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

Chapter 444 The F-117 Became a Versatile Fighter

Another busy day!

After the meeting, and tasks were assigned to the five departments, Qin Liang stood at the entrance of the building, watching the setting sun and feeling a sense of melancholy, when he heard a voice behind him.

"Qin, can we talk alone?"

Qin Liang turned his head curiously to look at the person who spoke: Jürgen from MBB? What does he want with me?

"Okay. Shall we talk as we walk?"

"it is good."

After the start of spring, the weather in Chang'an has become increasingly comfortable. The gentle breeze is refreshing, and walking along the school's paths, one can feel all the fatigue of the day being relieved.

"Qin, you saw the American F-117 that the Soviets shot down this time, right?"

"Yes." Qin Liang nodded: "The Soviets have spread this news all over the world. When we first saw the F-117, we were also amazed."

Needless to say, we've seen it, we've even had contact with it, and we've personally repaired it. In a few days, the F-117 will be taking off from here!

"Well, our MBB company... also hopes to research similar aircraft. If you... if you are willing to provide assistance, we would be extremely grateful."

Qin Liang's eyes lit up instantly. Great! The Northern branch was just worried about not having any target clients, and this time, someone actually came to them on their own initiative!
"Developing such an aircraft is no simple task. Although it's not as complex as developing a fourth-generation fighter jet, it still requires a significant investment of resources. Are you... sure you want to develop this kind of aircraft?"

At this point, Qin Liang already knew why the other party had come.

In the 1980s, Germany also independently developed two stealth aircraft! MBB developed the "Firefly," while Dornier developed the LA 200.

Now that it's MBB (McMoRan) that's contacting us, it must be about Project Firefly.

Like the F-117, this aircraft also has a polyhedral structure. Due to the poor computer technology, the polyhedral structure is simpler, consisting of just a few planes, making it look even more unreliable.

This aircraft was developed for several years, and was eventually abandoned in the late 1980s. This was partly due to pressure from the United States, which was unwilling to allow its allies to acquire overly advanced technology, and partly because the Germans themselves were too technologically inept, since they had never developed an advanced fighter jet before.

And so, this aircraft eventually disappeared into the annals of history.

It was only 84, and the threat facing the Germans was still very serious. The purpose of this aircraft was not to bomb the Soviets with stealth capabilities, but to survive better on the battlefield. It came and went without a trace, and carried out assassinations on the battlefield, constantly taking down Soviet bombers.

Jürgen nodded: "That's right, we hope to develop this kind of aircraft, and we also hope to get your help."

"Northwestern Polytechnical University is already collaborating with you on stealth fighter development, so this independent project needs to be transferred to a different research and development unit. I can recommend one that has deep expertise in stealth fighter technology..."

"it is good!"

The Germans still highly regard the aviation technology level of the East. Now, they don't mind changing to another unit, as long as they can help them solve problems!
The sun had already set, and night had fallen. But inside one of the workshops of Factory 172, the lights were still on, and countless people were busy with the final finishing touches.

"Professor Gu, Professor Gu, Northwestern Polytechnical University called and asked you to come over!"

What?
Old Gu was taken aback at first, then overjoyed. If he was allowed to come over, it must be something important. Could it be that... the stealth aircraft project has been approved by higher authorities for domestic replication?

"Okay, I'll go over right now!"

Northwestern Polytechnical University, Department Building 5, small conference room.

When Old Gu walked in, he saw Qin Liang talking to several foreigners.

"Mr. Gu, you've arrived? Let me introduce you. These are guests from MBB Company."

"So you're German friends! Hello, hello!" Old Gu exclaimed excitedly. "I hope you can offer me a lot of guidance..."

"Mr. Gu, they've come to ask for your help." Qin Liang quickly corrected him, adjusting his posture. What about asking for guidance now? Where's the strategic vision and positioning?
However… in my memory, the Northern Institute really did cooperate with MBB. Back then, when the Northern Institute replaced the fly-by-wire control system on the J-2 fighter jet, they asked MBB for guidance. It’s unbelievable to think about it, considering that MBB itself didn’t have many successful projects and no experience in fly-by-wire operation, yet the Northern Institute treated MBB like a treasure…

It's simply a case of outsiders being better at chanting scriptures.

"Huh? Asking for help?" Old Gu was taken aback at first, then regained his composure: "What kind of help do you need?"

“Mr. Jürgen, tell us your needs and we comrades from the Northern Institute will definitely be able to help you.”

Jürgen nodded: "We need an aircraft similar to the F-117, with a polygonal shape, but it must have excellent stealth capabilities and optimized aerodynamic layout..."

This is just the F-117 project that we just finished surveying and mapping; we can just take it over!

Old Gu nodded: "Of course, no problem. We can help with the research and development. We can produce a prototype for you within a year!"

The entire airframe structure of the F-117 has been mapped out. As long as we have the money, the next step is to build a prototype! But... how much will that cost?

Prototype to be produced within one year!
This news excited the Germans even more: "Really? That's wonderful! How much funding do you need?"

"Well, well, it should be at least this number." Old Gu held up three fingers.

Thirty million yuan shouldn't be too much, right? The overall cost shouldn't be much more expensive than the J-8 fighter jet...

“Three hundred million? That’s a bit pricey.” Jürgen frowned.

"Gentlemen, there's no such thing as a cheap way to develop a stealth aircraft!" Qin Liang ignored Old Gu's shocked expression and began to launch into a long, rambling sales pitch.

"Do you know how much it cost to develop the F-117 fighter jet? Lockheed and we are good friends. I mentioned it before, it cost $6.6 billion! The current European fighter jets, we just gave them a facelift. Designing the exterior alone cost $200 million. If we were to design the internal structure as well, it would cost at least $1 billion!"

Old Gu quickly suppressed his shock and swallowed the 30 million back down his throat. If they had 300 million US dollars in funding, their Northern Institute would have survived!
They don't need any design; they just need to take the F-117 design and copy it exactly—that's what they're most familiar with!

"Now, with three hundred million US dollars, we'll design the entire aircraft, including its exterior and internal structure, and even program the flight control system. That way, you can start test flights right away! After that, you'll only need to spend a maximum of another two hundred million US dollars to complete all the test flights. Five hundred million US dollars will get you a perfect aircraft model. That's less than one-tenth of the F-117's development cost, and you'll get an aircraft with performance even better than the F-117. It's absolutely great value for money!"

Old Gu was even more shocked. This next test flight would cost them another 200 million!

"Moreover, the most crucial factor is time. We can design the prototype within a year, and complete the flight test subjects another year. Two years will allow you to acquire an advanced stealth fighter. Is this amount of money too expensive?"

The Germans were clearly persuaded.

"What if it can't be completed?"

"We can sign a performance-based agreement. If we fail to meet the target, we'll pay double the amount. You spend 500 million, and we'll compensate you 1 billion!"

"it is good!"

Jürgen was finally relieved: "Then let's sign this agreement!"

"Well, the only drawback is that we don't have stealth coating technology yet. We are only responsible for the airframe and structure, avionics, etc. You'll have to research stealth coatings yourselves."

In fact, Dongfang had already obtained the coating of the F-117 a long time ago, and had mastered the complete process in recent years. However, this information could not be revealed and needed to be kept secret.

The Germans almost spat out blood; after all that, it was still a half-finished product!
"Of course, if you need it, we can try to get some stealth coating powder from the F-117 wreckage from the Soviet Union. Your German industry is advanced, so you should be able to develop a similar product soon, right?"

Jürgen took a deep breath: "Alright."

They can replace the damaged parts of the F-117, not to mention scraping off the stealth coating powder, they can even get the wreckage out.

Having a sample doesn't guarantee production. Process research requires luck; it might be done in a few months, or it might take years to find the right process. It all depends on the Germans' luck.

"Also, this project must be kept secret. If the Americans find out about it in the future, it has nothing to do with the East. It's all a project developed by your MBB company!"

When the Firefly becomes exactly like the F-117, Lockheed will be furious!

"Yes, that's for sure!"

The matter was finally settled! Old Gu was in a very good mood. He got into the car and even hummed a folk tune from a folk opera.

Crunch!

The car stopped, and Old Gu walked back into the workshop, intending to work for a few more hours. He was full of energy.

"Gu, you're finally back!" Nikolai Nikitin exclaimed excitedly.

What?
Dude, shouldn't you be at Northwestern Polytechnical University at this time? What are you doing here?

"What's wrong? Is something the matter?"

"Moscow has issued instructions to convert the aircraft's belly bomb bay into an aerial reconnaissance aircraft!"

The F-117's greatest strength is its stealth capability! If we had a large number of stealth aircraft, they could certainly be used for ground attack, but right now we only have one, so bombing isn't very meaningful. It's better to use it for aerial reconnaissance!
"Comrade Nikitin, is this...is this possible? This plane is a ghost of the night; isn't aerial reconnaissance conducted during the day?"

"Yes, if it were Soviet technology, night reconnaissance would be very difficult. However... you in the East have advanced technology that can certainly meet our needs for night reconnaissance. We hope you can provide us with these reconnaissance equipment. We can provide whatever funding you need."

While the F-117 was being repaired here, Moscow was also considering the aircraft's role. It would be a waste to use it only for test flights and verification; it needed to be put to practical use!
They discussed for several days what specific role it should play, and the final solution they came up with was to convert it into a reconnaissance aircraft!
Although this aircraft has a shorter range, if it is deployed to East Germany, it can enter West German airspace as soon as it takes off and still be able to clearly detect the situation within hundreds of kilometers of the other side!
"Alright, I need to coordinate with Northwestern Polytechnical University regarding your request..."

So, Professor Gu took a car and returned to Northwestern Polytechnical University once again.

It was already past nine o'clock at night. After finishing his work for the day, Qin Liang walked along the roads inside the campus towards the staff quarters, and then... someone called out to him.

"Comrade Qin Liang! Comrade Qin Liang!"

"Old Gu, it's you again?"

"Comrade Qin Liang, the Russians have raised new demands..."

After listening to Elder Gu's report, Qin Liang was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

The F-117, originally a ground attack aircraft, has now been converted into an interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft in our hands.

"Comrade Qin Liang, this night reconnaissance aircraft... we really can't think of any way to modify it." Old Gu's face was full of helplessness: "It's simply impossible!"

"Why not?" Qin Liang smiled. "Nighttime optical reconnaissance devices are definitely out of the question, but infrared reconnaissance devices can be used! Come on, I'll take you to the Materials Science Department to take a look!"

Early night vision technology involved illuminating a target with an infrared lamp, which would then reflect the infrared light back into the target's infrared aiming device. This was similar to using a flashlight in the dark, providing excellent clarity.

However, it also has many drawbacks. If the other side has an infrared aiming device, they can see the bright infrared headlights and fire back.

Later, this method was phased out, and low-light night vision devices were developed. These devices amplified the faint light in the dark, allowing people to see objects clearly. However, these devices required light to function, and they could not be used in pitch-black nights.

The ultimate development of night vision technology is naturally this infrared imaging night vision device. It uses the infrared rays emitted by the object itself for observation. This method does not expose the user and is passive. It can work even in the darkest night, making it the best solution.

During the Gulf War in the early 1990s, NATO tanks humiliated Iraqi tanks in this way: those bright infrared headlights were perfect targets in their infrared imaging night vision devices!

The Materials Science and Engineering building has also been built. The lower floors are for student classes, and the upper floors are all laboratories. For the convenience of transporting equipment, the Materials Science and Engineering building also has a dedicated large freight elevator.

Fifth floor, laboratory.

"Liangzi, come in, come in quickly!" Professor Zhang exclaimed excitedly, "What brings you here?"

"Professor Zhang, how's our research on infrared detection materials going?"

"Well, we've studied various materials, mainly divided into cooled and uncooled types. Cooled types primarily include four types: mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe), quantum well photodetectors (QWIPs), type II superlattices, and quantum dot photodetectors. Uncooled types mainly include vanadium oxide, amorphous silicon, or silicon diodes..."

Qin Liang really couldn't understand it; everyone has their own area of ​​expertise!
"Among these materials, our most significant achievement so far is vanadium oxide. We use silicon nitride to make a roof-shaped structure, and the vanadium oxide film is placed in the middle layer. There is also a reflective layer below, which together with the diaphragm in the middle layer form an optical resonant absorber, further optimizing the infrared detection performance."

Professor Zhang's face was full of pride: "As for the most crucial infrared focal plane array, we can now achieve 320x240. Once all the testing is completed in the laboratory, it can be sent to our missile factory and tested on short-range air-to-air missiles."

Using the indium antimonide seeker we introduced before, it would be good enough to make a 16x16 infrared focal plane array. In recent years, the materials science department has been researching various materials, and the vanadium oxide we finally found is simply a perfect match.

With this 320x240 focal plane, the target is clearly visible as a graphic, making it impossible for the target to escape. Infrared decoy flares are therefore meaningless!
Is it expensive to build?

"It costs tens of thousands of yuan each, but it might be cheaper once it's mass-produced."

An air-to-air missile costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the price of its guidance head is not a concern, while an enemy aircraft shot down costs at least tens of millions of dollars!

"What has the worst performance?"

Professor Zhang was a little embarrassed: "Well, it's naturally mercury cadmium telluride (HCDT) material. This material belongs to the first generation of infrared sensor materials. Although it's relatively old, its performance is not outdated. As a semiconductor material with an adjustable bandgap, HCDT can cover the entire infrared band in terms of wavelength range. Moreover, its absorption rate exceeds 70%, and it has a high electron mobility, which means a fast response speed..."

Qin Liang felt even more troubled.

"In the early 1980s, mercury cadmium telluride materials were developed towards low power consumption, high impedance, and large arrays, thus forming the second-generation infrared focal plane array system, which had very good imaging quality..."

"Ahem, Professor Zhang, what's the defect?"

"Mercury cadmium telluride is a ternary semiconductor material with ionic bonds. The ionic bond interaction force is relatively weak, and the mercury element is also unstable and easily leaks out of the material..."

Qin Liang understood what he meant.

"In other words, infrared imaging devices made from this material will gradually lose their light-sensing ability over time, until they eventually become waste?"

Professor Zhang nodded: "Yes, so we are working hard to study and improve the measures, using the method of manufacturing gallium nitride to manufacture complex but high-performance mercury cadmium telluride material... After all, the characteristic of this thing is that it is cheap. Once it is mature, the price of the seeker can be reduced to less than 10,000."

"Yes, yes, speed up the research. However, let's produce a batch of this mercury cadmium telluride first. I want to use it to assemble a large infrared imaging array for reconnaissance aircraft. Let's set the size at 1024x1024!"

What?
Professor Zhang's eyes widened: "Such a large array must cost at least five million!"

"Okay, I'll give you fifty million, in US dollars!" Qin Liang smiled.

"So expensive?"

"The later electronic equipment will be supplied by the Department of Electronic Engineering, and I'll give them 50 million! The customer will have to spend 100 million US dollars to purchase this equipment!"

Aren't the Russians rolling in money? Let's make a killing off them this time!
Qin Liang turned to look at Old Master Gu: "Old Master Gu, you know what to say when you get back, right?"

Old Gu frowned: "I don't know."

"Ahem, then I'll teach you."

(End of this chapter)