Chapter 118

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Chapter 118: The Forward-Swept Wing!

Several large wind tunnels and supercomputers in China can easily handle the design and simulation of the best aircraft models. However, mass-produced fighter jets cannot solely be made in laboratories. The cost of a prototype can often reach several billion, even up to a hundred billion dollars, and the time taken is extensive. With more than a dozen design institutes and hundreds of related manufacturing enterprises across the country, a mature model can only be developed every few years. This is precisely why we select the most compatible and combat-capable model according to existing production conditions.

Uncle Yan’s beautifully hand-drawn sketches captured the perfect aircraft designs he envisioned, looking so lifelike that they seemed ready to leap off the pages.

These designs, completely different from any existing models, have a futuristic feel that exists only as concepts. Some have even been validated through wind tunnel tests and large computer simulations, complete with some basic conventional data. Even so, they are striking—and they represent truly perfect aerodynamic layouts.

Although the ideas are innovative and advanced, they hold no value for intelligence organizations from other countries. Every aircraft design company has numerous sketches of this type, often limited to drawings because of production process and cost constraints. How much threat can designs that are not physically realizable pose? As time passes and technology advances, even more advanced structural designs will continually emerge from the rich imaginations of humanity.

"Forward-swept wing fighter jets are beautiful! No wonder they can’t be produced—the strength requirements for the airframe increase, and variable wings? That’s quite bold! No manufacturer can produce them with current processing technologies. The F-14 is already at its limit," Lin Mo said as he flipped through the pages, captivated by many of the aircraft designs inside.

Forward-swept wing aircraft are those whose wings extend forward at both the leading and trailing edges. Their tips are ahead of their roots, and when viewed from above, they form a V shape. The principles behind the shock waves generated with forward-swept wings and swept-back wings are entirely the same.

Compared to conventional swept-back wing designs, forward-swept wings can increase payload capacity by 30%, improve turn rate by 14%, extend combat radius by 34%, and shorten takeoff and landing distances by 35%. They significantly enhance controllability during low-speed operations while improving aerodynamic efficiency in all flight conditions, reducing stall speed, and ensuring the aircraft is less likely to enter a spin. This greatly enhances the aircraft’s safety and reliability. When combined with thrust vector control systems, its close-combat maneuverability increases exponentially.

This is a technological leap across generations. The absence of large quantities of forward-swept wing designs in various countries does not indicate a lack of knowledge among their air forces. The advantages of forward-swept wings are apparent, as are the drawbacks. Due to structural reasons, bending deformation along the structural curve can cause the outer wing to expand in line with airflow; this phenomenon is known as twist divergence. At high speeds, this can create a vicious cycle that may ultimately lead to wing failure.

Thus, the only existing forward-swept wing aircraft designs include Germany’s Junkers JU-287 bomber from 1944, the American X-29, and Russia’s Su-47.

Variable wings, a more advanced concept proposed after 2000, offer noticeable improvements in adaptability, maneuverability, and combat survivability. Many view it as a concept belonging to science fiction, as these wings can even hover, fly backward, and glide sideways. This technology imposes higher requirements for new intelligent materials, actuators, sensors, and locking mechanisms. During the morphing process, seamless transformation is essential; otherwise, the aircraft could be torn apart by airflow during flight.

Uncle Yan’s expertise is undeniable. The beauty of his designs is captivating, but while ideals are lovely, reality is harsh. These remarkably perfect designs cannot be produced due to technical and material limitations. Even if they were produced, they would still depend on the physical and reaction capabilities of the pilots. Just imagine: even if you select a hundred extraordinary individuals with unmatched physical attributes from a billion people, is it realistic to produce a hundred super fighter jets for them? A hundred ace pilots can at most shoot down a few hundred enemy aircraft, but in the end, numbers still matter.

At the end of World War II, the technological advantage of the Me262 jet fighter couldn’t save the last hopes of Nazi Germany.

Only because of this can Lin Mo access Uncle Yan’s notebook, which is, for him, an invaluable treasure.

Materials? Would the gold giant dragon, which contains various rare metals, have strength issues? The answer is: NO!

Transformation? The gold giant dragon is naturally skilled in body transformation, so that’s hardly a problem.

Do these aircraft’s aerodynamic layouts feel like mere illusions to Lin Mo? Quite the opposite! If the gold giant dragon is willing, it could easily evolve the designs within, perhaps even more perfectly.

The models in the notebook even specify more dimensions and specifications, filling Lin Mo with irresistible temptation. His eyes sparkled; he wished he could hug the notebook and run away with it.

"I say, Uncle Yan! Expert Yan! Professor Yan!" Lin Mo suddenly smiled at Uncle Yan, who was still enjoying his meal, switching between titles.

"Well, young man, what’s up? How did you know I was a professor?" Uncle Yan noticed Lin Mo’s fondness for the notebook, which made him very happy. A designer always longs for a pilot’s recognition!

Professor?! Lin Mo was overjoyed; this only elevated the notebook’s value.

"I’d like to ask if you could give me this notebook! I’m okay with buying it—just name a price." Lin Mo eagerly sought to get his hands on the notebook and then convince the gold giant dragon to evolve it for him to experience it firsthand.

"Absolutely not! I won’t sell it for any price!" Uncle Yan shook his head vigorously with a roll of his eyes. This notebook is the culmination of decades of effort. People may admire it, but it is his cherished treasure—nothing could pry it away. Though it hasn’t had a chance to become a physical reality, it is like a child to him, embodying the collective wisdom and sweat of him and other experts.

"This isn’t any military secret, and it’s not even a beautiful color page. But I really like it, Uncle Yan; how about doing me a favor?"

When necessary, Lin Mo’s determination was as fierce as nature itself. For an average person, this may not seem like a treasure, and even giving it away would yield no takers, but for Lin Mo, it had great significance.

"No deal. This is the only one I have. After retirement, I want to keep it as a memory, you know? If you take it away, what will I do?" The notebook had deeper significance for Uncle Yan. Now that he’s aged, this has become his lifelong passion. Though he can’t be as busy in the unit as before, he has no intention of giving up the knowledge he has amassed.

Uncle Yan almost regretted showing this young man his treasure.

"How about copying it? That should be fine, right?" Lin Mo was intent on not letting Uncle Yan’s treasure slip away so easily.

"Copying? That’s not impossible," Uncle Yan hesitated for a moment but nodded. After all, this wasn’t anything overly precious but just something he enjoyed to entertain himself during retirement.

"Great!" Lin Mo almost jumped up, holding the notebook as he continued, "Uncle Yan, do you have more of these?" He clearly guessed that with Uncle Yan’s years of experience, he should have more than just this one collection.

"Yes, but if you really want it, after the exhibition ends, come to my home, and I’ll show you! Just remember: you can only copy, not take!" Uncle Yan sighed with relief; since Lin Mo wasn’t trying to rob him, sharing it wouldn’t do any harm.

Suddenly, they heard a loudspeaker from afar, and immediately afterward, a thunderous roar began. The flight demonstration time had arrived!

Uncle Yan quickly finished his boxed meal, took out a piece of paper, wrote down his contact information, and handed it to Lin Mo. "Here! Take this. It’s my name and home phone number! Use this to contact me later. The flight demonstration is about to start, and don’t forget to take photos for me!"

Lin Mo accepted the paper: Yan Guoqiang, phone: 0755-××××××××. It seemed Uncle Yan really did come from Shenzhen. "No problem!"

Saying this, he quickly adjusted his DV camera to aim at the sky.

"Devil Edge Team! Look!" someone shouted nearby.

Soon, six J-10s flew past in a tight formation across the sky.

"Quick! Take pictures!" Uncle Yan eagerly peered through binoculars at the six J-10s, muttering, "Look at the intake; they’re the J-10B models. The formation is quite tight, just a dozen meters apart!"

Lin Mo aimed his DV camera at the formation, snapping away as he adjusted the focus to capture various aircraft details. With his professional eye, the footage he captured would surely meet Uncle Yan’s expectations.

Next came the demonstration of acrobatic flight maneuvers like “flower scattering” and “cannon stacking,” painting the sky with colorful smoke against a blue backdrop, creating beautiful patterns. While these were not standard tactical maneuvers, they tested the pilots’ skills and aircraft performance even more.

Following that, the Su-27 "Flanker," F-16 "Fighting Falcon," and JAS-39 "Gripen" took turns to perform, showcasing their technical prowess in tight formations. Lin Mo widened his eyes, focusing intently on the maneuvers through his DV camera, capturing every minute movement, while Uncle Yan’s comments on the strengths and weaknesses of each aircraft model played like a voice-over, giving Lin Mo a deeper understanding.