Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 370 Design Ideas
"You mean... airplanes and missiles... is that right?"

After hearing Li Wei's description, Sophia's expression was somewhat surprised.

"That's right, isn't it a little different from what you expected?"

"They are indeed quite different. I have seen airplanes in the newspaper, but missiles?"

"Just think of it as a cannonball that flies on its own."

"In that case, what's the difference between it and a cannonball?"

Sophia tilted her head, looking completely bewildered, while Levi raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, the farther the distance, the greater the power."

Li Wei had also studied the empire's weaponry. Currently, the empire's weaponry still primarily consisted of giant ships and cannons, but the propellant charge of the shells was limited. Or rather, you could certainly make the shells extremely large, but you couldn't find suitable cannon barrels!
It's worth noting that Jules Verne's "From the Earth to the Moon" didn't solve this problem either. Instead, he chose to dig a pit in the ground, using the earth as a cannon barrel, and then launch the projectile to the moon. The reason was that building a cannon barrel capable of withstanding the thrust of such a large projectile was no easy task. According to Verne's calculations at the time, building a cannon capable of launching projectiles to the moon would require a length of approximately 300 meters.

However, in modern society, launching rockets into space obviously does not require a 300-meter-long cannon barrel.

In fact, the biggest shortcoming of the Empire's missile research is the lack of advanced electronic equipment. In Li Wei's time, the missiles he knew of had thermal imaging sensors, CPUs, communication and storage, etc. The Empire obviously does not have any of these at present, and it is impossible for them to put a difference engine into a missile.

But even without these, in Li Wei's view, missiles would be invincible in air combat simply because of jet engines.

The reason is simple: currently, both the Empire and other countries envision air warfare based on naval warfare. Airships are equivalent to destroyers, and air fortresses are equivalent to battleships. Li Wei also inquired with General Howe about the Empire's research on air warfare, and he stated that in current exercises, the main approach is to attack enemy airships with anti-aircraft guns, then bombard the ground with heavy artillery, or engage in close-range bombardment of enemy air fortress-class warships.

That raises a question: accuracy.

As we all know, after a shell is fired from the cannon barrel, it falls due to gravity because it has no thrust. This results in a very low hit rate. In many naval battles, the number of shells that actually hit the target is largely a matter of luck.

If it's like this at sea, it goes without saying that it's even more so in the air. If you're far away, you can't hit it, but if you're close, you can hit it, and it can hit you too.

In this situation, the only solution is to increase the range, but this brings us back to Verne's old problem: the greater the range, the stronger the thrust required, which in turn makes the barrel longer and the gun heavier, creating a negative cycle.

The problem is that air fortresses are in the air, unlike warships that float on water. This means there's no buoyancy to rely on; they have to depend solely on their own thrust. And the longer the cannon barrel and the heavier the gun, the more thrust is needed…

If we use a game where you can modify mechs as an analogy, then the player is like a giant cannon that needs to be crammed with a bunch of engines, then a fuel tank, and then there's no room for anything else. And even then, it might be as slow as a tortoise crawling.

After all, the first thing any weapon needs to do is get it moving; if it can't move, it's just a sitting duck.

In Li Wei's view, the emergence of missiles could solve this problem very well.

First, missiles can carry significantly more explosives than artillery shells because they generate thrust automatically, eliminating the need for firing through a cannon barrel. Second, because they generate thrust automatically, missiles are less affected by gravity than artillery shells, allowing them to maintain a straight-line trajectory for a longer distance.

In Li Wei's view, that was enough.

Because in this era, whether it's an aerial fortress or an airship, they are all quite large. Unless it's a gale-force wind, the missiles shouldn't be too far off course.

However, if there really is a Force 10 gale, there's no need to use missiles.

Therefore, in the air, missiles are far more suitable than artillery shells in terms of accuracy and range. Even without capabilities such as thermal imaging automatic locking, Li Wei believes that missiles can achieve long-range launch and destruction in this era—not in terms of how far they can fly themselves, but simply that they can fly farther than the enemy.

It's all thanks to the contrast with its competitors.

"...What do you think?"

After listening to Li Wei's description, Sophia pondered for a moment and looked at the elderly men beside her. They were all the technical backbone of this military factory. Sophia naturally invited them along when Li Wei came to the factory, since everyone has their own expertise. Li Wei did not refuse, as he also wanted to hear the opinions of military experts.

In response to Sophia's question, the senior engineers whispered among themselves for a moment before one of them spoke up.

"It is indeed a very novel idea, and we also think it is feasible, but... Lord Li Wei... has a problem..."

"Huh? What's the problem?"

"All your ideas are based on the premise that the jet engine is as powerful as you say... What if it doesn't meet your requirements? Wouldn't that be a waste of time?"

"So I also need your assistance. I think the concept is good, and Mr. Dunn has also produced a finished product."

As Li Wei spoke, he glanced at Du En beside him. The latter was frowning and muttering to himself, his attention not on the meeting at all. Clearly, he had already begun to think about how to fulfill Li Wei's request.

"I'll draw some concept diagrams to show you, so you'll have some idea of ​​what it is, which should make your work easier. Of course, you should know without me saying that this is a military secret and cannot be disclosed to outsiders."

Li Wei's current art skill attribute is 60, which is enough to draw comics. Naturally, he can draw some missiles and jet planes from his memory to show them.

"Of course, my lord."

Actually, if someone else had said these things, these old engineers might not have taken them seriously. But Li Wei's name has been all over the Empire these past few days, trending on social media. Everyone knows that this count led an airship to take down a dragon. You say he doesn't know how to fight? You try taking down a dragon first!
"Sir, we have one more question."

Soon, another engineer raised his hand.

"explain."

"Missiles...we're somewhat confident about them, after all, we originally manufactured artillery shells here, but airplanes...we really have no experience with those..."

"Um……………"

In this era, airplanes have been completely squeezed out of their niche by airships and air battleships, and are currently on the verge of extinction. After all, their safety level is not as high as that of airships, and their usefulness is not yet apparent. The current status of airplanes in this world is similar to that of steam-powered mechanical puppets in the past—something to be seen and played with.

There are currently no dedicated aircraft manufacturing plants; it's mostly done by enthusiasts.

"Let's hire people, find a few experienced ones."

"Yes, sir, I have no objection."

"Then it's decided."

Seeing that no one had any objections, Li Wei decisively announced that the meeting was over.

"From today onwards, we will focus our research and development on missiles and aircraft. Missiles will be the priority; aircraft can wait until we find suitable candidates. Of course, jet engines are still the top priority... Mr. Dunn?" "Ah, yes! Lord Levi!"

Du En, who was muttering to himself, was startled when he heard Li Wei's voice and quickly looked up.

"Please tell me!"

"I hope you can resolve all the technical issues related to the jet engine as soon as possible. As we discussed before, all the equipment you need can be given to Miss Sophia, and we will reimburse you. Any requests you have, as long as they are reasonable and legal, are welcome. Of course, don't sacrifice safety for speed... Do you understand what I mean?"

"Yes, sir! I will do my best..."

At this point, Dunn hesitated for a moment.

"Um, sir... I have a small request..."

"Ok?"

“Actually, I had a few helpers who were originally working with me, but after several failed attempts to secure investment, they all had to leave in order to make money. Now I want to get them back…”

“No problem, just give Sophia the name and address, and she will send someone to look for it.”

When Li Wei called her name, Sophia nodded.

"Also...I hope I can speak with Dr. Andrew..."

"……………who?"

Li Wei tilted his head in confusion and looked at Sophia, who was also puzzled. At this moment, an old engineer spoke up.

"Oh, you mean Dr. Bruce Andrew from the Royal Academy of Sciences? I remember him; he studies physics and even improved some of our equipment before..."

"…………I'll go ask."

This involves Li Wei's blind spot in knowledge, since the doctor wasn't lying in front of him as a corpse, so he wasn't familiar with him.

Hmm? I should say we're not that close yet?
In Li Wei's opinion, contacting a professor at the Royal Academy of Sciences should not be a difficult thing.

However, the reality was beyond his expectations.

"...Disappeared?"

Li Wei held the microphone, looking completely bewildered. Of all the professors at the Royal Academy of Sciences, the one I'm looking for has gone missing.

Are you kidding me?
“Yes, Sir Levi, we have already called the police…”

"Oh, thank you..."

Li Wei silently put down the phone, then called Lestrade to inquire.

"Dr. Andrew's disappearance? Why are you so concerned about that? Is he involved in some mysterious incident again?"

Upon hearing Levi's question, Lestrade immediately tensed up.

"No, I just want to ask him for help with some scientific research matters. Tell me about this disappearance case first."

"Oh, actually it's quite strange."

Lestrade coughed and briefed Li Wei on the details of the case.

"Dr. Andrew went missing a week ago. At first, he didn't report to the Master's program, which puzzled everyone. Then, he wouldn't respond when they tried to contact him. So, some colleagues who were close to Dr. Andrew went to his house to check on him, but it was his maid who answered the door. According to the maid, Dr. Andrew went to the school early that morning. Everyone found it strange and wondered if something had happened, such as being hit by a car. So, they searched the neighborhood, but they couldn't find him."

"Hmm...that's pretty strange, so they called the police?"

"Yes, the police also conducted a search. We initially thought that Dr. Andrew might have encountered some accident on his way to school after leaving home, but..."

"but?"

"But when we asked the students in the Master's program, many of them said they saw Dr. Andrew at the school gate that day and greeted him."

"you sure?"

"At least that's what many students say. We also asked the security guard, who said that Dr. Andrew did come to the Master's School that day."

"But no one saw him leave?"

"It seems so."

"Didn't you transfer this case to the Seventh Division?"

“This case is a bit strange, and we plan to investigate it further… After all, sudden disappearances are not uncommon.”

"is it?"

"Well, sometimes it might be for family or personal reasons, like eloping or running away. There are actually a lot of similar things. Some people's disappearances are quite bizarre, but they usually come home on their own after a week."

"I see..."

“If you intend to investigate, I can give you the case file.”

"This is troublesome, I need to talk to him about something."

I never expected that this person would disappear.

Hmm... I just hope he doesn't turn into a corpse and appear in front of me.

(End of this chapter)