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

Chapter 209 Is Eighth Master About to Experience a Second Spring in His Life?
"Back then, we conducted two years of research and concluded that it was not yet time to develop a large transport aircraft with a takeoff weight of 200 tons. However, now, our domestic aviation industry has developed rapidly, and the problems that once hindered us have been solved one by one. We believe it is time to start this project."

Old Chen continued, "Our Y-7 and Y-8 transport aircraft are far too inadequate in terms of transport capacity! We must develop large strategic transport aircraft to make up for our lack of strategic airlift capability. Moreover, the Air Force has saved money on the twin-engine Q-6 project this time..."

"Hey, Lao Chen, we're planning to use the money we saved to buy more planes! The Super-7 is really good; it meets the Air Force's needs. We're planning to buy several batches. You guys want to develop transport planes, but you don't have the research and development funds!"

"Then... cancel the J-8 project. To be honest, this project is already a waste of resources. If we're talking about air defense and interception, the twin-engine Q-6 is also an option. The Persian Cat from Lang Tuo can fly at Mach 2.5, isn't that better than the J-8?"

Old Lin's eyes darted around: "Did Qin Liang teach you all this?"

"Ahem, Mr. Lin, we came up with all of this ourselves. It's not good to speak ill of our competitors. If any of our brother units cause trouble in the future, feel free to come to us!"

Old Lin looked at the cafeteria in front of him with a complicated expression: "Eat first, we'll talk about your projects this afternoon!"

guest House.

"No, I'm still angry. We're the big brother of the aviation industry, and now we're almost marginalized!"

"That's right, our J-8 project is also in a precarious position. If this project fails, we'll have no projects left!"

Their eldest brother is having an increasingly difficult time!

"Sigh, when Comrade Qin Liang returns, I'll go see him personally." Old Gu sighed. "We still need to ask him for some advice!"

As night fell, Qin Liang returned home with his wife and saw a group of people at the door.

"Mr. Gu, what's going on here...?"

"Comrade Qin Liang, we'd like to have a talk with you."

"Ahem, old Li, with your hands behind your back, you didn't bring a brick with you, did you?"

"Of course not. How could that be!"

"Then let's talk in your room!" Qin Liang glanced at his wife, gesturing for her to go back to her room first.

Upon arriving at Elder Gu's room, Elder Gu couldn't help but sigh: "Comrade Qin Liang, in recent years, the Air Force has kept setting goals that exceed our industrial base. One model after another failed, which made our 601 Institute conservative, always seeking stability. Now, it is precisely because of this pursuit of stability that we have lost project after project. Today, we failed again in the bidding, our J-8..."

"The J-8 is still useful," Qin Liang said. "Don't underestimate yourselves. The J-8 is still very good at high altitudes and high speeds."

"Comrade Qin Liang, you don't need to comfort us. The Persian Cat can fly at Mach 2.5. The twin-engine Q-6, which performs air defense missions and uses the WP-15 turbojet engine, can probably also reach that speed. Our J-8 has no chance of winning against this aircraft."

They already realized how outdated their J-8 fighters were, but... they were still full of hope that Qin Liang could turn the impossible into reality!

"This is all due to the rapid development of our domestic aviation industry in recent years," Qin Liang said. "In previous years, we were lagging behind, but now we must strive to catch up. If we continue to be complacent, we will remain behind forever!"

"Yes, you're right. We've reflected deeply on this failed bid, and we've realized that we've been somewhat complacent over the years," said Old Gu. "However, we hope you can give us some guidance on what to do next."

"I wouldn't call it giving pointers," Qin Liang said. "However, the fact that the J-8 isn't valued by the Air Force might be an opportunity, which means the J-8 can be sold!"

Sell!
Everyone took a deep breath.

They wanted to go to the airshow back then, but... the J-8 is a type of aircraft that is destined to be classified. They couldn't participate in the airshow, nor could they sell the aircraft! This meant that they could only wait for the Air Force to purchase it.

In the past, they weren't worried, but now that the Air Force has so many new options, will they still want their J-8 fighters?

The side air intakes have been modified, a new radar has been installed on the nose, and medium-range missiles have been added. Everything seems to be in place, but it's already outdated!
However, if it's not suitable for personal use, selling it might be a good option!

"Who will it be sold to?" Old Gu asked.

"As you all know, the Persian cat has undergone a complete transformation, so... do you think that the Super 7 in Yi Tuo's possession is sufficient?"

The Super-7 prioritizes maneuverability! After adopting various technical means, the Super-7's maximum speed has decreased. Moreover, the Super-7's nose is limited, making it impossible to install a large-diameter radar, and its search range is not very far.

The nose of the J-8 can be fitted with a large-diameter radar like the Tomcat, giving the J-8 the same long-range search capability as the Tomcat, and even allowing it to act as an airborne early warning aircraft. The J-8 also has high-altitude, high-speed capabilities, enabling it to intercept targets at long range!
Lang Tuo has male cats, what does Yi Tuo have? J-8 fighter jets!
"Does the Izvestia need J-8 fighters?"

"That's right. Iran can use one J-8 as the lead aircraft and three to four Super-7s as wingmen to form a formation. Based on the number of Super-7s they have purchased, they will need at least twenty or thirty J-8s, and the price of a J-8 is not low..."

"That's right, that's right!" The group from Shenyang nodded in unison. This plan was feasible, and the J-8 fighter jets could be sold! Each one would fetch at least 20 million US dollars, no, 30 million US dollars. In that case, 30 jets would be a business worth nearly 1 billion US dollars. This incredible wealth was finally ours!

"Comrade Qin Liang, thank you so much for your idea. The development of our Northern Institute depends on you!"

"Ahem, everyone, don't rush, we have to wait. After all, there is no need for Iran to purchase J-8 fighters at the moment."

"When will that be?"

"Let's wait a year or two. It's good if we can reach an agreement on arms sales within three to five years. But don't worry, once the J-8 is fully modified and has complete air interception and search capabilities, there will definitely be a market for it."

"it is good!"

One or two years is nothing, they can wait!
Boom!
Just then, the door opened, and an engineer from the Northern Institute ran in excitedly: "Great news! Great news! The Pakistani Air Force is about to send people over, hoping to purchase more weapons and equipment from us!"

The Russians swiftly overthrew the regime in the Graveyard of Empires! When a large number of MiG fighters flew over the Graveyard of Empires, Pakistan felt real pressure. Although the Russians were very cautious and dared not fly into Pakistan's airspace, who knows if they might cross the border while pursuing traitors?
Old Baht instantly felt immense pressure!
They need to be able to monitor the airspace over the Imperial Graveyard, and they need to be able to intercept at any time, which is exactly what the J-8 is best at!
"Comrade Qin Liang, could we try to sell the J-8 fighter jet to Pakistan?"

Qin Liang took a deep breath: "Well, I don't know either, you can give it a try."

"Then will you help us out?"

"Okay, I'll try my best."

Only those who are blind to the potential of a high-altitude, high-speed second-generation fighter like the J-8 would choose it, cough cough, only those who truly love it would select it. Although Pakistan is poor, its air force has very high standards. Therefore, Qin Liang is not optimistic about the proposal he is selling to Pakistan.

But... what if it works?
Historically, the J-8 was a highly sought-after asset of the Air Force in the 1980s. It even collaborated with the United States on a $550 million "Peaceful Exemplar" project. When this project failed, the J-8 lost its secrets, and the Air Force acquired the Su-27. This series of chain reactions finally gave the J-8 the opportunity to be exported.

However... the J-8's avionics system was too outdated, and the era of high-altitude and high-speed flight was over, so it was not sold. Later, it was equipped with Russian avionics and became the J-82M, but it still was not sold!
This aircraft, developed in the 1960s, was produced until 2012, with a total production of only three hundred units. Moreover, it was continuously retired from the military's equipment inventory. Of course, this should not negate the J-8's contributions. In that special era, the J-8 was the only long-range fighter jet for the navy and air force, making great contributions to the motherland and giving birth to naval and air force heroes...

So whether it can be sold or not depends on Buffett's judgment!

Day 3, airplane terminal.

Qin Liang was somewhat exasperated by having to come to meetings every day, but... the matter was of great importance, and he had a friend named Lao Ba, so he had no choice but to come.

"Let's give a warm round of applause to welcome General Jamal and his entourage!" General Jamal walked into the conference room, looked at everyone present, and then turned his gaze to Qin Liang.

"Comrade Qin Liang, thank you for recommending the Super-7 fighter jet to us. In the past few days, the Super-7 has become the main force of our homeland air defense, frequently taking off to deal with emergencies!"

"We are pleased that our fighter jets, produced in the East, can be put to good use in your hands," Qin Liang said. "However, countering Soviet atrocities should be something the entire Western world is passionate about, and they should be giving you their full support."

“Yes, these are all classified, but I can briefly introduce them to my friends in the East,” Jamal said. “The United States is preparing to provide us with a batch of military aid, and we hope that this valuable resource will be used where it is most needed. We hope to procure the most suitable weapons and equipment to meet our requirements.”

Buffett may not have money, but America does!
Now that the Soviet Union has fallen out of power, the West is naturally going to cause them trouble. The only way to do this is through Pakistan, so they have to appease Pakistan.

Military aid is a must!

The people from Shenyang were all excited. Great, fantastic! The order is secured! After talking with Qin Liang last night, they went to the Air Force leadership, and the Air Force also gave the green light: the J-8 fighter jets can be sold!
Everything happened so naturally; this immense wealth was finally theirs!

"Yes, we have an aircraft here that is most suitable for your company!" Qin Liang said. "Now, please let our colleagues from the Northern Institute introduce it to you."

Old Gu stood up and walked towards the projection screen.

"What you are about to hear is our most advanced and most secret fighter jet in the East. To this day, this fighter jet has not been discussed with any foreign customers. Your company is the first!"

The old men got excited; what they were about to hear was sure to be very powerful!

"Our fighter jet is a top-secret project that began development in the 1960s. It uses two engines, giving the fighter jet powerful performance, allowing it to fly at Mach 2.2 at high altitudes, and it also has a super climb rate of 200 meters per second..."

The old men listened attentively, but after seeing the structural diagram of the slender machine, they still frowned.

"How much G-force does this plane have?"

"This aircraft can withstand an overload of 5.5G."

Old Ba's brow furrowed even deeper.

"Ahem, everyone, the biggest advantages of this aircraft are its speed and avionics. Mr. Gu, please introduce these features to our customers!"

Mr. Gu realized what was happening and immediately switched to a new slide.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the nose of our J-8 fighter jet can accommodate a radar antenna with a diameter of over 900 millimeters. This radar has a search range of over 100 kilometers..."

The AWG-9 radar boasts a search range of over 300 kilometers, which is incredibly impressive. However, this is only because the Tomcat's airframe is so large that it can accommodate high-powered equipment, and there is also a dedicated weapons operator to control this radar equipment.

Moreover, that's only in PDS mode. To attack a target, you have to switch to PDSTT mode, which will drastically reduce the distance to about 150 kilometers.

The radar crammed into the nose of the J-8 fighter jet only claims a search range of a few hundred kilometers, which is already quite remarkable, considering that most airborne radars today have a search range of only tens of kilometers, or even less than fifty kilometers.

"So strong?" Sure enough, the old men became interested.

Old Gu took a deep breath. There's a trick to selling airplanes!
"Yes, our aircraft is designed for high-altitude, high-speed operation. With the support of onboard radar, it can act as the lead aircraft in a formation, leading several Super-7s as wingmen for joint operations. This way, it can intercept at long range and rely on the Super-7s for close-range combat. The combined strength of both aircraft makes it a formidable fighting force..."

The old guys started to get interested.

We don't need many of these planes, but they can be used as long-range interceptors and airborne command aircraft... and so on!
What is the flight range of this plane?

"Without auxiliary fuel tanks, the maximum range is 1,500 kilometers."

Despite its large size, the J-8 used two fuel-guzzling turbojet engines, which meant its range wasn't very strong. So in the 1990s, there was a plan to replace the WP-7 turbojet engine with the RD-33, but the domestic air force didn't want it, and it didn't sell well in the market, so it was eventually abandoned.

"No, it's too small! Such a large twin-engine aircraft, even with auxiliary fuel tanks, should have a maximum range of at least 3,000 kilometers. These engines... need to be replaced!"

The people from the Northern Institute were all beaming with excitement.

I've wanted to replace the engine for ages!

The outdated WP-7 turbojet engine has high fuel consumption and low thrust. They are envious of the RB199 engine that the Super 7 is equipped with, which has a huge thrust!
"Of course, no problem. As long as you place an order, we can immediately match the new engine to your aircraft. The technical parameters of the RB199 are perfectly fine and can be matched to our aircraft! Moreover, the thrust of 73 kN can further enhance the performance of our aircraft! It can even achieve the supersonic cruise target!"

“No, no.” Jamal shook his head: “We need to use American engines to match it.”

The US is going to provide military aid! But... this aid definitely won't all be in cash; some money will definitely flow into the hands of US military-industrial companies! If Trump takes US money and goes to Europe to buy engines, won't US military-industrial companies be furious?

The benefits must be ceded to the United States!
Mr. Gu got stuck.

American engines? They don't know anything about them. All they have access to is information on the RB199 and the successful experience of the Super 7. So, they subconsciously think that this engine is the most suitable match.

“The US doesn’t have many engine options, but the F404 is a good choice,” Qin Liang said.

When I went to the United States years ago, I had contact with people from General Electric. Although they didn't provide me with an engine prototype, they did provide all the relevant information. Let's take this as an example!
"This engine is small in size and can be easily installed in the engine compartment of the J-8. Moreover, its fuel consumption is greatly reduced, and a range of 3,000 kilometers can be guaranteed. Furthermore, its maximum afterburner thrust has been increased to 7.8 tons, which is greater than that of the RB199, and its power reserve is more sufficient..." Qin Liang began.

Jamal and the others nodded repeatedly. In fact, they had also considered it, and the F404 engine was the most suitable medium-thrust engine. Now, they had received a satisfactory answer from the East!

"This engine can also be installed on the Super 7, so your company won't need to equip itself with two engines at the same time, which will facilitate logistics, maintenance, and upkeep," Qin Liang continued.

"it is good!"

"However, this engine also has its flaws. For example, its high-altitude and high-speed performance is too poor. The normal military thrust of four or five tons is reduced to only 1.7 tons at high altitude. After it is installed on the J-8, its high-altitude and high-speed performance will definitely decrease."

There are many theories about the high-altitude, high-speed performance of F404 waste. For example, it is said that the American engines are too well-sealed, with no gaps between the blade edges and the outer casing, resulting in excessive airflow at high speeds that cannot be utilized, thus creating a scramjet effect. The engine blades may even have a counterproductive effect.

This claim is pure nonsense. Turbofan engines do not have high high-altitude and high-speed performance. This is due to the large frontal area of ​​the bypass duct and the additional drag, and it is definitely not caused by the obstruction of the compressor blades or the like.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as the RD33, which has a bypass ratio of 0.49, even higher than the F404 engine with a bypass ratio of 0.34. However, after Mach 1.6, the thrust of the F404 drops significantly, while the thrust of the RD33 engine can still be maintained at more than half of that at sea level. It seems that the statement that the higher the bypass ratio, the worse the high-altitude and high-speed performance is is not true.

In fact, the RD33's formidable high-altitude, high-speed performance is due to an additional design by the Russians: when flying at high altitudes and speeds, the turbine temperature is allowed to be 150 degrees Celsius higher than the ground temperature! For every 100 degrees Celsius increase in temperature, the thrust can increase by 20%!

“High-altitude, high-speed performance isn’t essential,” Jamal said. “To increase range, this performance can be sacrificed!”

That's it? A happy accident, they even modified the J-8 fighter jet?

　PS: The thrust curves of F404 and RD33 show that above Mach 1.6, F404 quickly becomes ineffective, while RD33 remains as powerful as if it were on drugs.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)