Chapter 382

Chapter 382: The Monster of the Fourth Generation and a Half

The performance and equipment of the J-18 “Red Eagle” exceeded Lin Mo’s imagination. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought someone was playing a joke on him.

To regain the orders for the fourth-generation main fighter jets, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation invested heavily in research and development, equipping it to rival the U.S. F-22 “Raptor.”

As a fourth-generation and a half aircraft, the J-18 aims directly at fifth-generation capabilities, achieving a supersonic cruise speed of 1.8 Mach, slightly greater than the F-22’s 1.56 Mach. Its maximum dash speed can reach 2.5 Mach, surpassing the F-22’s 2.25 Mach, providing it with a natural advantage in combat maneuvers.

Although it lacks a canard design, the J-18’s unique aerodynamic layout, which is more advanced than America’s, grants it excellent capabilities for post-stall maneuverability and high-angle flight. The internal weapons bay design fully utilizes the powerful engines, and its climb and maneuvering performances surpass those of the current Chinese main fighter jet, the J-10 series, coming close to the J-20 in performance, while holding absolute advantages in certain areas.

Despite featuring many high-tech and precision devices, the J-18’s complexity didn’t increase the difficulty of operation. The onboard automatic flight control system significantly reduced the complexity for the pilot.

Current active fighters in China rely heavily on the pilot’s personal flight skills, which can be exhausting and physically demanding. This is why Lin Mo, evaluated with an A+ physique, often had an edge in aerial combat.

The automatic control system substantially improved this situation, and the advanced anti-G cockpit further lowered physical demands, allowing pilots to conserve energy, reduce flight intensity, and endure higher overloads for super maneuvering tactics.

Besides effectively easing control efforts, a significant highlight of the automatic flight control system is its capacity to operate as an uncrewed combat aircraft. With a complete tactical maneuvering database, it could even form tactical formations for high-altitude dogfights.

Using such a dual-mode high-performance fighter is rare not only domestically but also internationally.

The creativity of the Chinese is truly astonishing.

Shenyang’s secrecy was remarkably effective; when the J-18 was completed, there were no whispers, not even within the Air Force, domestically or internationally.

Just like how people learned about the J-10 only after the second-generation J-10B had already been delivered for use.

The complexity of the onboard equipment raised maintenance demands significantly. Along with the arrival of the J-18 “Red Eagle” fighter jet, various auxiliary devices came in as well, including automatic arms for automated detection and maintenance. These could connect to the onboard computer to perform unmanned operations, such as self-diagnosis and automatic replacement of certain consumables.

However, aside from the automatic flight control system and outstanding maneuverability, what Lin Mo valued most was that the J-18 “Red Eagle,” which could be used as a carrier-based aircraft, actually featured vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.

This function was especially practical for the Night base, which had a valley airport. Carrier-based fighters significantly reduce runway requirements, and 800 meters is still quite challenging for the J-14 and J-20.

The J-10 has excellent short takeoff and landing performance, so the small runway in the valley sufficed, including Lin Mo’s P-51 Mustang picked up in Afghanistan, which was more than enough.

As a heavy air superiority model, the J-20, while capable of operating with a minimum takeoff distance of about 500 meters, gives that as an extreme parameter and requires a redundancy of at least 1000 meters for safety.

In comparison, the J-18 possessed even better takeoff and landing performance, making it more suitable for use at Night.

Accompanying the manual were several DVDs containing simulator programs for the J-18. With a powerful small computer equipped with two decent graphics cards and a joystick, Lin Mo could set up a simulation to learn flying, using three large screens to display multiple views.

The hardware needed for the simulation system wasn’t a problem for the resource-rich Night base.

The base operated a mainframe computer with talented personnel in soft and hardware capable of completing the task in no time.

In less than half a day, Lin Mo had set up a joystick for simulated flying in his dormitory. Although it wasn’t an experience with G-force in a simulator cabin, it was sufficient for Lin Mo, who already had abundant flying experience.

Having solid experience with the carrier-based J-15, typical takeoff and landing procedures wouldn’t be a major hurdle for him. The biggest challenge was mastering vertical takeoff and landing.

Although he once landed a P-51 vertically on an aircraft carrier using airflow changes for balance, it bore no resemblance to operating a fighter designed for vertical takeoff and landing.

The British Harrier jet was also a vertical takeoff fighter, but this unique control method proved complex and carried substantial risks. Pilots used to conventional takeoffs often made fatal errors due to habits.

In the 1970s, a British Harrier squad experienced several deadly accidents, earning it the nickname “Widowmaker,” which persists to this day.

Almost half of the first batch of Harrier AV-8A jets crashed due to accidents, while the improved AV-8B faced nearly a 25% crash rate. Though the Harrier possessed unparalleled maneuverability as a carrier-based jet, its A-class accident rate constituted astronomical figures, with at least 32 incidents per 100,000 flying hours. Pilots risked their lives, far surpassing the accident rates of other military attack or fighter jets during the same period.

Learning from past mistakes abroad, Shenyang meticulously focused on increasing the safety of the J-18’s vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, streamlining operating modes in conjunction with the automatic system, and applying dynamic center of gravity balancing technology with dual-vector thrust engines to enhance stability.

While the J-18 “Red Eagle” bears similarities to the U.S. Marines and the British Royal Navy’s vertikal takeoff F-35B, Shenyang went further with superior onboard computer performance capable of more detailed calculations for pilot control.

Vertical takeoff scenarios might not be many, but they could provide surprising advantages. Lin Mo dedicated three days entirely to simulator flights.

“Dongfeng 3, cloudy, ground temperature 24 degrees, meteorological conditions good, air pollution level one, no high altitude turbulence.”

Sitting in the cockpit of the J-18 “Red Eagle,” Lin Mo heard the Aircrew Group report weather monitoring data through his Dragon General tactical aviation helmet.

“Dragon Knight received! System self-check normal, commencing vertical takeoff operation.”

Gently pushing the throttle, the J-18 “Red Eagle” completed its preheat. The aircraft trembled, noticeably intensifying the vibration.

The J-18’s vertical takeoff was not a perfect 90-degree climb but rather at an angle, using auxiliary lift engines and twin-vector thrust to gain upward momentum with three-point support.

The roar of the engines gradually increased as Lin Mo carefully controlled the throttle, increasing output gradually. Dust on the runway was blown away, and nearby grasses bent outward in a radial formation.

This was his first time operating the J-18’s vertical ascent capability.

“Good job, stabilize a bit; it’s just like I used to teach you with the WZ-12. It’s really no different from a helicopter. Just be careful not to shake; helicopters can shake, but excessive shaking in a fighter can hit the ground.”

Old Pan’s voice was calm in Lin Mo’s ear, sounding like a patient teacher guiding his student through the first experiment.

“Understood, I’ll operate from a helicopter’s perspective. I think it should be fine for me.” Lin Mo pulled at the joystick, and the flight control system indicated the aircraft was in good condition.

Suddenly, he felt a lift as the ground outside the cockpit began to move, indicating the aircraft was slowly ascending.

“You’re airborne! Altitude 1 meter, 2 meters. Good, don’t rush; this is a valley, so there won’t be significant airflow—take it slow.”

The helicopter operations Old Pan had secretly taught Lin Mo weren’t particularly challenging for a Dragon Knight.

A pilot’s record is reflected in the number of enemy aircraft shot down, while flying experience is measured in flight hours. Regardless of where a pilot goes, a record of their flight hours follows them. The Aircrew Group maintains a log of Lin Mo’s flying time.

Typically, accumulating enough simulation time means a pilot qualifies for actual flying.

The brand new J-18 “Red Eagle” heavy fighter was about to make its inaugural flight.

For safety reasons, it was not equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks or filled with excessive fuel, only enough aviation fuel for Lin Mo to fly for 30 minutes.

The heat waves visible in the air created ripples, lifting the nose of the J-18 from a horizontal position to a 15-degree climb, slowly gaining altitude.

When the reticle passed the end of the runway and the hillside, Lin Mo increased the power for further ascent. The J-18, gaining lift, suddenly surged upward, the dual-vector engines shooting out the same pure blue circular flames as the J-20.

The WS-15X “Emei” turbofan engine, produced by Xi’an Engine Company, unleashed a maximum thrust of 18 tons per engine, totaling 36 tons of thrust propelling the 17-ton loaded aircraft skyward at astonishing speeds.