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

Chapter 439 Joint Fighter Project

When Ben Richie came to the East, he concealed his identity. Although Qin Liang recognized him at a glance, he did not expose him. The rest... well, the rest is an open secret.

Now that Qin Liang has said this, what does it mean? Is it an expression of dissatisfaction with Ben Richter?
In fact, Qin Liang was also in turmoil at this moment, and was fighting against his own conscience.

The F-22 project is doomed!
For us, it's good news that it's failed!

After all, the F-22 was a model that was successfully mass-produced in later years. If it were to fail now, what would the Americans choose? They would definitely choose the even less reliable F-23!
In later generations, many media outlets described this aircraft as groundbreaking. From the perspective of the vertical tail, the horizontal and vertical tails were integrated, and the V-shaped tail was completely resolved. From the perspective of the engine, it used a variable cycle engine, which could have first-class performance under any operating conditions.

It's fair to say that this aircraft has impressive specifications, but these are all just PowerPoint presentations; even Indians dare to boast that it's better.

Actually?

Northrop's cost control was a complete mess. The project was severely over budget when developing the Rainbow missile, and the B-2 bomber they developed pushed the project costs to the sky. The Americans never dreamed that they would spend more than two billion US dollars to buy a mere bomber.

Moreover, that's not all. After entering service, Northrop engineers had to maintain the delicate skin every time the aircraft flew.

Therefore, the U.S. Air Force's choice of the YF-23 project is absolutely the best option! If the project is delayed and the cost is severely exceeded, even if it is built, it will not be able to be mass-produced and deployed... The U.S. Air Force's fourth-generation fighter jet project will be completely ruined!
That's right, that's exactly it! Qin Liang made up his mind: Northwestern Polytechnical University would absolutely not help him with this!

“At this critical moment, we need the help of Northwestern Polytechnical University and MIT. The three of us should work together again to promote the development of this stealth aircraft and produce a mature product as soon as possible, so that we can gain a competitive advantage,” Ben Richie said.

"We...shall we talk about this in the car?"

"it is good."

Airports are crowded and noisy, and even if everyone communicates in English, other people may hear. It's safer to be on a car.

On the Hongqi sedan.

“Mr. Ben Ritchie, we only design on the computer, which doesn’t cost too much money. But now it’s clear that drawing on the computer is no longer enough for your needs. If you want to win the bid, you need to take it a step further and build a prototype. That will cost a huge amount of money. I’m afraid Lockheed can’t raise the funds on its own.”

“Yes.” Ben Ritchie took a deep breath. “Right now, Northwestern Polytechnical University is very profitable, and MIT has a lot of resources. We can cooperate, jointly invest, and once the product is developed, share the technology…”

Qin Liang shook his head: "No."

"why?"

Don't you want to pay?

"The reason you failed in the bid was originally because you were cooperating with us in the East. Now you want to deepen the cooperation and ask us to share technology, which will only make your country less supportive," Qin Liang said. "The Air Force will definitely turn you away!"

Disappointment was evident in Ben Richie's eyes.

Their Skunk Works has produced countless modern aircraft, and now... it's being excluded because of some ridiculous political factors!
Admittedly, there were reports of the F-117's first battle being a failure, but you can't blame them for that; it was clearly an accident.

However, companies like Northrop took advantage of this incident to publicize it extensively and mislead members of Congress. Many people wavered and supported Northrop. Seeing that Lockheed was at risk of failure, they came to the East again, wanting to join forces in joint research and development.

They don't have the funds, but three of them would definitely be enough. Besides, people from the East naturally have a cost advantage.

Moreover, even if it is finalized, the East cannot produce it because there is one of the most important components: the engine, which is definitely made in the United States and the East cannot purchase it. In this way, the East is both encouraged to develop it and prevented from obtaining the same fighter jets as the West.

They had a very clever plan.

But Qin Liang can see it!
His reasoning left Ben Ritchie speechless, and he couldn't reveal his true intentions, as that would be tantamount to betraying the East. Would the East accept that?
Qin Liang glanced at him and continued, "Moreover, if we do joint research and development, the airframe is fine, the avionics are fine, but what about the engine? We in the East don't have high-performance engines. Even if you're willing to sell, we can't afford it. In the end, this project will only be usable by you Americans, so... forget it."

Yang Tian's expression changed slightly.

Ben Richie tricked him first, and since it was almost Chinese New Year, he came along. Luckily, his son-in-law was perceptive and almost got scammed.

Ben Rich took a deep breath: "Qin, we've been working on this project together from the very beginning. Now that it's going to be scrapped, don't you feel even a little bit... reluctant?"

"Of course there are, but... Northwestern Polytechnical University is a university, not a company. We won't risk investing in a project that's destined to fail. That may sound... hard to accept, but that's just the way it is."

Ben Richie stopped talking and looked outside.

Winter days are short and dark. Now, the sun has already begun to set in the west. Could it be that Lockheed Corporation, like this setting sun, will fade into obscurity?
"That's it! I've got it!"

The voice startled Ben Richie. He opened his eyes wide and looked at Qin Liang: "Qin, you have a new idea?"

"The project you lost the bid for should be a twin-engine heavy aircraft, right?"

"Hmm. It hasn't failed yet, after all, the US Air Force hasn't made its final decision."

"While these heavy fighter jets are powerful, they are also very expensive. Therefore, I think you definitely need a medium-sized fighter jet, not only for your own use and to create a high-low mix, but also for export, just like the F-16."

Currently, the mainstay of the U.S. Air Force is the F-15, but this aircraft cannot completely replace the older models. Therefore, the F-16 emerged, and the two are combined in a high-low mix.

The latter, due to its lower performance, is easier to export, leaving the F-15 only able to look on with envy!

Next, we're entering the era of fourth-generation fighter jets, which will be even more expensive!

"Considering the increased costs brought about by advancements in fighter jet technology, I believe there won't be many orders for this twin-engine heavy fighter. Even if it's given to Northrop, it doesn't matter. The three of us can work together to design a single-engine medium-sized stealth fighter right now!"

Ben Richie’s eyes shone with hope.

Although they desperately wanted to secure orders for heavy-duty machines, they were looked down upon and had no choice but to grit their teeth and agree. Medium-duty machines, while not as powerful as heavy-duty machines, would certainly have a high production volume, which could be used domestically and exported, making their prospects limitless!

Ultimately, the Western world prioritizes its own interests!
"As for R&D funding, we don't need to raise it all ourselves. We can find some countries to join in. If they invest in R&D, they will definitely place orders, so we won't have to worry about sales," Qin Liang said. "As for specific models, in addition to land-based models, there can also be shipborne models, and even vertical take-off and landing models."

This thing is very familiar to people in later generations. It's the F-35, the JSF program, the Joint Fighter Jet.

After the Cold War ended, the Americans' original plan to equip themselves with over a thousand F-22s was eventually reduced to just over a hundred. At the same time, they needed a large number of stealth aircraft, so they started the Joint Fighter Project, bringing in many allies to work on it.

This project can be described as the world's largest joint military aircraft development project!
With the money and the plan in place, this project can be launched immediately.

Ben Richie became even more excited.

"Okay, okay, then after we lose the bid, we'll jointly launch this project! Could you in the East also purchase a batch?"

"Well, we'll talk about that later. But if we're going to do joint research and development, Northwestern Polytechnical University also has some requirements."

"explain."

"If a customer wants to order this aircraft, they must obtain our approval. Of course, if we attract investment in the future, we'll also need to obtain funding from all the countries that are contributing capital." "This…"

The proverb "three monks have no water to drink" applies here. Some countries are always hostile, and in the end, only the countries that invested might place orders, while the others won't be able to sell a single one!

"Secondly, we will design and produce together, and our factories in the East will need to make some profit from production."

That condition was easy to agree to. Ben Richie nodded, "That's fine. Anything else?"

"Also... some of the performance indicators of fourth-generation fighters need to be lowered. For example, supersonic cruise is definitely not achievable with a single engine."

"Yes, indeed."

Along the way, Ben Richie experienced the highs and lows of life, from hope to despair and back to hope again, but in the end, the result still satisfied him.

Once they arrived in the city, Ben Richie went to his hotel to rest, leaving Qin Liang and his family alone.

Back at the courtyard house, Annie and Yang Duo'er went to prepare food, while Qin Liang and Yang Tian sat on the sofa chatting.

“Liangzi, there are still many problems with this joint fighter jet project. Take the first condition you proposed, for example. Even if the agreement is signed, the United States may tear it up and export the fighter jets to countries that we are not allowed to export to. As for the cooperative project, we don’t have advanced engines, and production is still restricted by the United States.”

Qin Liang opened his eyes wide and looked at his father-in-law. "Dad, you can actually think now?"

Generally speaking, STEM guys, those who are technical, rarely consider issues from a political perspective. But it seems that this father-in-law has been quite involved in politics since becoming the dean of MIT!
"Dad, thank you for reminding me."

Yang Tian glanced at Qin Liang: "I was just saying, but judging from your expression, you must be quite confident, right?"

He originally thought that Qin Liang would be so shocked that he would stand up immediately after he said these words, but now he saw that Qin Liang was calm and composed, which clearly showed that he had been prepared all along!
Therefore, I don't need to worry about anything.

"Dad, actually, this plan is simply impossible to implement."

"What?"

"Lockheed can cooperate with MIT, but it's absolutely impossible for them to cooperate with Northwestern Polytechnical University, let alone put production here. If even one member of Congress jumps out to oppose the cooperation, it will lead to the leakage of American technology, and their cooperation will fall through."

"Yes, that's certainly the case. After all, many members of Congress are hostile to the East. However... you know that cooperation is impossible, yet you still recommend this plan to him. This is..."

Of course, his real intention was not what it seemed!
If there are no alternative projects, Lockheed will definitely try its best to secure one, and perhaps it can even gain the approval of the U.S. Air Force.

With an escape route, they will not work as hard, and the F-22 may never have appeared!

F-23? The Americans will have a headache from now on!

Moreover, once Lockheed Martin starts promoting the technology, it will definitely elevate the status of our East and Northwestern Polytechnical University, making them interested in collaborating on research and development. Our technological capabilities will be absolutely top-notch! At that time, the JF-17 Thunder will be easier to sell.

As for joint research and development... in the special period of the Cold War, it was simply unreliable. Europeans were still very opinionated. It was only those fools in later generations who blindly licked the boots of the United States, allowing the United States to fleece them, and even had to extend their bodies to let the United States fleece them more easily.

"I saw that Ben Richie was so down, so I wanted to comfort him. Besides, with his efforts, he might actually succeed."

Yang Tian looked at Qin Liang with a complicated expression. You brat, you don't tell me the truth either! But... never mind, I've already fulfilled my duty to remind him. Let him handle the rest himself.

"Here comes the food!" Yang Duo'er brought out the dishes: "Brother Liangzi, go wash your hands!"

After a satisfying meal, he slept soundly in the courtyard until dawn. As expected, Mr. Lin's secretary was already waiting outside.

Princess Tomb, Airplane Building.

"Liangzi, you've accomplished quite a few great things on this trip abroad!"

"Mr. Lin, you flatter me. The opportunity was just right at the time, so we gave it a push."

"You seem to have it easy. Last night, we spent the whole night with the overseas inspection team. Let's start with the twin-engine heavy fighter project for the Mikoyan Design Bureau. I have a feeling that this is their next-generation fighter jet."

"That's right, it's their fourth-generation fighter jet."

"The Mikoyan Design Bureau used to be an unapproachable force for us, and now they're actually asking Northwestern Polytechnical University for cooperation! I think this aircraft is very similar to the 611 design project, except for the stealth shape..."

"Yes, that's right. The key is the different stealth shape. Therefore, this Russian aircraft is destined not to be a fourth-generation fighter, at most it can be called a third-and-a-half generation."

"Is that plasma stealth technology you mentioned also a trap set for the Russians?"

"Not necessarily. If the Russians actually succeed, it will open up a new track."

"If that really happens, all the Russian planes will have stealth capabilities, then wouldn't we be..."

"Ahem, Elder Lin, plasma is a double-edged sword. They can indeed hide themselves, but... they can't receive external signals either!"

Everyone present was stunned. Upon closer inspection, they realized that it was indeed true.

Current stealth technology works by changing the aircraft's shape to reflect radar waves in other directions without affecting other functions. Plasma technology, on the other hand, involves coating the aircraft's surface with a special material. While this will dissipate incoming electromagnetic waves, it will also prevent the aircraft's own electromagnetic waves from radiating outwards. Even if the airborne radar radiates electromagnetic waves with its powerful output, it will never receive the reflected electromagnetic waves.

In that case, stealth technology is really a useless technology!

"You little rascal, this is a huge pitfall, but... designing the shape of airplanes for the Russians still poses a threat to us!"

"I designed eighteen control surfaces for that aircraft. The Russians' electronic technology simply can't match it. They can only rely on our electronic equipment. As long as we tamper with it, we can turn the Russians' aircraft into scrap metal at any time!"

Everyone was astonished again. Thinking about what had happened in the south, they realized that Northwestern Polytechnical University's electronic technology really could do it! After all, if they could control Russian missiles, they could certainly control Russian aircraft.

This pit is absolutely insane!
"Okay, then we have no doubts about this project. What about the light fighter jet project?"

"If I'm not mistaken, this new light fighter jet project was designed by the Russians for the Indians," Qin Liang said. "Since the Russians want to take a shortcut and come to us for help, we absolutely have to design the most useless fighter jet in the world. The Indians don't deserve to use advanced technology; having a defective product is enough to make them happy."

Back then, the airplane designed by Northwestern Polytechnical University for the Davids had serious flaws. The one designed for the other side of the river also had serious flaws. Now, if they were to design one for India, it would definitely still have flaws!
"However... this time we're collaborating with the Mikoyan Design Bureau! Their technical capabilities are top-notch. If we tamper with the structure, they'll definitely find out."

"No, no, this time we won't tamper with the structure. From aerodynamics to structure, everything is perfect."

"Then what?"

"As a lightweight aircraft, in order to reduce weight and improve performance, we will use more than 45% composite materials in this aircraft..."

The use of composite materials in aircraft is now a trend, and it certainly won't attract the attention of the Russians. However, when it comes to construction, they will find that it is not easy to master composite materials. In that case, they will have to switch back to aluminum alloy, and then... the aircraft will definitely be overweight!
Its weight is at least over one ton, and any advanced performance will be lost due to the excessive weight!
(End of this chapter)