Chapter 450: The Allies are going to win?
Chapter 450: The Allies are going to win?
"When the Chinese are sleeping, most Americans are working."
This is a fact.
It was already midnight when Shao Quanzhong finished his dinner. He returned to his wife's room drunk. He was sobered by a sudden piece of news and rode his horse quickly to the Hailing Arsenal.
Most Chinese people were indeed sleeping at this time, but the Hailing Arsenal was brightly lit with gas lamps hanging high.
Shao Quanzhong attached great importance to a telegram from the other side of the ocean. As the gasoline engine he had been focusing on for a long time had produced results, everyone jumped up to work overtime.
Zeng Jize's voice came from the phone, "Marshal, I have already inspected the site, and this gasoline engine is indeed usable and is still running."
"Pay my reward immediately and give the money to the man. Transport the gasoline engine prototype and technical data to Hailing as quickly as possible!"
"By the way, if the inventor is willing to come to Hailing, we will hire him with a high salary."
Zeng Jize's voice on the other side was awkward, "Well - the prototype and technical data are fine, but the person can't come."
Huh? Shao Quanzhong was unhappy, "Why? We pay the highest salary to technicians in the world, why don't you come?"
"Well, the one who invented the gasoline engine was the governor of Connecticut, Delt..."
Well, this surprised Shao Quanzhong. Governor? The governor of the United States dared to confront the president, which was basically equivalent to the head of a small country.
The governor has the time to invent something?
Well, technological inventions are really random. It's not certain which cloud will bring rain.
"But there is another fellow named George Glenn who is willing to go to Hailing. He has some unique ideas about gasoline engines."
"The gasoline engine invented by the governor is universally applicable. It is the kind that turns when you add oil. It can be used to power machine tools and threshers."
"To install it on the car, airplane, and airship you envision, Marshal, it needs to be converted into an internal combustion engine. This is easier than inventing something out of thin air, but it's not something that ordinary people can do."
"Okay, I understand. It's just that this first step is the most difficult. If we improve it, there will be more capable people. Since you've taken a fancy to that Lun, you can call him over."
…………
Twenty-one days later, America's first commercially operated airship, the Shenandoah, arrived in Hailing, bringing with it the prototype and technical data of the gasoline engine invented by Governor Delt. Engine expert George Glenn also arrived on the same plane.
Shao Quanzhong went to Hailing Airport in person to greet him. When George Glenn got off the airship, the first people who rushed to greet him were not Shao Quanzhong, but three Germans.
Benz, Maybach, the other one Shao Quanzhong doesn’t know.
"Hello Mr. Glenn, we have also been researching gasoline engines, but we didn't expect that Governor Delt would get there first. It's just right that you're here. Let's work together to convert it into an internal combustion engine."
Benz and Maybach were very excited. They didn't care too much about the patent for the engine. It didn't matter if they didn't figure it out in time, as long as someone else could figure it out.
Only with the engine could their commercial vehicle vision be realized, and only then could we have Mercedes-Benz and Maybach.
Another German boy followed quietly behind, carefully studying the structure of the prototype. He didn't even raise his head when the commander behind him asked him who he was.
"I am Rudolf Diesel, a sophomore student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Munich. Munich was bombed by the British airship fleet and the university was burned to ruins. I followed Professor Linde and took the Zeppelin airship to Hailing for refuge."
"Hailing University has arranged for us to join the class after the summer vacation, and there are still a few months left."
"I was interested in engines when I was in Munich, and I was convinced that if diesel was used as fuel, we could build a tank that could run faster."
"I already have a preliminary idea. Now that I have seen the gasoline prototype, I am more certain of my idea. It should be very simple to modify it." "It's just that - I am a poor student with no funds. Now I am interning with Mr. Benz to earn some extra money."
"When I graduate and make money, I will build a laboratory and develop an engine that runs on diesel—Hey! What are you doing?!"
Shao Quanzhong was very pleased. It turned out that the person I was looking for was here. Forget about George Glenn, Benz, and Maybach. Go and study gasoline engines on yourselves.
"Young man, what are you doing? Come to the Hailing Arsenal right now."
"I will assign you 20 college students, senior technicians, equipment, and sufficient funds. Now develop a diesel engine for me."
Diesel was immediately taken away by Shao Quanzhong and entrusted with an important task. Even the on-site German translator, gasoline prototype and technical data were taken to the Hailing Arsenal.
Glenn, Benz and Maybach looked at each other and shrugged. Fortunately, they all spoke English, so it was okay after the translator left.
"Let's go to the Hailing Arsenal and share the time with the guy from Munich University to research the prototype."
"Wait for us!"
German test pilot Lilienthal and British aircraft designer Hargrave had just received the news and were chasing after them, followed by a young Frenchman.
"The glider we are working on can fly itself if it is equipped with an engine, and we also request to share information on the gasoline engine prototype."
Benz said, "We have airships now. What's the point of your glider? It's so small."
"But the speed is fast. In the future, airplanes will dominate the world. Airships will be eliminated by us!"
Maybach also shook his head. "Just you? Can you make an internal combustion engine? Cars are more reliable. I have designed it. I am just waiting for the engine."
Hargrave patted his chest and said, "I am an expert in aerodynamics. Of course I don't work on internal combustion engines. But this French brotherhood, Lilienthal and I found it with great difficulty. His name is Derek Sommer."
Ahem, even though Britain, France and Germany are fighting on the battlefield, that doesn’t prevent their scientists from working closely together here in Hailing.
Shao Quanzhong, who was carefully instructing the director Xu Shou at the Hailing Arsenal to fully support the diesel engine research, was very moved when he heard that both the automobile and aircraft research groups wanted to share the prototype.
The gasoline engine has unlocked many new technologies. However, airplanes - it's still too early, right? It won't waste time to study them first.
"The gasoline engine prototype is used by the diesel group during the day, by the aircraft research group in the first half of the night, and by the car group in the second half of the night."
Benz, Maybach: ????
"Report to the Marshal, the latest news."
"In the battle in the Alps, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wiped out 11,000 Italians. 250,000 Italian troops surrendered, and the Austro-Hungarian army entered the Italian mainland."
"Germany sent more than 100 airships to bomb Warsaw, which was burned to the ground."
"Russia had no choice but to abandon Warsaw. The German army of 700,000, with 2,000 tanks as the vanguard, marched straight into the vast plains of East Europe and launched a blitzkrieg against Russia."
Hmm? Shao Quanzhong scratched his head. No, this is different from the European war I remember. Why are Germany and Austria so powerful? I haven't heard of the fall of Warsaw.
It's bad. I strengthened Germany and Austria too much. I went too far. If the Allies win the European War—
(End of this chapter)