Chapter 478

Chapter 478: Are You Seriously Under-armed?

"Wow! This guy actually has some skills!"

Lin Mo suddenly felt curious as it appeared that the F-22 pilot also possessed the Light Mirror Technique, allowing him to see outside his visual blind spots. Lin Mo was surprised but did not hesitate. He yanked back on the control stick, and the J-14 “Eagle Falcon” gracefully turned, using its slightly larger wingspan to absorb the downward force. It dropped several dozen meters, but the roar of the engines counteracted the loss of altitude, and soon the tail fin adjusted, allowing it to climb again.

Climbing power has always been a strong suit of Chinese engineering, and the initial high-altitude, high-speed capabilities of the MiG fighters continued to influence aircraft design. In an instant, the J-14 “Eagle Falcon” had re-engaged with the F-22 “Raptor,” now even closer than before.

Though the F-22 was an impressive aircraft with a load capacity nearly 38% that of the J-14, both aircraft were currently in an under-loaded state. The “Eagle Falcon” lived up to its name, being significantly lighter than the “Raptor.” Moreover, Chinese aerodynamic designs have surpassed American ones. In a state of supersonic flight, the “Eagle Falcon” could even outpace the “Raptor” by twenty percent.

In a sprint for speed, the F-22 simply could not compete against the J-14. Once entering the supersonic zone, the F-22 began to struggle, especially with regard to close-quarters super maneuverability, unable to match the unpredictable maneuvers of the J-14.

Like the sharpest arrow of a harrier hawk, the J-14 danced through the sky, performing incredible maneuvers that defy traditional tactical strategies. Anchored reporters and seasoned experts from various news stations had already fallen silent in awe, unable to articulate what they were witnessing.

All of this was not only due to Lin Mo but also thanks to the fully adjustable convergent-divergent three-dimensional vector nozzles on the J-14 engines. In terms of vector propulsion, the F-22’s binary vector system paled in comparison.

Dedicated cameramen, as if they were mere spectators, captured every moment with their high-performance equipment. Viewers at home and at the venue were equally stunned, caught up in the marvel of aerial maneuvers that seemed beyond belief.

It was like opening a Pandora’s box, unleashing countless miraculous dogfighting techniques that could be incredibly enticing for air force pilots worldwide.

This was a blatant display of prowess—the debut showcase of the J-14 “Eagle Falcon.”

"What’s happening? I’m seeing shadows of the X-31! What do the Chinese have planned?"

Townsend Williams, the Lockheed Martin supervisor in charge of the exhibit, couldn’t help but murmur in disbelief. He nearly pressed his eyes to the military binoculars, shaking with astonishment.

The X-31, an American experimental aircraft known for its focus on post-stall maneuverability featuring Active Control Technology, had demonstrated remarkable capabilities for short takeoff and landing and tail-less flight research, providing technical validation for many American fighters’ designs.

The vertical takeoff capabilities of the F-35’s B variant stemmed from this concept. Designed in 1986, this experimental plane could perform stunts that rival the Cobra maneuver on a technical level. It seemed like an aviation marvel, but its stealth abilities were a fatal flaw—it would be a sitting target for missiles, no matter how impressive its super maneuverability.

However, witnessing the J-14 “Eagle Falcon” exhibiting these capabilities left huge players in the aviation industry, like Lockheed Martin, utterly shocked.

What kind of adversary had they stirred up? Just how deep were the waters in this National Defense Star?

Townsend Williams felt a sense of inner conflict.

“Warning! Warning! You are approaching the flight alert zone and nearing the no-fly zone. Please return immediately!”

Both Lin Mo and Yamashiro Soichiro heard urgent warnings from the ground-based French air defense units. Unknowingly, their two fighters had drifted outside the exercise area into an orange alert zone.

Alarms blared in both the F-22 “Raptor” and the J-14 “Eagle Falcon” cockpits. They had been successfully locked onto by the pre-heated surface-to-air missiles, and the French were not afraid to act.

“Damn it!”

Despite receiving guidance from a strange encrypted communication channel, Yamashiro still struggled to pinpoint the “Eagle Falcon’s” position. As a high-speed combat aircraft, it could jump from one spot to another in an instant, rendering delayed information almost useless. He could only predict the movement based on two moving points, which was mentally taxing and didn’t entirely account for piloting the aircraft.

This method of covert communication didn’t free Yamashiro Soichiro from his predicament; it merely improved his situation slightly, yet he still found himself in a bind.

The warning from the ground-based radar locking on to the surface-to-air missiles jolted him back to reality. Without a second thought, he pulled away from the chase with Lin Mo and headed back toward the exercise area. It was no joke to be flying under-loaded in an exercise; without any weapons or ammunition, how could he take this seriously?!

“Raptor” suddenly turned around without hesitation, leaving many spectators on the ground feeling regretful. Some confused onlookers thought that Yamashiro Soichiro was about to execute a deadly counterattack.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. The J-14 “Eagle Falcon” seemed to ignore the warnings from the French ground units and continued to charge towards the no-fly zone, remaining in supersonic mode, nearly able to reach the heart of Paris in just a few moments.

This was madness; the world was in chaos. A Chinese fighter jet boldly soared over the bustling skies of Paris—what did that signify?

Many who noticed something amiss turned pale.

The French jumped into action as if pouring oil on a fire, bombarding the airwaves with inquiries, but all they could hear was the steady breathing of the pilot.

They were losing their minds; if a fighter jet were to crash anywhere or fly freely, it would spell catastrophe, potentially even affecting the president. The aerospace exhibition could suffer irreplaceable losses.

Direction: Charles de Gaulle Square, the Arc de Triomphe!

The French were already frantic.

Five seconds after the J-14 “Eagle Falcon” stubbornly breached the no-fly zone, a small bright dot suddenly shot up from the southeast corner and east, rapidly ascending at increasing speed, headed straight for the “Eagle Falcon.”

“That madman, that fool! He deserves it!” Yamashiro Soichiro saw two bright spots leap onto the radar screen, their flight paths aimed directly at him.

Hmph, this guy must be out of his mind. Still thinking he’s in a fight—he’ll get a taste of the French missiles soon enough.

The F-22 “Raptor” quickly identified the two Surface-to-Air Missiles launched by the French as Aster-30 missiles, known for their excellent aerial interception capabilities. The “Aster” missiles had long been favored by various European countries, earning a stellar reputation in Europe, with a range of up to 120 kilometers and remarkable air defense capabilities.

However, barely moments after expressing that gleeful complaint, Yamashiro Soichiro nearly leaped out of the cockpit, pointing at the radar display, stuttering in shock.

“They’re—coming back! What does this guy want? He’d better eject if he doesn’t want to die!”

Three bright dots formed an attack triangle, racing towards Bourget Airport, and they were definitely aimed at him.

“Ah! This madman!”

While he couldn’t predict his opponent’s thoughts, Yamashiro knew that something bad was about to happen to him.

“Gold Coin, use Void Magnetism to help lighten the aircraft weight by twenty percent; I need more speed.”

Lin Mo rarely utilized the cooperative powers of the gold giant dragon, especially since he was now being targeted by two extremely advanced missiles—definitely an unpleasant feeling.

This was France, a nation with a long history in aviation, capable of managing the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company solo. It was not some ragtag armed organization from Kazakhstan, nor simple bandits from Afghanistan, or even comparable to smaller countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, or the Philippines.

The PAAM missile system carrying the “Aster” offered a high hit rate, and Lin Mo, who recognized the incoming missile types via the onboard computer system, knew better than to take it lightly.

Hmph!

Under-loaded!

Did he really think he was under-loaded?

The Gold Coin did not respond, but the cabin filled with squeaking sounds. The aircraft employed many non-metal composite materials, requiring the gold giant dragon’s metal components for balance control and internal structure redesign. Otherwise, the wings might crack and fail under stress.

The J-14 used for experimental validation by the National Defense Star was a specially modified version, not the production version of the WS-12 turbofan engine. The single-engine output could reach 16.5 tons, producing a thrust-to-weight ratio of 10, which was slightly inferior to the Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engines used in the F-22.

As the J-14 “Eagle Falcon” grew lighter, it became more agile, akin to a nimble harrier hawk, dramatically increasing its speed. The dual WS-15X engines roared to life, operating at full power, even pushing the limits.

The reduction in weight directly translated into an increase in speed. In this push and pull, the J-14 nearly achieved missile-like speed.

“Whoa! Whoa! The Chinese plane is coming back! My God, what’s chasing it? Missiles? What? Missiles? Oh God! Oh God! The missiles are coming!”

Gilles Lebray, the host of France’s TV channel four, appeared terrified, turning once again into the national symbol of the Gallic Rooster.

The small black dot in the sky, along with the two trailing bright dots—those were the missile exhausts, rapidly approaching.