Because Fang Xiaoyu didn't want to expose too many advanced design ideas, and because many advanced designs could not be realized under the current conditions, Fang Xiaoyu just drew a drawing of a dome cruiser from the end of the nineteenth century. This kind of novel design is not at all in this era, Xu Shouchang didn't seem to understand it after watching it for a long time, he asked Fang Xiaoyu: "What do you mean by the design of this arc-shaped horizontal armor?" How come I've never seen someone design like this? ”

Fang Xiaoyu said with a smile: "I call this kind of armor with flat slopes in the middle and two sides, and its biggest advantage is that the flat armor in the middle part is raised above the waterline, and the oblique armor on both sides falls to one meter below the waterline. Because the central part is higher than the waterline, even if the waterline is damaged and flooded, it is difficult to submerge the armored deck above the waterline for a while, and the warship can still maintain a large buoyancy; The two sides of the armored deck that extends diagonally to the waterline have become inclined armor with good bulletproof effect, and the resistance of the water outside the ship has played a good role in protecting the side of the warship near the waterline, that is, 'resisting bombs with an inclination and isolating water leakage with a dome boundary'. ”

Fang Xiaoyu pointed to the drawings and explained in detail: "Compared with the popular unprotected cruisers and plain armor cruisers, this kind of dome cruiser has quite obvious advantages in terms of sinking resistance. Therefore, I used the 60-centimeter-thick dome deck to stretch from the bow to the stern of the ship, firmly protecting the engine room, ammunition room and other vital facilities below. In addition, I equipped the front and rear open batteries with a 203-mm 35-diameter gun, and on both sides of the ship's side there were six 152-mm secondary guns and two 57-mm rapid-fire guns. How about such a configuration? ”

The more Xu Shouchang listened, the more excited he became: "If your dome armor design is really as magical as you say, it is really a genius design plan." Fang Xiaoyu said with a smile: "Do you know the future development trend of warships?" Xu Shouchang said: "I think we should develop towards a larger displacement and more naval guns." ”

Fang Xiaoyu smiled: "Maybe, but I think there is a larger displacement, but more naval guns are not necessarily." Xu Shouchang was puzzled: "What opinion does the young master have?" Fang Xiaoyu pointed to the warship in the drawing and said: "Just look at this type of warship I painted, there are three types of artillery calibers, and their firing ranges are different, and it is difficult to play a role against the same target." If we all changed the warship to large-caliber artillery, let's say eight main guns to the same target, how powerful do you think it would be? ”

Xu Shouchang shook his head: "The young master's idea is good, but if all the large-caliber artillery is replaced, I am afraid that it will disintegrate because the hull structure can't help the recoil of a salvo, and I don't know if I can hit the opponent at that time, and I will definitely sink." ”

Fang Xiaoyu said with a smile: "This is the next key project in the study of naval artillery, which is to reduce the recoil and change the naval artillery from a frame to a tube retreat." Xu Shouchang said: "I understand the retreat, but what is the retreat?" Fang Xiaoyu explained: "The so-called frame retreat is the hard connection between the gun and the gun mount, so that all the recoil of the gun is borne by the gun mount, so the larger the caliber of the artillery, the heavier the gun mount, not only the navy but also the army also has this problem." If we separate the barrel from the gun mount, cushioned by hydraulics in the middle, then the recoil can be greatly reduced. ”

"That's great, it's a novel idea." A voice came from the door, Fang Xiaoyu turned his head to look, and found a middle-aged man with glasses standing at the door, seeing Fang Xiaoyu looking over, he was a little embarrassed and said, "Young master, I'm really sorry to disturb you." I happened to come to Shouchang for something, but when I heard your words, I couldn't help but shout out. ”

Fang Xiaoyu didn't know the person who came, so he handed Xu Shouchang an inquiring look, and Xu Shouchang hurriedly introduced: "Young master, this is Zhang Hui, the person in charge of the artillery research room I told you." Fang Xiaoyu nodded: "It is a great honor for Mr. Zhang to be able to join our laboratory at such a great age. ”

Zhang Hui shook his head and said: "The young master is a great talent, and he can come up with such an incredible method, if it can really be realized, I am afraid it will be a big change for the army and navy." Fang Xiaoyu said: "But this hydraulic device is not easy to study, you can try it with a spring first." Zhang Hui nodded and said, "So I want to thank the young master for mentioning it, and I'll go back to study." Xu Shouchang smiled: "Why are you still so temperamental, you have to do it immediately when you think of something." Didn't you come for me? What the hell is going on? ”

Zhang Hui slapped his forehead and said suddenly: "Oh, I almost forgot about business, it just so happens that the young master is also here, so I'll say it and let the two of you think of a way for me." Fang Xiaoyu nodded and said, "Mr. Zhang said casually, as long as I can help, I will definitely help." ”

Zhang Hui nodded and said: "After the success of the last 305 mm naval gun experiment, I began to develop 330 mm caliber naval guns, and as a result, I found that the strength and toughness of our steel are not enough, and the average firing of five shells will cause cracking or exploding in the breech, unless the charge is reduced or the body tube is shortened to 25 times the diameter, but in this way, this kind of artillery has no advantage over the 305 mm caliber naval gun, and I also want to solve it by adding a casing, but in this way, the artillery is too heavy, not only to occupy a large amount of tonnage." , and the muzzle is not easy to turn, and the life is also not ideal. ”

Xu Shouchang looked at Fang Xiaoyu and didn't speak, after all, he was just a warship designer, and he could only report these things, and now that the master was here, he would save trouble.

Fang Xiaoyu thought for a long time and said: "This problem is completely a problem of material science, and it can't be made up for a while, if you add a coat or stiffener to the barrel, the gun will be too heavy." In this case, I will immediately go back to organize research and strive to come up with a good enough artillery steel within half a year, and during this time, Mr. Zhang can first stop the development of the 330-millimeter naval gun and start to study the technique of pipe retreat, and at the same time I hope that Mr. Zhang can design a few types of artillery for me to replace the breech guns currently used by the army. ”

Fang Xiaoyu didn't have a good way, so he could only let Xiao Feng step up his research on steel smelting first. Zhang Hui said: "Then I have to listen to the young master, study these first, and then study the large-caliber naval artillery when there is good steel, but what kind of artillery does the young master want?" Fang Xiaoyu picked up the pen and drew on the paper, and after a while, a strange cannon appeared on the drawing.

Fang Xiaoyu pointed to the drawings and said: "I call this kind of artillery mortar, it is used as infantry support firepower, his caliber does not need to be too large, sixty millimeters is enough, and the firing range only needs to reach three kilometers." Zhang Hui looked at it and said: "The young master's design is indeed whimsical, if such a cannon can really be used on the battlefield, its rate of fire is absolutely afraid, I think one cannon can be used against the previous ten cannons, but there is a little bit that cannot be realized." ”

"Oh?" Fang Xiaoyu was a little strange, he didn't make a mistake in drawing this mortar, and these data were similar to those of early mortars, how could there be anything that couldn't be realized. Fang Xiaoyu asked, "Mr. Zhang, please speak." Zhang Hui pointed to the drawings and said: "If the firing range of this kind of artillery wants to reach three kilometers, the charge must be increased, and the barrel must be lengthened to more than two meters, but once it is designed like this, the weight is not something that a few soldiers can carry, and it must be loaded with wheels." ”

Fang Xiaoyu suddenly realized that it was a problem with black powder. Now the whole world is using black powder, this kind of gunpowder is not powerful enough, in order to increase the power of the cannonball, it is necessary to increase the charge, and the weight of the charge increases. The amount of propellant must also be increased, and the result is that the bore pressure is too large, the barrel is heavier, and at the same time, the loss of the barrel due to the large residue of black powder is also large, which forms a vicious circle.

Fang Xiaoyu remembered the picric acid and nitric acid he brought back from the Western Continent, and he really didn't know how Deng Jiaxiang did it, so he hadn't come up with a practical formula yet.

Fang Xiaoyu even told Deng Jiaxiang the method of using diatomaceous earth to adsorb nitroglycerin, but Deng Jiaxiang studied it but told him that the explosive power of using diatomaceous earth to adsorb nitroglycerin is only three-quarters of nitroglycerin, not only is the explosive power not as good as nitroglycerin, but when such explosives are damp or pressurized, nitroglycerin is still in danger of being miserable and cannot be put into actual combat.

The nitrocellulose produced by the reaction of nitric acid with cotton burns too fast to be used without the addition of a passivating agent. Picric acid can be used, and Fang Xiaoyu has also made some, but in addition to the fact that this kind of cannonball can release thousand-degree flames and poisonous smoke, the explosion power is not great, and Fang Xiaoyu is only used as an incendiary bomb reserve.