Reincarnated as Napoleon II-Chapter 123: The New Endevour

Napoleon II moved toward the large chalkboard mounted against the brick wall. It was covered with previous calculations. compression ratios, torque curves, and fuel mixture notes written in Nicéphore’s hand.

He paused.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing toward the board.

Nicéphore stepped forward at once. "Of course, Your Imperial Majesty."

Claude reached for a cloth and wiped the board clean in broad strokes. Chalk dust fell to the floor in pale streaks. Within seconds, the surface was empty.

Napoleon II took a piece of chalk and drew a rectangle first.

"This," he said, sketching quickly, "is a conventional inline gasoline engine, similar to the one mounted in the automobile."

He outlined six cylinders in a row. Above them, he marked intake and exhaust valves. Below, he drew the crankshaft and connecting rods.

"Fuel enters through a carburetor. Air mixes with gasoline. The piston compresses the mixture. A spark ignites it. Combustion pushes the piston downward. The connecting rod turns the crankshaft."

He shaded the combustion chamber.

"This produces rotational force. It’s efficient, reliable, and light compared to steam."

He then drew another block beside it.

"And this," he continued, "is the oil engine."

The drawing differed slightly. He increased the compression chamber, removed the spark plug, and marked a fuel injection point.

"No spark required. The air is compressed to such pressure that when oil is injected, it ignites from heat alone. Higher compression ratio. Greater torque. More efficient for heavy loads."

Nicéphore leaned closer. "But heavier," he observed.

"Yes," Napoleon II agreed. "Stronger construction required to withstand the pressure. More suitable for heavy machines, ships, and industrial machines."

He stepped aside slightly and began a third drawing.

This time he did not draw a line of cylinders.

He drew a circle.

At the center, a crankshaft. Around it, evenly spaced, he sketched multiple cylinders radiating outward like spokes.

Claude frowned. "What configuration is that?"

"A radial engine," Napoleon II said calmly. "Another design I have developed."

Nicéphore studied it. "The cylinders are not aligned in a row. They surround the crankshaft."

"Correct," Napoleon II replied. "Each piston connects to a single master rod. That rod attaches to the crankshaft. The remaining pistons connect to secondary rods linked to the master."

He drew the master rod assembly carefully.

"When combustion occurs in sequence, the crankshaft rotates continuously. But unlike the inline engine, the airflow can pass directly over each cylinder."

He shaded arrows moving outward.

"Cooling is improved. Weight distribution is centralized. The engine becomes shorter in length, though larger in diameter."

Claude’s eyes narrowed. "You are reducing frontal length but increasing radial width."

"Yes."

Napoleon II tapped the chalk against the board.

"Now imagine this engine mounted not inside a chassis driving wheels... but at the front of a frame."

He drew a long horizontal line behind the radial engine. Wings extended from either side.

Nicéphore inhaled slowly.

Napoleon II continued sketching. He drew a propeller mounted directly to the crankshaft.

"As the crankshaft rotates, the propeller rotates. Air is pushed backward. According to Newton’s third law, the reaction force pushes the machine forward."

He wrote the equation: Thrust = Mass flow × velocity change.

Claude stepped closer. "So instead of turning wheels, it pushes air."

"Exactly," Napoleon II said. "Forward velocity over a properly shaped wing generates lift."

He erased a section and redrew the wing cross-section, curved on top and flatter beneath.

"Air traveling over the upper surface moves faster. Pressure decreases. Below, pressure remains higher. The pressure difference creates lift."

Nicéphore crossed his arms. "But weight remains. Engine, frame, pilot."

"Then we reduce weight," Napoleon II answered.

He turned to another portion of the board and began sketching a full aircraft silhouette, long fuselage, low-mounted wings, tailplane, vertical stabilizer.

The design resembled a Second World War monoplane fighter.

Claude stared at it. "This is not a balloon."

"No."

"It is not a glider either."

"No."

Napoleon II labeled parts as he drew: fuselage, wing spar, control surfaces.

"We construct the frame from aluminum," he said.

Nicéphore looked puzzled. "Aluminum is costly."

"It is light," Napoleon II countered. "Advances in electrolysis have made production viable. We refine the process further. An aluminum alloy frame reduces structural weight significantly compared to iron or steel."

He shaded internal spars.

"The engine sits at the nose. Fuel tank behind the firewall. Pilot in the cockpit. Control via mechanical linkages—cables and rods—connected to rudder, elevator, and ailerons."

Claude pointed to the tail. "These surfaces control pitch and yaw?"

"Yes. The ailerons control roll. The rudder controls yaw. Elevator controls climb and descent."

Nicéphore stepped back slowly, looking from the drawing to the radial engine.

"And the radial engine provides enough power?"

"If properly designed," Napoleon II replied. "High power-to-weight ratio. Air-cooled cylinders. Direct propeller drive. At sufficient revolutions, it will generate thrust capable of overcoming drag and lifting the aircraft."

Silence filled the garage.

The automobile behind them seemed primitive compared to what was now drawn on the board.

Claude spoke first.

"You are proposing we build a machine that takes off from the ground... under its own power."

"Yes."

"And lands again."

"Yes."

"This is more difficult than the automobile..."

"I’d tell you it’s about the same," Napoleon II said, setting the chalk down, "but it enters a different domain. The ground forgives errors. The air does not."

Nicéphore let out a slow breath. "We can calculate structure. We can machine engines. But aerodynamics... that will require testing. Many failures."

Claude nodded. "The automobile can stall and remain on the road. This machine, if it fails, falls."

"I won’t even deny it," Napoleon II chuckled. "But we all know what has made France what it was right now, an industrial giant, is because we all tried. I’ll be lenient on the deadline since you are making your own automobile company now. How about in three years? I want you to make different variants of aircrafts according to my design."

"Three years," they intoned.

"Yes, because I plan on displaying the achievements of the French Empire through an international exposition, I want that aircraft to be part of it," Napoleon II said. "Would you join me in this endeavour?"

"Well Your Imperial Majesty, we like challenges and it’s in three years so we’ll accept."