After expressing his gratitude, Sun Chengzong presented the artillery information of the exercise and then sat down respectfully.
There were six cannons of three models on the parade grounds. Two of them were field artillery pieces to be deployed in large numbers by the army, named the Wansheng 10-jin Cannon and the 5-jin Cannon.
It is easier to remember the classification by the weight of the shells. Moreover, this is manufactured according to the drawings of Napoleon's artillery drawn by Zhu Youxiao, which roughly corresponds to the twelve-pound and six-pound guns.
With hired cannon-casting technicians and the technical foundation to imitate the Red Cannon, it was not difficult to manufacture these two types of field artillery.
The barrels of these two types of artillery are not long and look much smaller than the Red Cannon. In addition, with wheels more than one meter high, their maneuverability is obviously far superior to the Red Cannon.
In fact, Zhu Youxiao was still not satisfied with the weight of the artillery.
As for field artillery, a horse pulling it can run very fast, that's what we call flexibility and mobility! However, the current level of technology forced him to settle for second best and lower his expectations.
Both field guns adopted the casting technology of iron core and copper body. The total weight of the guns was 612 kg and 245 kg respectively, which was 30% lighter than that of bronze casting.
The weight reduction was successful, and the cost was much cheaper than bronze, but it also sacrificed some range and power.
According to the tests of bronze sample guns conducted by Xu Guangqi, Sun Yuanhua and others, the ranges could reach about 1,600 meters and 1,100 meters respectively when double-charged (bronze has good ductility and is not easy to explode).
Cannons made of iron core and copper body can only use standard charge, and the range is reduced to more than 800 meters and about 500 meters.
Material cost, casting difficulty, weight and maneuverability, range and power, etc. are factors that must be considered when casting artillery and equipping troops on a large scale, and finding a balance among them is also necessary.
After comprehensive consideration, Zhu Youxiao decided to settle for the second best and abandoned the bronze material, ordering the Ordnance and Gunpowder Bureau to mass-produce two types of field artillery.
While the preparations were being made, Zhu Youxiao reviewed the various parameters of the relevant artillery and felt that they were satisfactory enough for the era, and could even be said to be world-leading.
Taking the ten-jin cannon as an example, its range and power are close to those of the Red Cannon; but its maneuverability is stronger than that of the Red Cannon.
The five-jin cannon is more maneuverable and flexible, although compared with the ten-jin cannon, the advantage brought by the reduced weight is not as great as imagined.
The quality and performance of steel still need to be improved. Zhu Youxiao heard the whistle, withdrew his gaze from the data, and raised the telescope.
The training ground was built on the mountainside. The bare hillside was covered with snow, and some flags and wooden targets were inserted on it as targets.
On the simply set up position, the artillery has been set up. Under the guidance of the instructor, more than a dozen martial arts students loaded the gunpowder and bullets, and then carried out distance measurement and adjustment before hiding behind the earth wall next to them, leaving only one to light the fire.
Boom! The cannon roared, white smoke rose, and Zhu Youxiao moved the telescope in his hand, trying to follow the trajectory of the cannonball. But the cannonball with an initial velocity of 300 to 400 meters made his intention thwarted.
The shell hit the snow on the hillside, splashing up a cloud of snow dust, and only then did Zhu Youxiao discover the impact point.
The whistle sounded again, and a moment later, another cannon roared, this time hitting the target, and several wooden targets were smashed and tilted.
Zhu Youxiao nodded, and was satisfied with the power of the two ten-jin cannons.
Moreover, the elevation angle of the artillery firing is very small, about five or ten degrees, in order to make the shells bounce as much as possible and increase the lethality.
This shot should be able to penetrate six or seven people (targets) in the enemy's line of about 500 meters, which is what the West calls a company column.
Zhu Youxiao had some understanding of this from the artillery test data he had previously submitted. He pursed his lips and smiled as he imagined the scene of bloody alleys appearing among the Jiannu's array.
Next came the bombardment of the 5-jin cannon, which was significantly less powerful than the 10-jin cannon. According to the reported data, within 300 meters, it could barely penetrate three people.
After lowering his eyes and thinking for a while, Zhu Youxiao felt that this cannon was quite effective in attacking the Jiannu's shield carts. Of course, the same was true for hitting people. The range was shortened, but the accuracy was improved.
Use the sniper cannon to kill a few more big bosses. Zhu Youxiao got angry and turned the telescope to the "water tank" cannon.
Daming Zhongpu - well, this is the name Zhu Youxiao chose. It is not domineering and even confusing, but he likes it.
Parabolic artillery, more accurately called mortars, existed at the time, but the Ming Dynasty heavy mortar was the first to appear.
Not long after Zhu Youxiao gave the order, Sun Yuanhua and others had already made it. This shows that this kind of artillery is very easy to produce and the cost is very low.
However, heavy mortars are easy to make, but shrapnel shells are not easy to make, and their cost is much higher than solid shells.
Therefore, Zhu Youxiao is still hesitant and has not made the final decision on mass production. Unlike thunder bombs and grenade launchers, this is simple and cheap.
In the field of view of the telescope, Sun Yuanhua and others personally operated this latest large-caliber artillery.
Well, this is the gunpowder bag for loading and firing, and then use the push rod to compact the bag a little bit.
Zhu Youxiao watched the actions of Sun Yuanhua and others and was able to guess almost everything.
Next came the installation of the wooden delay fuse, and then—Zhu Youxiao laughed again. There was an iron ring on the shell, and Sun Yuanhua and others used an iron hook to pick up the shell and slowly lower it into the barrel to ensure that the original delay fuse was pointing toward the muzzle.
When the propellant is ignited, it produces high-temperature and high-pressure gunpowder gas. If the wooden conical fuse is facing the gunpowder, the gunpowder gas will easily blow into the shell through the small hole in the middle of the fuse, resulting in a "boom" explosion in the barrel.
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