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

Chapter 253 Grumman also wants to cooperate!
It's already November. The north is already bitterly cold, while the south is experiencing continuous rain. One is damp and cold, the other is dry and cold; one has heating, the other doesn't. In comparison, the south seems to be having a harder time.

People from Northeast China are definitely not the ones who can withstand the cold. They'll put on warm cotton coats and down jackets even before the temperature drops significantly. On the other hand, people from the South who are resistant to the cold will only wear thermal underwear on their legs, or at most two pairs, no matter how cold it gets.

Qin Liang stood on the runway of Factory 320, watching the special plane slowly land alongside the others.

Grumman wants to visit Dongfang to see the twin-engine Q6, so let them come. If they don't come, it might cause misunderstandings and make people think we have something to hide!
Anyway, Langtuo is going to buy it, and the Eastern Navy and Air Force will also use it themselves. This thing can't be hidden. When it's equipped in large quantities in the future, it will eventually attract the attention of the Americans. Rather than letting them have a grudge all day long and complain about the Eastern knock-off in the media, it's better to resolve their grudge now!

Old Lu was a little nervous: "Liangzi, do you think the Americans will listen to our explanation?"

"Whether they listen or not is their business. We just need to explain things clearly. They said our Y-10 was a copy of the Boeing 707, but didn't they clarify that later? The president of Boeing announced that it was not a copy, and now they are even helping us obtain FAA airworthiness certification in the United States."

Old Lu nodded: "Yes."

The special plane had landed smoothly. The cabin door opened, revealing a built-in gangway on the lower half. Tall Americans stepped out of the plane.

Hooked noses, blue eyes… Qin Liang vaguely remembered these people, quickly associating them with a photograph. Back then, the Americans put on a warm front towards the East, even inviting them to visit the Tomcat fighter jets in the US. They even painted the Tomcats with an Eastern livery, and most of the people in the photo were in that picture.

"Welcome, everyone, to Hongdu Machinery Factory." Old Lu walked up to him. "Pellehac, we meet again."

Mr. Lu had studied abroad! In 1944, he interned at McDonnell Aircraft Company, where Pellehark was also present, and the two even shared a dormitory!
When Pellehac saw Elder Lu, he was also taken aback: "Lu, I didn't expect to see you here!"

"Yes, it's been decades since we last met. I never imagined we'd actually see each other again!"

Old Lu reached out his hand, wanting to shake hands with the other person, but the other person opened his arms and hugged him.

What a heart-wrenching encounter!
A person carrying a camera slung over their shoulder snapped a few photos.

"Come, Lu, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Jono Brian, the CEO of our Grumman Corporation. He is very interested in the East, so he came to take a look in person, especially curious about your twin-engine Q-6 fighter jet..."

"Hello, Mr. Brian."

Professor Lu spoke fluent English and communicated directly with the other party. After exchanging pleasantries, Professor Lu introduced him: "This is Qin Liang. He heard that you were coming and came all the way from Northwestern Polytechnical University."

Over the years, Qin Liang's name has become well-known in the American aviation industry. Even Grumman knows that Northwestern Polytechnical University has many collaborations with Boeing and Lockheed, and Qin Liang is an important driving force behind them.

"Qin, hello. In the United States, Professor Yang and I are good friends. He has mentioned you, his son-in-law, and he is very proud of you..."

Okay, we've brought up the father-in-law again!

Yang Duo'er was in the capital accompanying her mother on business trips and hadn't come over. Qin Liang, who hadn't expected to be able to use Yang Duo'er to create momentum, smiled and said, "Thank you."

"Everyone, let's go to the conference room first, and we'll introduce our twin-engine Q6."

This aircraft is not only used by the navy and air force, but has also been sold. Therefore, it is not a big deal to simply introduce some of its parameters to Grumman.

Inside the conference room, a photograph was projected onto the screen.

"This is... Qiang Wu?"

"That's right. Back then, our country urgently needed ground attack aircraft, so our Hongdu Machinery Plant improved the Q-5 based on the J-6, solving the urgent needs of the navy and air force. We sold quite a few of these aircraft..."

To introduce the twin-engine Q6, we must start with the Q5! This is also one of Mr. Lu's proudest works.

"However, this aircraft is too outdated, so our successor, the Q-6 project, began research ten years ago."

As the next slide was displayed, the Grumman engineers widened their eyes once again.

From the nose...it looks like an F-16, from the rear fuselage...it looks like a MiG-23, it's practically a hybrid composite...

"At the time, in order to improve performance at low altitudes, we adopted a variable-sweep wing design and installed a WS-6 turbofan engine in the back. We also planned to use fly-by-wire control for the aircraft... However... due to the great technical difficulty, we had to give up in the end."

"Where is the technical difficulty greatest?"

"The engine," Old Lu said helplessly, "The WS-6 turbofan engine we planned to install is simply impossible to get working. No matter what we try, it's not mature enough, and it won't even pass the bench tests..."

Upon hearing this, the Americans present all smiled knowingly.

Although the WS-6 project was top secret, the American intelligence system was all-pervasive and could still find out some things, especially since some of Chiang Kai-shek's spies on the mainland could find clues.

They knew about the WS-6 project, and they also knew that in that era of launching satellites, it was impossible to develop such a thing.

Looking at the expressions on these people's faces, Old Lu sighed inwardly. Sure enough, Qin Liang's suggestion was the most suitable. Mixing some truth with falsehood would make it easier for the Americans to believe it.

"Seeing that our project would be canceled if we couldn't find a suitable engine, we simply changed the design and changed from a single engine to a twin engine!"

Old Lu put on the third slide and continued to explain to everyone: "If one engine is not enough, two engines will surely do, right? Moreover, you should know that when variable sweep wings change, the shift of the aerodynamic focus is a big problem. If the fuselage itself can provide a certain amount of lift, it will be much easier to solve. Therefore, we decided to widen the fuselage."

You can't tell how big the Tomcat's fuselage is from the side, but you can see how huge it is from a top-down or bottom-up view. Look at the tail section, most of the engines are next to each other, but the two engines on this thing are more than a meter apart!

When it was designed, perhaps the consideration was that if one engine caught fire, it would not affect the other engine. However, this also caused problems such as single-engine engines being prone to yaw. The benefit, on the other hand, is that the wide fuselage provides a lot of lift.

The Tomcat fighter jet once had one wing folded while the other wing unfolded, yet it still managed to fly back. This was because the fuselage balanced it. Also, even if the wing stalled at high angles of attack, the fuselage provided lift.

The Tomcat fighter jet could also attempt the Cobra maneuver, similar to that of the Su-27.

Now, Mr. Lu has explained these design ideas.

"Just as we were conducting wind tunnel tests, our aero-engine department developed a high-thrust turbojet engine. So we enlarged the airframe and created the current twin-engine Q-6 configuration."

"High-thrust turbojet?"

"Yes, we have realized that it is difficult to develop advanced turbofan engines on our own, so we can only make do with turbojet engines for now. Although the fuel consumption is a bit higher, other performance is still guaranteed, especially high-altitude and high-speed performance, which is what we value most. Thus, this aircraft, originally designed for ground attack, also has the ability to intercept at long range..."

Pellehak frowned: "Variable sweep wings offer a maneuverability advantage, haven't you considered using them for dogfights?"

"Sigh, it won't work." Old Lu sighed. "Our aircraft uses stainless steel wing boxes, which are too heavy and have poor maneuverability."

A complete R&D process, high-thrust turbojet, stainless steel wing box... all of these prove that although Hongdu Machinery Plant's twin-engine Q6 looks very similar to the Tomcat, it is completely different!
The male cat's close-range fighting ability is something this dual-wielding Strong 6 lacks!
What about the avionics?

"The avionics are all self-developed. As you should know, our Super-7 is equipped with advanced avionics. We even supply Europe with our flat panel slotted antennas, which are manufactured in the East." Completely made in the East, it has absolutely nothing to do with the Tomcat fighter jet!
As Mr. Lu spoke, he displayed another slide.

"Next, I'll introduce... Oh no, wrong one!"

Old Lu quickly took the slide down, and by then everyone else had seen it. Their eyes widened instantly, and they stared intently at it. When Old Lu put the slide down, the others were even somewhat reluctant.

"No, don't take it away! Let us see it!"

"No, damn it, this is our secret..."

"Since you've already seen it, the secret has been leaked. Why don't we investigate it together?"

"No, no, absolutely not..." Old Lu's face had turned pale.

"We know that Northwestern Polytechnical University in the East has already partnered with Lockheed Martin to develop a stealth fighter. Since they can cooperate, why can't you join us in our research? I never imagined that you would be developing a stealthy variable-sweep wing fighter!"

Old Lu's hand trembled slightly, then he looked down at the people below.

"Mr. Lu, since our American friends want to see it, let them see it. They are right. After all, we are cooperating with the Americans. Since it is a cooperation, we cannot favor one side over the other."

"Alright, but... Qin Liang, you're the most familiar with this, so why don't you introduce it?"

So Qin Liang went up, and the slide was put back on.

The plane above looked even more bulky, like a tomcat that had been beaten up, and the nose of the plane had also been reshaped.

"During our collaboration with Lockheed Martin, we realized the crucial role of stealth in the future, so we began researching various stealth technologies. Since we currently only have the twin-engine Q-6, and ground attack is the most important mission for stealth aircraft, we plan to develop a stealth version based on the twin-engine Q-6."

That's absolutely true. The first stealth fighter of the Americans, the F-117, was a purely ground attack aircraft. In order to reduce radar echoes, it didn't even have an onboard radar!
After that, stealth fighters began to emerge. The one that ultimately won the bid was Lockheed's YF-22, which was comparable to the YF-23. The latter was more futuristic, but it was rejected by the U.S. Air Force because it was considered a PowerPoint presentation project.

In fact, besides these, Grumman also has a modified stealth carrier-based aircraft, and what Qin Liang is showing now is this design!
The nose section is more optimized than the diamond shape, similar to the nose of the later F-35. The cockpit sides start to be extended with strakes, below which is the Garrett air intake, and behind the strake is the wing box, which can provide more lift. Behind the air intake is the internal weapons bay, which is also the reason why the aircraft looks bulky. This big belly extends all the way to the tail.

The outward-canted twin vertical tails, the all-moving tail fin, and all visible seams feature a serrated design.

The design immediately caught the attention of all Grumman's engineers.

Qin Liang briefly explained the design concept, going through it from beginning to end, all in an effort to fool the Americans.

Whether variable-sweep wings are outdated or not, Qin Liang didn't know, but... the US Air Force in later generations did not have variable-sweep wing fighters. The F-22 was once modified for carrier operations with variable-sweep wings, but it ultimately failed.

Since we know this product is not popular with the Americans, we should push it hard so that Grumman will spend huge sums of money on research and then waste it. If we can bankrupt Grumman, we will lose a major arms manufacturer in the future. Even if we can't bankrupt it, we won't suffer any losses.

To be honest, the US Navy is really in a tough spot. At least the Air Force managed to develop the F-22, but what about the Navy?
Seeing that the Air Force had the F-117, the Navy also decided to develop a carrier-based stealth attack aircraft. The A-12 project was rejected, and its own carrier-based stealth aircraft was also rejected. It could only share the F-35 with the Air Force. By the time this thing was deployed on the ship, the times had changed, and it was already the era of drones!
Since it's a failed project anyway, I might as well use it to fool people. If they're interested, maybe I can...

"You also have high hopes for the future of variable-sweep wing fighters?" Pellehak asked excitedly.

"Well... how should I put it? Variable sweep wings have advantages in different airspaces, and their performance across the entire flight envelope surpasses that of any other aircraft. However, the added weight and system complexity brought about by variable sweep wings are also a burden."

Instead of continuing to exaggerate, Qin Liang told the truth. This approach won him more favor and made them realize that he wasn't deceiving them, but rather analyzing the various advantages and disadvantages.

“You’re using stainless steel wing boxes, which of course adds weight. Our titanium alloy wing boxes don’t add much weight,” Yono-Brien said.

“Yes, the titanium alloy integral wing box is indeed excellent.” Qin Liang nodded. “However, it requires advanced vacuum electron beam welding technology, and we…”

Qin Liang shook his head with a wry smile. Just as he was about to say something, the other person spoke again.

“We can transfer this technology to you, and you, in turn, will give us the development data for this aircraft! How about it?” Jono Brian’s eyes gleamed. “Since you can cooperate with other companies, you can certainly cooperate with us!”

An excited gleam instantly appeared in Old Lu's eyes.

These Americans are really something!

The Tomcat's success has many factors, but the titanium alloy wing box is definitely one of the most important. They specifically developed vacuum electron beam welding technology to make this wing box, which is now one of Grumman's top secrets.

In order to jointly develop the technology, they were actually willing to offer this technology in exchange!
"Well... we still need to consult with our superiors, after all, this stealth modification is a key project of interest to the navy and air force..."

Old Lu thought to himself, "Qin Liang is truly remarkable. He plays the 'feigned indifference' trick so skillfully! This is how you keep the Americans in suspense and extract more benefits."

Little did he know, Qin Liang was suffering inside. There were no design drawings at all, only slides in front of him!
If we were to offer this one slide in exchange, Grumman would definitely be furious. So, we still need to go back to Northwestern Polytechnical University and do some basic design work. Even if the details are completely off, at least we need to have enough design materials to show our sincerity.

After this matter was over, I was planning to go back to the capital to find my wife. Now, I'm afraid I'll have to go back to Northwestern Polytechnical University!
That concludes the discussion of the project and the meeting. We had lunch at Hongdu Machinery Factory, and in the afternoon, a group of American experts visited the aircraft factory.

They saw the stainless steel wing box.

They also saw the turbojet engine.

They also saw it on the nose radar.

"We have confirmed during this visit that your twin-engine Q-6 fighter jet has absolutely nothing to do with our Tomcat. We will clarify this point when we return," Yono-Brien said before leaving. "We also look forward to your swift approval process to allow you to cooperate with Grumman on stealth fighter technology."

"We will do it as soon as possible," Old Lu nodded.

A group of people warmly saw the guests off to the plane, and Mr. Lu finally breathed a sigh of relief after the plane took off.

"Liangzi, we owe you a lot this time. Otherwise, we wouldn't know how to explain it to the Americans. After all, intellectual property rights are taken very seriously in the West."

Qin Liang smiled and said, "Actually, they can see a lot about the relationship with the male cat, but because of their cooperation with us, they don't plan to pursue it further."

"I wonder if the Air Force will agree to this cooperation..."

"Why not agree? Isn't it great to use the Americans' money for preliminary research? Such a powerful fighter jet must have a lot of R&D funding. If someone is paying for it, of course we should accept it. Next, with the vacuum electron beam welding technology, we can also study the titanium alloy wing box issue. This will increase costs. Let's ask Lang Tuo if he's willing..."

　PS: The F-22 has a variable-sweep wing variant, and there's also the stealth cat.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)