The ship did not start to move fast, and the two paddlewheel sail warships next to it were significantly faster than the ironclads.

As the two thick chimneys began to exhale a large amount of smoke, the ship let out a tremble, and the speed gradually caught up.

The ironclad ship was not equipped with sails, and this trial was only a test of the ultimate speed and agility.

In order to avoid the eyes of outsiders, the ship headed northwest and the destination was the outer port of Xinsong.

After about a meal, the output of the steam engine reached its peak, and the navigator reported that the speed of the ship had reached nine knots.

Although the speed was not slow, leaving behind the two paddlewheel sail battleships, Wang Xuan was dissatisfied.

Puzzled, he found Liao Qun and asked, "Five thousand horsepower at this speed?"

After all, there is a gap between theory and practice, and in Wang Xuan's experience, this speed is really not enough to see.

Liao Qun closed his mouth in surprise, and said after a while: "This is five hundred horsepower, where did Your Majesty get five thousand horsepower?"

This time it was Wang Xuan's turn to be shocked.

The last time he went to the steam engine research institute, he clearly remembered that two boilers with one steam engine was 5,000 horsepower, how could he remember it wrong?

Liao Qun saw that His Majesty was deep in thought, and he didn't dare to interject at will, so he waited on the side.

After a while, Wang Xuanzhong asked again: "The second-type one in the Steam Engine Research Institute said that it was two boilers with a steam engine, with 5,000 horsepower, have you ever heard of it?"

His Majesty said in detail, Liao Qun thought about it and replied: "There is indeed a prototype of the second type, but it is the theoretical peak of the double boiler, and it is not a constant value. Normally, the material meets the design requirements, and it is possible to reach 5,000 horsepower under the premise of double boilers, but this three-type is the ultimate in the current process, and the output peak is only 500 horsepower. ”

The difference between 500 and 5,000 is nine times the difference.

The gap between the materials and the boiler alone has created a nine-fold gap......

Wang Xuan remembered that the Dingyuan was more than 90 meters long, nearly 20 meters wide, had a draft of about 6 meters, and had a normal displacement of nearly 7,500 tons. It is powered by two horizontal three-cylinder reciprocating steam engines and eight circular coal-fired boilers with a power of 6,000 or 7,300 horsepower, a speed of 14.5 knots, and a cruising capacity of 4,500 nautical miles per 10 knots.

At present, the displacement of this ironclad ship is more than 500 tons, and according to the thrust-to-weight ratio, Jixiang's current manufacturing technology is obviously not up to par.

It is the same three-cylinder, but this three-cylinder is not the other three-cylinder, and the size is also a lot weaker.

Can a boiler the size of a car be compared to the size of a truck?

Speaking of which, it's still a matter of materials.

If a high-pressure boiler is developed, the efficiency of the three-cylinder reciprocating linkage steam engine is not low, and it is enough to drive large ships and trains.

If one doesn't work, there will be two, which is more than enough to meet the current needs.

Looking at the billowing smoke coming out of the two chimneys, Wang Xuan felt as if he was in a dream.

These scenes that only appear in TV movies, I didn't expect him to see it with his own eyes one day, or he single-handedly contributed to it, and the complexity is beyond words.

The disappointment caused by the power system did not last long, and it was ripped away by the two sailboats that were left far behind.

The two sail warships are already far behind.

Due to the geographical location, Jixiang is close to the equator and is a low-pressure area, so the wind and waves are calm all year round, and occasionally there will be some extreme weather, such as the stormy weather encountered by the inland river fleet for the first trial voyage, Wang Xuan can't explain it clearly.

There is no strong wind, but there must be small winds and small waves.

Under the influence of rotation, the two sailboats sail downwind, and combined with the distance between the ironclad ship and the sailboat, the advantage is obvious.

Liao Qun and other professionals were also amazed.

"Changing course, we conducted a combat exercise with the sail warship to test the flexibility of the steam ironclad warship. ”

Wang Xuan was interested, so he asked the flag bearer to play the flag and come to a drill that he said he would do.

The captains of the two lagging sailing ships were the two reserve commanders trained by the Naval Academy, and there were not so many naval warships, so they were placed in the river fleet.

Originally, I couldn't run the iron-hulled ship, so I was full of discomfort, but at this time, when I saw that the other party had to compare flexibility with myself, the unwillingness to admit defeat in my heart was aroused, and I secretly said that I wanted to behave well and not let His Majesty underestimate it.

"Raise the flag, and our two ships will be horns on each other, and we will work together to deal with that iron bump. Mao Yidao, the trainee captain of the No. 1 training ship.

Dong Yong, the captain of the No. 2 training ship, saw the coordinated message sent by the No. 1 ship, and his heart was also full of energy.

Although the navy warships are tight, after all, many students have been accepted for internship on the ship, so why were they "delegated" to the river fleet?

On weekdays, the river fleet is a logistics base for the navy to train talents, and it is a 'foundry' that transports its top students to the navy department for further study.

So Dong Yong, who was angry, also replied to the message very cooperatively, one word, "dry".

The steam ironclad began to turn, drawing a white arc, the hull leaned a lot, and in only a dozen breaths it turned its bow and headed towards the two sailboats.

The two sides were about two kilometers apart, and the No. 2 ship began to adjust its course, turning from northwest to northeast, hoping to occupy the "T" prefix and take advantage of the numerical superiority of the port side guns.

The No. 1 ship responds to all changes with the same and waits for the next move of the ironclad before responding.

Mao Yi and Dong Yong both knew the flexibility advantage of the ironclad ship, so they tacitly completed a tacit cooperation.

The captain of the ironclad ship was a technician temporarily, so Wang Xuan took over the command without relentlessness, as if he had returned to the Southern Continent, that day of gunfire.

With a full view of the movements of the opponent's two warships, he immediately ordered to adjust the course and sail in a southerly direction.

In this way, the ironclad ship grabbed the "T" prefix of the first ship, which allowed it to take advantage of the numerical advantage of its starboard guns (although it was not equipped with guns at this time) and put pressure on the second ship that had turned.

At this time, the worry should be about the No. 2 ship, because of the innate advantage of the ironclad ship, one-on-one shooting, the No. 2 ship is completely at a disadvantage.

At this time, the No. 1 ship only had one main gun in the bow to attack, but for the ironclad ship, it was tantamount to scratching the shoe.

The two sides walked in opposite directions, and the distance was instantly closed after a turn in which the two sides changed direction.

At this time, there are not many opportunities left for the sailboats, and they only have one chance to adjust, otherwise the ironclad ships will be the first to open fire, concentrating their firepower to crush one and make it incapacitated.

In this way, it will be easy to deal with the next ship with all your might.

Mao Yi saw that the ironclad ship was turning against the wind, and his side was in a weak position in an instant, so he waved the flag, asking the second ship to always be in a ninety degree alignment with himself, so as to offset the flexible advantage of the ironclad.

In this way, the sailboat has an advantage, that is, if the ironclad wants to seize the "T" prefix of the first or second number, it will inevitably form a confrontation situation with another sailboat, although the sailboat will not take much advantage, but at least it will not be completely passive.

After all, compared to mobility, your own side is completely at a disadvantage, and the resistance to beating is not as good as the opponent's, only if you don't make mistakes, can you hold up until the opponent makes mistakes.

Wang Xuan saw the change in the opponent's formation, so he took advantage of the maneuver of the ironclad ship and turned a very small arc to the left.

Under the huge inertia, the entire battleship tilted sharply towards the right pole and almost capsized.

This huge angle of inclination made Mao Yi and Dong Yong sweat, and it was not until the ironclad ship was reset that they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

In just a few breaths, Mao Yi suddenly found that he had lost the trace of the ironclad ship.

At this time, the ironclad ship was only about 300 meters away from Dong Yong's No. 2 ship, and the technicians on the starboard side were doing the action of aiming, and the crew on the port side of the No. 2 ship felt bitter in their hearts.

At this time, the three ships were on the first line, and the ironclad ship was petite, so Mao Yi naturally couldn't see the ironclad ship blocked by the second ship.

At this point, the exercise can be declared over.

At a distance of 300 meters, with the auspicious accuracy, density, and damage effect of the ship's guns, the No. 2 ship will be crippled if it is not dead.

The remaining No. 1 ship will not be able to make waves, and will only be slowly killed by the nimble and fast ironclad ships.

The whole exercise was not long, and the two sides changed direction twice before deciding the winner.

Mao Yi and Dong Yong were no longer unwilling in their hearts, but they also recognized the gap in the face of the inescapable reality, and faced up to the steam ironclad ship, or the steam engine.

It was past noon, and the fleet began to return home.

Wang Xuan's excitement had not yet passed, so he said to Liao Qun, the chief engineer: "Try to load this ship with naval guns, and then fill it with coal, and test the maximum speed and coal consumption of the full load." Then test the most economical cruising coal consumption and speed, maximum cruising range. It is also necessary to test the hardness of the hull, the degree of corrosion resistance, the relationship between the minimum turning radius and the speed, etc., and the relationship between gun stability, rate of fire and accuracy is also tested. In addition, it is necessary to design larger, faster, and more powerful warships. The ocean is our dependence, the foundation of our survival, we can't dominate the ocean, and the auspicious future will be like this!"

These words made the chief engineer Liao Qun feel pressured.

It's not that Wang Xuan's requirements are too high, according to him, as long as the power system is fine, he can gradually design a larger ship.

The fundamental pressure comes from the phrase 'dominate the seas'.

What does it take to dominate the oceans?

Answer, strong ships and guns.

The ship's strength is not only to resist beating, but also to resist manoeuvres, and to save materials, but also to match the performance of naval guns and the needs of the power system.

This is a task with no definite delivery date, because the key points are all in the hands of others, and success or failure depends on the faces of others.

But Liao Qun did not fight for tolerance or make more demands for himself.

Because he knows, his troubles His Majesty knows.

Since such an order has been given, His Majesty must have considered it, and he will do his best to do it.

Wang Xuan gave this steam ironclad ship a very powerful name, called "Betta Fish".

When the betta fish came to shore, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

The trial voyage only lasted a little more than two hours before it ended, but the performance shown by the betta was completely crushing for the sail reinforced concrete battleship, just like the earlier steel and concrete warship crushing the wooden sail battleship, which is a huge chasm that is difficult to cross.

Mao Yi and Dong Yong, who returned to the headquarters of the river fleet, were immediately surrounded by the trainee captains of the same period.

"How, is Your Majesty approachable?" someone asked the two.

"Look at what you asked, Your Majesty must be approachable, belch, is that iron bump running?" the questioner's face was full of gossip.

"This kind of good opportunity actually made the two of you come out on top, how innocent is my generation, tell me how you feel in the past half a day. ”

"Yes, although it is an escort mission, it is also a voyage for Your Majesty, by the way, has Your Majesty received you?"

Noisy questioning ensued, making the two of them smile bitterly and couldn't get tired of coping.

Finally found an opportunity, Dong Yong said aloud: "Seeing Your Majesty, young, erudite, easy-going, giving people a feeling of spring breeze." ”

"Wow......"

Before he could finish speaking, a crowd of people began to laugh.

Dong Yong pressed his hand, "At first, Mao Yi and I were tasked with escorting the escort, but Your Majesty had a whim and wanted to use a newly built steam ironclad ship to conduct an exercise with the two of us. ”

"What? Drill with Your Majesty?" the crowd was not calm.

This kind of opportunity has caught these two goods, where is the reason!

"What's the deal, no matter how much luck is taken up by the two of you, don't care about the results of the exercise, you two have two hours to go out tonight, you two can do it." ”

"That is, don't go far, it's the three-star hotel next to the Times Bridge, don't get drunk and don't return. ”

"I support it, otherwise it will be difficult to relieve this stuffy breath in my chest. ”

Everyone coaxed again, and then urged Dong Yong to continue.

"At that time, Lao Mao and I were also unhappy, hey, don't get me wrong, we are not unhappy with Your Majesty, but we are unhappy with the steam ironclad ship looking down on people. ”

Doesn't that mean something?

Dong Yong didn't explain it, but this explanation turned out to be three hundred taels of silver here, so everyone coaxed again.

"Do you want to know the results?"

Dong Yong was a little angry and shouted at the top of his throat.

"Then you say it, but depending on the state of the two of you, eighty percent of them are losing. "Someone gloated.

"The steam ironclad ship that was tested for the first time, two new technologies were experimented at the same time, and others were determined to lose, but Your Majesty's words, you can't say that there is no chance of winning, but it is pitiful, second only to nine deaths. ”

This one's knife is even harder.

"Xiao Yang, you have said this too much, you will have no friends. Someone chimed in.

"That is, it should be said that fighting against His Majesty, it is already good to have the opportunity to choose which way to die, and you can't be too demanding. ”

Faced with the ridicule of his classmates, Dong Yong was finally defeated.

Seeing this, everyone asked about Mao Yilai.

Although they are bound to lose, they still have to listen to the parties' own admissions before they count.

The mentality of everyone is easy to understand, who calls the benefits to take advantage of themselves.

So he smiled bitterly, and when he saw that everyone was looking at him, he simply went out and said, "That steam ironclad ship is amazing, it's really powerful." ”

"What's the best way?" everyone asked, and Dong Yong chuckled beside him.

"You don't know, the first speed is fast, and our ships can't keep up with the sailless ironclad ships with full sails in a tailwind. ”

The crowd exclaimed, this is too bizarre.

"The second is flexibility, which does not require the power provided by the sail to complete a series of maneuvers, and is not restricted in any way, and can be steered and sailed at will. ”

Everyone screamed again.

"These don't count, it's still very rough and thick, and the whole body is covered with steel plates, how can you fight?"

"Shhh

Everyone knows that there are new ships being tested, but ordinary people know the specific performance and test items, and they also know a thing or two about these trainee captains from Jixiang's hometown.

If it weren't for the accompanying Mao Yi and Dong Yong participating in the escort, and Wang Xuan's impromptu wave of exercises on a whim, they might not have known the secrets of the steam ironclad ship even if they were on the ship.

Born in the Naval Academy, they know how perverted the steam ironclad ship in Mao Yi's mouth is.

You can't run, you can't compare to mobility, you can't beat people in hand-to-hand combat, you can only be beaten passively, what is it if it's not a comprehensive downside?

This is the beginning of an era.