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

Chapter 398 What happened to the promised bidding? Was it all driven by Northwestern Polytechnical University?
The people from the Northern Institute had complicated expressions.

Their former pride has long since vanished without a trace!

Now, the advanced and best-selling fighter jets in China are irrelevant to them! Although they have sold some J-8 fighter jets, it's just a temporary resurgence. They know that the J-8 will soon become obsolete, and without advanced aircraft, they will starve!

but……

With their capabilities, they simply cannot develop advanced fighter jets. They can't even manage to create one of the 4S fighters!
How to do?
Old Master Lin waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's do it your way. Now, the 4S specifications have been set. Next, each R&D institution can carry out preliminary research according to these requirements. Once you have the results of your preliminary research, we will hold a bidding meeting! Now, it's about time, everyone go and have lunch!"

The purpose of this meeting was to determine the standards for fourth-generation fighter jets. Initially, everyone was stuck on their own ideas and arguing amongst themselves. But after Qin Liang arrived, the standards were established, and the meeting can now be considered a success!

Perfection!

Inside the canteen of the airplane terminal.

"It seems that both sides are very confident!" The people from the Northern Institute sat at a separate table, eating and drinking, but they couldn't be happy at all.

"Hmph, not necessarily," Engineer Li said.

"why?"

"Currently, what Institute 611 is best at is the canard layout. However, canards inherently increase radar cross-section, making it almost impossible to achieve a frontal radar cross-section of 0.01 square meters."

Engineer Li analyzed, "As for Factory 320, their specialty is variable-sweep wings, which are inherently heavy due to their structural dead weight..."

"So, it seems like none of them will meet the standards?"

"That's right! So, we don't need to rush. After we go back, we can develop an aircraft based on the existing data. The performance doesn't have to be the most advanced; a compromise will do. As for the stealth shape, Northwestern Polytechnical University designed one for the West before, so we can refer to that. As for the engine... we already have an advanced turbofan engine, so we'll use that one! That way, our aircraft can be the most mature one..."

The J-8 was successful back then because it compromised, avoided being reckless, and did not pursue advanced technology. It made use of existing technology for everything!

The high-end J-9 fighter jet would have been stillborn long ago if it weren't for the help from Northwestern Polytechnical University!
Today, the Northern Institute still regards maturity and reliability as their motto. They don't need to be the most advanced; they just need to be mature and reliable!

"Hmm."

On the other side, at the main table.

"Comrade Qin Liang, we've actually already done preliminary research on 611, but this mid-range coupling layout has a significant impact on stealth. Can you give us some ideas?"

The current J-9 uses a mid-range coupling system, which can use the canards to generate vortices and also as control surfaces. Its characteristic is that the canards are higher than the main wings, so that the vortices generated by the canards can fall exactly on the main wings.

Therefore, needless to say, the canards will rotate during maneuvers, resulting in a large frontal projection. Even if the canards are not moving, the staggered arrangement of the canards and main wings will have a significant impact on stealth.

This problem must be solved!

"Well... in the era of stealth aircraft, the canard will indeed be a big problem. We must reduce the impact of the canard. Therefore, the previous mid-range coupling will not work. We need to put the canard as far forward as possible to form long-range coupling, so that the area of ​​the canard can also be reduced."

When the same torque is applied, the larger the lever arm, the smaller the force that can be applied. This is a basic principle of levers.

This can be seen in the European Typhoon fighter jet, where the canards are positioned quite far forward, just behind the radome, almost at the same level as the cockpit bulkhead.

The distance between the canard and the main wing is the length of a cockpit. As a result, the canard cannot generate vortices for the main wing at all. However, this long-distance coupling layout can easily lift the nose of the aircraft with a small area of ​​canard!
In contrast, the Rafale fighter jet has canards behind the cockpit, with the trailing edge of the canards almost overlapping the leading edge of the main wing. This design is ideal for generating vortices, but it is less effective as a control surface.
In the East, we have adopted a unique mid-range coupling layout that takes all aspects into account, but... it's no longer suitable for the era of stealth aircraft.

Old Song nodded: "Yes, this can indeed solve the stealth problem, but the canards cannot generate vortices, and the efficiency of the main wing drops significantly at high angles of attack, which is another problem."

"Add leading-edge extensions in front of the main wing."

Old Song's eyes lit up; the problem was solved!
Generally speaking, canards and strakes are two different aerodynamic layout schemes. In the conventional layout, strakes are added in front to improve high angle of attack performance, forming a blended wing-body layout. In the canard layout, canards are used directly.

Now, with the canard in front, the strake in the middle, and the triangular main wing at the rear, all the problems are solved. The only drawback is...

"With this layout, our fighter jets will have to be longer!" Old Song frowned again.

Adding a leading-edge extension between the canard and the delta wing would lengthen the entire aircraft by one or two meters, thus increasing the overall length of the fighter jet!
Qin Liang nodded: "Yes, we definitely need to lengthen the fuselage, but... keeping it at just over twenty meters shouldn't be a problem. That way, we'll have room for the internal weapons bay!"

In later generations, there are two versions of the length of the J-20: 20.3 meters is the length during test flights, and 21.2 meters is the length of the mass-produced version. This is because the mass-produced version has an extended tail boom. However, this is nothing compared to the Su-27, whose fuselage length is 21.94 meters!

Overall, our J-20 is shorter than the Su-27, but we have a stealth design and an internal weapons bay, making us a hundred times better than the Su-27. Apart from its good maneuverability, the Su-27 is a piece of crap!

In terms of weight, our J-20 has an empty weight of only 17 tons and a maximum takeoff weight of 37 tons, which means it has a payload of 20 tons of fuel and ammunition.

Of course, in this situation, it is impossible to load all of them into the internal bomb bay; some must be carried externally.

Under normal air combat conditions, the overall weight is maintained at around 25 tons. Even the third-generation turbofan engine can give it an air combat thrust-to-weight ratio of over 1. If it were replaced with the WS-15 turbofan engine, the overall thrust-to-weight ratio would exceed 1.2, and all aspects of its performance would undergo a complete transformation.

Therefore, lengthening the body and increasing its weight are all fine!
Professor Song nodded: "Okay, let's design it according to this route. Your technical staff from Northwestern Polytechnical University... cough cough, our Institute 611 will move on to the detailed design as soon as possible."

Seeing Old Song's meaningful expression, Qin Liang suddenly realized something.

Back when the J-9 was being developed, Qin Liang boasted that once the J-9 completed its test flight, they would work together to develop a fourth-generation fighter jet!

He spoke with great ambition back then, but now… Qin Liang has completely forgotten about it, and is even pushing for domestic bidding processes. This…

I'm really a little embarrassed!

So Qin Liang picked up his glass and said, "Mr. Song, I wish your project a smooth start and that you come up with a bidding proposal as soon as possible!"

"Well, cheers!"

After downing a glass of wine, Qin Liang noticed... that the way other people were looking at him seemed a bit off.

Is Northwestern Polytechnical University going to act as a referee or help the athletes? Whoever you help will win the championship!
"Comrade Qin Liang, do you think our twin-engine Q-6 fighter jets can be improved into stealth aircraft?" Old Lu asked.

"Ahem, Mr. Lu, if I remember correctly, didn't you have a collaborative project with Grumman Corporation on the Invisible Cat?"

Standing to the side, Old Gu suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

Northwestern Polytechnical University and 611 have a very good relationship. They cooperated closely on the J-9 project, and they will definitely help with this new fighter jet project as well. Judging from their conversation just now, the project may have already started!

As for Factory 320, the relationship is also very good. Back then, Qin Liang insisted on giving the twin-engine Q-6 project to Factory 320. In the stealth aircraft project, they had already started cooperating with Grumman. It can be said that they were well prepared in this regard!
Now, only the Northern Institute remains.

Comrade Qin Liang, how could you be so biased!
Thinking about this, Old Gu felt that none of the dishes on the table tasted good anymore.

After eating and drinking his fill, Qin Liang stood up: "Old Lin, is everything completely alright now? I'm going back."

"Okay, you can go now. I'll have the driver take you!"

Old Gu watched Qin Liang leave with a complicated expression. As the crowd dispersed, he and the others from the North also left.

"Mr. Gu, what did you just hear?"

"Their projects are all twin-engine heavy fighter jets, one with a canard configuration and the other with a variable-sweep wing configuration, while ours..."

"Then let's develop a twin-engine medium-sized fighter jet!" Engineer Li said. "We've just discussed it, and we'll start researching it as soon as we get back! We're the big brother in military aircraft development; we absolutely can't lose to them!" Old Master Gu took a deep breath and nodded, "Alright, then we'll get started. That way, we can complement their project..."

Old Gu wasn't really confident; he didn't think his team's aircraft could win the competition. However, having only one heavy stealth fighter wasn't enough. After all, even the wealthy United States didn't have that capability! Having the F-15 wasn't enough; they also needed the F-16.
What about our side?
There will definitely be a need for mid-range machines, so differentiating ourselves from other competitors is a promising strategy!

I'll get back and start designing!

Old Gu also became more determined.

Qin Liang returned to his mother-in-law's house and stayed overnight. The next day, he took his wife and returned to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

The May sun shines brightly on the campus of Northwestern Polytechnical University, and the five department buildings are bustling with activity.

"Great, fantastic! The detailed designs are all out too!" Keiko Waseda exclaimed excitedly as she looked at the complex structural framework on the computer.

The efficiency of Northwestern Polytechnical University is really high!

"That's right, it's out! That's fantastic!" Qin Ming was beaming with excitement. He'd designed an aircraft in less than six months—that's incredibly efficient!

"Qin Ming, the school office called to say that your household registration has been approved. Now you are a citizen of mainland China and can enter Northwestern Polytechnical University to pursue your doctorate through the formal entrance examination."

Seeing a graduate student come to inform him, Qin Ming was even more excited: "This is fantastic! I can finally study at the world's top aerospace university!"

"Ahem, Da Ming, you've passed the entrance exam..."

"Okay, I'll go prepare right away. Keiko, you can help me hand over the research results here."

"Okay, Daming, I'm happy for you too. Good luck and study hard for your doctoral entrance exam."

From elementary school all the way to master's degree, the exams are standardized. However, for doctoral programs, the exam times are different. Some are held at the end of December, while others are held in mid-May. The exams are scheduled in different periods. Apart from general English exams which have a unified time, the others are arranged by each university.

As for students at Northwestern Polytechnical University... those who are capable and have completed projects during their undergraduate studies will be directly admitted to graduate school. After all, they will be doing research and development in graduate school, which is no different from before.

Since Qin Ming is an outsider, he has to pass a formal exam; otherwise, he won't be able to convince the public. Fairness must be guaranteed in the education system, or there might be big problems.

There's no need to take the general English exam; Qin Ming has an internationally recognized certificate. He only needs to pass his major courses.

However, judging from Qin Ming's professional abilities during this period, he should have no problem with the exam.

As Qin Ming left, Waseda Keiko's eyes held a meaningful smile.

During this period, it's inconvenient to do anything, and Qin Ming needs to go to bed early. Now that Qin Ming wants to study, he will definitely go to the library day and night and won't go back to that little house. So she can use the computer to access the internal network of Northwestern Polytechnical University and do a lot of things!
First, we got our hands on the aircraft information, which was perfectly legitimate. We delivered it to the island nation's office in Chang'an, where local staff took it away by plane overnight!

Then, back at her residence, Keiko Waseda turned on her computer and began typing away on the keyboard.

In his eyes, the internal network of Northwestern Polytechnical University was practically transparent!
What kind of information should we gather next?
Wait a minute, this computer actually contains... fourth-generation fighter jet design data?

This……

We're still struggling with third-generation fighters, and here they are, already building fourth-generation ones! This is simply... No, we need to download all this data and send it back so they can prepare early. The IDF fighter is just the beginning. Once that aircraft is successfully developed, we'll have to work on the fourth-generation fighter as quickly as possible...

Her hands began typing away on the keyboard again, so focused that she didn't even notice the door being quietly unlocked and pushed open!

Download, download!
The progress bar was moving very slowly. Waseda Keiko rubbed her sore fingers and suddenly... sensed something was wrong. She turned her head and saw several people standing behind her, one of whom was holding a video camera and recording! She and everything on the screen were being filmed.

"Hey, what are you doing? Trespassing! This is..."

"Ms. Keiko Waseda, you are suspected of stealing secrets from Northwestern Polytechnical University. Please come with us now."

Keiko Waseda finally realized what she was about to face.

He's exposed himself. What awaits him now is...

"No, no, you can't do this! I'm Qin Liang's sister-in-law! Qin Liang is the backbone of Northwestern Polytechnical University, you can't even do that without considering his feelings..."

"Sigh, Waseda Keiko, I also hoped you could be my sister-in-law, but I never expected you to make such a mistake!" Qin Liang's voice rang out: "I was really...blind!"

Keiko Waseda was dumbfounded. Qin Liang was here too? That meant... he had already discovered her identity?

Wait, what about the data on the IDF fighter jet...? Could there be something wrong with it? Is all of this a setup?

She had a bad feeling, but now there was nothing she could do!

At Northwestern Polytechnical University, in the library, Qin Ming waited until the lights were turned off before returning to his residence. When he saw that his residence was empty, he was a little curious, until he saw the note on the table and breathed a sigh of relief.

Brother Da Ming, I'm going back to China first. You focus on your exams and I'll come back after you finish them.

It turned out that his girlfriend was worried about affecting his studies; how thoughtful! Qin Ming was touched, opened his book, and continued to review.

Across the ditch.

"Everyone, the complete structural diagrams have finally arrived. We can start building our aircraft based on these drawings!" Dean Zhou said with great excitement.

“Yes, it was designed using the finite element method on the supercomputer at Northwestern Polytechnical University. Their computer is truly advanced; the finite element method can decompose down to the size of a loaf of bread, and in some areas even down to the size of an eraser! This technology is far more advanced than that of the United States!” Peng Yuanxi added, “We can produce a prototype as long as we follow the blueprints, and there’s also good news from the engine side…”

Listening to these people's endless introductions, Xing Youguang felt somewhat anxious. After everyone finished discussing, he couldn't hold back any longer.

"This mission is complete. Next, should we have Keiko... bring 3451 back?"

“3451 hasn’t been exposed yet, and her prey is about to enter Northwestern Polytechnical University to pursue her doctorate and will participate in more projects in the future, so… she is still lying low.” Dean Huang said, “Don’t worry, if there is any danger, we will get her out through special channels as soon as possible. There is 3450 who has been lying low for many years and has been watching her in the dark.”

Xing Youguang nodded: "Okay..."

Thump thump thump... Just then, someone came running over in a hurry.

"Dean Huang, Dean Huang, something terrible has happened! Both 3450 and 3451..."

what?
Xing Youguang's face suddenly turned pale; his own daughter...

Boom!
The folder I was holding suddenly fell to the ground.

"What's wrong?" Dean Huang asked anxiously.

"They've all been caught!"

The room was silent for a long time before Dean Huang spoke: "They all sacrificed themselves for our development. Engineer Xing, don't worry, we will do everything we can to rescue her. If... we really can't rescue her, I will arrange for her to be placed in the Martyrs' Shrine."

"Go to hell at the Martyrs' Shrine! Why don't you go in there! Give me back my daughter, give me back my daughter!"

Xing Youguang rushed forward, swung his fist, and smashed it hard against Dean Huang's head!
(End of this chapter)