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

Chapter 465 Undermining Boeing? Digging up Boeing's ancestral graves!

It was the hottest time of year in the Middle East, with the sun practically overhead, scorching the earth. The desert air currents felt like they could bake you alive.

The capital of Sha.

"Your Majesty, the C929 passenger jet in the East was actually developed under the leadership of Boeing. In fact, we even funded the development of this aircraft. Currently, our Boeing Seattle factory is also producing the same aircraft, codenamed B7E7. Boeing is a long-established civil aviation company, and the aircraft we produce will certainly meet your needs!"

King Fahd sat in the main seat, looking at the people speaking below.

"Mr. Lionheart, can your passenger planes be manufactured here at my place?"

Lionheart was taken aback: "Your Majesty, do the Easterners agree to allow you to set up a factory here to produce this passenger plane?"

"Yes."

"That's impossible! The Easterners have lied to you!" Lionheart's face darkened. "The intellectual property rights to this passenger plane are jointly owned by us and the Easterners. It was agreed during the research and development that it could not be transferred to a third party, so... you can't possibly obtain a production license!"

This surprised everyone present.

What does this mean?
The Easterners agreed, but the Westerners disagreed, as this was hindering Sha's industrial development!

Mr. Sha is rich, and with so much money, there has to be a place for it. It would just get moldy if left in a vault. So, they like to buy luxury goods, especially shiny gold items, which can also be used in other industries, such as... the aviation industry.

When they initially asked to produce the JF-17 Thunder, it was just a casual question. Unexpectedly, the Easterners agreed!

Now, the people in the East have also agreed to produce the C929 passenger plane!

But the Americans jumped in to interfere!
"Mr. Lionheart, do you mean you want to hinder the progress of our Sha family's aviation industry?"

What kind of aviation industry do you have? You just import complete sets of parts and then assemble them. You even bring in production workers from abroad.

Lionheart scoffed inwardly, but aloud explained, "No, Your Majesty, the United States and your side have always maintained a good friendship. How could we possibly hinder your cause? It's just... there's a division of labor internationally. This large passenger plane is sufficient for us in the United States, and you..."

"So we're only fit to export oil?" King Fahd's face darkened. "We're only fit to be at the lowest end of the industrial chain, while you Americans are at the highest? You get all the profits? Money is secondary; the key is that everything we do will be controlled by others! Just like when we were buying fighter jets, you obstructed us in every way until we bought them from the East, which freed us from being controlled by others."

"I can assure you that we will not interfere with your business in the field of large passenger aircraft."

"What if we want to convert large passenger planes into aerial refueling tankers or early warning aircraft? Won't you still object?"

This……

Shilongci felt that all the majors he had studied before were wasted and completely useless!
"Alright, if you're just here to put pressure on us, you can leave. We, Sha, will not be intimidated by anyone's pressure!"

"No, I'm here to sell passenger planes, our Boeing 7E7..."

"Can it be produced here by someone like me, Mr. Sha?"

"This...I'm sorry..."

"Then you can go."

East, Shanghai Aircraft Factory.

"Qin, I just received news from back home that Boeing went to our capital and pressured His Majesty to abandon our purchase of passenger planes from the East. They also said that the C929 cannot be assembled in my area without Boeing's permission... Is that true?"

Khalifa was somewhat anxious.

He's been at the Shanghai Aircraft Factory for three days, accompanied by Qin Liang. He's seen the advanced technology from the East and is very satisfied, but... how come there's an intellectual property issue involved?

Meeting Khalifa's expectant gaze, Qin Liang nodded: "That's right."

Right?

You still made that promise when you knew it was impossible!
"If it's the original passenger plane, the technology all comes from the Super Cruiser project. We have signed an agreement with Boeing. However... there is also a modified version of this aircraft, which we developed ourselves at Northwestern Polytechnical University. The fuselage remains the same, but the wings are changed to a conventional layout. Doing so will result in a decrease in speed, but the fuel economy will be better. Moreover, the intellectual property rights are all our own."

Khalifa's eyes shone brightly, and he knew that his Eastern friend would not lie to him. Sure enough!

"Let's go to the conference room and ask our engineers to introduce this new passenger aircraft project to you!"

"Good, good, good!"

This project has been in preparation for a while, but the timing of its launch is still important.

We can't just release it directly, otherwise it will provoke Boeing. Now, we're forced into this situation by Boeing. Since Boeing won't let us authorize Mr. Sha to produce it, we have no choice but to develop a completely new model!
The wings have been changed, so even if it's still called C929, it has nothing to do with the technology of the supersonic cruiser!
Inside the conference room, Mr. Ma turned on his computer and began his presentation in front of the projection screen.

"We use a supercritical wing with winglets, and the engines are mounted under the wings. The engines are the same as before, but because of the change in wing shape, the cruising speed is reduced to Mach 0.85, but this is still within the world standard range. Fuel consumption can be reduced by about 10%, and the range can exceed 10,000 kilometers..."

"Okay, okay, okay, then we'll change our royal jet order to this model!"

This is unprecedented! We received orders before even producing a prototype! Previously, only established giants had this privilege!

Everyone was beaming with excitement.

"Great! As long as you sign the contract, we can produce a prototype, make its maiden flight within six months, and deliver it to you within a year!"

"Yes, we can accept it! I'll send this good news back to China right away!"

Buying an airplane is not like buying cabbage; the delivery cycle is usually two or three years. This new type of airplane can be delivered within a year, which is fast enough!
With BeiDou terminals, message transmission is incredibly fast!

Seattle, USA.

"Hmph, those Easterners have gone too far! They blatantly violated the contract without our authorization!"

“That’s right, we might as well wait a bit longer. Once they officially sign the contract, we can seek compensation and make those Easterners return all the R&D funds that Boeing invested!”

"That's not enough, you need triple compensation!"

Just as everyone was discussing this, the travel-worn Lion Dragon finally walked in, his face... as ugly as could be.

"Lion Dragon, what's wrong?"

"I just received news from Sha that the Easterners will develop a brand new passenger plane for them."

"How is that possible!"

"That's right, this is a duplicate model, it's a waste! Even if Easterners have lower R&D costs, they shouldn't waste resources like this!"

Amidst the lively discussion, Shilongts continued, "Although we can't get detailed information, it's certain that this is a passenger plane developed using our B7E7 airframe with a conventional airfoil. While the cruising speed is reduced, fuel economy is improved by another ten percent..."

what?
Which clinic has the best facelift technology? Look no further than Qin Liang at Dongfang Chang'an!

Not only fighter jets can get a facelift, but passenger planes can too!

The complaints in the conference room had stopped; everyone was...shocked.

Back then, when those Easterners were trying to fool us, they used the concept of a supersonic cruiser! Faster than existing passenger planes, with the same fuel consumption...

Now, are Easterners really going to follow the old path of the past?

"Don't they think that supersonic cruisers are the right choice? Modern life is getting faster and faster, and passenger planes need to be faster too. But supersonic speeds are very fuel-consuming. Supersonic cruisers are the best solution, just like our Boeing 707 back then. It's a revolutionary and huge advancement?"

Dick Taylor, Boeing's chief engineer, couldn't help but ask a profound question. "Yes, our marketing department has also done the calculations and believes that the market prospects for the supersonic cruiser are huge. Now..." Lionel's expression was complicated: "After all, a 10% reduction in fuel consumption is a huge improvement, and those airlines... will be interested."

Boom!
Just then, the door opened.

"what's up?"

"American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines... it's said that executives from our domestic airlines have all gone to China!"

what?
Steiner stood up abruptly.

American Airlines, the world's number one airline in terms of flight volume, and the largest airline in the United States.

Delta Air Lines ranks second in the world in terms of flight volume!

United Airlines, ranked third, but they value Pacific routes the most and need aircraft like the C929 the most.

Now, these top three global airlines have all moved to the East. What does this mean?
Boeing's cornerstone has been breached!
No, no, this isn't just stealing someone's job, this is practically digging up their ancestral graves!

"Quickly, book me the next available flight right now. I want to go to the East, to Shanghai!"

Capital is profit-driven, and capitalists have the keenest sense of smell!
Even Qin Liang hadn't expected this.

After seeing off Mr. Sha's representative, Qin Liang was about to return to Northwestern Polytechnical University when he received this astonishing news.

The CEOs of the world's top three airlines are coming to Shanghai?

what does this mean?
The runway at the Shanghai Aircraft Factory.

A Boeing 747 passenger plane landed, its enormous size still representing its colossal physique.

Super airliners don't sell well, but they're a must-have because they're a symbol of strength!

Old Ma looked at the double-decker cabin at the nose of the plane and swallowed hard.

"Let's go, let's go greet our big spender." Qin Liang patted Old Ma on the shoulder.

Old Ma then realized what was happening and stepped forward.

With the arrival of these important figures, the Shanghai authorities did a lot of coordination work to allow them to land directly at the Shanghai Aircraft Factory, which saved a lot of trouble. Of course, there were also restrictions, such as that they could not leave the Shanghai Aircraft Factory area, since these people had not yet passed through customs in a strict sense.

On the connecting gangway, a large group of Americans walked off the plane with smiles on their faces.

"Everyone, welcome, welcome! I'm the head of the Shanghai Aircraft Factory, just call me Lao Ma. This is Comrade Qin Liang from Northwestern Polytechnical University. He heard you were coming and came especially for you..."

"Qin, you're a genius!" Chris, the head of American Airlines, who was the first to get off, exclaimed excitedly, "A large passenger plane that can reduce fuel consumption by 10% compared to our current models! This is simply a lucky star for us!"

"Yes, reduced fuel consumption is only one aspect. Procurement costs will also be significantly reduced. The passenger planes produced by our Dongfang have a cost advantage, and their prices are at least 10% lower than those of similar aircraft!"

Qin Liang didn't want to compete on price, but if he wanted to take over Boeing's market share, he had to offer incentives to his customers.

Capitalists value profit above all else!
These measures can save costs for these airlines, and what they save is what they earn. Boeing's attempts to deceive them are useless, because profits are the only real thing!

"Really? Then we really need to buy a large batch!" McNerney, the head of Delta Air Lines, said excitedly. "Our fleet is due for an upgrade!"

"Then our Eastern Airlines is your best choice! We rely on advanced avionics and use a two-person pilot system, which can save a mechanic. At the same time, our aircraft have a long service life and long maintenance intervals..."

“If we don’t come to the East, we won’t be able to access advanced technology! Qin, could you take us to see your production line?” Jim, the head of United Airlines, came down with great interest.

They are competitors, but they also share common interests; for example, they often join forces to give advice to aircraft manufacturers.

Now... no need to mention it, Dongfang seems to understand their thoughts!
"Okay, everyone, please!"

Landing directly at the airport has its advantages; you can walk right into the factory. They were all amazed when they saw the robotic arms flying on the production line.

"This production technology is even more advanced than that of the United States!"

"That's right, even the Seattle factory isn't this advanced! With this kind of production technology, we can rest assured!"

"Everyone, come and take a look. This is the production line for our C919 passenger aircraft. This aircraft will soon be equipped with the world's most advanced turbofan engines, which are fuel-efficient and durable. In addition to the four-engine version, there will also be a twin-engine version..."

Due to the restrictions on extended-range twin-engine flights, many transoceanic routes had to use four-engine aircraft. As a result, McDonnell Douglas's three-engine aircraft enjoyed a period of glory. However, as the regulations were relaxed, twin-engine aircraft gradually became the mainstream.
In later generations, the massive Boeing 777 has always used a twin-engine layout!

Therefore, it was inevitable that the C919 would be upgraded to a twin-engine aircraft. This required redesigning the wings and redefining the force relationships, but with the technical support of Northwestern Polytechnical University, this was not difficult.

The military still needs four engines, while civil aviation can switch to two engines!
"This aircraft is the best alternative to the Boeing 707; it's fuel-efficient, durable, and easy to maintain..."

The crowd was drawn in by the C929's standard upgrade, but... since they're here, they should take away more orders. The market demand for the C919 is much greater!
"Really? Let's take a closer look!"

"No problem, you can compare it with the Boeing 767."

In the 1970s, Boeing began to consider a replacement for its flagship Boeing 707. After careful study, it was determined that a twin-engine wide-body jet airliner was needed. In addition to replacing the Boeing 707, the DC-8 and DC-10 were also among its planned replacements.

In 1982, this aircraft officially began commercial flights. Its twin aisle and two-person pilot system made it the strongest competitor to the Airbus A300.

Now, this aircraft is also facing competition from the East!

"Compared to the Boeing 767, the primary advantage of our aircraft is its procurement cost, which is more than 10% lower. Secondly, the use of advanced composite materials further reduces its weight, and coupled with advanced avionics..."

That convinced a bunch of Americans!

"If you order now, you can also receive upgrade services. For example, our BeiDou navigation system will be built into the system, and the BeiDou navigation terminal can be connected to the cockpit..."

"What does this mean?" Everyone was curious, and at the same time, they had a premonition that this was going to be another innovation...

"Simply put, it means passengers can communicate with the ground via the short message service of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System while on the plane," Qin Liang said with a smile. "In business class, we can equip each seat with a terminal so passengers can send and receive messages anytime, anywhere. In the regular cabin, we can install terminals at the flight attendants' service desks, so that passengers can send messages back in case of an emergency..."

Everyone's eyes widened.

You can actually play like this?
Actually, this is similar to the WiFi used on passenger planes in later generations!
In the past, when boarding a passenger plane, mobile phones either had to be turned off or switched to airplane mode, making it impossible to communicate with the ground. For ordinary people, this was just inconvenient, but for business people, it might mean missing out on business opportunities.

Once WiFi is available, we can stay connected with the outside world anytime.

Later passenger plane WiFi either relied on the network of ground signal towers or on communication satellites.

Currently, communication satellites are too expensive to be used for such purposes, but navigation satellites don't mind sending short messages, which doesn't take up much of the channel!
For passenger planes, the ability to communicate with the ground at any time is a huge step forward. For the BeiDou system, if you want to send a message, it means that you also need a BeiDou terminal at home or in the office. This will further increase BeiDou's market share.

In the future, even after the GPS network is fully operational and users are used to BeiDou, they will look down on GPS because it cannot transmit short messages!

"Okay, if such a system exists, we'd be willing to purchase a batch!"

Currently, airlines are signing purchase agreements for anywhere from thirty to over a hundred aircraft!
China Eastern Airlines has officially entered the US market!
When Steiner arrived in Shanghai, the owners of the American airlines had already left. He arrived at the Shanghai Aircraft Factory in a fit of anger and saw Qin Liang, who was still there.

"Qin, what you've done has gone too far!"

"Sigh, what can we do? We're just trying to survive. You won't let us sell the C929, so we have to modify it ourselves. But don't worry, this modification project will absolutely not affect our original project!"

(End of this chapter)