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

Chapter 548: Has the surge in aluminum prices affected Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group's production?
Qin Liang's expression was complicated. Well, he was once again involved with Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Northwestern Polytechnical University's main business is aviation, and this field naturally requires a large quantity of aluminum alloys.

As aircraft performance improves, the proportion of titanium alloys will increase. In second-generation aircraft, such as the J-8, only 0.2 tons of titanium alloy were used, accounting for less than 1%. In third-generation aircraft, such as the J-10, titanium alloy accounted for only about 4%. In fourth-generation aircraft, such as the J-20, the amount used increased to 3.6 tons, accounting for 20%.

Of course, the Americans use it even more; it's said that titanium alloy accounts for as much as 41% of the F-22 fighter jet.

However, titanium alloys still account for less than half of the total material used in fighter jets, which are still mostly aluminum alloys.

The main beams, structural beams, skin panels, etc., all of these need to be made of aluminum alloy!
Now, the higher authorities have decided to use aluminum alloys as a pilot project to test the price limits, which also shows that they have seen the advantages of Northwestern Polytechnical University. If an uncontrollable situation really arises, Northwestern Polytechnical University will definitely have to step in to help, and they will not allow the price of aluminum alloys to skyrocket!

Otherwise... their production costs for fighter jets would increase dramatically!

"Principal Qin, what do you think?"

Qin Liang nodded: "Yes, I think the superior's decision is very wise!"

What else can I say? I suggested selecting one of the heavy industries as a pilot project, but you still came after me. I can't just say no, otherwise... all my words would have been for nothing.

For the sake of the country's economic stability, I will work hard once again.

"Xiao Wang, could you give Principal Qin a brief overview of the development of the domestic aluminum industry?" Leader Li said, seemingly sensing Qin Liang's mood.

"Yes," said Wang, the leader of the Dongfang Nonferrous Metals Industry Corporation, which was established in 1983.

"Before 1949, my country's aluminum industry was almost non-existent, with an annual output of only ten tons of aluminum nationwide. In 1950, Factory 501, which was the country's first modern alumina plant, was built and put into operation in 54. Factory 101, also known as the Northeast Light Alloy Processing Plant, started construction in 53 and went into operation in 56. Thus, the East had a complete aluminum alloy industry chain."

"In 58, the State issued the 'Instructions on Vigorously Developing the Copper and Aluminum Industry.' Subsequently, many aluminum plants started construction and a large number of new production bases were built. Now, there are a large number of aluminum industry companies, such as Northwest Aluminum, Southwest Aluminum, Shandong Aluminum, Shanxi Aluminum, Dongqing, etc."

If it weren't for Leader Wang's introduction, Qin Liang wouldn't have known that there were so many aluminum product manufacturers in China.

“Right now, our domestic aluminum industry is actually in a stage of overproduction. Our China Nonferrous Metals Industry Corporation is still worried about how to issue annual planned orders. Now, starting with the aluminum industry to carry out reforms and fully enter the market economy, it is exactly in line with your suggestion.”

So that's what happened. They didn't just target Northwestern Polytechnical University.

"Moreover, aluminum products have very little to do with people's daily lives. They are mainly used in industry, such as aluminum alloy lunch boxes and aluminum pots. Other applications, like aerospace, power, and machinery manufacturing, are all internal procurement within the industrial sector..."

"Sure, our Northwestern Polytechnical University will fully support this. If anyone tries to profit from this, we will coordinate the import of a large quantity of finished aluminum products from outside and crush them to the point of losing everything!"

Longxi, Gansu, Sanpin Stone.

This place was once a desolate wasteland overgrown with weeds and rarely visited by people. In 1965, the Northwest Aluminum Processing Plant began construction here, codenamed Factory 113, which is one of the three earliest aluminum processing enterprises in the East!

In 1968, the smelting and casting workshop began operation, and at the end of the same year, the extrusion workshop began production. Other workshops also started production one after another. In the subsequent September campaign, Northwest Aluminum's monthly output exceeded 1,000 tons for the first time!
Over the years, Northwest Aluminum has continued to develop and progress, carrying out more than 400 technological innovations and completing the trial production of more than 500 new products. However, now...

Factory office building, conference room.

"The industry has been tough these past year or two!"

"That's right, the number of planned orders is gradually decreasing, while the unplanned orders are demanding very high quality!"

"Comrades, we can't complain about the environment. If we don't change it, we'll just be waiting to die! Now, we must embark on a second entrepreneurial venture, developing high-performance aluminum materials that meet the industry's needs, and creating world-class products! Let's learn from Northwestern Polytechnical University!"

Factory director Liu Gensheng's words resonated deeply.

Today, Northwestern Polytechnical University is a benchmark for reform and development nationwide! Look at them, they are renowned all over the world. What's their secret? Innovation and progress!
Our Northwest Aluminum should also learn from them!
beep, beep...

Someone rushed in: "Report, Factory Director, esteemed leaders, the higher authorities have just issued an official document!"

"Okay, let me see."

Liu Gensheng took it and his expression became even more complicated.

"Director Liu, what are the instructions?"

"The higher-ups have decided to make our aluminum industry a pilot for reform, meaning that all orders for the factory will have to be earned by ourselves!"

"what?"

The people below haven't caught up yet, and they feel incredibly disappointed.

This……

Have our superiors abandoned us?

Will our factory go bankrupt?

"Comrades, this is a new opportunity for us! The planned orders from above are too cheap, making it a loss-making business for our factory! Now, we have completely transitioned to a market economy, where we are responsible for our own profits and losses. As long as we work hard, we will definitely have a bright future!"

"Director Liu, Director Liu, a few people have come outside. They say they want to buy our aluminum products!" Just then, another person ran in.

"Alright, please invite them in!"

These were a few people from the south, not very tall, dressed in suits and ties, with their hair combed very neatly, and leather cases hanging from their belts, inside which were shiny mobile phones.

"We've heard so much about Northwest Aluminum and would like to purchase your products..."

"Okay, what kind of aluminum do you need, and how much?"

"We need all kinds of aluminum, as much as you can get..."

These southerners are really rich?

"Our factory supplies goods to other companies, and the amount that can be put on the market is about 3,000 tons per month."

"Okay, we'll take all of these goods. Actually, you can give us any of the goods you're giving to other companies too..."

Everyone's eyes widened: "Now, one ton of aluminum costs over six thousand, so three thousand tons would be eighteen million! You..."

“We have plenty of money. We'll pay you an eight million deposit first. However, when we sign the contract, we need to stipulate the right of first refusal. From then on, we'll be long-term partners…”

"no problem!"

With these eight million, the factory can also carry out the next round of technological upgrades!
Dongfang, the capital, Dongfang Nonferrous Metals Corporation.

"In 1980, the average price of aluminum in China was around 1,500 yuan per ton. Just last month, after we officially issued the document, all the products from aluminum product factories in China were snapped up by buyers from all over the country."

At this point, Leader Wang gave Qin Liang a complicated look: "Principal Qin, you guessed right!"

"A market economy means operating according to market rules," Qin Liang said with a smile.

"Principal Qin, have you already contacted the Russians?" Leader Wang asked. "No rush, let's wait a bit."

"By the way, please also ask our China Nonferrous Metals Industry Corporation to speak with the banks and strictly prohibit them from making illegal loans and channeling funds into the aluminum industry. If they dare to do so... well, let's just report it directly to the higher authorities."

Those middlemen don't have that much money; they definitely have to borrow from the bank!

In the 1980s, bank loans were very convenient, and you could even get a loan without collateral! Of course, the penalties for defaulting on loans were also very severe; you could end up in jail.

However, going to jail won't help; bad debts can't be offset, and in the end, it's the country that suffers the loss.

Letting the bank conduct its own investigation is probably not feasible; we need to coordinate with higher-ups to avoid being blamed later.

"Okay." Leader Wang nodded. "I'll take care of it right away."

Just then, Qin Liang's phone rang.

"Hey, Mr. Tu, what's up? Is your factory running low on aluminum? Hmm, don't worry, I'll be right there!"

Qin Liang, who had been staying in the capital with his wife, also had to make a trip there. After all, Factory 132 was closely tied to Northwestern Polytechnical University! Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group even had shares in Northwestern Polytechnical University!
Factory 132.

With a steady stream of international orders, the factory is continuously expanding its production scale. When Qin Liang arrived at the factory, the row of J-9 production stations made him nod in approval.

"Excellent, excellent! The production efficiency of our Factory 132 has improved significantly again!"

"Yes, Principal Qin, the Air Force has placed many orders, so we need to speed up production to ensure the Air Force's equipment is not delayed. However... as you know, the Air Force's orders are all fixed-price contracts. In the past few days, aluminum prices have skyrocketed, and our upstream suppliers have also started raising prices for us. We're finding it hard to keep up!"

Old Tu's face was full of tension.

"How long can our inventory last?"

"The inventory can produce for another two months..."

Qin Liang turned his head, his eyes wide. So, it turns out I was tricked by you guys!

"Then let's start production."

"And what about two months later?"

"We'll talk about the rest later! Stay calm! Don't worry, when the tide goes out, we'll see who's been swimming naked."

This……

Everyone was stunned for a moment, and then... they seemed to understand. There was a trap here, which seemed to have been set by Principal Qin, and the time... should have been within the last two months.

"Alright, then we can rest assured." Old Tu nodded.

As we spoke, we reached the end of the J-9 production plant, where a brand-new J-9 was being assembled at this workstation.

The air intake has been bulged, the rear fuselage seems to have been slightly thickened, and the vertical tail seems to have an additional antenna.

"This is?"

"This is a modified J-9 fighter jet, mainly equipped with our WS-10 turbofan engine," Tu Lao explained.

The original J-9 used the WP-15 turbojet engine, which had high thrust and rapid acceleration. Apart from being fuel-inefficient, there was no difference between it and the original.

Later, when the domestically produced WS-10 turbofan engine matured, the military began to replace its equipment with the WS-10, since turbofan engines were the trend. However, the reduced thrust resulted in lower maneuverability compared to the previous engines, and there were already some complaints in the military.

If there's a demand, we'll make improvements!
In particular, after the J-20's maiden flight, the high-thrust WS-10 turbofan engine was developed, which simply and directly increased the thrust to 14 tons by increasing the diameter.

So the Air Force took a liking to it and decided to use this engine to improve the J-9 fighter jet.

Increasing the diameter increases the frontal area, which slightly reduces high-altitude and high-speed performance. Therefore, we simply stopped using the adjustable air intake and used a DSI bulge air intake instead!
Simply put, the J-9 at this time had already transformed into the J-10C of later generations!
The J-10A has strong interception capabilities, while the J-10C is mainly designed for multi-role combat, capable of both air combat and bomb dropping!
Moreover, as the air force shifts from homeland air defense to a combination of offensive and defensive capabilities, the demand for this type of aircraft will continue to increase!
and many more!

Qin Liang was shocked to discover that there were some special people active in his own production plant.

He had a high nose bridge, big eyes, and although his beard was clean-shaven, you could still see the thick stubble on his face.

What are these?
"Principal Qin!" At this moment, one of them recognized Qin Liang and excitedly ran over. This guy was actually...

Ajamar Khan, the production manager of the aircraft factory in Pakistan?
What's this guy doing here?

"Principal Qin, you haven't forgotten that when our J-9 participated in the airshow, the Pakistani Air Force came to offer to buy it, right?"

Hearing Tu Lao's reminder, Qin Liang finally realized: "So, we sold a batch of J-9 fighters to Pakistan?"

"Yes, the first batch of twenty is being produced in our factory, and some of them are for Pakistan."

No wonder they're in such a hurry, fearing that rising aluminum alloy prices will affect production. It turns out they're not only producing for the domestic air force, but also selling to Pakistan!
At this moment, Ajamar Khan approached and enthusiastically extended his hand: "Principal Qin, our Air Force is very satisfied with this batch of aircraft. With the J-9, we can finally have a truly high-end aircraft!"

They purchased the J-9 as a high-end aircraft in their high-low mix!

Looking at the map, you can see that the only way for Western aid is through Pakistan!

If it were just about providing some material transportation channels, that would be one thing, but the key issue is that there are still many training bases within Pakistan's borders.

Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean that Pakistan supports it. The main reason is that there are so many mountainous areas, which are difficult for Pakistan to manage. If Afghan guerrillas secretly occupy a mountain for training, Pakistan can't control them.

However, the Russians couldn't just stand by and do nothing. So, the Afghan air force, and even the Russian air force, would occasionally cross the border to carry out bombing raids.

This border friction began in January 1980, but for various reasons, neither side wanted to bring it into the open, so the outside world was not very clear about it.

Now that Pakistan's defenses in the east are solid enough, it's time to address the issues in the west!

The West is more convenient, after all, it's not something Bahrain is fighting alone; he has the support of the entire West! So... Bahrain also received a large amount of military aid from the West.

We could use the money from Western military aid to buy equipment from the East! And it would be advanced equipment from the East!

For example, the J-9 fighter jet was originally not going to be sold by Dongfang, but after Pakistan brought it up, Dongfang made an exception and sold it! We're really close brothers!
Speaking of these things, Ajamar Khan said with great enthusiasm: "Especially since we have also acquired airborne early warning aircraft, which has completely filled in our air defense blind spots!"

Pakistan's previous inability to cover the western front was due not only to having too few and outdated aircraft, but also to the lack of a radar air defense network! After all, even with a large number of radars deployed in mountainous areas, many enemy aircraft flying at extremely low altitudes still go undetected!
We have early warning aircraft and J-9 fighters; we can go all out now!

Qin Liang nodded: "Yes, not bad, not bad. We look forward to the J-9's triumphant start!"

"Yes, we are also looking forward to it. Today, two J-9 fighters will roll off the production line and escort an KJ-500 early warning aircraft from Factory 172 back to our Pakistani air force base!"

Today? What perfect timing!

(End of this chapter)