The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 447: Chapter 357: Fourth Generation Military Aircraft_2

That's not all, the improved aircraft engine allowed the Eagle-4 reconnaissance aircraft to achieve an average flight speed of around 250 kilometers per hour, with the maximum flight speed even reaching 280 kilometers per hour.

As far as flight speed is concerned, it has crushed all current aircraft and airships. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is currently the fastest mode of transport in the world.

As an ally of Britain, France, and Russia, Australasia can also get access to aircraft data from Europe.

Although airships are the main focus of research in European countries, this does not mean that European countries will abandon aircraft research.

Both Britain and France have their own aircraft research centers and have achieved a certain degree of success.

However, the achievements made by Britain and France, when compared to Australasia, seem somewhat insignificant.

If the intelligence is correct, the most advanced and fastest aircraft in Britain and France will not exceed a speed of 130 kilometers per hour.

The speed of Australasia's Eagle-4 is almost double that of these aircraft, which creates an insurmountable gap between the two types of aircraft.

The changes in weaponry are not significant, after all, the Eagle-4 is a true reconnaissance aircraft, its role is to collect intelligence, not to participate in air combat as a fighter.

Of course, according to the MA-107 Maxim heavy machine gun used by the Eagle-4 reconnaissance aircraft, one could estimate that this reconnaissance aircraft's combat capability would not be weak.

It's not an exaggeration to say that the Eagle-4's weaponry exceeds most of Britain and France's planes. This is what leading by a step, and always being ahead is all about.

However, this also indicates some bad news, that the development of the fifth-generation military aircraft is not easy, and it may be normal to have no news for four or five years.

After all, due to the improvement of the aircraft engine, the performance of the fourth-generation military aircraft has significantly improved compared to the third-generation military aircraft.

But improving the aircraft engine is not easy. The improved engine used by the fourth-generation military aircraft is the result of years of effort by Diesel.

It's even possible that during the entire World War I, Australasia's military aircraft will not welcome the next generation.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Arthur decided to begin large-scale equipment of the fourth-generation military aircraft.

For reconnaissance aircraft, this fastest aircraft, which can perform reconnaissance tasks well, is most important in a war.

Considering the financial situation of the Australasian government, Arthur waved his hand and issued an order for 500 Eagle-4 reconnaissance aircraft.

You must know that the cost of an Eagle-4 reconnaissance aircraft is as high as 28,493 Australian dollars, and 500 aircraft cost a total of 14.25 million Australian dollars.

Luckily, the financial situation in Australasia is very good, they not only have sufficient funds but also have a loan from the United States, which allows them to sign this order without hesitation.

For fighters, the Bengal Tiger-4 has also made significant improvements.

After the Bengal Tiger-4 fighter was equipped with the latest aircraft engine, the average flight speed was able to reach 215 kilometers per hour. The maximum flight speed was 245 kilometers per hour, and it has an outstanding performance.

In terms of weapons, the Bengal Tiger-4 fighter carries two MA-107 Maxim heavy machine guns and has good armor protection capabilities. This is why after being equipped with the latest aircraft engine, the speed of Bengal Tiger-4 fighter did not increase a lot compared to the previous generation of fighters.

However, this speed is actually sufficient. Having stronger firepower and armor protection capabilities, on top of a speed far exceeding that of other countries' aircraft, can further enhance the fighting capability of the aircraft.

Even after several tests by the aerospace laboratory, occasional bullet sweeps on the body of the Bengal Tiger-4 fighter had no significant impact.

The design of the fighter and its thicker armor grants it good defensive capabilities.

After all, in the sky, machine gun sweeping is not so accurate. Many aircraft in Britain and France rely on pilots holding machine guns to aim, which makes aircraft aiming impossible in such a situation.

What has improved significantly for the Bengal Tiger-4 fighter is the ammunition reserve of the two machine guns.

The two machine guns have a high reserve of 4500 rounds, greatly enhancing the fighter's continuous combat capability and firepower output capability.

If accuracy can't be guaranteed, then ensure the output of firepower. If every bullet can't hit the target, then massively increase the ammunition supply. Some bullets are bound to hit the enemy, right?

However, there's bad news. The Bengal Tiger-4 Fighter Aircraft, which has increased armor and ammunition, has also greatly increased its weight.

This has resulted in the Bengal Tiger-4 Fighter Aircraft having a much shorter maximum range than reconnaissance aircraft. Without additional fuel tanks, the maximum range of the Bengal Tiger-4 Fighter Aircraft is 600 kilometers.

Even with two auxiliary fuel tanks, the maximum range of the Bengal Tiger-4 Fighter Aircraft will not exceed 900 kilometers.

But regardless, this performance is far ahead of other countries' planes. Even compared to various planes from World War I in original history, it is no less superior.

However, considering the current situation, the role of fighter aircraft is actually the smallest among the three types of military aircrafts.

After all, there are not many anti-aircraft means in various countries at present, and the development of aircraft is not valued too much.

And for airships, which are highly valued by all countries, they have little room to resist in front of plane.

This leads to even reconnaissance and bombers, whose combat capabilities are not strong, can calmly carry out reconnaissance and bombing missions when facing enemy's planes or ground troops without worrying about their own safety.

Even the combat power of reconnaissance aircraft is enough to fight against various enemy planes without being at a disadvantage.

Under these circumstances, it is only natural for fighter aircraft to lose their strategic value.

However, in order to guard against a possible technological explosion from Germany during the war, Arthur had decided to order 100 Bengal Tiger-4 Fighter Aircraft.

Given the powerful combat capabilities of the Bengal Tiger-4 Fighter Aircraft, even facing several times the enemy's aircraft, there isn't no hope for victory.

The cost of the Bengal Tiger-4 Fighter Aircraft is slightly higher than the Eagle-4 Reconnaissance Aircraft, at around 29,857 Australian Dollars.

However, because only 100 were ordered, the spending isn't too high, less than 3 million Australian Dollars.

In terms of bombers, this upgrade should be the largest among the three types of military aircraft.

To be honest, after Arthur saw the specific data of Phantom-4 Bomber, he could not resist the impulse to equip bombers on a large scale.

In terms of flying speed, the Phantom-4 Bomber also has a certain improvement, the average flight speed can reach 215 kilometers per hour, which is exactly the maximum flight speed of the previous generation bomber.

And the maximum flight speed of the Phantom-4 Bomber can reach 245 kilometers per hour, it's not an exaggeration to call it a fast-moving artillery tower.

Of course, the biggest improvement of the Phantom-4 Bomber is the various ground bombs it carries.

The type of bombs that Phantom-4 Bomber can carry has been updated to four: 45-pound small-scale lethal bomb, 75-pound medium-scale lethal bomb, 120-pound large-scale lethal explosive bomb, and 155-pound giant explosive bomb.

The first two bombs are mainly targeting the enemy's ground troops. When the enemy's positions are concentrated, they can give the enemy a devastating blow.

The last two types of bombs are mainly for the enemy's ground fortress and stronghold. Especially under the premise of dropping bombs from the sky, they can cause unexpected damage.

Of course, both types of bombs can be thrown at the enemy's ground troops. These bombs have higher casualties, but it seems more like using a cannon to kill mosquitoes.

In terms of bomb load, the Phantom-4 Bomber has also undergone a comprehensive upgrade, greatly enhancing the bombing capability of the bomber.

For the four types of bombs, their load is 90, 70, 28, and 12 respectively.

The launch method is still the same as before, press the launch button once, and two bombs are automatically released.

However, the Phantom-4 Bomber currently has a disadvantage, that is, it can't flexibly choose the type of bomb to carry, it can only choose to equip a certain type.