Back in 1978, I was admitted to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chapter 191 We'll guide you through the aircraft carrier refit, no consulting fees required!

The name of the capital of the Crying Country means "good air," and the air here is fresh all year round, especially in winter when the weather is clear and the sky is blue. Strolling through the streets, you can see old colonial-era buildings as well as modern high-rise buildings. It truly deserves the title of "Little Paris of South America."

In the city center is July 9th Avenue, a 17-lane road in both directions, a full 130 meters wide. So, during the interval between traffic light changes, pedestrians need to speed up, otherwise they can only walk to the middle and wait for the second traffic light.

In the center of the avenue stands a tall, square tombstone with a pointed tip—the Monument to the People's Heroes of the Weeping Kingdom, solemn and dignified.

Near the obelisk is May Square, from where you can see the two- or three-story Rose Palace with its pink exterior. It is where the leaders of the Crying Country usually work. There are very few places in the world where the political center is painted this color.

Standing in May Square, gazing at the Palace of the Roses, Qin Liang could almost see the scene of countless people celebrating when the Crying Kingdom conquered the Falklands, with Castelli opening the window, waving to the people, and shouting "Long live the Crying Kingdom!"

This time, I wonder if the Crying Kingdom can win?
Thinking of this, Qin Liang smiled and shook his head. Why should he care so much? Regardless of whether the Crying Nation wins or loses, the equipment from the East will definitely shine in this naval battle! As long as that's certain, that's enough!
Next to the Rose Palace is a cathedral with exquisite vaulted ceilings, ancient icons, and even a stone on the wall is covered with the marks of history!
Ahem, it's getting a bit cold. I can't stay here being all artsy. I need to find somewhere warm...

Just then, a person walked towards the direction of the cathedral. He was wearing a mink coat and leather boots, and although he was wrapped up thickly, he still couldn't hide his beautiful figure.

"Duoduo," Qin Liang began, "I've been so busy since I got back that I haven't been able to write to you..."

Yang Duo'er smiled and said, "Yes, I know. The joint research and development project has been approved by the Boeing board of directors. So, going forward, Northwestern Polytechnical University and my father's MIT will have more cooperative relationships. The two sides will have frequent exchanges and we can meet anytime. By the way, I've been inspecting the country these past few days. The beef here is of good quality, and many parts are marbled beef, but... the European market can't absorb so much."

Yang Duo'er wasn't just there to meet Qin Liang; she was also busy with work. Now, she was practically Qin Liang's head housekeeper overseas. Although Qin Liang didn't pay her a salary, all the foreign exchange earned by Northwestern Polytechnical University overseas was in her hands, showing his absolute trust in her. Of course, she had to do her job well.

The Crying Country was short of money. The deposit for this batch of weapons and equipment was raised from various sources. As for the final payment, Qin Liang had promised that it could be paid with beef. As for things like developing shale oil, producing oil was still a long way off!
Now that we have the beef, how do we sell it?
The European and American markets are saturated; otherwise, the crying country would have sold its beef there! The East? The East can't afford it. Ordinary people are content with just having enough to eat; meat? Probably only at home during the Lunar New Year.

Qin Liang nodded: "The European market can't absorb it all, so we need to develop new customers."

"A new customer?"

"Old Russian!"

Yang Duo'er's eyes lit up instantly. Brother Liang really knows how to find target customers!

The Soviet Union was quite strange. It possessed a quarter of the world's black soil, and 60-70% of its land area was arable farmland, rich in organic matter and minerals. The soil was loose and had a strong ability to retain fertilizer and water. It was simply a gift from God.

Russia also has abundant arable land resources, with over 3 billion mu of black soil and a temperate continental climate. Although the growth cycle of crops may be a bit longer, there is absolutely no chance of starvation.

However... ever since the establishment of the Soviet Union, they have been facing a situation where they cannot get enough to eat.

Many argue that the Soviet Union prioritized industrial development while neglecting agriculture and light industry. Light industry was relatively easy to address, and agriculture didn't require much investment—just planting grain seeds was enough. However, they still faced a food shortage, which can be attributed to systemic issues. The collective farm system was undoubtedly the culprit.

Looking across the ocean, the United States has become an agricultural country, supplying large quantities of grain to the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and then supplying large quantities of grain to the East after the Cold War ended...

In the 1970s, the Middle East war broke out and oil prices soared. As a result, the Americans made a cooperation request to the Soviet Union, exchanging grain for Soviet oil. European countries followed suit, and by the end of the 1970s, the amount of grain that Russia imported each year had reached as high as 30 million tons!
It can be said that the Russians are becoming increasingly complacent and unable to see the crisis that lies ahead. If they cannot solve their own food problem, they will be subject to others. If the people are not full, they will cause trouble!

This crisis of imported grain would completely erupt at the end of 79. After the Russians brazenly marched south, the Carter government immediately imposed a grain embargo! As a result, the Soviet Union suffered a heavy blow. People across the country rushed to buy flour, slaughtered livestock and poultry, and released their war reserve grain stocks to fill the market gap.

At that time, if an international meat trader went to the Soviet Union to sell beef, the Soviet Union would definitely accept it gladly!
The key was to exploit the time difference. Before the Russians could act, the beef was cleared from customs and loaded onto ships. During transport, the Russians invaded the "graveyard of empires" and faced a food embargo. The beef was then shipped to the Soviet Union...

In front of Qin Liang, a reborn individual, this timing was naturally precise!

"In the meantime, we'll first contact the Russian grain procurement unit and get in touch with them. A few months later, when our fighter jets are delivered and the crying country pays the final payment, they'll use beef to settle the debt, and we'll take the beef with us..."

"Okay." Yang Duo'er nodded: "I'll give it a try in Germany."

As they walked and talked, the two of them arranged this important matter.

"Brother Liangzi, where do we go next?"

"I'm not familiar with this place, can you show me around?"

"Let's go to the Athenian Bookstore!"

The capital of the Crying Kingdom has many attractions, and the Athenian Bookstore is one of them.

That's right. Similar to some of the popular bookstores in later years, this bookstore is also a must-visit for many tourists. Its biggest feature is: it's huge!

Looking at the grand theater with its domed ceiling, Qin Liang asked curiously, "Are you sure this is a bookstore?"

“That’s right. It was built in 1919 and was originally a theater. Later, the railings were turned into bookshelves, and it became the bookstore it is today. The business area is over 2,000 square meters, the largest in South America and the second largest in the world.” Yang Duo’er introduced with a smile: “You can not only read books inside, but also relax. Let’s go in and have a cup of coffee.”

"it is good."

The enormous dome is magnificent and adorned with exquisite paintings. This quaint theater, after being transformed into a bookstore, seems to have a unique charm. Inside the spacious reading booth, two cups of coffee exude a rich aroma. For some reason, Qin Liang felt somewhat distracted.

"Duoduo, I've submitted our marriage application. It's being processed. Once it's ready, I'll..."

"Brother Liangzi, did I say I wanted to marry you?"

Looking at Yang Duo'er's smiling face, Qin Liang magically pulled a box out of his pocket: "Duo Duo, marry me!"

Looking at Qin Liang's affectionate gaze, Yang Duo'er was stunned. She reached out and took the box, her heart pounding wildly. Could it be...?

Sure enough, when the box was opened, a bronze bracelet appeared inside. It wasn't a diamond ring or a gold ring, but it was more important than any of those. This was Qin Liang's family heirloom.

Yang Duo'er chuckled as she picked it up, intending to put it on, then reached out to Qin Liang: "Here, put it on my wrist!"

Qin Liang gently picked up the bronze bracelet and put it on Yang Duo'er's wrist; the size was just right.

"Brother Liangzi, I'm willing to marry you..." A pair of red lips gently approached.

When I came out of the Athenian Bookstore, it was already dark, and it was colder outside. Fortunately, this was in a busy downtown area, and the streets were still bustling with pedestrians.

"Brother Liangzi, shall we have Chinese or Western food for dinner tonight?"

"How about we try the beef here?" "Sure, up ahead is Severus Restaurant, their grilled meat is pretty good!"

A steak and a glass of red wine—this kind of Western restaurant is more likely to create a romantic atmosphere. As for Chinese food… Yang Duo'er felt that she would disregard her image and indulge herself.

"Brother Liangzi, come on, let's toast to this romantic trip to South America!"

"Cheers!" Qin Liang raised his glass, but before he could even take a sip, he saw someone across from him gulping down...

Hey, don't do that. You don't need to pretend to be drunk. You'll be drunk tonight too...

The Belgrano naval base, near Punta Alta, is the main base of the Crying Nation's navy. A large number of warships are docked here, with the flat-deck aircraft carrier being the most magnificent. Especially its sides, with large areas of white, appear somewhat out of place against the surrounding navy gray.

"Come on, everyone, welcome aboard our May 25th aircraft carrier. It is the most advanced and powerful warship in South America!" Guillermo said.

"Yes, we are honored." The group of Eastern experts were all excited. This was an aircraft carrier! This was the first time that people from the East had ever boarded an aircraft carrier!
"Ladies and gentlemen, ahead on the deck is the steam catapult used to launch carrier-based aircraft. It can propel a ten-ton aircraft to a takeoff speed of 110 knots..."

"If I remember correctly, the A-4 attack aircraft you use has a maximum takeoff weight of over eleven tons, right?"

Hearing Qin Liang's question, Garcia was a little embarrassed. Their aircraft carrier catapult was an early model made in Britain. It was originally used to launch 8.5-ton F9F fighter jets. After being converted into A-4 attack aircraft, the maximum takeoff weight increased to 11.2 tons, making it somewhat difficult to launch them.

Guillermo, however, was unconcerned: "That's right, the A-4's takeoff weight exceeds the catapult's limit, but we have the help of deck wind. On this ocean, the wind is always blowing, so as long as we turn to the headwind during takeoff, we can easily take off fully loaded carrier-based aircraft."

Sometimes, it really comes down to fate! Qin Liang thought to himself. Back when they were fighting, they had already spotted the Invincible-class aircraft carrier group, but the wind that had been howling across the sea suddenly stopped that day! So, the attack had to be canceled!
“That’s inappropriate. On the battlefield, fighting depends on the weather, and this could delay our operations,” Qin Liang said. “It seems we need to provide technical assistance. We’ll take a closer look at your steam catapults and see if we can improve their power. We’re good friends, so we won’t charge you any technical consulting fees!”

The group of people who came with them were immediately overjoyed.

Steam catapult!
Back when Project 707 was being developed, there were plans to use steam catapults. Unfortunately, everyone was completely clueless and had no idea how to build one. After a lot of research and discussion, nothing came of it.

Now, they've come to the Crying Nation to inspect the aircraft carrier, yet they still act like they're letting the Crying Nation people take advantage of them. Only Qin Liang could say something like that!

But... will the other party agree?
“Great! Our catapult needs maintenance again. We can invite you to come along and see if we can improve the thrust. This catapult has been used for many years and is quite worn out. If you could help us replace some of the severely worn parts, that would be even better…” Guillermo nodded.

Fighter jets typically require runways of over 500 meters to take off from land-based airports. On aircraft carriers, the takeoff distance is only about 100 meters. The small 20,000-ton aircraft carrier in front of us has a takeoff distance of only a few dozen meters, which means that special methods must be used to launch it.

Therefore, when the steam engine era began, all the old empires conducted research. Britain was the first to develop the steam catapult, which used the power of steam to drive a shuttle and launch the aircraft through a tow rope, using external force to increase the thrust of takeoff. After testing, the results were good, so it began to be used in a formal manner.

The Americans also took notice, imported the relevant technology, studied it, and then developed it further, becoming the only country in later generations to possess a practical steam catapult.

While this device solved the problem of aircraft takeoff, it still had many other issues. For example, it consumed a lot of steam. Launching twenty or thirty aircraft could deplete all the steam in the boiler, severely reducing power and requiring intervals between launches.

Meanwhile, maintenance is complex. It needs to be inspected and maintained every 100 launches, the cylinder and seals need to be repaired every 300 launches, the mid-term maintenance every 600 launches, and a major overhaul every 1200 launches, including reaming the cylinder and replacing worn parts.

The British themselves no longer use catapult-equipped aircraft carriers, so the vulnerable parts for these catapults are becoming increasingly difficult to purchase. Now that the Easterners are willing to help, they will naturally accept it gladly!

The Y-10 and Super-7 aircraft from the East are top-notch aircraft, and their anti-ship missiles have left an indelible impression on them. They have a high regard for East technology. Even if the East doesn't have aircraft carriers or catapults, they can still help manufacture parts according to their needs.

"Sure, no problem at all!" Qin Liang nodded in agreement, taking it apart to study it. This was too good an opportunity!

Unfortunately, this small aircraft carrier only has one catapult.

"We also need to measure the dimensions of the aircraft carrier deck to see if it can operate our Super-7. If not, the deck may need to be enlarged," Qin Liang continued, making further requests.

"Of course, feel free to measure!"

So, some people picked up tape measures, and others took out folders. Even though the cold wind was howling, it couldn't dampen everyone's enthusiasm.

Behind, there are barricades.

Fighter jets need a runway of several hundred meters to take off, and even longer to land. The deck area on an aircraft carrier is limited, and the landing area is designed to be only a hundred meters or so. To stop an aircraft in such a short distance, the only option is to use arresting cables to forcefully pull the aircraft to a stop.

Although the aircraft carrier in front of us is small, it has four arresting cables, which, supported by baffles, are several tens of centimeters higher than the deck.

The part visible on the deck is just the tip of the iceberg. Below the deck, there are complex steel cables and hydraulic systems that convert the energy of the plane's landing into heat and dissipate it.

"We also need to help check this arresting cable to see if it meets our Super 7 landing requirements."

“Of course,” Guillermo said. “I don’t know if you in the East can produce this kind of steel cable. This thing needs to be replaced after every hundred sorties, and our spares are almost gone…”

To bring a fighter jet weighing tens of tons to a stop by a single steel cable requires an extremely high level of strength; otherwise, the cable could break, causing a major accident.

The device in front of us only needs to stop a ten-ton aircraft, but the steel cable still has very high requirements and cannot be made by the Crying Country.

“Then give us a scrapped sample, and we can make one for you very quickly. The price will be at most half of what you would pay if you purchased it from international suppliers.”

"Good, good, this is wonderful!" Guillermo felt that inviting the Easterners over was definitely the right decision!
After inspecting the deck, Qin Liang looked at the island superstructure: "We still need to go up to the island superstructure to take a look. Your old aircraft carrier may have many outdated avionics technologies. In this confrontation, your electronic jamming will be useless."

"Yes, that's right! Everyone, please come up!"

As the number of places visited increased, the number of people involved decreased, and many people pulled out tape measures and began taking various measurements.

Even after boarding the ship's island, they didn't stop working and continued taking measurements.

"Excuse me, what are they doing?" Garcia asked, pointing to the people taking measurements next to the cabin.

The island superstructure of an aircraft carrier, a place with the highest level of secrecy, is now being measured by someone with a tape measure?

"Installing electronic devices requires considering the strength of the island superstructure itself. We need to measure each compartment and calculate its strength to see if it meets the requirements. If we decide to widen the deck later, we will also need to measure the compartments below the deck. Don't worry, we are good friends, and we won't charge you any money!"

This is a truly rare opportunity for technicians from the East!
I got up close to the aircraft carrier and was able to take measurements everywhere with a tape measure. It was my first time seeing the internal structure of an aircraft carrier. Although I don't know why it was designed this way, I'll take a map and study it slowly when I get back!
　PS: Both pictures are of the same aircraft carrier. The deck is clearly visible. There is a catapult on the left side of the bow. The box to the right of the catapult is the internal elevator. The picture below is a picture of the Argentine Navy testing the Super Etendard on board.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)