Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World - Chapter 264: Debriefing The Engineers

Poul got to work on the new prototype that they had decided to introduce into this world. An aircraft. Or more specifically, the piston-powered aircraft. He has drawn the schematics for the aircraft, and the only thing he needs to do is to work on it.

He went down to the third floor where he gathered the best of the best engineers that would work alongside him on this project.

“Sir,” Walter raised his hand. “What are we building now?”

“Well, this will surprise you, everyone,” Poul said with a grin. “I’m planning on making a vehicle that allows us to navigate the sky. In short, we are building an aircraft.”

“Aircraft?” The engineers around him tilted their heads to the side, unfamiliar with the concept. Just like Amelia, almost every person here in this era is new to the term.

“It is what it is, everyone, we are building a vehicle that can navigate the sky,” Poul reiterated, waving his hand.

“So, that aircraft…” Timothy muttered. “Is it going to be like the vehicle in terms of design and appearance?”

“Of course not!” Poul softly exclaimed as he unfurled the blueprints in his hands, revealing the intricate details of his vision. The engineers gathered around, their eyes widening with anticipation as they glimpsed the future taking shape before them.

Poul gathered his team of skilled engineers on the third floor, ready to embark on the challenging task of building a piston-powered aircraft. Walter raised his hand, seeking clarification on their project.

“We are building an aircraft,” Poul stated a confident smile on his face.

The engineers exchanged puzzled glances, unfamiliar with the concept of aircraft in this era. Poul realized the need to provide technical explanations to bridge the gap in their knowledge.

“An aircraft is a vehicle designed for air travel,” Poul explained. “Unlike automobiles, this aircraft will utilize a piston engine, adapted for flight. It will consist of a fuselage, wings, and a propeller, all engineered to achieve lift, stability, and forward thrust.”

He unfurled the blueprints, revealing the intricate details of their project.

“The piston engine will power the aircraft. It will consist of multiple cylinders, each equipped with a piston. The pistons move within the cylinders, driven by controlled explosions of fuel and air mixture. This motion generates rotational force, which will be transmitted to the propeller.”

Poul pointed to the blueprint, highlighting the pathways of fuel and air within the engine.

“The engine will have an intake system to draw in air and mix it with fuel. The compressed mixture will then ignite, creating an explosion that drives the pistons. The resulting motion will be transferred to the crankshaft, which converts linear motion into rotational force. This force will rotate the propeller, propelling the aircraft forward.

“The aircraft’s fuselage will house the engine, cockpit, and payload. It will be designed for strength, aerodynamic efficiency, and weight optimization. The wings will generate lift as the aircraft moves through the air, providing the necessary upward force to counteract gravity.”

Poul pointed to the intricate wing design on the blueprint.

“We will incorporate wing profiles that minimize drag and enhance lift, enabling the aircraft to achieve optimal performance. The propeller, connected to the engine, will have carefully calculated blade angles and dimensions to maximize thrust efficiency.”

Timothy spoke up, seeking further clarification. “How will the pilot control the aircraft?”

Poul smiled, explaining the cockpit systems.

“We will equip the cockpit with a control panel, featuring various instruments and controls. The pilot will use the control yoke to manipulate the aircraft’s flight surfaces, such as the ailerons, elevators, and rudder. These surfaces, controlled by the pilot’s input, will enable precise maneuverability and control during flight.”

The engineers nodded, their technical minds now engaged in the intricacies of aircraft construction.

“Uhm…Mr. Nielsen,” Walter raised his hands again. “Intuitively, I don’t see how the propellers help the aircraft generate lift…how does it work?”

Poul grinned at Walter’s perceptive question, appreciating the engineer’s desire for a deeper understanding.

“Walter, you’re absolutely right to wonder about the connection between propellers and lift,” Poul responded. “Let me shed some light on the matter.”

He moved closer to the blueprint, using his pointer to trace the lines representing the propeller’s motion.

“While it may seem counterintuitive, the propellers themselves do not generate lift directly. Instead, they create thrust, which in turn contributes to the overall lift produced by the aircraft,” Poul began, his voice steady and knowledgeable.

“The propeller’s primary function is to convert the rotational energy from the engine into a powerful forward thrust. As the propeller blades rotate, they create a flow of air moving backward. According to Newton’s third law of motion, this action generates an equal and opposite reaction

Poul paused for a moment, allowing the information to sink in before continuing.

“Now, here’s where the magic of lift comes into play,” he continued. “The wings of the aircraft are specifically designed to exploit the airflow created by the propeller. As the aircraft moves forward, air flows over and under the wings. The shape of the wings, known as airfoils, creates a pressure difference between the upper and lower surfaces.”

Poul gestured to the intricate wing design on the blueprint, emphasizing the curved shape.

“The upper surface of the wing is curved, while the lower surface is relatively flat. This curvature, coupled with the angle of attack—the angle at which the wing meets the oncoming airflow—causes the air above the wing to move faster, creating a lower pressure area compared to the air below the wing.”

He continued to explain, his words punctuated by the engineers’ attentive nods.

“This pressure difference generates lift—a force that acts perpendicular to the airflow. The wings generate lift, and the propeller-driven forward thrust adds to that lift, enabling the aircraft to overcome gravity and stay airborne.”

Poul concluded his explanation, satisfied with the newfound understanding among the engineers.

“I see, thank you for the explanation, Mr. Nielsen,” Walter thanked.

Poul nodded at Walter, pleased to see the engineer’s growing comprehension. He acknowledged Walter’s gratitude with a nod of his own.

“Uhm…Mr. Nielsen,” Timothy raised a hand. “I also have a question. Although you have explained the general idea of how we are going to control the aircraft, I don’t get it yet. Can you elaborate more on that?”

“Of course, Timothy,” Poul replied, adjusting his posture to address the engineer’s question. “Controlling an aircraft involves the coordinated movement of various flight surfaces, which allows the pilot to manipulate the forces acting on the aircraft and achieve the desired maneuvers.”

He walked over to a whiteboard and picked up a marker, ready to illustrate his explanation.

“The primary flight surfaces we’ll focus on are the ailerons, elevators, and rudder,” Poul began, drawing the basic outline of an aircraft on the whiteboard.

“The ailerons are located on the trailing edge of each wing and provide control over the aircraft’s roll, or its side-to-side movement. By moving the control yoke or control wheel left or right, the pilot can change the position of the ailerons, creating a differential lift between the wings. This differential lift causes the aircraft to roll, allowing it to bank into turns.”

Poul demonstrated the motion with his marker, drawing arrows indicating the direction of the roll.

“Next, we have the elevators, which are situated on the trailing edge of the horizontal stabilizer, located at the rear of the aircraft,” Poul continued, adding the elevators to his illustration. “The elevators control the aircraft’s pitch, or its up and down movement. By moving the control yoke or control wheel forward or backward, the pilot changes the position of the elevators, adjusting the aircraft’s pitch angle.”

He drew arrows pointing up and down to represent the elevator movements.

“Finally, we have the rudder, which is attached to the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer,” Poul said, adding the rudder to the diagram. “The rudder controls the aircraft’s yaw or its side-to-side movement around the vertical axis. By using foot pedals, the pilot can move the rudder left or right, inducing a yawing motion.”

Poul drew arrows to indicate the rudder’s movement.

“By skillfully combining the control inputs for these flight surfaces, the pilot can execute a wide range of maneuvers,” Poul explained, circling the control surfaces on the whiteboard. “For example, to initiate a turn, the pilot would bank the aircraft by applying aileron input, adjust the pitch angle with the elevators, and coordinate the yaw with the rudder.”

“Thank you, Mr. Nielsen,” Timothy appreciated Poul’s way of explaining the complexity of the control. He noticed that there is a stark difference between aircraft and automobiles. “Last question, what materials are we going to use in the aircraft? It can’t be something heavier right?”

“That’s precisely correct,” Poul agreed. “We are going to use aluminum alloys for the construction of the aircraft. Aluminum is an excellent choice due to its favorable strength-to-weight ratio. It is lightweight, yet sturdy enough to withstand the stresses and forces experienced during flight. We are also going to use specialized alloys for the construction of critical components such as the engine block and the propellers. This is going to be a roadmap for the aircraft. We finish this, we will be the first men in the world to achieve controlled flight.”