Chapter 1073 Strategic Air Force

"After mass production, how many FW-190 fighter jets can be produced?" Qin Tian asked.

Now, the main fighter of the Luftwaffe is still the BF-109 fighter. Except for the short-range defect of this fighter, the rest of the performance is still very powerful, and it can be called the world's top combat effectiveness. Compared with the fighter planes of the United States and Russia, they can easily kill them. However, the footsteps of the German Air Force will naturally not stop because of this. When the BF-109 fighter jets had just begun to be mass-produced and equipped with troops, the development of the FW-190 fighter jets had already begun.

The FW-190 fighter is about to be mass-produced and equipped with troops. At the same time, the development of the next-generation TA-152 fighter has also begun. If the BF-109 fighter jets and FW-190 fighter jets are the top level of propeller fighter jets, then the TA-152 fighter jet will undoubtedly be the pinnacle level of propeller fighter jets. The jet fighter is probably the only one that can surpass the TA-152 fighter in performance.

Although, the German Air Force also started the development of jet fighters, and has been at the forefront of the world. However, Qin Tian is not satisfied with the current jet fighter technology. He hopes that the first generation of jet fighters in service in the Luftwaffe in the future will be like the jet fighters of later generations, a fighter with the body riding on the engine, not a jet fighter like the ME-262 fighter . At the same time, there must be further improvements in terms of performance and reliability. Only in that way is it a qualified jet fighter that can be used in actual combat.

"Your Majesty, the FW-190 fighter jets will be mass-produced next month, but the output can only reach 150 in the United States. Our BF-109 fighter jets are still ahead of other countries' fighter jets in performance. Therefore, FW -190 fighters will serve in small batches and gradually replace BF-109 fighters. If war breaks out, the output of FW-190 fighters will be increased to 500 per month. If the production capacity is further excavated, it will be increased to 800 one Moon is also possible!" said Marshal Albert Kesselring.

Qin Tian nodded, eight hundred a month, nine thousand and six hundred a year. Such output is already very good. What's more, those aircraft factories not only produce fighter jets, but also bombers and ground attack aircraft.

"What about the bomber? When will our next-generation heavy bomber be mass-produced?" Qin Tian asked.

The four-engine heavy bombers currently equipped by the Luftwaffe are comparable in performance to the B-17 bombers of the U.S. Air Force. The range of the B-17 bomber can reach 3,000 kilometers, the bomb load can reach 8 tons, and the maximum speed is 483 kilometers per hour. The H-11 bomber of the German Air Force has a maximum range of 3,400 kilometers, a maximum bomb load of eight tons, and a maximum speed of 500 kilometers per hour. The performance of these two bombers is very close. It can be said that the technical specifications of the heavy bomber that Qin Tian assigned to the Air Force were modeled after the B-17 bomber. It's just that the American B-17 bomber has not yet been equipped with troops and is still undergoing test flights. The H-11 bomber of the Luftwaffe has been equipped with troops five years ago. Now, the German Air Force has equipped thousands of H-11 bombers.

"Your Majesty, our next-generation heavy bomber is not expected to be mass-produced until the end of next year." Marshal Albert Kesselring said.

The Luftwaffe's next-generation heavy bomber, named the H-21 heavy bomber, also uses four engines. However, the performance of the engine is better. This enables the maximum range of the H-21 fighter jet to reach 5,800 kilometers, and the maximum bomb load is increased to ten tons. When three tons of bombs are installed, the range can reach four thousand kilometers. Such performance is already much more advanced than the H-11 fighter. It is precisely because various technical indicators have increased a lot that the development progress of the H-21 fighter is relatively slow, and it has not yet been able to serve.

However, even if it is mass-produced at the end of next year, it will be able to catch up with this world war. Moreover, once it enters service, it will inevitably replace the H-11 bomber and become the main heavy bomber of the Luftwaffe. In this world war, at least in the early stages of the war, it will become the most important strategic bomber of the Luftwaffe.

Qin Tian has always asked the German Air Force that their mission is not only to fight for air supremacy and assist the army in operations. Their more important task is to launch strategic bombing against the enemy. Launch large-scale bombers on major cities and industrial bases in the rear of the place, especially military industrial bases. Use such bombers to weaken the enemy's strength, so that one's own side can occupy a greater advantage in the war.

It is precisely because of this that the German Air Force has determined to become a strategic air force from the beginning of its establishment. Although the long-range fighter jets of the Luftwaffe are still under development, they are enough to catch up with the outbreak of the next war. Long-range fighter jets require more horsepower and more fuel-efficient engines, while lighter airframes require the use of stronger, but lighter aviation aluminum. It is precisely because of the requirements of these indicators that the German Air Force's long-range fighter project is progressing slowly. However, Qin Tian demanded that the Air Force would rather lack than overuse, and absolutely not be able to make up for it. After all, the long-range fighters will be the bodyguards for the long-range heavy bombers, protecting those bombers deep into the enemy's heartland. Without the protection of fighter jets, these huge bombers may become the targets of enemy fighter jets.

Although, heavy bombers have very powerful self-defense weapons. But it is too clumsy. During the battle, it is easy to be found and shot down by enemy fighter jets. The cost of these heavy bombers is not cheap. If the loss is large, it will be enough to make the heads of the Imperial Air Force feel distressed for a long time. Therefore, they are also doing their best to promote strategic bomber technology.

"In order to guard against us, Bu Russia has moved many heavy industrial factories to and from the Urals in the past few years. Especially the manufacturing factories of tanks and aircraft, many of them have been moved to the Urals. Once the war breaks out, we need to send bombers to these important Bombing strategic targets. If they can be successfully destroyed, this will greatly facilitate our defeat of Bu Russia." Qin Tian said.

Marshal Albert Kesselring nodded: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, the Imperial Air Force is ready. If necessary, we will definitely dispatch heavy bombers to destroy those important factories in Bu Russia!"