Chapter 486

Chapter 486: Combat Waltz

“What does he want to do?” Qiu, from Shenyang, felt confused by the waltz music filling the venue, which even rivaled the sound of the J-11’s engine.

Chen Haiqing hesitated for a moment and shook his head, “I don’t know either!”

In fact, neither Chen Haiqing nor Lin Mo had any idea about how the performance would unfold. Both were combat pilots, not display pilots, and they had less understanding of acrobatic maneuvering than the “August First” flying display team.

“You’re tricking me!” Qiu glared at Young Master Chen with frustration, thinking, if you don’t know, then how can it be a secret?

As the J-11 lifted off the ground, the tips of its wings—where missiles would usually be mounted—suddenly released two trails of red smoke.

For flying performances, many aircraft are outfitted with smoke-generating devices to highlight flight paths for spectators. These devices can produce a substantial amount of thick smoke that lasts much longer than ordinary smoke bombs.

The two plumes of red smoke looked like long crimson sleeves, accompanying the J-11 as it rolled and ascended just five meters off the ground. The two spiraling smoke trails resembled the double helix of DNA, creating a spectacular sight that immediately drew applause from the audience.

Outside the cockpit, the world spun chaotically. Without very precise spatial awareness, such a maneuver could easily turn tragic.

But for the Dragon Knight, such extreme maneuvers were nothing. Lin Mo had executed crazier moves with the gold giant dragon Gold Coin, and the G-forces he experienced far exceeded those in a fighter jet. The only limit to Lin Mo’s performance was the aircraft itself.

Although the J-11 surpassed expectations, being an improved version of the Su-27 and reaching the level of the Su-30, it still fell short compared to Lin Mo’s “monstrous” project, even more so in comparison to Lin Mo’s new ride, the J-18.

To accommodate the audience on the ground, Lin Mo kept the flight altitude at only 1,000 meters, a height sufficient for performing repeated Cobra maneuvers.

He tilted the nose upward, achieving a 70-degree angle of attack. As the J-11 transitioned into level flight, the speed plummeted sharply against the nearly vertical wings. Lin Mo then controlled the aircraft for a vector rotation, spiraling towards a complete 180-degree change in direction.

During this vector rotation, the J-11 released countless bright infrared decoys, creating a stunning visual alongside the two trails of red smoke.

As the nose and the flight path flipped in the opposite direction, he commanded the throttle to unleash the full power of the engine, accelerating the J-11 back to high speed.

Accompanied by the waltz music, spectators envisioned a graceful sprite dancing, its movements light and fluid.

With the nose raised again, this time to an angle of 120 degrees, the aircraft almost flew backward.

At a height of 150 meters!

At a speed of 148 kilometers per hour!

As everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief, Lin Mo pushed the stick forward, recovering the aircraft’s attitude. The twin engines roared to life anew as he executed a rapid Immelmann maneuver, perfectly in sync with the rhythm of the waltz, shooting into the sky like a nimble lark.

The ultra-low altitude Cobra maneuver!

Right before their eyes, the maneuver unfolded clearly. While many pilots could perform a Cobra, none could showcase it with such precision below 200 meters like Lin Mo did for the entire audience.

The crowd erupted with astonished gasps.

Inside the exhibition area, representatives from various nations were too captivated to focus on business, rushing outside to watch from the safety line.

“This guy, is he insane? At such a low altitude, practically moving backward at this speed! He should have crashed! Sulotov, can the Su-27 achieve this performance?”

A senior officer from the Russian Air Force looked at Sukhoi’s chief engineer, Sergei Sulotov, seeking clarification. As a member of the third-generation design team at Sukhoi, Sergei Sulotov undoubtedly held the most authoritative information.

The Cobra maneuver was a signature move of the Su-27, yet witnessing the J-11 execute such a maneuver at an ultra-low altitude forced the Russian military to reconsider whether the Su-27 still had untapped potential.

Sukhoi’s chief engineer Sergei Sulotov shook his head vigorously, stating, “No, no! The Su-27 can’t do it. The J-11, like our latest variant, uses AL-31FN vector thrust engines. Even our pilots, or any human pilot, cannot manage that level of precision.”

Sergei Sulotov’s gaze shifted to the National Defense Star exhibition area, where a hint of jealousy crept into his voice, “It’s that person; only he can accomplish this. In the sky, he is like a god. Only a god can create miracles. Any aircraft in his hands can work wonders.”

A god? The Russian officer paused, finding the statement overly exaggerated. If he is a god, what happens to others?

What is this?

A divine presence?

Even Sukhoi’s engineers spoke like this? The senior officer looked skeptical, shaking his head, “Don’t worry about that National Defense Star pilot. No matter how great, he’s just one person. If the Chinese had several pilots like him, that would pose a threat. Before that happens, let’s discuss the Su-27. Doesn’t it still have plenty of potential to be explored?”

“Potential? Yes!” Sergei Sulotov nodded, causing the Air Force officer’s expression to brighten. But then, he continued, “However, we lack the ability to tap into it. Many aircraft have potential, but various constraints prevent us from fully utilizing that capability.”

“Ah, how can this be? Are you joking with me? Sulotov, your attitude shows no respect for the Russian aviation industry.” The officer felt frustrated by the back-and-forth; it sounded oddly off.

“Indeed, the precise control of fighter jets, mastering every nuance of performance, understanding G-forces within the structure, and responding to aerodynamic changes… My goodness! It’s impossible for humans to control a fighter jet with more precision than their own bodies. Even humans haven’t achieved that level of fine-tuned control over themselves.”

Sergei Sulotov remained calm despite the officer’s discontent, methodically listing conditions like a diligent researcher.

“……” The Russian Air Force officer fell silent, realizing Sulotov was not simply bluffing him.

But was that Chinese pilot really that strong? Both their gazes turned skyward.

After the J-11 completed a series of rolls during the Immelmann maneuver, it smoothly executed a Herbst turn. Yesterday’s J-14 “Eagle Falcon” had used such a maneuver to trigger the explosion of the so-called best European missile, the “Shiyuan-30” medium-range surface-to-air missile. Today, the J-11 brought the same stunning beauty without losing any momentum.

At the end of the turn, the J-11 tilted its nose up again, launching into a full-throttle pull with a dramatic high angle. The audience initially expected another “Pugachev’s Cobra,” but the angle didn’t stop; it was like a sudden brake in mid-air, the speed almost dropping to zero as the aircraft hung suspended in the sky, the nose flipping back past 120 degrees, clearly showing that the tail flame from the vector thrust nozzles and the aircraft body were not aligned.

The Frolov Propeller!

The J-11 executed a complete 360-degree backflip, smoothly leveling off in a manner reminiscent of the renowned test pilot Evgeny Frolov’s performance at the 1996 Farnborough International Airshow, showcasing a perfect “Frolov Propeller” maneuver.

Everyone believed such maneuvers could only be performed by high-performance jets like the Su-37, yet here was the Su-27 doing the same, completely unexpected!

Thunderous applause erupted from the ground, sounding like relentless waves from the audience to the exhibition area, from staff to clients, all marveling with hearty claps.

The word “waltz” originally comes from the old German word Walzer, meaning “to roll,” “to turn,” or “to glide.” The waltz dance is the earliest and most vibrant form of self-entertainment in ballroom dancing, also known as a round dance.

Attentive observers noticed that the sprite dancing in the sky moved entirely in sync with the music, revealing an increasing look of astonishment on many faces.

The falcon soaring above was the fiercest killing weapon, yet at this moment, it bore no trace of malice—elegant, light, and agile, circling endlessly in the air.

“My goodness, Mr. Mardan de Polignac, I dare bet tomorrow’s headlines in every European newspaper will read ‘J-11, the Lonely Waltz Dancer.’ Look! You hear that rhythm, ‘pow! pow! pow!’? Oh my, it’s perfectly timed—a standard three-step, a masterful dance! I never imagined a fighter jet could dance. I must be dreaming.”

Gilles Lebray, the host from French TV Channel 4, lost composure in front of the television audience, twisting his neck to stare intently at the sky.

“Yes, Gilles, you’re not dreaming! It’s hard to imagine that a Chinese pilot can control the J-11 to this extent, with such refined skills. I think the recent Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded to this pilot for turning a war machine into art, pure art.”

Guest Mardan de Polignac responded, lost in his thoughts, echoing the host’s excitement.