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

Chapter 376 Luo Luo Company, come to my bowl!

Dick Taylor was startled: "What? You have a similar engine? Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

They acknowledge that Dongfang's electronic technology is advanced, and they also acknowledge that Dongfang's materials technology is advanced. However, in the field of aero-engines, Dongfang has always lagged behind! The Y-10 passenger plane is still based on the Spey engine.

How could the East possibly have an advanced engine with a thrust exceeding 35 tons?
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
“Mr. Taylor, we will definitely manufacture the complete aircraft ourselves. As for what you are thinking, we are aware of it,” Qin Liang said. “You can rest assured that we will not compete with Boeing Passenger. We will develop new markets.”

Dick Taylor's eyes widened: "What market?"

"A market that Boeing cannot reach."

Dick Taylor fell silent. When they first started working together, they hadn't thought too much about it. But now, as the project was progressing to the prototype development stage, Boeing was genuinely worried that the strength of China's aviation industry might threaten Boeing.

Now, people from the East are saying that to avoid competition, they should explore other markets.

This is judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person! They never expected that Dongfang would be so magnanimous!

That engine...

The engines absolutely cannot be supplied to the East. Boeing will never cultivate competitors. They have signed an exclusive development agreement with General Electric. This modified CF-6 from General Electric can only be sold to Boeing!

As for Dongfang choosing other engines...

Boeing couldn't interfere!
and many more!

Dick Taylor suddenly remembered something. Back then, the Easterners installed composite material blades on the Spey engine, which successfully increased its thrust. The British had taken a liking to it and wanted to install these blades on the RB211 engine, but they couldn't get the technology right and had to ask the East for help.

With the help of Dongfang, the RB211 fan blades were successfully replaced, resulting in greater thrust and better fuel economy. Later, Dongfang also promoted larger diameter blades, such as increasing them to three meters, which could increase the engine's thrust to forty tons!

However, because there was no suitable machine for installation, it remained a theoretical concept. It seems that when the Sonic Cruiser was being developed, the Easterners had already considered the issue of engine compatibility!
Damn it, why didn't we think of Rolls-Royce as an alternative?
It seems that trying to control Easterners with engines is simply not going to work!
Dick Taylor's confidence vanished instantly. It seemed the Easterners were determined to produce the supersonic cruiser here!

"Let's move on to the other subsystems. This brand-new passenger aircraft will use modern avionics, reducing the crew to two people, and will also use fly-by-wire. We in the East have all of these devices. You can find suppliers in the United States or you can find us to provide the equipment. However... if you use American equipment, then if the plane crashes due to fly-by-wire failure, it will be none of our business."

Dick Taylor's expression was complicated: "In the prototype stage, we will choose to source components from the East. As for the production stage, we will conduct bidding."

Even if it's a bidding process, Eastern products are definitely the most suitable—cheap and of top quality! The US doesn't yet have fly-by-wire systems for passenger aircraft, and this untapped market absolutely belongs to the East!

Next, the coordination of each subsystem began. This was none of Qin Liang's business. He hadn't paid much attention to this industry and didn't understand it very well. He just listened to others' conversations and smiled and nodded.

Meanwhile, Old Ma stood to the side, deep in thought.

After a day of meetings, and after a dinner to entertain the Americans, Old Ma finally found an opportunity and looked at Qin Liang with great excitement.

"Mr. Qin, is the brand-new engine you mentioned the British RB211?"

Seeing Qin Liang nod, Old Ma was very excited: "I knew it. Back then, when your Northwestern Polytechnical University improved the RB211 for the UK, you had other intentions. After obtaining the RB211 data, did your Northwestern Polytechnical University thoroughly understand all the technology and even produce a prototype?"

Qin Liang shook his head with a wry smile: "It's not that easy."

Initially, under the pretext of improving the fan blades of the RB211, they did obtain the design data for this engine. However, to say that having the design data means they can produce it is utter nonsense. This requires further improvement in domestic aero-engine technology.

Domestic personnel are working tirelessly, but it's still not enough to produce this engine right now!
"Then..." Old Ma stood there stunned. What exactly do you mean?

In the whole world, apart from General Electric, Rolls-Royce is probably the only company that can provide the necessary components!

"Old Ma, what do you think of the British strength now?"

U.K?

After the disastrous Falklands War, Britain was on the verge of bankruptcy, and was now insolvent! It was said that many noble Britons had started rummaging through garbage cans in the streets.

"You mean, take this opportunity to buy Rolls-Royce?"

"It's not about buying them. Once the news gets out that we need a high-thrust engine for the Sonic Cruiser, Rolls-Royce will definitely be interested. They'll come to us to discuss supply, and then... we'll ask Rolls-Royce to open a factory in the East."

"Where did they get the money to open the factory?" Old Ma asked, his eyes wide.

"So, it's up to us to invest! They provide the complete technology, we provide the capital, and together we'll set up this engine manufacturing plant, and then..."

"Then what?"

"Then, as Rolls-Royce's business situation continued to deteriorate, they needed more money, so they had to keep transferring their shares in Oriental to us..."

Even if Rolls-Royce initially held more shares, eventually the shares would fall into the hands of the East, and the engine manufacturing plant would belong to the East!

Qin Liang is certainly adept at using the tactics of capital!
Rolls-Royce, United Kingdom.

In fact, although Britain was going bankrupt, it was the country that went bankrupt. As long as the private companies had their own unique skills, they could still continue to do business.

Rolls-Royce was once a private company, but it almost went bankrupt while developing the RB211, so the British nationalized the company!

Historically, Rolls-Royce was not privatized again until 1987.

Even if Rolls-Royce has any production profits, they will be taken by the state to cover its financial losses.

Mark Robertson sat in the head seat, looking down at the angry crowd below.

"The government has taken away our profits from last month again. If this continues, Rolls-Royce will go bankrupt!"

"That's right, what is the government thinking! Right now, Rolls-Royce is one of the few companies in the country that is still profitable. Now, the government's actions will completely ruin our company!"

"The country is having a tough time too..."

"Difficult my foot! It's all because of that Iron Lady, who insisted on going to the Falklands. That war completely wiped out Britain!"

The topic of this incident only fueled their anger. They seemed to have forgotten that they were the ones who had shouted slogans and demanded to go to Dama Island. Now, all they had left to do was complain!
"Yes, damn it, the Falklands are so far away from us, they're completely useless. Now, the whole of Britain is in chaos, even if the Iron Lady goes down there, she can't turn things around. She should go to jail!"

"Why doesn't she just die?!"

Just as everyone was getting angry, the door was pushed open and Chief Engineer Stanley walked in.

"Everyone, I've just heard some great news!"

"what news?"

"The supersonic cruiser passenger plane, jointly developed by Easterners and the United States, is about to have its prototype built! Airlines worldwide are very optimistic about this aircraft. According to Boeing, it will not only be 15% faster than existing planes but also save 20% on fuel..."

"So what? General Electric has already developed a matching engine for this aircraft, and we..."

“General Electric’s engines can only be supplied to Boeing. They originally wanted to restrict the East from producing complete aircraft in this way, but now…” Mark Robertson suddenly stood up: “We’re going to the East right now!”

This is Rolls-Royce's best chance yet! They can't stop the government from withdrawing funds from their company, so they can only expand their sales channels, sell more engines, make more money, and then…

Is the government drawing away more funds?

Thinking of this, a look of sadness suddenly appeared on Mark Robertson's face. If things continued like this, Rolls-Royce would still not be able to continue developing!
It's already November, and 82 is almost over.

Shanghai Aircraft Factory, conference room.

This was Mark Robertson's first time here; he had always come from Stanley before. Seeing the thriving scene here, he was filled with emotion.

In the past, Eastern technology was far inferior to that of Britain, but now...

If this trend continues, Britain will definitely fall behind. In fact, Britain is already behind now. Take jet airliners, for example. How many advanced models did Britain have back then? And now? Britain's aviation industry has declined, and it no longer has advanced airliners!

Looking at the East, the Y-10 was just the beginning; the latest Sonic Cruiser is already world-class!

With this in mind, he looked at Qin Liang: "President Qin, our Rolls-Royce attaches great importance to our cooperation with the East. In the 1970s, we sent our advanced Spey engines to the East, and they are still the main engines used by the East. This time, we have brought the most advanced technology!"

Qin Liang nodded: "Yes, we also value our relationship with you. We designed a high-thrust turbofan engine for you before, and now our Sonic Cruiser needs this advanced engine!"

Since everyone is gathered together because of this project, there's no need to hide anything.

"Mr. Qin, it seems we have the same needs. Please rest assured, we will offer you the lowest price!"

"No, no, we don't plan to purchase finished products directly."

What do you mean?
The Rolls-Royce visitors were all taken aback.

"That's right, our domestic civil aviation authorities hope that all the components on the aircraft can be manufactured by ourselves."

"That's impossible. It's a global supply chain now. Boeing and McDonnell Douglas only manufacture airplanes, not engines."

“But they have domestic manufacturing capabilities,” Qin Liang said. “Now, we believe the most suitable solution is for Rolls-Royce to cooperate with our Northwestern Polytechnical University to jointly establish an engine company and produce this advanced engine in the East. For aircraft with an annual output of over 100, we do not want to need to purchase engines from abroad, as this would leave us vulnerable to external control.”

Mark Robertson subconsciously shook his head: "Mr. Qin, you probably don't know, but Rolls-Royce has never had the practice of setting up factories in third parties. All the world's aircraft engines are produced in the UK."

Qin Liang nodded: "I know, but as you also know, we in the East have our own traditions. We have never had the tradition of purchasing engines from abroad. The engines used in our own aircraft are all produced by ourselves."

The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became eerily quiet.

It is clear that neither side is willing to compromise; one only wants to sell finished products, while the other wants to form a joint venture.

"President Qin, as far as I know, General Electric's engines are subject to sales restrictions. Currently, they can only be sold to Boeing. Our Rolls-Royce engines are your only option. After all, currently, there are only two companies in the world that can produce engines with a thrust of more than 30 tons."

When negotiating, you should say what you mean and not be afraid of offending people. You can still be good friends when you have dinner next time, and you can even have a few more drinks together.

“Mr. Robertson, you are right. Currently, there are only two companies in the world that cooperate with you. That’s why we discussed with Rolls-Royce. If we cannot reach a cooperation agreement with you, then we will… initiate our own research and development and production plan.”

“You? How is that possible!” Robertson shook his head: “Large-thrust engines for civil aviation are not something you can produce. So far, you can only produce medium-thrust engines for the lightest fighter jets…”

Qin Liang smiled: "That's not necessarily true. We can improve upon the Spey engine, and we can also develop entirely new ones. Currently, we are developing an advanced three-rotor engine."

Stanley, who was standing nearby, suddenly realized something and his expression changed drastically: "What do you mean? Are you going to copy our RB211? No, you can't do that, it's a British technology patent!"

“Mr. Stanley, what are you thinking? How could we possibly copy your technology? You're not the only ones in the world with three-rotor technology. The Russians have it too. To be honest, the ice between us and the Russians is slowly melting. We can definitely get similar technology from the Russians.”

One of the key performance indicators of an aero engine is the compressor pressure ratio. To increase the pressure ratio, the front and rear compressors must operate in different speed ranges. Therefore, most aero engines are dual-rotor engines, consisting of high-pressure and low-pressure compressors.

To make the engine even more advanced, the British decided to add another layer, creating a three-rotor system with high, medium, and low speeds, one inside the other. The support points between them alone stumped many engineers, causing the project to exceed its budget significantly and almost bankrupting Rolls-Royce. Fortunately, the British government stepped in and saved the company.

Now, the three-rotor engine, designated RB211, is Rolls-Royce's specialty. No other Western company has it, but the Russians do!
The famous Tu-22M initially used the NK22, a dual-rotor turbofan engine. Later, it was modified into the NK-32, a three-rotor engine. The latter was also used on the Tu-160 and was a treasured asset of the Russians.

In addition to this, there is also the D-18T used on the An-124, which is also a three-rotor engine, giving the An-124 powerful performance.

Now everyone knows that even if relations between the East and the Soviet Union improve, they will never be able to obtain the Russians' most prized possession. The three-rotor engine technology that Qin Liang mentioned getting from the Russians is actually British technology! It's the technology of the RB211!
but……

How to say?
Intellectual property lawsuits can drag on for a long time. The key issue is that the Easterners have told Boeing that even if they export aircraft, they will not squeeze Boeing's market share. As a result, it is difficult for the British to access these passenger planes and engines. How can they obtain evidence?

Moreover, the fan blades used on their RB211 are all made in the East!

Now, if things fall apart with the Easterners and they stop supplying fan blades, then they won't be able to produce engines, and Rolls-Royce might go bankrupt!

Either you follow the Easterners' arrangements and obediently invest and set up a factory here, or you fall out with them...

This feeling of being coerced by Easterners infuriated the British, but... they just couldn't get angry!
So they held it in, their faces turning red and white in turns.

Seeing this scene, Mr. Ma sighed inwardly, "President Qin is truly a remarkable person!"
"Gentlemen, we Easterners are warm and hospitable. Business may not be about money, but about goodwill. You've all come from afar, and you must be tired and hungry. How about we leave this matter here and go get something to eat?"

"Ok."

Now, it's clear that we can't continue talking. Let's eat and drink first, ease the tension, and also find out what's going on with the Easterners!
The canteen at the Shanghai Aircraft Factory.

"Come on, everyone, let's raise our glasses together and toast to our friendship!" Qin Liang raised his glass.

What friendship? You Easterners are nothing but robbers! To talk about friendship with robbers is a disgrace to us!

Robertson cursed inwardly, but had to put on a smile: "Yes, come on, cheers for friendship!"

"Come on, this second glass of wine, let's toast to our future! I believe that cooperation is the key to a win-win situation!"

The so-called win-win situation means that you in the East win twice!
After three drinks, Robertson was slightly drunk. Then, he saw Qin Liang walk towards Schroeder. This guy used to work in the East and had a good relationship with the people there, but today, the way they were whispering to each other gave Robertson an ominous feeling.

What exactly did Qin Liang and Schroeder say to each other?
That evening, at the Huating Hotel.

"Schroder, what did President Qin say to you at the banquet?"

"No, nothing." Schroeder quickly shook his head, making it seem as if something was wrong!

"Tell me, did you invite President Qin to work at Dongfang?"

"No, absolutely not!"

"Hmph, just as I thought! If we don't cooperate, they'll poach our technical experts from Rolls-Royce to support their three-rotor engine development!"

(End of this chapter)