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

Chapter 199 The Fisherman Next to the Ruins of Tengwang Pavilion

The Persian cat with its wings spread out makes a turn over the airport. Its small turning radius is the envy of many. Even a small propeller plane would be no match for it when it circles around!

With its nose pointing at the runway, the landing gear deployed, and the heavy fighter landed gracefully. As soon as it came to a stop, a group of people surrounded it.

"General Minuseper, how is the performance of the modified engine?"

"Excellent! We are very satisfied with this engine. Next, we hope to continue test flights here for more than 300 hours. Once there are no problems, we can purchase a large quantity of these engines and the matching support brackets to completely replace our original engines!"

Three hundred hours is the bottom line; we must guarantee no malfunctions for three hundred hours!
"Of course, no problem!" Qin Liang nodded. Factory 420 had already tested it, and the 300-hour durability test passed on the first try, with the engine still having some capacity! The exported engine will be even more refined, and they will definitely not tarnish their reputation!

"Next is the avionics upgrade. We have full confidence in Dongfang Technology. We will fly in another aircraft to fully replace the engine and avionics with Dongfang's technology."

The first aircraft had a faulty engine that was shipped over by sea. They didn't want to waste the precious lifespan of the engine. Now, the Dongfang engine is fully capable of meeting their needs, so they simply flew over an aircraft with only a few engines left to fly. When it arrived, the engine was also nearing the end of its lifespan, so they directly replaced it with a Dongfang engine and also upgraded the avionics.

I need to hurry up and test the engine of my own aircraft, flying it through different airspaces, at different speeds, and under different conditions, and rewrite the flight manual. I'll have used up almost all of those 300 hours!

"Since it's a complete replacement of our engines and avionics, why don't we just disassemble everything? The workload isn't that much different anyway, and it'll also give the second aircraft a major overhaul," Qin Liang said.

Old Lu's heart began to pound violently.

The aircraft belongs to the customer, so they have to follow the customer's requirements. The recent improvements have almost all involved the operation of the engine compartment. They have already completed the full mapping of the engine compartment, but as for the other parts... they haven't dared to touch them at all.

Now that the other party is helping to improve the avionics, we can finally get in touch with the nose! And Qin Liang's words were to get straight to the point: disassemble everything and help Lang Tuo overhaul the aircraft!

Fighter jets have a very long lifespan, especially Western fighter jets, which can easily reach thirty years. This is called calendar lifespan, which is calculated from the time the aircraft leaves the factory and is forcibly extended after a certain period of time. Another type is flight lifespan, which is calculated based on the time the aircraft has been in the air. Western fighter jets also have a relatively long flight lifespan, which can easily exceed five thousand hours.

However, this does not mean that an aircraft can fly for such a long time after it leaves the factory. If an aircraft is left in the open at a seaside airport with high salinity and high tide, the fuselage will develop pitted corrosion within 8 days. After 2 years, the surface will peel off in layers, and there is also a risk of internal cracks.

Therefore, once a fighter jet has flown to a certain point, it must be completely disassembled for inspection. Any cracks must be replaced, restored, or reinforced. Some parts, such as cables and rubber, also need to be replaced after a certain period of time. This process is called a major overhaul.

During its service life, a fighter jet needs to undergo multiple major overhauls. Take the famous F-16 fighter jet as an example: the first major overhaul requires 1,000 flight hours, followed by 800, 700, and so on.

Back then, Langtuo was wealthy and powerful, and had only introduced male cats a few years prior, so they never even considered the issue of major repairs.

The first two Tomcat fighter jets were delivered in 1976, and it has been more than three years since then. Early service aircraft would fly as much as possible, and it was common for them to fly more than 300 hours a year. Therefore, it is time for a major overhaul!

Later generations of Tomcats had their own overhaul lines, and they even knew more about Tomcats than the U.S. Navy, but now... everything is a blank slate.

Therefore, faced with the friendly gesture from the East, Minuseper did not hesitate at all: "Alright, in that case, we will ship the other non-flying one over here. You will be responsible for disassembling and inspecting it completely, and replacing the engine and avionics at the same time! Some of our ground crew will also come over to help with the replacement."

"Okay, it's settled then! We're all friends, so don't worry, we definitely won't ask for a high price."

"Ah."

"Next, let's go to the canteen to celebrate the successful maiden flight!" Qin Liang said. "This is a day worth celebrating. Langtuo's eagle will once again soar over the Pamir Plateau!"

"Yes, we should celebrate properly!"

Old Lu was filled with emotion. If Qin Liang hadn't come, we definitely wouldn't have made such a request. We only dare to do what the customer asks. The development of our Factory 320 is all thanks to Qin Liang!

The celebratory banquet was already set out on the tables in the cafeteria.

Braised mutton, stir-fried mutton with scallions, stewed beef with potatoes... the air was filled with the pungent smell of mutton, and the drinks on the table were not Wuliangye or Moutai, but locally produced soft drinks.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the upgrade of our Tomcat fighter jets to the more modern Persian Cat is all thanks to our friends from the East. On behalf of the Langtuo Air Force, I would like to express my gratitude for the strong support from the East!"

After downing a sip of soda, even Minuseper felt uncomfortable. After all, they used to drink alcohol, but now... well, they had to bear it.

"After our upgrades, the Persian Cat is now without any weaknesses. Next up are the missiles. I heard that many of the Phoenix missiles you ordered haven't arrived yet?"

“Yes!” Minuseper’s mood instantly plummeted.

The Phoenix missile with a range of over 100 kilometers and the AWG-9 radar with a maximum search range of over 300 kilometers are the sharpest weapons of the Tomcat fighter jet, giving it an interception range of over 100 kilometers. When the Tomcat arrived, Lang Tuo conducted an aerial target practice, and the Russian MiG-25 never came again.

Lang Tuo was very satisfied with the missiles and ordered 424 in the first batch. Feeling that it was not enough, he ordered a second batch, bringing the total to 714. However, before the change of government in their country, only 285 missiles were delivered. For the eighty Tomcat fighters, that was less than four missiles per aircraft on average.

Therefore, Tomcat pilots would be very stingy with these missiles on the battlefield. If a Sparrow or Sidewinder could solve the problem, they would never use the Phoenix. After all, the former two are readily available on the international market and can be purchased from third parties, while the Phoenix has only two users worldwide.

However, this too will eventually run out.

Now, Qin Liang's mention of this made Minuseper somewhat worried, but after a moment, his eyes lit up again.

"Do you have a way to help us solve this problem?"

The airborne radar and avionics have been upgraded by the Easterners; perhaps the accompanying missiles can also be upgraded?

"Well, of course we can." Qin Liang nodded. "There are two solutions. One is to mount the Hawk missiles on it. This would require modifying the launch procedure. Anyway, the airborne radar and avionics are ours, so we have the capability."

The first-generation missiles all had similar shapes. There were four triangular fins in the middle of the missile body, which extended all the way to the tail and almost touched the four rectangular control fins at the rear. The missile body was also very thick, forming a unique image of a fat man wearing a skirt.

The Phoenix missile looks like this, and the Hawk missile, which is used for both surface-to-air missions, also looks like this.

However, this is only in appearance. The Hawk missile is more than five meters long and has a wingspan of 1.2 meters, while the Phoenix missile is less than four meters long and has a wingspan of 0.91 meters. Therefore, the Tomcat's belly pylons cannot be used to mount it, and it can only be mounted on the wing box. Its size is as large as an anti-ship missile.

Moreover, the Hawk missile is semi-active radar guided, requiring illumination from the carrier aircraft's radar after launch, while the Phoenix missile is active radar guided, allowing the carrier aircraft to escape after launch, with the success of the hit depending on the enemy's luck.

"The other thing is that you gave us two Phoenix missiles. We'll take them apart and see if we can replicate them."

The Phoenix missile is guided by active radar, which is the most crucial technology! Our current air-to-air missiles are also copied from semi-active skyflash missiles! Therefore, learning about the Phoenix missile is beneficial. Even if it cannot be miniaturized for medium-range air-to-air missiles, it can still provide great inspiration.

I just don't know what the other party will choose.
"Yes, both can be done simultaneously!"

Qin Liang paused for a moment as he was picking up food with his chopsticks. This Lang Tuo, even with his overseas assets seized by the Americans, is still incredibly wealthy and powerful. Only children make choices; adults want it all!

Since they're so rich, they should squeeze more out of them, cough cough, promote more projects. Langtuo's air equipment is top-notch. With this batch of modified aircraft, plus their existing F-4s and F-5s, they shouldn't have any shortages. But they need to aggressively promote their ground equipment.

However, this can only happen when war breaks out...

Well, we still can't rush things. Anyway, the modifications to this batch of Tomcats have already made Factory 320 very profitable. The money earned from this business can be invested in the research and development of the twin-engine Q6. Waiting for funding from higher authorities? Hehehe.

It's better to avoid trouble. After you finish eating, go home by yourself!
Thinking of this, Qin Liang decided to focus on his work, abandoning his wife to go to work while on his honeymoon... This wouldn't be good.

After finishing his meal and leaving the cafeteria, Qin Liang heard a series of sputtering sounds. Looking up, he saw a sidecar approaching from a distance. This was…

"Our Hongdu Machinery Factory produces the Changjiang 750," Old Lu introduced to Qin Liang.

During the First Five-Year Plan period, there were 156 key projects, 12 of which were in the aviation industry. Two of them were in the south: Factory 320 and Zhuzhou Aero Engine Factory, codenamed 331. These two factories not only manufactured airplanes but also motorcycles!

In 1957, both factories participated in the imitation and production of the Russian Ural M-72, naming it the Yangtze River 750. After all, both factories were located near rivers, the Gan River and the Xiang River being tributaries of the Yangtze River. This was the first sidecar motorcycle since the establishment of Dongfang Motorcycle, and it quickly became a bestseller throughout the country. Police officers in the 1960s and 1970s often rode this type of motorcycle.

Factory 320 was the internal code name; externally, it was known as Hongdu Machinery Factory. It not only manufactured airplanes but also motorcycles!
As for the Ural M-72, it was a copy of the BMW R71 from World War II, so much so that in later generations, many Europeans liked to collect this car, as it was very cool to drive.

"Comrade Qin Liang, if you like it, we'll give you one!"

They helped me get in touch with the Langtuo aircraft modification project, which was directly given to Factory 320. This is such a huge favor that even a sidecar motorcycle can't repay it!
"Then why are you so embarrassed?"

"Of course, of course, Lao Wang, get out of here, this sidecar is for Comrade Qin Liang!"

"Ahem, well, I'll ride it for the next few days while I'm in Nanchang. I'll return it to you when I leave. Consider it a loan."

Jiangxi Hotel.

With a sputtering sound, Qin Liang rode his sidecar motorcycle to the door. Before he could even turn off the engine, Yang Duo'er ran out from inside: "Brother Liang, you're back so soon!"

"How did you know?"

"Someone notified me, so I changed my clothes and went downstairs. You arrived just in time. Do you have anything else to do this afternoon?"

"It's alright, let's go to Tengwang Pavilion. I'm really sorry to have made you ride a motorcycle."

"Brother Liangzi, as long as it's your car, even if it's just the back seat of a bicycle, I'll be very happy. Let's go!" Yang Duo'er straddled the sidecar of the sidecar. The place that was originally for Japanese soldiers was now occupied by a beautiful girl. After they drove off, they attracted a lot of attention.

"Um, wait a moment, I'll go upstairs to get something."

A few minutes later, the motorcycle drove away.

A gentle breeze blew, ruffling Yang Duo'er's hair. This scene... Qin Liang really wished these peaceful days could last a little longer.

Qin Liang had been here before in his previous life. It was in Donghu District, along Yanjiang Road, on the east bank of the Gan River, at the intersection with the ancient Fuhe Road. Although it was still quite desolate now, without as many high-rise buildings as in later years, the location was definitely right.

But... when the sidecar roared up, Qin Liang was dumbfounded.

What about the 57.5-meter-high main building? What about the 12-meter-high pedestals on both sides? What about the scene of painted beams soaring towards the clouds over Nanpu in the morning, and beaded curtains rolling up the rain over Xishan in the evening?
What appeared before him was... ruins?
"Duoduo, I'm sorry, I've got the wrong place. It should be nearby..."

Yang Duo'er smiled and said, "That's right, Brother Liangzi. Tengwang Pavilion has been destroyed many times in history. The most recent time was in 1908 when it was destroyed by war. It has been like this ever since."

"You all know?"

"I only found out today."

"Then why aren't you stopping me?"

"No, I still want to come to the ruins to see where the prince in the pavilion is now. The Yangtze River flows on emptily outside the railing. Now, not to mention the prince, the Tengwang Pavilion is gone too. Only this mighty river flows on and on."

When did his wife become a literary figure? Qin Liang smiled and said, "Then let's have a picnic by the river, on the ruins of the Tengwang Pavilion."

picnic?

Yang Duo'er glanced at the luggage package strapped to the back of the motorcycle: "Is there food in here?"

"No."

What would we eat without you? Air!

As he spoke, Qin Liang pulled out a cylindrical cloth bag, unzipped it, and revealed something about the thickness of a bamboo stick. It didn't look particularly remarkable, but…

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Qin Liang pulled out a wire-like object from the center of the thing, and then continued to pull out a piece of something that was looped around it, one loop after another, and soon it became a ten-meter-long pole!
Attach a reel to the end, and you've made a... fishing rod?
Yang Duo'er's eyes widened in surprise. This thing looked very light, but it actually had so many layers of sleeves!
If the same structure were made of carbon steel, the front part would bend due to gravity. Now... although it bends slightly downwards, it is almost negligible!
"Carbon fiber material?"

"That's right, put bait on the hook, create a feeding area first, and if you're lucky..."

Of course, we were lucky. In the 1980s, there were fish in the river, pheasants in the mountains, and birds in the sky, and everything was green, environmentally friendly, and pollution-free!
Three minutes later, the fishing rod trembled slightly. Qin Liang pulled hard on the rod, and it visibly bent quickly.

Thirty degrees, sixty degrees, ninety degrees... In the end, the fishing rod even bent to nearly one hundred and eighty degrees!

What a huge fish that must be in there!
Yang Duo'er stared wide-eyed at the fishing rod. Even after all that, it hadn't broken! Carbon fiber material is really great. I didn't see this when I went to the Paris Air Show last time.

"What are you standing there for? Come and help!"

At this point, you can't keep pushing. Change direction and pull the fishing rod back. The fish will naturally be pulled over. The force that the fishing rod can withstand in the radial direction is much greater than that in the normal direction. That's right, that's the thought process of a science-minded angler.

Finally, the fish was pulled up. It was over a meter long. Qin Liang practically scrambled up and grabbed the fish to keep it from going back into the water.

If some people saw this, they would definitely say that Heaven cherishes life and should not kill living beings, etc. Just ignore these kinds of people. They can even do things like dumping mineral water into the Yangtze River. It would be a miracle if these kinds of people were mentally sound.

Please don't eat meat. Is it really that easy to be a vegetarian? Do you know how many lives are in the water?
"Cut the fish head in half, make fish head with chopped chili, fish head stew with flatbread, split the body into eight pieces, no, ten pieces, make fish with pickled cabbage, fish in tomato sauce, boiled fish... We can't make these here, let's go back and eat them. Hang them on the back of our motorcycle, once we get into the city, let's drive around a few more times... and drain the water from this fish..."

Yang Duo'er was also busy helping, until the big fish was about ten meters away from the riverbank and finally gave up and stopped struggling. Only then did the two of them finally breathe a sigh of relief.

and many more!

When did people start gathering around? Fair-skinned, blue-eyed people with cameras in their hands, snapping photos loudly. I hadn't even noticed them because I was so busy catching fish!
"Who are you?" Qin Liang became wary.

"Hello, your fishing rod is really great. What material is it made of, and how much does it cost?" The other person said in broken Oriental English, "My name is Mark, I'm Canadian, I studied East Asian Studies and fell in love with Oriental culture, so I came to the East for tourism, to see the Tengwang Pavilion, and then... oh, quick!"

The other side lunged forward, stopping the big fish from struggling.

"Everyone who sees this gets a share! Come on, let's go back to the city together, I'll treat you to fish!"

His wife would definitely sit in the sidecar, but this fish... he'd have to let this foreigner carry it on his back and ride it around the city a few times before going back!

　PS: The first was the Hawk surface-to-air missile, the second was the Phoenix air-to-air missile and its seeker, and the third was the Honduran missile.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)