What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 438 Super Swift, Invisible Swift

Day two of my stay-at-home diary.

In the United States, it wasn't just the IAA that was in a hurry; Lance was too.

He was just giving a speech at the university, but he was kicked out by angry students. If he hadn't run away quickly, he might have been beaten up by the group.

Although the Hong Kong Police Department has not yet released its investigation report, Grand's status as a member of an environmental organization is beyond doubt.

Many people already disliked them, and now they've finally seized their opportunity.

Especially those who suffered heavy losses at Greenpeace's hands in the past, they don't care about the truth or falsehood.

Even if it's fake, they believe it's real. The media criticized Lance for going astray, saying he dared to be inhumane for the sake of so-called green.

Lance had no way to express his grievances and kept proclaiming his innocence, but he had offended too many and too ruthless people, all of whom were wealthy individuals and large corporations.

At this point, they all took advantage of Lance's misfortune, and with just a little money, they could drown out Lance's cries for justice with endless accusations.

Members of the organization around the world have all suffered undeservedly, and even other organizations have been affected, leading to Greenpeace being called the "green killer."

Within just one day, some members couldn't take it anymore and left, and the organization's reputation took a sharp turn for the worse.

While being a Greenpeace enthusiast might have some issues, it's still a far cry from being a serial killer.

This left Lance, in a hurry, with no choice but to fly to Hong Kong, hoping to contact Julie and find a way to clear his name and save himself.

……

"Mr. Tang, are you alright?"

Changbus rushed over, and the first thing he did was check if Tang Wen was alright.

The hopes for domestically produced MD.11s now rest entirely on the other side; if anything goes wrong, it would be a complete disaster.

Fortunately, Tang Wen was in good condition except for being a little mentally exhausted, and there was no indication that he had suffered any trauma.

After inviting Changbus to his study, he immediately asked:

"Did I find what I was looking for?"

"Found it. I've requested a technical document first, and the physical document will be delivered to the company this afternoon."

Changbus took out a stack of papers from his briefcase, opened them and found they were instruction manuals for several miniature aircraft piston engines produced by a subsidiary of Nanchang Aviation.

Tang Wen glanced at the parameters and immediately knew where the difference lay:

Previously, the shipyard's 30-horsepower gasoline engine weighed 48 kilograms, while this dedicated aircraft engine weighs only 28 kilograms. It also has a better power output curve, lower fuel consumption under the same operating conditions, and can output a maximum of 35 horsepower.

However, this is only the first batch; there are several other models available, including 25 horsepower, 15 horsepower, and 5 horsepower.

"This factory mainly supplies model airplanes and military target drones. They also did export business before and sold very well, with a very good reputation."

Tang Wen nodded, then led him to the computer and pointed to the CAD drawing, saying:
"Look, I've designed a multi-rotor aircraft. If we disregard signal transmission and use mechanical cables (levers) instead of fly-by-wire control, and power it with a central piston engine extending to multiple axes to achieve flexible flight, do you have any suggestions on how to design it to be as lightweight as possible?"

"This... mechanical control? If there's only one engine splitting the flow, using a mechanical device to twist the propeller would be too troublesome. Just use a non-adjustable output shaft and a variable-pitch propeller."

However, this places extremely high demands on the control system. Some people have tried using a four-axis system and managed it with some difficulty, but while a six-axis system is flexible, it's too complex.

Multirotor aircraft were not a novel design; aviation pioneers had attempted them in the early 20s and proven their flight capabilities. (The image below shows a demonstrator aircraft from 1922.)

However, it turns out that this thing was too complicated in the age of mechanical control, and human beings simply couldn't handle it.

The earliest multi-rotor drones in history that conformed to modern thinking did not appear until after 2005. They were gradually realized as electronic control technology could be adjusted rapidly in a very short time. However, they were limited by communication technology and did not begin to show their potential until more than a decade later.

Since Tang Wen said that electronic control was not a concern, then it was simple. Changbus planned to directly fix the speed and tilt of the six propellers, and increase or decrease the lift by simply changing the propeller torsion angle through the lever. This was the old method.

He just raised a question:
"Theoretically, this kind of multi-rotor aircraft has excellent flexibility, but the complex stick operation... I don't think current electronic control technology can handle it, right?"

"No electronic control is needed. In fact, you can see there are two handles under the rotorcraft. That's the ingenuity of the design."

Tang Wen proudly introduced:
"Just tie two straps to suspend the person from it, and you can manually control the lever."

"..."

Changbus imagined a person carrying this monstrous thing on their shoulder and ascending to heaven... It must be said that this plan, while seemingly bold, is actually not safe at all, and has no safety redundancy whatsoever.

Even if a helicopter malfunctions, its rotor can still provide deceleration. But this thing becomes a free-falling idiot as soon as one shaft breaks.

Moreover, what kind of person can skillfully move the control levers in the open-air cockpit and reasonably adjust the lift of the six rotors?

"This is just something related to the novel, don't overthink it."

Tang Wen noticed his worries and comforted him, but was actually calculating the drone's range after the engine was replaced:
The previously designed six-axis rotorcraft came with a default crew of 70 kg and an actual fuel capacity of 42 liters.

However, if the person is replaced by the small black box, it is equivalent to an extra 93 liters of gasoline, or 4 hours of driving range.

After being equipped with a 35-horsepower aircraft engine purchased domestically, fuel consumption can be reduced by 25%, empty weight can be reduced by 20 kilograms, and maximum fuel load can reach 122 kilograms, or 162 liters, which can sustain a flight time of about 10 hours and a detection range of 400 to 700 kilometers.

162 liters of fuel translates to roughly a barrel-shaped fuel tank with a diameter of 50cm and a height of 80cm, so hanging it up shouldn't be too much of a problem.

If you add a few mortar shell racks, that soldier could experience the future war 30 years from now.

Having solved the problem of large six-axis drones, Tang Wen immediately asked Chang Busi for help in designing a smaller, quieter four-axis drone based on that standard.

Changbushi attributed it to the same kind of technological whimsy as the previous Super ME262, and said it could be designed within days.

But just before he left, Tang Wen stopped him again:

"I have a further idea for the Super ME262 from last time. Do you think it's possible to modify it to make it stealth-enabled?"

Changbushi: ...

However, Tang Wen was really into it. The design of stealth aircraft requires the support of microwave anechoic chambers and supercomputers, but if it is just about "looking stealthy", then the eyes are enough.

"It doesn't have to be truly stealthy, but from a rational perspective, we can imitate the F117 or F22, add some angular designs, change the air intake to a rectangular design, and make the nose more angular... Please give it a try for me."

However, the technological capabilities should ideally be limited to the level of the 50s and 60s, resulting in a look that is both retro and futuristic.

(I ran it with AI and it seems to be fairly reasonable.)

ME262, supersonic ME262, stealthy supersonic ME262—why is the Lost Empire so fixated on the ME262? Don't Focke-Wolf and Messerschmitt have any other ideas?
Changbu tried his best to connect the F-22 and the ME-262, but ultimately resisted the urge to criticize them.

(End of this chapter)