Chapter 358 – Airship Development: Introduction
“Well, it’s been a while since we’ve had any new development…”
I look around at the people gathered in the Research and Development Department. Naturally, Isla is there. And the other members of the Research and Development Department are also there. In addition, there are Gerda and Meme, who are my personal attendants today, and――.
“What?”
“What is it?”
“Well, aside from Iphrita, it’s unusual to see Aquawill-san here.”
“I’ll be leaving if you don’t want me to.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
I have no questions about Iphrita since she belongs to the Research and Development Department, but I feel that it is really unusual for Aquawill-san to be here.
“She’s shown up quite a bit in the past when Kosuke wasn’t here.”
“Well, you can see all sorts of unusual things here, after all.”
“I see?”
Sure, there will be all sorts of unusual items, but this is the heart of the Merinard Kingdom, so to speak, where the latest technology is being developed. Is it really acceptable to let outsiders in with such a swoop? Well, it is unthinkable that Aquawill-san would leak information, and is it tacitly approved?
“Well, if that’s the case. What we are developing this time is an airship.”
“Oh!”
“So you’re finally building a flying vehicle!”
“It’s a dream vehicle!”
The members of the Research and Development Department were very excited when they heard about the airship.
“Why a ship?”
“The air board is a vehicle designed to transport a small number of people or a small amount of cargo at high speed, but the vehicle we are building is designed to transport a large number of people or supplies. It will naturally be larger and shaped like a ship, which is why we named it an airship. Well, it may end up looking completely different, and then we’ll think of another name.”
It seemed that the attendees were satisfied with my explanation, and there were no objections from them.
“The propulsion system uses a wind-magic propulsion system, just like the air board. It is necessary to consider whether to use a larger size than the one used for the air board or whether to operate multiple units with the same output as used for the air board. After all, it is only good if it can move airships. It may be more cost-effective to make one high-power unit out of high-end materials than one large low-power unit out of low-cost materials, so that’s something to study as well.
Iphrita nodded in agreement with my policy of being conscious of manufacturing costs. I’ve been lectured by Iphrita about that before. I am a good boy who can learn.
“I have a few ideas for the design. This one is just one example, and it may not even be the best solution. But the main obstacle will be the levitation itself. In other words, how to obtain buoyancy.”
As I said this, I used chalk to draw several images of an airship on the blackboard set up in the Research and Development Department. My drawing skills are not very good, so I’m not sure if I’m getting it right or not.
“First of all, this is the type of airship that exists in my world. The airtight, sturdy bag is filled with lighter-than-air gas, and the buoyancy of the bag is used to lift the lower gondola part of the airship. Of course, if the bag is exposed, there is a possibility that a bird or flying monster will make a hole in the bag, and the gas inside will leak out, causing the airship to lose its buoyancy and crash.”
Saying so, I first drew a picture of a so-called airship―a large air sac with a gondola attached to the bottom for passengers to climb into.
“The advantage of this type of airship is that the buoyancy is basically provided by the air sacs, so less power is needed to keep the airship afloat. So you don’t have to pay the magic cost of being afloat.”
That’s the perspective in this world. In my former world, it would mean that less fuel would be needed to maintain altitude. But it seems that they used power to ascend and descend, so they were not able to fly completely without refueling.
“The problem is how to collect gas that is lighter than air. Can’t alchemy be used to produce such a thing in large quantities?”
“It’s not impossible. However, the cost of making a large enough quantity to float a ship would be ridiculous. Also, some of those gases are dangerous.”
“Yeah, methane burns, hydrogen explodes, and ammonia is highly toxic. Helium was probably the safest, but I don’t know how to make it or anything.”
I wish I could make it on the mixing table, but I kind of feel like I can’t. I don’t know if it would be a good idea to give up on it right from the start.
“So the other problem is how to keep it level. This is true for any type of airship, but keeping it level in the air is probably the most difficult part. We struggled with that with the air board at first, didn’t we?”
“Hmm, it was a struggle. Kosuke was sighing a lot.”
“Stop it; I feel sick just remembering it.”
The golem sensors were attached to the levitation devices installed at the four corners to measure the altitude, and the output of the levitation devices was changed according to the unevenness of the ground… and I remember that it was very difficult.
“I’d have to calculate the weight of the structural materials, the weight of the payload, the magnitude of the buoyancy, and the weight balance to design it. That’s normal.”
“Hmm, there’s a good chance we can work some magic there.”
In the end, the air board should have used the magic tool that generates levitation magic as it is, without applying any poor correction. Rather than trying to balance the air board, they could have left everything to the magic that makes things levitate (horizontally) as they are. Fu*king fantasy.
“Honestly, I can only design to the extent that it uses little or no magic. I’m a visitor, and I have a hard time thinking outside the box of my former world, so I provide direction. So I’m going to give you a direction. I’m counting on your brains and arms to solve specific problems.”
“That’s a lot of help already.”
“It’s okay. Development is a team effort.”
After saying that, I start to draw a diagram of another method on the blackboard.
“The second method is like this. We put up a vertical sail instead of a horizontal one and blow the wind into it to get up into the sky.”
What I drew on the blackboard looked like a flat box with a large single-fabric sail on top. In the middle of the box is a vaulted space where the magic device that blows the wind into the sail is placed.
“The wind is blown into the sails from below to make them fly upward. But of course, there is the issue of fuel consumption, and the effect of a crosswind is unknown. If we’re going to get the same upward thrust, we might as well use a wind-magic propulsion system.”
This time, I drew a picture of a square box with wind-magic propulsion devices attached to its four corners. A wind-magic vertical takeoff and landing craft, so to speak.
“However, the type that ascends and descends with this wind-magic propulsion system is likely to have considerable difficulty in controlling its attitude. If any one of the four corners of the propulsion system is misbalanced, the aircraft will lose its altitude. If the aircraft loses its altitude in mid-air and tilts, it will immediately fall headlong to the ground.
“That’s horrifying, isn’t it?”
“Depending on the altitude, it may not survive.”
I put down the chalk and turned to the members of the Research and Development Department.
“The idea I can give you is this. In any case, I intend to use a wind-magic propulsion system for propulsion. It has absolutely perfect performance for use as horizontal thrust.”
“Hmm, that’s true.”
The wind-magic propulsion system is not only used for horizontal propulsion but also for other purposes, according to Isla and the others. For now, it’s a very good propulsion device.
“I have a few questions.”
“Okay, I’ll answer to the best of my knowledge about flying machines. But I am not an expert on flying machines. When it comes to specialized knowledge, I have no idea.”
After saying this to a female Dwarf craftsman from the Research and Development Department who raised her hand, he began taking questions. Whatever it is, we’ll start with a question-and-answer session and an exchange of opinions. There might be a solution in a direction I haven’t thought of at all, like the purification magic that was used to produce canned goods.
