"The combat effectiveness of aircraft carriers is actually carrier-based aircraft. Just discussing the hull of aircraft carriers is only half of the meaning. In this war, I think the most impressive thing to us is the Japanese land-based bomber troops, right? Their twin-engine bombers have too strong attack power. They can carry bombs twice as heavy as carrier-based bombers for dive bombers. It is precisely because of their existence that our Battle of Ragan Island is at a huge disadvantage."

"To be honest, the bombers of today's aircraft carriers are actually very limited to the lethality of battleships. The dive attack of 500-pound bombs is just a skin injury for new battleships, and the accuracy of horizontal bombers is limited. The attack power of carrier-based torpedoes is also very low. Unless the number is particularly large, it is difficult to completely sink a battleship. This is also an important reason for limiting the development of aircraft carriers. Therefore, if the aircraft carriers want to mature completely, this problem must be solved." Redell explained.

"The key to solving this problem lies in technological progress. It is said that all-metal monoplane aircraft have begun to appear in the aircraft tendered by the Air Force. Daimler-Benz has also launched a new 600-horsepower engine. If the current trend continues, the bomb load capacity of carrier-based bombers will be expected to reach the 700 kilogram level in the next 10 years or so. In this way, the power of both bombs and torpedoes will be impressive. By then we need to solve more than these problems." Loggent continued.

"With the advancement of technology, we can increase the fuel and loading of aircraft, which is the matter of the aviation technology department, and we can't control it. As a fleet officer, I want to say how to get our aircraft carriers to adapt to these larger and more advanced aircraft."

"The biplane wooden structure aircraft we use now have very low take-off and landing requirements, and can meet the take-off and landing needs even when aircraft carriers are sailing at low speeds. However, in the future, aircraft will definitely develop in the direction of all-metal monoplane. Monoplane will inevitably mean an increase in wing load, and an increase in wing load will inevitably worsen the take-off and landing situation. Perhaps the problem of fighter jets is not obvious, but if you want to take off a heavy-load attack aircraft, a fully loaded attack aircraft weighs at least 6 tons. If this is the case, it may be difficult for us to take off simply by relying on ski jumps, and the runway needs to be too long. Increasing the runway length means increasing the tonnage and cost of the aircraft carrier. So I think we must make technical innovations to cope with increasingly heavier carrier-based aircraft." Logan said.

"This view is very interesting, so now, have you had a plan and direction?" Raidel asked.

"Of course there are. In fact, we have started to use this kind of equipment. This is the catapult. The device we set up on some warships to take off aircraft without landing gear! The catapult can greatly reduce the takeoff distance of aircraft, and we can use the same area of ​​deck to operate more carrier-based aircraft!" Logan said.

"The principle of this thing is very simple, and we are using it, but in fact it is not as beautiful as imagined. Even if we don't have to bear huge aviation pressure, we would rather use seaplanes." Raidel thought for a while and said. When Su Xiong and Raidel broke through battles in the Indian Ocean, they also used this kind of thing. Unlike the high seas fleet and the fleet in the Mediterranean, the latter two fleets generally can obtain base aviation support, so there is no large demand for carrier-based aviation power, but Su Xiong's fleet is different. When they reach the depths of the Indian Ocean, they can only rely on themselves! So some things know some risks, but they still have to use them. The catapult is one of these devices.

"The High Seas Fleet has developed two catapults, one is to use compressed air bottles to eject aircraft. This kind of thing is to use large compressed air bottles that fire torpedoes as power, and eject the aircraft like an air gun shooting bullets. It is the most widely used equipment we use. This catapult is safer, but the weight of the catapulted aircraft is very limited." Raidel said. "And the other catapult has a greater power and the ejected aircraft is also larger. But we dare not use it."

"Is there another catapult? If I remember correctly, the aircraft catapults I saw on the main ships of the High Seas Fleet are all of the types of compressed air catapults." Logan said he was ignorant.

"Yes, there is another type. This catapult can eject 3 tons of aircraft, but the power used is quite dangerous. It uses maroon gunpowder as the catapult power! Among them, the most important reason why we chose maroon gunpowder is that it is a passivated launching drug, which is relatively stable and has a slower combustion speed. So it is a little safer." Raidel said helplessly. (Note: The catapult powered by gunpowder is real, and has been used in the Japanese Navy in the second World War...)

"If it is acceptable to launch an air gun, then it is really unbelievable to launch an air gun..." Logan said that he was still too young. He really didn't expect that the navy's predecessors were so stunning and put into practice! Perhaps because of experience, his views were a bit shining, but in terms of experience and professional skills, the predecessors of the High Seas Fleet were still better than the navy general who became a half-time monk!

"Based on my years of experience, I can tell you that gunpowder catapults cannot be widely popularized due to danger. Compressed air catapults are safer, but the catapult weight cannot keep up with the speed of the aircraft's weight increase. Moreover, if you want to consider changing a series of operations such as compressed air bottles, the catapult speed is also very unsatisfactory. Cruisers or armed merchant ships can make do with it, but it is definitely not suitable for aircraft carriers. If you want the aircraft carrier to equip catapults in large quantities, then you must find another way. For this issue, I can't help you for the time being, it depends on you." Redel looked as if I was optimistic about you.

"You have given me a difficult problem, but also pointed out the direction of my future efforts. I still want to thank you for your advice and reminders," said Logan.

"Then there is another last question. I think this is my professional field. After all, I transferred from the Bavarian Air Force. I think I have great authority on this issue." Logan said.
Chapter completed!