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

Chapter 403 I don't fly, I really can't fly!

Qin Liang continued, "At that time, not only our Y-10, but also Airbus and Boeing engines can be installed. After all, we have a cost advantage. CFM56 and JT3D will all have to step aside!"

Stanley was excited: "Mr. Qin, how about we each take 50% of the shares?"

"Yes, of course. We in the East don't mind taking a little loss, but the engine specifications must be in accordance with ours!"

"Okay, no problem. Did you bring your quota?"

"Yes, I've brought the core engine specifications. As for the bypass duct, that's our forte. With different fans, it can handle thrust between 10 and 15 tons, or even up to 17 or 8 tons, which will perfectly fill the thrust gap in the RB211..."

This thrust is without afterburner. However, based on the minimum of 10 tons, if the bypass ratio is reduced and it is modified into a fighter jet engine, the thrust can reach 8 tons. With the addition of an afterburner, the thrust can reach more than 13 tons!

Moreover, this is based on civil aviation engines, with lifespan as the main consideration. If lifespan is disregarded and turbine inlet temperature is increased, then the thrust of ordinary military engines can reach more than 9 tons, and the afterburner thrust can reach 15 tons!
Looking at the data, Stanley couldn't help but frown: "Isn't this surge margin requirement too high? Our civil aviation engines don't need to change the throttle so frequently..."

Other metrics are fine, but is such a high surge margin really necessary? Isn't that something only fighter jets need?
“Normally it’s not necessary, but what if there’s a special situation? For example, during landing, if you suddenly find an obstruction on the runway ahead and need to open the throttle to the maximum, such a sudden change in engine thrust will cause the engine to stall if the surge margin is insufficient.”

This... how is this possible! Even the most oblivious Indian wouldn't let something like this happen at an airport, right?

"But this is not one of the requirements of the civil aviation authorities."

“The civil aviation sector doesn’t have that, but we have to maintain high standards and strict requirements for ourselves,” Qin Liang said. “Is your hesitation due to a lack of capability? If so, then we’ll look for other companies to cooperate with…”

"Of course we can do it!"

"Alright, then please notify headquarters as soon as possible to come and sign the contract. Of course, the V2500 that you are jointly developing with several other countries can also be carried out simultaneously, and we will not interfere. However... if it cannot be sold and the high R&D costs go down the drain... then you will have to bear the consequences yourself."

Stanley took a deep breath: "Okay, I understand."

Now, from any perspective, cooperating with people from the East seems to be the best choice!

The Y-10 engine from Dongfang has received numerous orders and has now entered the civil aviation market. Due to its cost advantage, it has been well-received in the developing world. These markets alone are enough to make them very wealthy. Moreover, this engine can also open up the Airbus market...

The V2500 was developed jointly by five countries. At that time, Rolls-Royce would have been able to get a maximum of 30% of the profits, but now the percentage has increased to 50%!

So they had no choice!

Seeing Stanley leave, Professor Liu spoke softly, "Liangzi, is this... prepared for the WS-10?"

"Yes, as long as we sign a contract with them, the WS-10 team will come over and work with them on the research and development. I see that many of our offices here are now empty, so we can free up some of them for the R&D staff."

"Great!" Professor Liu was beaming with excitement. Although he was forced to become the factory manager here, and his main job was to supervise production quality, he actually preferred to do research and development!
The WS-10 project is progressing slowly on its own. Working with Rolls-Royce, it might actually be ready in three to five years. Although it was developed based on passenger aircraft specifications, just by changing the bypass duct, it can become a fighter jet engine!

When it comes to replacing fans, Northwestern Polytechnical University has the best technology!

The high-thrust engine that the Air Force has been eagerly anticipating is finally on the fast track!
That was a brilliant move – feigning one move while secretly advancing another!

Across the ditch is the aviation development center.

"We played our trick of feigning an attack on one side while secretly advancing on another – it was brilliant!" The old man exclaimed, looking at the fighter jet named after himself.

It's been less than a month, and the maiden flight is about to begin! Only after coming here this time did he finally understand why the aircraft development was so fast—it turned out they were getting help from the mainland!

He had no complaints about this action. He knew that with their own strength, it was impossible to complete the research and development in such a short time. They had to rely on other forces!

I originally thought the United States was the best reliance, but I never expected that the mainland's power is the strongest!
"Through this project, we aim to keep pace with the world. In the next project, we will surpass world-class standards! We not only want to develop fighter jets suitable for our own needs, but we also want to sell them and develop this industry into a profitable project!"

"Yes."

"Report, pre-flight preparations are complete!"

"You may take off. I'll be here, waiting for your triumphant return!"

Test pilots Wu Kangming and Wu Kezhen, helmets in hand, walked spiritedly toward the aircraft. They were also very much looking forward to this plane, after all, it was a third-generation fighter! Much better than the F-5s and similar aircraft they already had!

The roar of the engines began, and the two turbofans started up in turn. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the fighter jet began to taxi on the runway, lifting the nose wheel, pulling the nose up, and the rear wheel off the ground!

The whole process was almost seamless!
Pretty!

A round of applause erupted from below.

The fighter jet continued to pull up the angle of attack and climb. Two kilometers ahead of the airport, Wu Kangming gently pulled the stick and applied the rudder, and the plane easily turned to the right.

"I feel the plane shaking!" Just then, Wu Kezhen in the back seat suddenly had a bad feeling and pulled the ejection seat handle with both hands, ready to jump out at any moment.

However... the next second, as the turn ended, the vibration disappeared again.

Is it my own illusion?

He didn't know that because the engine's surge margin was too small,... as soon as it turned, one of the air intakes was briefly blocked, causing the engine to start breathing heavily! And now, after resuming normal flight, it is working normally again.

Wu Kangming took a deep breath: "The leaders are down here, so we'll only report good news, not bad!"

"it is good."

If he had ejected and escaped, his career would have been completely over!

Wu Kangming pushed the control lever again to make a second turn. At this moment, even he felt a tremor... What was going on?

The aero-engine development center has developed trainer aircraft before, but this situation has never occurred before!

In an instant, many possible scenarios popped into Wu Kangming's mind.

The tail control surfaces vibrate during turns? Is there rear fuselage resonance? Is the flight control programming incomplete? Or something else?
In short, they didn't consider the possibility of engine surge.

Three turns, align with the runway!

The fighter jets almost circled the airport once before landing, and when the wheels touched the ground, there was enthusiastic applause from the crowd.

The maiden flight was a complete success!

"Let's go to the cafeteria and have a celebratory drink. I want to have a couple of drinks!"

"Sir, your health... is not suitable for drinking, doctor..."

"I'm so happy today, I have to have a couple of drinks!"

The crowd gathered around the plane, watching the cockpit canopy open and Wu Kangming and Wu Kezhen get off. Wait a minute, something's not right. With the maiden flight a success, the two should be all smiles. Why do they look so worried now?
"Is there a problem with the plane?" Peng Yuanxi walked up and asked in a low voice.

"Yes, the rear fuselage shakes every time it turns; this... is probably a big problem!"

Peng Yuanxi's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly forced a smile: "We'll talk about that later. Right now, the leaders want to celebrate for us!"

The crowd headed towards the cafeteria, but Xing Youguang didn't follow. He circled the plane, glancing at the rear fuselage from time to time... It trembled when it turned. What was going on?

I don't know how much time had passed when a voice came from behind me.

"Mr. Xing, what exactly is causing this malfunction?"

"I don't know, but... if it's an aerodynamic defect, then we just need to send the model to the US for a wind tunnel test!" "Okay, let's go tomorrow!"

"Tonight then," Xing Youguang said. "There's a flight tonight. Hopefully it's an aerodynamic defect, so we can make improvements. If it is..."

"What else is possible?"

“I don’t know either, but the worst-case scenario is… my daughter was exposed from the very beginning, and this plane… had problems from the design stage.”

"Impossible, impossible, absolutely impossible!" Peng Yuanxi said, "Mainlanders aren't that vigilant. If Huizi hadn't been gathering other intelligence, she wouldn't have been exposed at all..."

"Ok."

A few days later.

Xing Youguang returned, exhausted.

"How about it?"

"We've tested it in a subsonic wind tunnel. The fuselage design is very sleek, and even our American counterparts are full of praise!"

If they had gone there this time and blown a supersonic wind tunnel, they would have known how terrible it was. But they didn't. After all, this was a problem encountered on the maiden flight. They encountered it in the subsonic region, so they went to blow a subsonic wind tunnel. Moreover, they used a 1:1 model, which could blow every detail. The shape was perfect in all situations, including level flight, climb, and turns!

"If it's not an aerodynamic defect, then what is it?" Peng Yuanxi frowned. "We've checked the flight control data repeatedly these past few days, and there's no high-frequency vibration on the tail control surfaces when turning!"

If we've ruled out those two reasons, what else could it be?
"I don't know either, so for the second test flight, I sat in the back seat to experience it firsthand."

"You? Engineer Xing, you're our chief engineer, if you..."

"It's alright, let me go up. I need to experience it firsthand to determine what the problem is."

In the very beginning, the engineers who developed the aircraft were also the test pilots. The Wright brothers, Feng Ru, and other pioneers in exploring the skies all flew the planes themselves.

However, as aircraft performance continues to improve, higher demands are placed on the physical fitness of pilots, and many of the engineers who research aircraft do not meet these physical requirements.

Forget about people wearing glasses or being too weak to even kill a chicken, test flights can only be carried out by professionals!

Fortunately, this prototype is a two-seater, and it only requires one person to fly, with Xing Youguang as the passenger in the back.

"Okay, then... be careful."

"Ah."

As the engines roared to life, and amidst the expectant gazes of countless people, the IDF soared into the sky once more. In front of him, Wu Kangming took a deep breath.

"Mr. Xing, please sit tight, the plane is about to turn!"

"it is good!"

Xing Youguang closed his eyes and carefully felt the structure of the aircraft. In his mind, the structural diagram of the entire aircraft appeared. This was the biggest difference between an aircraft engineer and a test pilot! At this moment, Xing Youguang felt as if he had become one with the aircraft.

The plane began to shudder, and a certain part of Xing Youguang's mind started to flash. He opened his eyes and looked at the instrument panel in the cockpit.

The right engine is losing RPM!
With the adoption of a glass cockpit, all these data are displayed on the screen, but their pilots, even the test pilots, are not used to this, so... they didn't notice it at all. Moreover, because the engine speed didn't drop too much, no system warning was triggered!

Turning right will temporarily block the right air intake, resulting in an engine malfunction.
That's impossible. The design specifications state that the air intake and engine are well-matched. How could such a brief turn cause the engine to malfunction, unless...

As if struck by a thought, Xing Youguang felt his heart begin to race!

"Climb to an altitude of 1,000 meters, level off, align yourself with the airport, and then... give it a hard throttle!"

"it is good!"

At an altitude of one thousand meters, Wu Kangming suddenly pushed the throttle, and instantly the fuselage shook violently, and the warning lights on the screen in front of him flashed wildly!

The left engine is losing RPM! The right engine is losing RPM!
The left-hand drive has stopped!

The right-hand drive vehicle has also stopped!
The biggest advantage of having two engines is that... if one engine fails, you can still fly back using the other. But now... both engines have failed...

How to do?
The display screen still has power thanks to the remaining battery, and the electronic controls can still function. However, the power will be completely exhausted in less than a minute, and then…

"With the plane's existing power, we can glide back!" Xing Youguang remained resolute in the rear cabin, but the next moment, he heard a loud bang, and the canopy above his head flew off!
"Damn it, what are you doing!" Before Xing Youguang could finish speaking, he felt flames rising from below his buttocks. He quickly closed his legs, fearing they would be broken if he went out.

Apart from the heroic People's Liberation Army soldiers, none of them consider the safety of people's lives and property, nor do they consider protecting equipment. When faced with problems, their first thought is their own lives!
Even though it's already aligned with the airport, will it land safely?

Are you kidding me? During the landing process, there will be countless adjustments to be made, and each adjustment will consume precious power!
Flying back is possible, but landing is definitely not enough!
If, just before landing, the plane becomes uncontrollable and crashes, it's a total crash! There won't even be a chance to eject! If the plane locks up, and someone manages to do a handstand, the body won't even be found; it'll just be ground to shreds on the runway...

So... we have to jump out while we still have the height!

Fortunately, for two-seater fighter jets, the order of ejection is sequential.

If the rear passenger ejects, only that passenger will eject. If the front passenger ejects, the rear passenger ejects first, followed by the front passenger.

Xing Youguang can't die either; when we get back, we'll use this reason to explain things!
Flames surged beneath his rear as Wu Kangming was ejected from the cockpit.

The fighter jet beneath their feet, too, wobbled and plummeted downwards under the force of the impact, crashing into the deep mountains, whereupon a massive fire erupted.

IDF, I don't fly! It crashed on its second flight!

The only redeeming quality was that this flight finally revealed the problem: the engine!
Aerospace Development Center.

Xing Youguang, who was brought back by ambulance, only stayed in the hospital for a few hours to complete all the physical examinations before returning here without waiting for the results.

"The cause of the malfunction is an engine problem! This modified TFE731 engine has a very low surge margin; it will violently surge and stall if you push the accelerator hard..." Xing Youguang analyzed, "Now, we must report this situation to Garrett Company!"

"Low surge margin? The engine specifications we received weren't like this!" Zhang Xuebin was anxious. After all, he was in charge of this engine project, and now, the engine had actually failed him?

“Yes, the specifications we received are not like this, and we don’t have a dedicated engine test stand here. These data were all generated on the mainland, so I strongly suspect that these data have been tampered with! Now, we need to bring the people from Garrett Company over!”

Xing Youguang gritted his teeth.

The engine is the heart of an aircraft. Without a top-notch engine, the aircraft's performance will suffer. Now...

“Even if we get Garrett to help, modifying this engine won’t be something that can be done in a short time.” Huang Xiaozong frowned as well. “This will greatly delay our Anxiang project!”

Without an engine, how can it fly?
“We’ll install the original TFE731 engine first. Although it’s weak, it’s enough for subsonic test flights. If necessary, we can use afterburner. In the meantime, we’ll have Garrett fix this defect. That way, the problem will be completely solved,” Xing Youguang said.

"Alright, it seems that's the only way!" Huang Xiaozong nodded.

Garrett engineer Roger Connolly arrived the next day. Although there was no test stand, they still used a rudimentary method to fix the engine to the ground and test it in the open air. Sure enough, when the accelerator was pressed hard, the engine would shake violently and then stall...

“Mr. Connelly, the engine you provided had falsified data, which caused our IDF fighter jet to crash! You need to take responsibility for this loss!” Huang Xiaozong’s face was gloomy.

Despite wearing earmuffs, Connery's ears were still painfully stimulated by the engine noise. His face turned pale: "Damn it, how could this happen? Did the mainlanders deceive us? I, I'm going to Northwestern Polytechnical University right now!"

(End of this chapter)