German Red Prince

Page 147

Göring, an air combat hero during the Great War and a very influential figure in Germany, was dismissed by Prussia, but that didn't mean he lacked skill. Thorne stared wide-eyed at the falling plane, refusing to believe it. He had been by Göring's side for so long; surely he had some of the protagonist's aura? How could he die so easily?

"They've pulled him up!"

Amid Thorne's cheers, the others witnessed an incredible scene: thanks to Goring's series of calm maneuvers, the plane was miraculously saved. The rapidly descending fighter jet regained its original posture and began to slowly climb. Goring had actually succeeded!

It can only be said that he truly deserves to be called an ace pilot. Göring's miraculous performance has earned the respect of everyone present. Although he had left the Air Force for a period of time, his skills had not declined at all. Göring was still the same Göring, an eagle soaring in the sky.

289. Monoplane fighter

Goering successfully pulled the plane back with a series of very difficult maneuvers, and the people on the ground cheered when they saw the fighter jet climbing. This series of operations successfully pulled the plane up.

I've never heard of anyone being able to pull a plane back under such circumstances before; that's what makes an ace pilot so valuable.

After pulling up the fighter jet, Goering circled briefly in the sky twice. Once the flight stabilized, he slowly lowered the altitude and finally brought the plane to a smooth stop.

Once the fighter jet stabilized, the people who had been anxiously waiting below immediately ran up. Goering was still on edge until the very last second before landing, and he only truly relaxed now that the plane had come to a complete stop.

His tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and Goring slumped into his seat, feeling that he could no longer control his body and could only sit there panting heavily.

"Captain! Captain! Are you alright?"

The Richthofen squadron members pulled Göring off the plane; he was completely exhausted and his clothes were soaked with sweat.

Having just experienced a life-or-death moment, Göring needed a good rest, but his actions captivated a group of new recruits in the air force, who all surrounded him, offering their concern and care.

"How are you, Major Göring? Are you feeling better now?"

Upon seeing Thorne arrive, Goring, who was sitting in a chair, immediately stood up and saluted him.

“No need to be so polite, sit down and let’s talk.” Thorne pressed Goring back down. “Tell us about your situation up in the sky, everyone’s waiting.”

Although this wasn't a test flight, as the Rhine Kingdom's newest fighter jet, technical adjustments would definitely be necessary in any situation like this. Aircraft are precious, and pilots are even more precious; there's no guarantee that every pilot can escape danger like Göring.

The technicians present were waiting for Göring's report, preparing to record it and make adjustments later. However, the whole accident actually had little to do with the aircraft. The main reason was that Göring wanted to do something special, but he didn't do it well and almost lost his life.

However, Göring did mention a reason: the speed was insufficient. The AR-68's speed was not enough to support his maneuvering, which led to this accident.

Göring's words also enlightened Thorne. At present, all the major countries are using biplanes. It is only 1928, ten years after the end of the war. Although the technology during the war was explosive and the aircraft technology developed rapidly, the aircraft produced were still limited by the technology and materials of that period.

For a plane to take off, the lighter it is, the better. Early fighter jets used wood for their fuselages, mainly to reduce the weight of the fuselage.

However, wooden wings cannot have the same toughness and strength as metal materials, so in order to enhance the toughness and strength of wings, fighter jets began to use metal wings.

The earliest powered aircraft ever attempted was a monoplane, with attempts beginning as early as 1874. However, the first monoplane did not successfully fly until 1909, six years later than the Wright brothers' biplane.

The first thing an airplane needs to do is be able to fly. In the early days, due to technological limitations, biplanes had a greater advantage. The wings were truncated and stacked on top of each other, increasing the surface area and thus the lift, allowing the airplane to take off smoothly.

Biplanes could increase the strength of the wings. Because it was the early stage of technology, the power of aircraft engines was relatively small at that time, and it was necessary to increase the wing area to improve the survival rate.

Early aircraft adopted biplanes primarily due to limitations in materials and engine technology. This also resulted in some fatal flaws in biplanes: their engines had low power, leading to low speeds and an inability to generate higher lift, thus preventing them from flying at higher altitudes.

Moreover, due to limitations in materials technology, the weight of aircraft cannot be effectively reduced. These factors restrict the development of aircraft towards higher altitudes. With the development of the times, the design of biplanes has become too much of a problem, which is the biggest drawback of biplanes. Compared with monoplanes, biplanes are too slow and cannot adapt to future battlefields. At that time, even the best pilots would be committing suicide if they took to the skies.

Biplanes are destined to be phased out, so Thorne will not waste his efforts on continuing to modify biplanes, but will instead focus his research on monoplanes.

Germany's military development did not stagnate due to its victory in the war, at least not in the Kingdom of the Rhine. After all, the French Commune was right next door, and if a war broke out, the Kingdom of the Rhine would be the first to suffer. With the Kingdom of the Rhine drawing fire, Prussia was able to comfortably make money.

The military technology development of the Kingdom of the Rhine was almost keeping up with the historical process. At least Thorne felt that it still had some technological advantages compared with the Weimar Republic in later generations.

When it comes to monoplane fighters, the first thing that comes to Thorne's mind is the Messerschmitt Bf-109, the most famous German fighter plane of World War II.

The Bf-109 was the mainstay fighter aircraft of the German Luftwaffe during World War II. From the Spanish Civil War before the war to the end of the war, from the western European front to the eastern German-Soviet front, it was a symbol of the German Luftwaffe during World War II.

More than half of the total victories of the German Luftwaffe during World War II were achieved by the Bf 109. As a symbol of the German Luftwaffe in World War II, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter was the most famous fighter, the most produced fighter, and the fighter with the most models in World War II.

From its first flight in 1935 to its official retirement in 1967, it successfully proved itself capable of fulfilling all possible missions, whether it was interception, support, night combat, reconnaissance, escort, or ground attack. The Bf-109 was a mainstay of the German Luftwaffe during World War II.

Thorne certainly wouldn't let such a famous aircraft slip by. Coincidentally, the headquarters of Messerschmitt was located in the Rhineland. Thorne was very glad that the company was in his hometown rather than Bavaria. He still remembered the BMW incident; that old man hated the Rhineland because of the "Anti-Secession Law of the German Empire" in Berlin.

Messerschmitt was originally the Bavarian Aircraft Works. In 1916, MAN AG and several banks bought the then-underperforming Otto Aircraft Works and renamed it Bavarian Aircraft Company (BFW).

Due to World War I, BFW immediately began aircraft manufacturing, developing fighter planes for Prussia and Bavaria. However, this process encountered numerous significant quality problems. German pilots frequently complained about the serious defects in BFW-produced aircraft.

Although things improved after several rectifications, the problem was not completely solved. After investing huge sums of money, the results were minimal. Just when everything was getting better, the war ended. The end of the war severely impacted BFW's business because the demand for military fighter jets was greatly reduced.

Lacking orders and burdened by a large stockpile of raw materials, BFW could only barely survive by producing furniture. In this extremely difficult situation, MAN chose to cut its losses and abandon BFW. In 1922, the company was acquired by the government of the Kingdom of the Rhine. At that time, because the war had just ended, the Kingdom of the Rhine and Bavaria had a good relationship and there were not so many restrictions. The Kingdom of the Rhine acquired the Bavarian Aircraft Manufacturing Company and the Bavarian Machine Works AG, merging them into the Rhine Aircraft Manufacturing Company.

In 1927, Willy Messerschmitt joined the company as chief designer and chief engineer, which gave Thorne the opportunity to visit him and determine the first monoplane fighter for the Kingdom of the Rhine.

290. Messerschmitt

Willy Messerschmitt made a significant contribution to the history of fighter aircraft development during World War II.

As a renowned German aircraft designer and aviation industry entrepreneur, he made outstanding contributions to the development of German fighter jets.

Fortunately, Messerschmidt is currently staying in the Kingdom of the Rhine. In his thirties, Messerschmidt has already shown amazing talent and is currently working at the Rhine Kingdom's Aviation Research Institute.

Messerschmitt was born in Frankfurt am Rhine in 1898, and in 1923, in his early twenties, he was at the peak of his career.

After the end of World War II in 1918, the German economy entered a golden age. The period from 1923 to 1924 was the most prosperous time for the German economy. Opportunities were everywhere at that time, and Messerschmitt seized the opportunity to found the Messerschmitt Aircraft Manufacturing Company.

In the original timeline, Messerschmitt truly began to demonstrate his talent during the Nazi regime, when he became the director of the Braunschweig Aeronautical Research Institute in 1936.

During World War II, Messerschmitt became one of Germany's largest aircraft manufacturers, and he himself participated in the design of many excellent fighter planes.

For Thorne, this designer could be considered a national treasure of Germany, as Germany lost many outstanding talents due to racial issues during the Nazi era.

Every time I see Thorne, I feel it's a pity. The country has worked so hard to cultivate so many outstanding talents, but in the end they all went to the United States, and we've been supporting them for so many years.

Although Thorne couldn't possibly persecute other ethnic groups within his territory as brutally as the Nazi Party, he was still somewhat worried. After all, the ideology had changed, and he couldn't guarantee that the scientists within his territory wouldn't have any ulterior motives.

After all, within Germany today, communism has been portrayed as a monstrous threat, and the mention of socialism in Germany is almost entirely associated with stereotypes of poverty, authoritarianism, and oppression.

When people talk about the French Commune, they often think of it as a place where people liked to kill, saying that the French Commune killed countless people during the Second Revolution. Thorne just wants to say that this is a bit too extreme.

What Thorne can do now is probably try to change these stereotypes and retain as many talented people in Germany as possible, lest they all leave when he starts his revolution, which would make it very difficult for him to carry out his work.

The Bf-109 fighter, developed by Messerschmitt, became the most important fighter aircraft of the German Air Force during World War II and is a symbol of the German Air Force.

At the same time, the Bf-109 was also the most produced fighter aircraft, with approximately 35,000 produced throughout the World War.

Besides the Bf-109, this master of aircraft design also participated in the design of another famous fighter jet.

Another aircraft designed by Messerschmitt was the Me-209 fighter jet. The Me-209 was developed by the German company Messerschmitt before the outbreak of World War II as a high-speed demonstrator fighter.

Since it was developed as a high-speed demonstrator fighter jet, the purpose of its development was actually very simple: to set a world speed record and thus demonstrate Germany's strong aviation industry capabilities to the world.

The Me 209V1 set a world speed record for piston-engine aircraft on April 26, 1939, a record that was not broken by Americans until 1969, thirty years later.

Holding the world record for 30 years is enough to prove the advanced nature of this fighter jet and Messerschmitt's ingenious design.

Although the Me-209's fame cannot be compared with that of the Bf-109 and Fw-190, the improvement and production of the Me-209 began at the end of World War II, when the German Empire was already on the verge of collapse.

There was another reason: at that time, the performance of piston-engine fighters had reached its limit, and the major aviation powers of that era had begun to develop more advanced jet fighters. Messerschmitt was no exception; they were fully engaged in developing the Me 262 jet fighter and would not devote much effort to developing other models.

Therefore, the Me209-II fighter jet became the last high-performance piston-engine fighter jet developed by the company.

Although this fighter jet is not well-known, it represents the highest level of high-speed flight in the German aviation industry and even the world aviation industry in the late 30s, and occupies an important place in aviation history.

There are many regrets in the original timeline, but Thorne can avoid many detours.

Germany's economy is currently doing well, and on the surface it appears to be thriving, with a relatively stable environment for research and development and manufacturing.

However, Thorne knew that this situation would not last long. Germany's financial industry was developing too fast and expanding too much, which made Thorne a little scared. In this timeline, there was a high probability that the economic crisis would break out in Germany.

The reason Thorne went to such lengths to restrict the financial industry in the Kingdom of Rhine, causing many to leave, was because he was preparing for an impending crisis and the impact of an economic downturn.

He certainly didn't want anyone shouting in a beer hall in the Rhine Kingdom, "Why does a loaf of bread cost 500,000 marks?"

The company founded by Messerschmitt is now effectively controlled by the kingdom, and Messerschmitt himself has been "recruited" by the kingdom's government.

As for monoplane fighters, although Thorne has now begun to develop them, the Rhine Kingdom Aviation Institute has been conducting research for some time, and Messerschmitt's department has already made some progress in the design of monoplane fighters.

Thorne's main role was to accelerate the development process. The fighter jet that Messerschmitt is currently leading the development of already has the prototype of the Bf-109.

Messerschmitt was delighted to see Thorne, because whenever Thorne appeared, he always came up with something new. Now that he was here, was he going to pull off something big on the fighter jet?

"Welcome, Your Highness Thorne. I've heard that you've designed quite a few new gadgets for the Army. With your visit to the Air Force, will our Air Force also get some new gadgets?"

"Doctor, you flatter me too much. The new equipment designed in the army is all thanks to the designers. I just gave them some suggestions."

“Every suggestion you make is invaluable. We welcome you to come to the aviation department and give us your advice.”

“Biplane fighters are no longer suitable for the battlefields of the future; our kingdom needs a new type of monoplane fighter.”

Thorne produced some blueprints and design documents, the blueprints of which were naturally of the famous Bf-109 fighter plane.

It was called Bf-109 because this fighter jet was originally produced at the Bavarian Aircraft Manufacturing Plant, but now it is produced at the Rhineland Aircraft Manufacturing Plant. Shouldn't it be called Rf-109?

291. New Fighter Jets

By the late 1920s, the disadvantages of biplane fighters were becoming increasingly apparent, so the Kingdom began to develop monoplane fighters.

The kingdom has also invested heavily in the research and development of monoplane fighters, and Messerschmitt has achieved some results.

"Your Highness, do you have a specific plan for this trip?" Messerschmidt asked Thorne.

"I wouldn't call it design, but rather some small suggestions that I hope will be of some help to you."

Thorne took out the blueprints and placed them on the table. These blueprints were not much different from the fighter jet that Messerschmitt was currently developing, only that they were more complete.

"Your Highness Thorne, did you come up with this fighter jet?"

Messerschmitt compared the blueprints with the aircraft he was currently developing and found that Thorne's design was much more comprehensive, with many details addressed and many designs he had not considered.

This blueprint is a complete upgrade of his previous design; he could even overturn the previous design and continue development using this blueprint.

"What a brilliant design, Your Highness Thorne! What a brilliant design! I never knew you knew so much about fighter jet design. It seems you should be the dean of this aviation institute."

Messerschmitt praised the blueprint, saying that with it, their progress could be much faster, and they might even be able to get the prototype working this year.

"Doctor, I only made some minor modifications to the design drawings from the aerospace institute. I didn't actually help much; most of the work was done by other experts."

Thorne certainly couldn't say that he made all these things, or that he "plagiarized" them from later generations. Thorne's research in this area was not very good, and asking him a few questions would definitely expose his true colors.

The design of the Bf-109 was absolutely successful. At least in the early stages of World War II, this fighter was extremely advanced. During the war, Major General Udet, the then head of the German Air Force Technical Office and a flight expert, was very satisfied with the Bf-109 and greatly admired its aerobatic maneuvers.

He asked Dr. Hernán Ursta, the then chief test pilot, to perform some extremely difficult maneuvers, far more complex than those Göring had done in his air demonstrations.

After takeoff, the fighter jet performed a series of highly difficult maneuvers, first circling 21 times to the right and then circling 17 times to the left to climb rapidly, and then diving vertically from an altitude of 750 meters before leveling off near the ground, without entering a dangerous spin.

If it were an older fighter jet, it would probably have disintegrated before it was even halfway through construction. Even if Göring had piloted it, he wouldn't have been as lucky as he was this time; he would have certainly died. The fact that it could support such a complex maneuver fully demonstrates the robustness of its structure and its excellent handling characteristics.

The Bf-109's excellent performance led to its exceptionally long service life, and this fighter also made the German Air Force famous. The Bf-109 can be said to be the fighter that produced the most air combat aces, helping Germany establish its position in the history of world air combat. The world's three largest air combat aces all came from flying the Bf-109.

Erich Hartmann shot down 352 enemy aircraft, ranking first in the world; Gerhard Barkhorn shot down 301 enemy aircraft, ranking second; and Günther Rahl shot down 275 enemy aircraft, ranking third.

Major Hartmann, Germany's top ace, used the Bf-109K for the longest period of time. His aircraft dominated the entire Eastern Front, and he personally shot down 352 enemy aircraft, setting an absolute record in the history of human warfare.

Statistics show that more than half of the German Air Force's total victories during the entire war were achieved by the Bf 109. The fact that the Bf 109 could continue to operate for ten years under the brutal conditions of war proves that its design was successful; it was a high-speed fighter suited for "hit-and-run" tactics.

The Bf-109's performance was more than adequate for this period. Although its position was later challenged by the more advanced Mustang fighter, the United States was in such a state of chaos at this time that it was unlikely that there would still be a Mustang fighter.

Thorne heard that the United States is currently in turmoil because of the next election, and Herbert Hoover is the most popular candidate. His campaign speeches are very good, and he says he wants to change the current situation in the United States.

His campaign speeches were very influential, and Thorne also saw his speeches in the newspapers.

"Today, the United States is closer than ever before in the history of any nation to the final victory over poverty. ... We have not yet reached our goal, but if we are given the opportunity to continue the policies of the past eight years, then with God’s blessing, we will soon see the day when poverty is driven out of this country."

He is very likely to win the next election, but Hoover's opponents are not easy to deal with either. Hugh Iran of Louisiana is one of his strong competitors, and the slogan "Make America Great Again" is indeed very catchy. There is also Reed of the Great Lakes, whose "Freedom and Bread" also attracted a large number of supporters. The United States is in a much worse position in the world, and the unstable situation could break out into war at any time.

Thorne quietly awaited the show. At present, several major powers in the world have their own problems to varying degrees, which is good news for him. The major powers are busy dealing with their internal affairs, so no one will interfere with his war of liberation.

This single-seat, single-engine, monoplane, all-metal piston-engine fighter jet boasts excellent overall performance. In the design drawings, this fighter jet is designed to use a practical cantilevered low-wing monoplane, with the fighter wing located under the fuselage. This should be the most advanced design at present, as other countries have probably not yet begun to develop monoplanes.

The wings of a low-wing aircraft are positioned on the lower part of the fuselage. This layout has many advantages. In the 1920s and 1930s, the cantilevered monoplane structure was gradually introduced into the design of fighter jets. Compared with other wing arrangements, the cantilevered low-wing has a simpler mechanical structure in this all-metal aircraft. The spars can be designed to run through the fuselage, resulting in lighter weight and simpler design and manufacturing.

The Japanese Zero fighter and the American P-51 Mustang fighter both adopted this integral wing design to reduce weight and improve performance. During assembly, the wings of these two fighters were fixed directly to the fuselage as a single unit with bolts.

The low-wing configuration allows the main landing gear to be positioned under the wing, thereby shortening the landing gear length, reducing weight, and also helping to increase the main landing gear wheel span, thus improving takeoff and landing stability.

In addition, the main landing gear struts can directly transfer the impact force received during takeoff and landing to the wing spars, improving overall strength.

At the same time, this design also makes it easier for ground crew to load ammunition onto the underwing pylons and climb over the wing surface to replenish ammunition for the wing machine guns. It also makes emergency landings very safe. With this design, the fighter jet's center of gravity is located above the wing, and satisfactory roll maneuverability can be obtained by adjusting the dihedral angle of the wing.

Thorne and Messerschmitt chatted for a while, from low-wing monoplanes to fully enclosed cockpits, to retractable landing gear and all-metal fuselages and wings. These ideas inspired Messerschmitt a lot, and he praised Thorne repeatedly.

With these suggestions, this brand-new fighter jet is expected to be unveiled soon and become a legend in the history of fighter jets.

After speaking with Messerschmidt, Thorne also received news from North Africa: the French Republic had actually been defeated by Turkey? To be more specific, the French Republic suffered heavy losses in a battle, with as many as a thousand people being captured by the Ottomans.

It's unbelievable that France is still so weak. Thorne provided France with a lot of equipment in order to stir up the situation in North Africa, and yet they were still beaten so badly by Turkey.