driving a car to make a sharp turn. The circuit inside the steering wheel received the steering angle signal and quickly transmitted it backward to the tail. The leading steering wheel motor began to rotate, driving the two tail wheels. The streamlined rudder turns left.
Generally speaking, the rudder is arranged behind the propeller, so that the water flow of the propeller can be utilized. There are several propellers and there are several rudders. However, this is only for single propeller and twin propeller ships.
For an aircraft carrier with four propellers, it would be too complicated to place four rudder surfaces at the back. After all, each rudder surface is more than ten meters high, seven or eight meters long, and the thickest part is one meter. , it would be too troublesome to install four such rudder surfaces.
Even for American aircraft carriers, except for the Enterprise, which uses four rudders, other aircraft carriers have twin rudders, which are arranged in the center behind the two propellers, which can perfectly utilize the water flow generated by the two propellers.
The huge rudder turned to the left, and with a gurgling sound, countless water flows were pushed to the left by the rudder. Under the reaction force, the stern of the ship began to move to the right, and the bow of the ship turned to the left!
Under the huge centrifugal force, the hull began to tilt to the right. The higher it went up, the greater the tilt. When it reached the deck, the naked eye could estimate the tilt angle to be more than 20 degrees. If there were no fixed carrier-based aircraft on the aircraft carrier deck, Anyone who has not stood firm will be thrown into the sea at this time.
The deflection on the island was even greater. Everyone grabbed hold of things around them and overcame the strong centrifugal force. Only Makarov still stood there, his legs firmly planted on the ground, his eyes clear. Flashing.
I have been looking forward to it for many years, and finally I have been looking forward to the construction of a giant like the American aircraft carrier! Makarov has been waiting for this day for a long time and has never had the chance. Now, this day has finally arrived!
Makarov was extremely excited.
A surging wave appeared outside the huge hull. The waves splashed and drew a beautiful arc, representing the trajectory of the aircraft carrier.
Cool!
“Turn ninety degrees! Speed twenty-six!”
Making a sharp turn consumes a lot of speed. Before turning at full speed, it had already reached a speed of thirty knots. However, during the turn, the speed continued to decrease, from thirty to twenty-six, and then from twenty-six to twenty. Fourth, now, they can clearly see the trajectory they just came from from the side, and they have already started to return.
“Attention, check each system, especially the engine room, check the power system!”
Suddenly there is such a large inclination, can the boiler withstand it? Will it suddenly stall or even cause an accident? Is there a problem with the steam pipes? These all need to be checked, which is also an important item in the sea trial.
Delano gushed there: "This kind of full-rudder operation is very common in the U.S. Navy. Generally speaking, after an aircraft carrier leaves the dock and enters the sea, it will perform several full-rudder operations to check whether the steering gear is working properly. The aircraft carrier will turn left and right several times, like a crazy beast. This is very important, just like stepping on the brakes a few times to test the braking performance when driving on the road."
In this regard, Delano obviously has the right to say. He continued: "Moreover, in order to test the performance of the aircraft carrier, we will also make the aircraft carrier circle on the sea to test the minimum turning radius of the aircraft carrier's navigation."
"Minimum turning radius?"
"That's right, the two propellers on one side rotate reversely and reverse, and the propeller on the other side rotates forward. Together with the steering gear, the aircraft carrier can draw circles on the sea. This is a must-test item in the sea trials of American aircraft carriers. We Have it?"
Everyone looked at each other and said no.
The reports sounded continuously, and all subsystems were working normally. Zhang Zhen issued the order again: "Attention, continue sailing at full speed, prepare to use full right rudder!"
The two accompanying ships appeared on the route ahead. Although they could not catch up, the aircraft carrier could turn around.
At this time, the people on the two ships were also opening their eyes wide, looking at the full rudder movement the aircraft carrier had just made. It was beautiful, so beautiful! This kind of steel Great Wall on the sea suddenly turns, with a unique steel beauty, beautiful and spectacular!
In space, the reconnaissance satellite passed by, but it did not notice the scene on the sea. The important images it captured were still of the Mingzhou Shipyard, especially the outfitting dock.
When the photos were sent back, a group of intelligence officers suddenly became surprised: "What's going on? Why did the aircraft carrier that was being outfitted disappear?"
"Has the sea trial already been carried out? Impossible, how long has it been? How can the sea trial be carried out so quickly?" They were full of disbelief.
The United States is already very efficient in building aircraft carriers. Generally, it takes one ship every ten years. It takes three years to build the slipway, three years to outfit it, and three years to conduct sea trials. If a brand new aircraft carrier, such as the Ford class, is built, the time will still be delayed. longer.
How many years has it been since Dongfang built aircraft carriers? How could it be so fast? It has only been more than a year since the outfitting, but the sea trials have actually started, which greatly exceeded their expectations!
“Quick, mobilize all satellites immediately, scout the sea area there, and find the aircraft carrier undergoing sea trials as soon as possible!”
The aircraft carrier is a giant, but the sea is bigger. Compared with the sea, any giant will pale in comparison. There is no difference between an aircraft carrier and a fallen leaf. Therefore, it is very difficult for reconnaissance satellites to find aircraft carriers on the sea.
At this time, on the bridge of the aircraft carrier, someone also discussed this topic.
“We have already started sea trials. The satellites overhead should be able to detect it, right?”
"That's not necessarily the case. When we went to sea, we specifically selected a time when the satellite was not in the sky. They would definitely find that the aircraft carrier had left the outfitting dock, but it would take a long time to find the specific location."
“Yes, it is not easy to find the location of an aircraft carrier in the vast sea. This is also a problem we will face in the future. After all, we also have to find the location of other people’s aircraft carrier formations.”
"This is easy. Our relevant domestic companies are developing graphic identification algorithms that can check all the images transmitted by the reconnaissance satellites, and then use the corresponding algorithms to identify whether the photos are the endless sea, islands, or even ships, and then identify them The results are sent to technicians for identification work, which can greatly reduce their labor intensity."
"Really? This is really good news!" After hearing Qin Tao's words, everyone suddenly became excited. Even Delano sighed: "The U.S. Navy has a large number of reconnaissance satellites, but they lack sufficient intelligence analysis. Officer, so many photos with intelligence have been ignored. After all, those photos are massive. Even if they expand their manpower a hundred times, it will not be enough. If there is a computer program to analyze, it will be much easier. However, This requires very advanced data processing technology, and only the East has this ability."
Eastern has advanced electronic computer technology and a mature software research and development team. Therefore, they can do what others cannot do. The technology just mentioned is what everyone is looking forward to.
“Attention, prepare to use full right rudder!” Zhang Zhen continued to give the order.
The construction quality of this warship is really great. No matter how brutally it is operated, all systems of the warship are operating stably without any problems. Everyone is very satisfied.
The trial voyage was still going on. Overhead, more satellites flew over and began to conduct a carpet search of the sea area. However, even so, when they successfully discovered the aircraft carrier under test, it was already three days later.
When he got the satellite photos, Swift's eyes widened. He looked at the overhead view in surprise. The aircraft carrier deck was clearly visible. A special drone was hanging on the catapult on the angled deck. The body of the UAV is very similar to the Global Hawk, except that the wings are not long single wings, but composite front and rear wings in the shape of a pole. This reduces the difficulty of processing the wings and also facilitates the operation of the wings. I just don’t know if this kind of wing can be folded. If not, it will still take up a lot of space.
"An integrated surveillance and attack drone." Swift could tell at a glance: "They actually ejected this kind of drone from an aircraft carrier. There's nothing to say. It must be an electromagnetic catapult. The Eastern aircraft carrier has already launched it." The catapult has become practical, but we are still developing it. Those idiots who are engaged in research and development should be shot!"
The weight of the drone is very small. If a steam catapult is used, too much thrust will result in too much overload during takeoff. Simply put, the drone will fall apart during the overload of ejection, so it cannot be used at all.
The electromagnetic catapult is different. Its ejection thrust is continuously adjustable. UAVs of one or two tons and fighter jets of more than 30 tons can be ejected. In terms of flexibility in performing tasks, it far exceeds steam ejection. device.
When experimenting with aircraft carrier catapults, you have to start from small to large. There are many catapult cars on American aircraft carriers, which are used for experiments after maintenance. However, there are currently no catapults on the aircraft carrier. They have to be transported from the wasteland village, and every After the first use, you have to salvage it, which is more troublesome. Mingzhou Group has the first to get the moon near the water tower, get the drone up, and eject it to fly away.
While everyone was busy, Delano couldn't help but say: "According to the tradition of the U.S. Navy, it is best to eject the captain or the flight commander's stinky shoes for the first time."
As he spoke, he looked at Wang Wei, who immediately shook his head: "What a beautiful idea!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Delano suddenly walked up, hugged Wang Wei's waist, and gave him a hug.
Wang Wei was caught off guard. Unexpectedly, Delano would dare to pull this trick! Before he could react, his feet suddenly felt cold, and his shiny leather shoes were actually snatched away by Delano!
“Delano, I order you to give me your shoes back!”
Since Delano is the big guy's flight instructor, even if the big guy has a higher position than Delano, he usually won't use his status to pressure Delano, unless he encounters a very angry scene, like now, How could Delano do this.
“Report, I was just executing your order.” Delano said, carrying two smelly shoes and running towards the ejection slider, looking for a suitable place to put the smelly shoes.
"Execute my order?" Wang Wei was speechless: "When did I give you the order?"
"You said, Xiang De, Mei! Xiang De is my name, Mei means GOOD, Go, that means supporting me. As the captain of the carrier-based air wing, you cannot give different orders!" At this time, De Rano had already stuffed one of the smelly shoes tightly between the folding areas of the drone's wings, just the right size.
“Xiang De?”
“Yes, my name is Xiang De. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Mr. Qin.”