HLnovel Chapter 897
Chapter 897
After hearing Wei Wu's words, the craftsman bowed and asked humbly.
Upon hearing this, Wei Wu did not keep anyone in suspense and spoke directly:
"The guy with the push rod to load the bullet has no luck. If he pushes, he'll die, and he'll be shattered to pieces!"
"And no one around him can escape either. There's basically no one left alive within a ten-meter radius!"
Hearing Wei Wu's words, all the craftsmen present gasped!
This weapon sounds very powerful, but it seems to pose a greater threat to our own people than to the enemy!
While the craftsmen were still in shock, Wei Wu spoke again:
"Mortar shells are different from traditional artillery shells. They are more like shrapnel shells, with the gunpowder placed inside the shells."
"In my design, it's triggered in two stages. First, there's the primer at the rear, through which the gun is fired."
"The second is the fuse on top of the shell. The percussion cap will also be used here, but the design will be slightly modified."
As Wei Wu spoke, he picked up a pen and drew on the whiteboard stroke by stroke, and then not long after.
A cannonball was drawn that was thick at the top and narrow at the bottom, with a pointed tip and a tail fin at the tail, and looked like a wine bottle overall.
Looking at the mortar shells he had drawn, Wei Wu nodded with satisfaction, and then continued:
"Unlike the round, solid iron bullets of the past, mortar shells are long, cylindrical, pointed at the top, wide in the middle, and narrow at the bottom, made of cast iron."
"The percussion caps are installed at both ends. The tail is used for firing, and the top is used to detonate the explosives inside the shell through impact."
"The widest part of the projectile is used to hold the explosives. I imagine the amount of gunpowder to be about one kilogram."
As Wei Wu spoke, he used a marker as a pointer, pointing the marker at the corresponding position of the shell wherever he spoke.
"The reason for designing this front-heavy, rear-light, and tail-fin shape is mainly to match the mortar's attack method."
"A mortar is a curved-fire weapon. After it's fired, its trajectory is parabolic, and it lands almost vertically."
As he spoke, Wei Wu casually drew a line on the top of the whiteboard with a marker, and a curved line appeared.
"That's why I put a flash cap on the top, because gravity will cause it to hit the ground headfirst."
"And once it hits the ground, the weight of the shell will inevitably ignite the primer, and the gunpowder inside will explode."
"With this design, if someone pushes it into the barrel with a push rod, it will explode before it's even fired."
Having said that, Wei Wu turned to look at the craftsman who had asked the question just now. The latter also had an expression of sudden enlightenment on his face.
Seeing this, Wei Wu smiled and then picked up the pen again and pointed it at the whiteboard, with the tip of the pen pointing at the thickest part of the shell.
"See those grooves around the shell? They're called air-sealing rings. Four or five of them are added when the shell is manufactured."
"When the projectile is fired in the barrel, the gas quickly passes through the grooves, generating vortices that enhance the airtightness."
"If you want to increase the firing distance, you can wrap the gunpowder with cloth and make some small powder bags to tie to the tail of the shell."
"In addition, there is the tail fin at the bottom of the shell, which is very important. It can keep the shell stable after it is fired."
After explaining the key information about mortars and artillery shells, Wei Wu picked up a pen and drew a large hammer on the whiteboard.
"Regarding the mortar shells, you don't have to stick to the one I mentioned. You can also try to design your own."
"For example, if you feel the amount of gunpowder is not enough, you can design a hammer-shaped shell that can hold more gunpowder."
Although this large hammer-shaped cannonball looks a bit strange, it is not just a scribbling by Wei Wu, but really exists.