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

Chapter 549 Old Ba's J-9 fighter jets have arrived!

Outside, on the tarmac.

The two fighter jets stood there quietly, looking quite imposing.

Its distinctive appearance is characterized by a full nose, bubble-shaped cockpit, delta wing canards, and a large main delta wing. The supersonic area rule modification of the rear fuselage further enhances its graceful shape.

This is the most advanced J-9 fighter jet in the East!
Before the J-20 entered service, the J-9 was the most advanced aircraft!
At this moment, a number of Pakistanis were gathered around this modern aircraft, all of them showing the same excitement.

"This aircraft is truly amazing!"

"That's right, whether it's the J-7's Blitz-9 and Blitz-10 or the J-8's Blitz-20, they can all be mounted!"

Pakistan once imported the J-8 fighter jet, which was specifically used as a high-altitude, high-speed fighter jet. It even shot down an Indian MiG-25, getting a good revenge.

However, that aircraft could only intercept and had poor maneuverability. The current J-9 has both maneuverability and long-range interception capabilities, making it hundreds of times more powerful!
The J-9 is finally an all-around fighter jet! Aside from the price being a bit high, but... advanced fighter jets aren't cheap anywhere!
Look at the American F-15 and F-16, aren't they even more expensive? And their performance is inferior!

The only drawback of this aircraft is that it uses a turbojet engine. However, thanks to the large fuel tank provided by the massive delta wing, plus the external fuel tanks, the range is still guaranteed!
Once the new J-9 fighter jet equipped with the WS-10 turbofan engine is finalized, purchasing another batch of that version will completely solve the problem!

Amar Khan stood to the side, looking at the two planes, his heart pounding with excitement.

"With this aircraft, our airspace will be impregnable! Thank you to our Eastern friends! We are the first to acquire the J-9!"

"This is what we should do. Our friendship with Pakistan will last forever!"

The friendship forged between the two sides during the war is absolutely unbreakable!

Qin Liang smiled as he looked at the plane.

For ferry flights, three large external fuel tanks are usually required. In addition, two air-to-air missiles as regular weapons are usually sufficient. But this aircraft... actually carries four more missiles?
Two long-range SH-20 missiles and two medium-range SH-10 air-to-air missiles?

"Aren't there a lot of these hanging?"

“Back then, our J-8s flew back and were immediately engaged in combat. The J-9s also need to be prepared. Moreover, this is also a test of long-range combat capabilities,” Amar Khan explained.

The Pakistani Air Force grew up in the fires of war, so they value real combat experience above all else. Even with three external fuel tanks, they still need to be able to carry a sufficient number of missiles to achieve true combat capability.

The J-9 has a total of eleven hardpoints, and two are still empty! Pakistan is already being very accommodating by not filling them all. It's not that Pakistan is unwilling, but rather... Factory 132 only has that many spare rounds.

"oh oh."

Just then, two pilots in flight suits strode over.

"Report, we are ready to depart, Major Kadri (Major Jodley)."

These two names... they sound familiar! It seems like...

Qin Liang recalled some memories: On May 17, 1986, at dawn, two Pakistani F-16 fighter jets took off to intercept four invading Afghan military aircraft. The auxiliary fuel tank rack malfunctioned and could not be jettisoned. The missiles were launched but were evaded by the enemy aircraft. In the end, they managed to shoot down one of the aircraft with their cannons!
Those were the two people who flew it.

After shooting it down, the Pakistani Air Force was very proud because they were competing with the army troops stationed in Peshawar to see who could shoot down the first one.

just now……

Will this flight back be a resounding success?

"Let's go!" Ajamar Khan waved his hand.

Just as the two climbed into the cockpit, the roar of an airplane sounded overhead.

Qin Liang looked up and saw a large, clearly visible disc on the back of the aircraft, indicating it was an airborne early warning aircraft. However… its airframe platform…

Conventional aerodynamic layout, wide fuselage, engines mounted under the wings... This is... the C909!

In later generations, the airborne early warning aircraft in the East were all modified from transport aircraft platforms. This was unavoidable, since there were no domestically produced large passenger aircraft and imported passenger aircraft could not be used for military purposes, so transport aircraft platforms were the only option.

Compared to transport aircraft, passenger planes have a more spacious and comfortable interior. A good environment can reduce fatigue and increase the ability to sustain operations.

We didn't have it before, but now that we do, of course we have to use it!
McDonnell Douglas tried to use this as leverage back then, but they had no idea that we had already built the C909!

It's inappropriate to put brand-new aircraft into commercial operation right away; it's better to start with military applications! It would be much more convenient and faster to improve civilian aircraft after accumulating a certain amount of flight time on military aircraft and exposing various problems.

At this moment, Qin Liang was in a great mood as he watched the early warning aircraft fly in.

China's domestically produced large passenger aircraft have developed rapidly! Three models are sufficient to cover more than 90% of market applications, especially the C909, which is most suitable for domestic regional flights!
As for early warning aircraft... that's definitely one of our strengths!
The C909 is just a regional jet with a maximum takeoff weight of 60 to 70 tons, about the same size as the Y-8. To realize early warning, command and control functions on it, advanced electronic technology is required, and in this field, Northwestern Polytechnical University is definitely the strongest!

On the runway, a roar sounded as two J-9 fighter jets took off in formation and quickly caught up with the early warning aircraft circling over Factory 132. The three aircraft formed a formation and continued flying southwest.

As the plane disappeared, Ajamar Khan spoke: "Thank you to Factory 132 for their hard work. In such a short time, they have given us advanced fighter jets! Now, our people should go back, and our own factories should continue producing advanced fighter jets!"

Their visit wasn't just to urge the East to produce the J-9; they mainly came to learn the production technology of the J-7 and JF-17 Thunder. According to the previous agreement, Pakistan was supposed to produce these aircraft in its domestic factories.

"Well, come on!"

Once the Pakistani men left, Qin Liang finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, the Pakistani men are gone too. Next... let's go check on our J-20 project. How's it going?"

"We have already built three prototypes. The first one, which is the one that made its maiden flight, has already flown to the flight test institute for the next stage of flight testing. The second one is undergoing static testing at our factory. The third one has just been assembled and will also fly to the flight test institute once it passes the ground tests."

A brand-new fighter jet can take several years of test flights. Building more prototypes can shorten the test flight time. For a fourth-generation fighter jet, even if there are five prototypes, it will still take four or five years to fly!
Qin Liang nodded. He realized that he had only focused on his wife, children, and family this past year, and hadn't contributed much to the progress of the aviation industry. Looking back now, he felt a little embarrassed.

"The third one has just been assembled? Great, let's go take a look!" Qin Liang said with great interest.

The J-20 is assembled in a special factory, with not only workers from Factory 132, but also technical experts from Institute 611 and students from Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Qin Liang had just entered when he was spotted by a large group of people.

"Principal Qin!"

Yang Wei was the first to run over: "You've finally arrived!"

"Yes, Principal Qin, I heard your wife is pregnant. When will she give birth?"

This question made Qin Liang even more embarrassed.

"Ahem, what improvements has this plane made compared to the first one?"

The prototype aircraft used for test flights is not exactly the same; it will definitely need to be modified according to the progress of the first test flight.

Now, the third J-20 fighter jet must have many different features!

“Principal Qin, the difference is huge…” Yang Wei was pulled back by someone next to him before he could finish speaking.

"Principal Qin, could you please identify the difference?"

Okay, so this is testing me?

Qin Liang looked over and immediately noticed the serpentine structure on the canopy, which was the micro-explosion canopy penetration technology. The matching seats had also been modified.

Considering that we previously acquired the K-36D ejection seat technology, it seems that we have developed our own advanced ejection seat!
Training fighter pilots requires a huge amount of money, and it is no exaggeration to say that their value is equivalent to gold!

Therefore, the rescue technology on fighter jets must be continuously improved, and the ejection seats, which are related to the safety of pilots, require even greater efforts to develop!

"The ejection seat is one, Principal Qin, it's nothing that you can tell, continue!"

Continue? Qin Liang looked at the plane more closely, his gaze falling on the vertical stabilizer.

"The electronic warfare antenna has been replaced; does this mean the electronic equipment has been upgraded?"

"That's right, that counts as one too, continue!"

besides?

Qin Liang continued to scan the various parts of the aircraft. He couldn't see what was installed inside, only the exterior. And there were still differences in appearance...

His gaze finally fell on the flaps at the leading edge of the wing, where the skin at the seam was clearly different from ordinary skin.

That is……

"Flexible skin is being used too?"

"See? Our Principal Qin is amazing!"

"That's right, the Materials Science Department was saying they wanted to test President Qin, and they found him so quickly!"

Everyone was full of admiration; Principal Qin's abilities were undeniable!

Qin Liang sighed inwardly, realizing that if he hadn't been the chief aircraft designer in his previous life, he really wouldn't have known these things.

The shape of a fighter jet has a significant impact on its stealth capabilities, especially at the seams, which can increase the reflection of electromagnetic waves.

Some issues can be easily resolved, such as the cockpit canopy and bomb bay canopy, where a serrated structure can be installed at the seams to reduce the radar cross-section. Others are more difficult to handle, such as various moving parts.

The control surfaces at the rear are fine, but the flaps on the leading edge of the wing will create a gap once they are rotated.

Previously, the only way to reduce radar reflection was to lay elastic conductive material at the connection point. Now, flexible skin is used, which is directly molded in one piece, making it simple, reliable and effective!

"This is a brand-new material recently developed by the Materials Science and Engineering Department of Northwestern Polytechnical University. It is made using elastic film and high-elastic fiber composite materials," Yang Wei introduced from the side. "It has good elasticity and ductility, and can withstand repeated stretching and mechanical stress in various environments..."

Don't underestimate this layer of material; it requires the most advanced technology to achieve!
After all, this location not only has to withstand supersonic aerodynamic loads, but also faces extreme temperature differences, which may be tens of degrees below zero or two hundred degrees above zero. If the materials are not up to standard, cracks will appear!

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern Polytechnical University has long been able to develop various materials without Qin Liang's guidance!

"Now that we have this material, do you think we could use it for the bulge in our DSI air intake as well?"

Everyone's eyes widened. Yes, how come we didn't think of that?
Previously, the air intake required an adjustment device to meet the engine's operating needs. Now, through precise aerodynamic calculations, a bulge has been developed that not only eliminates the boundary layer isolation plate but also allows the air intake to adapt to various conditions.

Of course, in terms of actual performance, it can't compare to a professional adjustable air intake, but it can save weight!
Now that we have flexible skin, can we make this bulge movable as well? And can it move without an adjustment mechanism?
"The flexible skin has the potential for dynamic self-adaptation, which allows the shape to be dynamically adjusted under different flight conditions. Therefore, with careful design, the size of this bulge can also be dynamically adjusted, thereby expanding the flight envelope of our J-20."

"Yes, Principal Qin, you're amazing! None of us thought of this use, but you came up with it!"

"I'm just making a suggestion. Next, we'll need the cooperation of relevant departments in research and development."

"Yes, your suggestion is enough!"

the other side.

After a long flight, the formation of three aircraft has entered Pakistani airspace.

On the KJ-500 early warning aircraft.

Commander Lieutenant Colonel Assad ordered, "Activate the radar and search our western border!"

"Yes."

They've wanted to do this for a long time! When they received the early warning aircraft in the East, they conducted extensive training, searching only the airspace of the East at that time. Now, they can search their own airspace!
Inside the clean and tidy cabin, there is a row of control consoles along the fuselage, with a total of eight workstations. This means that even with voice guidance, eight formations can be guided to fight at the same time. If a data link is used, there will be even more!

At this moment, a bright line rotates on the control panel's display screen, completing one full circle...

"Four enemy aircraft are flying eastward at extremely low altitude from Afghan airspace and are expected to enter our airspace in the Palazzina Valley region in five minutes!"

So fast!
Previously, such targets were impossible to detect. Now, early warning aircraft patrolling at an altitude of 10,000 meters can see everything below!
"Call in fighter jets to intercept immediately!"

"Yes!"

On the J-9 fighter jet during a smooth flight.

Major Kadri was already dozing off. The plane was so stable, and with the automatic navigation system set up, he didn't have to do anything along the way! He really felt like he was going to fall asleep.

At this moment...

"AWACS aircraft calling Falcon: Four targets detected, about to intrude into our airspace. Target coordinates are being transmitted!"

Seeing the target coordinates appear on the cockpit monitor, Major Kadri instantly woke up. At that moment, his adrenaline was rushing in, and his whole body felt like it had been injected with adrenaline.

Great job!

"Falcon is calling Lone Wolf, activate afterburner and accelerate!"

Jodley was also beaming with excitement: "Lone Wolf calling, when do we turn on the onboard radar?"

Never!

Why turn on radar? There are AWACS aircraft right behind us!
For Afghan or Soviet pilots, their cross-border attacks were merely aimed at bombing guerrilla training camps. They tried their best not to provoke the Pakistani Air Force, always sneaking in, bombing, and then sneaking away.

Therefore, there is no need to worry about the safety of the AWACS. If those guys dare to attack the AWACS, the Pakistani Air Force will not hold back and can fly across the border to bomb military targets in Afghanistan, and then the two sides will officially start a war!

Even in Afghanistan, the Russians frequently encountered various problems, let alone directly confronting their father. Behind Pakistan stands the entire Western world!
just now……

Jodley lavishly engaged afterburner, and together with the lead aircraft, they entered supersonic speeds and headed towards their target.

"Twenty kilometers from the target, reduce altitude to three thousand meters!"

"We've missed our target. Turn around and pursue them from behind!"

If it were just the two of them, they would not hesitate to use their onboard radar to lock onto the target and launch an attack.

Now... with the support of early warning aircraft and the ability to obtain the target's real-time location coordinates via data link, what is there to be afraid of!
Let's play a game of cat and mouse!
Two J-9 fighters made a graceful turn in the airspace ahead, and then... disappeared into the vast mountains!

Fifteen kilometers, ten kilometers, five kilometers...

Finally, we can clearly see the shape of the plane!
With its short, stubby fuselage, engine intakes on either side of the wing roots, fixed clipped delta wings laden with heavy bombs, and pointed nose, this is not the Su-22 attack aircraft commonly seen in the Afghan Air Force; it is the latest Su-25!

"Falcon is calling for an early warning aircraft; the target has been visually identified as a Su-25!"

Major Kadri was filled with excitement.

The most common aircraft in the Afghan Air Force are the Su-22 attack aircraft and the MiG-23 fighter jet, both of which are variable-sweep wing aircraft with bulky airframes and outdated performance. The Su-25, on the other hand, is a brand-new aircraft specifically designed for ground attack that was only finalized and put into service by the Soviet Union in the late 1970s!
It can take off from rudimentary airfields, has a titanium alloy bulletproof cockpit, can carry a large number of weapons, and has good low-altitude flight performance...

This aircraft has never appeared in actual combat since it was finalized. Now, the Russians are sending the aircraft to the battlefield in Afghanistan to test its performance!
Hmph, it'll soon become the first one shot down by our old Pakistani Air Force!

"Lone Wolf calling Falcon, should we drop the auxiliary fuel tanks?" Jodley couldn't help but remind his lead aircraft. We're about to go to war, why aren't we dropping the auxiliary fuel tanks?

"Need not!"

(End of this chapter)