Father may be coming back soon.
A huge fleet returned with a large amount of food? Now Rurik hopes that those people will come back later so that he can have enough time to make the crossbow. And this is the "new trick" Rurik gave his father Otto.
In this time and space, compared to other weapons, the steel-arm crossbow can be described as truly high-tech!
This is not only its creative weaponization ideas, but also the very magical selection of materials. The most wonderful thing about it is that it is a real machine.
Its energy storage part is a bent steel piece.
Mild steel is by no means a good elastic material, in fact it is very bad. Perhaps silicon steel, which is very elastic, is more suitable for those who bear steel arms.
The current situation is that the Ross tribe’s production of low carbon steel is already an epoch-making achievement. As for making silicon steel, that is more difficult than making a steam engine!
At least low carbon steel requires a huge amount of force to break. Rurik didn't believe it could be done by manpower alone.
The poundage of such a bow arm can exceed one thousand, but its draw length is destined not to be very long.
The length of the original steel sword's blade was two-thirds of a standard stika, about seventy centimeters. After some forging processing, it was transformed into a slightly bent steel arm of about fifty centimeters.
This object is placed on the ground. At first glance, it does look like a bow.
Klavason spent a lot of energy just completing it, and he still had to make more parts under Rurik's supervision.
A piece of dry oak that was intended to serve as a thick rib for the ship will be processed into the most critical wooden stock for the crossbow.
Wanting to process it properly would really test Clavarson’s woodworking skills.
Because dried oak is the most cost-effective hard wood that people could find in ancient times. Just like Spain and Portugal in history, the most critical wood for the huge and sturdy Galenic ships was oak. The reinforced oak planks were hard enough to withstand the impact of solid cannonballs from the 17th century to a certain extent.
Klavason manipulates a steel scraper to shape the wood into a specific shape.
Because of Rurik's interest, he felt that after all he wanted to make a launcher for a long-range weapon that could be aimed and fired, so naturally it had to be shaped like a firearm. He even thought about the possibility of installing a bayonet on the completed crossbow. After thinking about it, he still felt that his fantastic idea was wrong.
The crossbow naturally has limitations, it just needs to do its job well.
At first glance, the special-shaped wooden stock looks like an integral wooden stock for a bolt-action rifle, especially the special-shaped right-angled triangle shoulder stock. The original intention of this design is to try to disperse the recoil after the firearm is fired. Of course, the arrow fired by the crossbow will also produce a certain amount of recoil. Rurik estimates that his stubborn design requirements may not be good for the future.The sitting force will be very low.
Clavassin’s iron chisel began to dig holes in the wooden supports.
A receiving slot that can accommodate the bow arm is completed first, followed by a hole for fixing the hemp rope to be wound, and space to accommodate the crossbow system.
The last thing that was finished on the wooden support was a straight ravine carved by Clavarson. This gully is the arrow trough.
When Klavasen personally put the steel arm into the receiving tank, he fixed it tightly with hemp rope, and used rosin to strengthen the stability. Although the crossbow system has not yet been produced, the prototype of the crossbow has appeared so far.
Putting the wooden box filled with sticky rosin aside, Klavasen sat casually on the ground, holding the strange object he had completed with his rough hands.
He said excitedly: "Rurik, I understand now."
"What do you understand?" Sitting on the wooden block, his hands were also calloused. Rurik asked.
"I already know exactly how your weapon is supposed to work. When I complete the final mechanism, I simply hang the twine bowstring on the mechanism. I place the arrow in the groove, I can launch whenever I want."
"That's it." Rurik was overjoyed, and it was worth spending two consecutive afternoons in Klavassen's blacksmith shop. explanation and guidance.
The excited Rurik then asked his manservant: "Kamne, do you understand?"
"I..." The boy Kamne did not He was clear, and he did not dare to claim to be clear rashly, so his words became hesitant.
"It doesn't matter. When it's ready, I can let you try it. Listen! I think this thing can easily kill a bear."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kamne's spirit immediately became excited, and his originally twinkling eyes instantly became resolute.
"Master, are you telling the truth? Killing a bear easily?!"
"Of course." Rurik was a little surprised, not knowing what he said. Can it inspire this kid's fighting spirit?
Kamne looked at the unfinished crossbow beside him with passionate eyes, chewed his half-lost baby teeth and said: "If I can use this weapon, I will shoot everyone I see. Bear. I want to avenge my parents!"
Hearing this, Rurik suddenly remembered that this child became an orphan because his parents were killed by bears.
"You will." Rurik stretched out his hand and covered the head of his manservant: "In the future, you must make more weapons like this and shoot more bears. Our Ross tribe should hunt Bear, the best warrior must wear a bearskin hat.”
Kamne was so happy that he felt that his master was like a brother. And his own "revenge" begins with the unfinished crossbow.
So for this crossbow, all that is left is to build the trigger system.
Even if Klavason claims to be an expert in making metal utensils, Rurik really doesn’t dare to overestimate this person.strength. Do you expect this old guy to properly make more sophisticated devices? Rurik probably can't.
To have a trigger system, it must be simple and reliable. The most important thing is that the Ross blacksmith in this time and space can make it relatively easily.
What Rurik could think of was Qin Nu’s set of classic triggers.
After all, it is so classic that it actually only has three parts and two metal pins, and the material used is bronze.
Even if its structure is simple and reliable, the molten metal required for casting is also easy to make, but the clay mold for casting bronze water cannot be made by Klavasen based only on the rough drawings drawn by Rurik. .
It is still a very simple principle. Klavasen cannot think of things he has never seen.
Qin Nu’s trigger system is as simple as it gets, but the mechanics involved are anything but simple.
Among the previous helpers, the calluses on Rurik’s hands caused by holding the sword became thicker, and his nails were often covered with mud.
This time, it was Rurik’s turn to make clay molds under the guidance of Klavasen.
On the afternoon of the third day, the finished clay mold with iron ore powder added was burned into a hardened mold similar to a crucible in the furnace. There are three such hardened mud membranes, which are successively poured with hot and glowing bronze water!
The next time is the cooling of the bronze water.
Each component and the pin were completed. After they were polished brightly with a whetstone by Klavassen, Rurik did not forget to remind the old blacksmith to chamfer the parts.
Ah! Rurik has such a habit.
Any workpiece must be chamfered, so as not to harm other workpieces or the workers themselves.
The installation of the crossbow system went smoothly, and the three components matched perfectly.
However, the crossbow system produced by Rurik does not have the so-called Wangshan, or in other words, the aiming system does not need Wangshan from the beginning.
Because there is also a small carbon steel sheet that will be knocked out. Its original function is to slightly catch the arrow placed in the arrow slot.
The so-called aiming system needs to be made on this carbon steel sheet.
Rurik wants to make aiming holes and crosshairs on it, so-called more reliable mechanical sighting. Rurik even envisioned installing a ruler system to assist shooters in attacking long-distance targets.
As the final bronze pin was hammered in, Klavason looked at the "staggered bow" in his hand. He was already trying it with great enthusiasm!
Although he knew that this thing required some additional parts and special arrows that could be fired. It wasn't even on the bow string, but Klavason already felt a powerful force.
"Rurik, tell me, when we finish it, it will really be possible..." Klavasen pointed to the installed trigger: "You can shoot an arrow by pulling here?"
p>"What else?" stayRick pointed at Kamnith casually: "He can shoot a bear with this. We don't have bears here. Alas! When I finish it, you can find a wooden board as a target. I dare say that the arrows Kamniy shoots will hit the target." Pierce that wooden board."
These words made the tired Klavasen extremely excited, just like last year when he learned for the first time that the strongest and brightest sword could be made through some special processing.
But who would have thought that the bright white sword embryo without an edge would now become the power source of a very special "cross bow"?
Five full days! The steel-arm crossbow can finally be said to be completed. As far as its appearance is concerned, Rurik is quite satisfied.
In the past few days, Rurik received military training in the morning, changed into sweaty clothes in the afternoon and went straight to Klavasen's blacksmith shop.
All the boys are asking about the new weapons that their boss is going to develop, and Rurik has no intention of just making the weapons, because after the crossbow is completed, it will need to be equipped for his men to participate in training.
Especially the girls!
Rurik learned some information from Yevlo. The so-called girls have been trained for too long, and their arms may be stronger than men, which would be very unlovable.
Besides, they are women after all. Due to their body structure, perhaps they should wear special protective gear when shooting arrows, otherwise the rebounding bow string will cause accidental damage to their bodies.
Compared with the damage caused by the explosive bow, Rurik really did not want them to become the legendary "Scythian Amazons" who actively harmed their bodies for the convenience of archery.
In the past few days, at the training ground on the hill, Rurik's impression on others has indeed become a little more barbaric.
Even Fisk felt that the sword-holding movements of his boss, who was two years younger than him, had become obviously more aggressive. During training, Fisk wanted to launch the most brutal counterattack, but due to the opponent's identity, he could only serve as a sparring partner. Fisk could only parry the critical blows from the Rurik wooden sword, but that was all. He vented his frustration on the other children.
So in the eyes of the boys, Fisk's behavior was clearly that he wanted to be the best one.
The crossbow is finally completed, and even the matching short and thick arrows are also completed.
New weapons must pass tests to prove their excellence.
Since there is only one prototype crossbow, it obviously should not be tested in public.
Rurik found two important audiences this time, namely Gould and Jevlo. Secondly, there are girls like Rumia Carlotta.
Some of them are his friends, and some are his women.
Rurik felt that it was most appropriate to show the power of new weapons to these caring people.
Moreover, the shooter he chose was none other than Kamne, who was interested in hunting bears.
In fact, just the unique appearance of the crossbow has captured the appetite of onlookers.
Rurik stood with Klavason with great confidence. At this time, Gould came with a big belly. Gould was eager to find out something about the current situation.
"Rurik, are you really going to let that kid control your thing?"
"It's the staggered bow."
"Okay. . Cross bow! Do you think this thing is really good for hunting bears? Rurik, I don’t think you have ever seen a bear!”
Rurik just thought about it. I have never left the small area of Roseburg, so I have never seen a bear.
He immediately asked: "Then let me ask you, if the arrows fired by my staggered bow can penetrate the wooden target, can it hunt bears?"
"This... ...It should be possible." Gould raised his fat face and stared at the boy Kamne's still thin body, as well as the so-called staggered bow that was almost two-thirds of the boy's height, and he couldn't help but feel doubtful. "The child's arrow shot through the wooden board? I don't believe it! Rurik, those wooden boards were originally used for shipbuilding. They are very hard, even close to the hardness of stone."
"Really? We can bet ." Rurik narrowed his eyes deliberately.
"A bet? What to bet on? Money? A pound of gold?"
"Gold?" Rurik smiled and shook his head.
"Then what's the bet?"
Rurik thought for a while and said: "Okay! Just bet on gold! I bet that the arrows fired by Kamne can shoot Pierce the wooden plank. You are obviously betting that he can't shoot through. If you win, I will give you a pound of gold. If I win, all the men in your hands who know how to make bows will start to follow my requirements. , to make a staggered bow."
Gould felt that Rurik's proposal was so baffling that for a moment he felt that he would definitely lose.
Now, Kamne balances her master’s trust with her own desire to hunt bears. Even if the master said that if he shoots at a huge target that is equivalent to two men standing with shields about thirty meters away, the arrow will penetrate the target. Kamni has not yet shot the arrow, so he has no confidence at all.
Seeing that his manservant was almost ready, Rurik suddenly shouted: "Kamne! Go ahead and do it! Prove me your strength!"
Kamne Nirvana looked at Rurik again with resolute eyes and started the great action.
In front of everyone, a strange tool that seemed meaningless and covered with hemp ropes was placed on the ground. Kamne picked it up and started to use it.
What is this?
It is actually a winch system.
That’s right, the steel-arm crossbow developed by Rurik is actually a winch crossbow.
If the shooter is a strong man, he can put on gloves and pull the hemp rope bow string to the trigger slot. However, Kamne is just a relatively thin child of seven years old, and he has no ability to string the string with his bare hands.
This situation requires the participation of a winch.
Klavasen is hereWith the help of Rurik, a bronze gear was cast, its teeth were polished, and combined with other parts to form a simple ratchet system.
The crossbow was laid flat on the ground. Kamni fastened the winch on the shoulder rest and hooked the two hooks on the straightened hemp rope bowstring.
The child sat on the ground and kept turning the wrench, and the bowstring was getting closer to the trigger slot.
"Is winding so slow?" Gould, who felt that he was going to lose for a moment, felt that he could win.
Rurik said casually: "It is indeed slow to wind. You should see a child winding it. You should also understand that the fact that it is difficult to wind must mean that it is very powerful."
After hearing such an explanation, Gould’s newly raised hopes were dashed again.
After wasting some time, Kamne completed the winding work. He then carefully inserted the short and thick crossbow arrow into the arrow slot, and was gently fixed by the carbon steel piece at the end.
Compared with other bows, the so-called staggered bow is a bit heavy.
Rurik never expected a child to be able to shoot with it, so a wooden stake with a sharpened head was smashed into the gravel and used as a stand!
Kamne set it up with some effort, and then began to aim.
The boy's thin cheek was pressed against the wooden support. He squinted his left eye and stared at the crosshair with his right eye, and aimed the crosshair at the huge wooden target.
"Three dots make a line, three dots make a line." Kamnier muttered silently. His hand also touched the trigger, but he lacked the courage to press it.
He was waiting for an order.
Seeing that he was well prepared, Rurik shouted: "Fire!"
Kamne was determined, and he tightened his hand on the trigger.
A strong recoil force acted on its shoulder, and almost instantly, there was a loud noise from the target, as if something was broken.
All the onlookers widened their eyes, even Rurik.
Before the crossbow fired an arrow, Rurik could only estimate its power. The results of the experiment are extremely terrifying! The wooden target was not only penetrated, but also had a big hole!
A large number of sharp wood fragments bloomed towards the back of the board. As for the short and thick arrows, it seemed that they flew to the sandy ground not far behind the target.
Gould was shocked: "I...I lost! Rurik, your people really...really succeeded! Your weapons..."
Rurik was so happy that he ignored Gould, but shouted with all his strength: "Kamne! Keep firing! Shoot out all your arrows!"
For Kamne, He originally didn't realize what the "broken planks" looked like, but now it was true. Not only did the arrow cut a hole in the oak plank that was supposed to be used as a ship, but it penetrated it and traveled a certain distance.
Can bows and arrows have such power?
"Damn it! If only my father could haveWith such a weapon, a bear will die! ”
Thinking of the tragedy that happened to him, he cried bitterly, but in Rurik’s view, his manservant was moved to tears.
Kamne used the ratchet as usual The capstan winds the powerful staggered bow. Although the process is slow, the power of the arrows is real.
After that, there are four successful shots, with two quenched arrows that can be glued to each other at will. The short and thick crossbow arrows with a piece of wild goose feather all penetrated the wooden target.
The experiment came to an end, and everyone ran to the target. The happiest one here was the archer Kamni, and the others were waiting. They all looked at the outcome in front of them in astonishment.
In fact, the wooden target was only about two centimeters thick. It was not a particularly high-quality ship rib, but the bows and arrows owned by the Russians were made like this. Shooting on a wooden board, the arrow cluster will only have a slight tip on the other end of the board.
"You lose. "Liuli pulled Gould's lapel.
"Yes! I lost. With your staggered bow, the wooden bows of the past were all firewood! "Gould stamped his foot. After seeing the five holes in the wooden target clearly, this old guy fully realized the powerful tactical value of the crossbow.
Because of the general transport ship, its wood The ribs are often only as thick as a finger. Even though the warship is thicker, it can probably be penetrated by such weapons.
What does that mean?
The ship is destroyed! Erd's eyes were as wide as copper bells. He looked at the smiling Rurik and said tremblingly: "You win, I like your new weapon very much. Ke? It's the best weapon I've ever seen! I guess I have to help you make it. "
Rurik nodded with satisfaction; "Of course. What I want is your promise. Please make it clear to us first. I allow you to make it for our Ross tribe, but you don’t want to secretly sell it! I trust you, but I don’t trust other businessmen. If... this kind of weapon falls into the hands of the Danes, we will suffer! "
"Yes! Gould hurriedly bowed and said: "If I disobey your decision, you can punish me." My family is in the Ross tribe. I dare to guarantee the honor of my family. I am only loyal to you. Oh, how I long to see more miracles in my lifetime! "
Rurik laughed: "Okay! You'll see. The experiment was a great success, and I thought I should at once instruct your men to make me a stelke (steel-armed crossbow). In the future, it must be a necessary weapon for the army of our Ross tribe. ”