Chapter 163

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Chapter 163: What a ‘Genius’ This Is!

“Eh!?” Captain Feng scanned the assembled aircrew members and frowned when he didn’t see Lin Mo. Remembering that Captain Pan had just mentioned a total of 21 members but only 20 were present, he realized that Lin Mo must be the missing one. He exchanged a glance with Captain Pan.

Captain Pan quickly caught on and said, “Comrade ‘Gold Coin’ is still busy assembling his fighter jet.”

“Assembling a fighter jet?!” General He and Colonel Huang exchanged glances, surprised. Though they had heard some rumors before coming, they were uncertain about what this assembly actually involved.

“Please follow me!” Captain Pan led General He and Colonel Huang to a corner of the hangar.

Three fighter jets stood there, eye-catching and impressive, as if a squadron of aircraft were in quiet formation.

“Wow! You have several pilots here? Three aircraft?!” General He and Colonel Huang looked at each other, their eyes wide with astonishment.

Three aircraft?! They knew one was a J-10A, but what about the other two?

“The one in the middle should be a model!” Colonel Huang quickly connected the dots, recalling an event from a month ago that had caused quite a stir, even catching the attention of the Central Military Commission.

“Oh!? That seems to be the case. What about the one next to it? Is it also a model?!” General He peered through the barbed-wire fence, looking at the fighter jet that still displayed its internal structure with pipes and various equipment, which certainly did not resemble a model. He remarked, “It doesn’t look like a model.”

Everyone could see a figure crouching over the incomplete airframe beside a laptop, speaking to himself while trying to fiddle with something inside.

That must be the ace pilot “Gold Coin” himself, appearing more like a passionate aircraft enthusiast than a typical pilot.

Perhaps it was this obsession that made his flying skills and air combat techniques so remarkable.

“Uh?! We originally thought it was just a model, but now I’m not so sure!” Captain Pan hesitated but shook his head. “It’s hard to say!”

“Whoa! Is it truly a hidden talent here?!”

If it’s not a model, then it’s the real deal! This is no small matter. General He wore a curious smile.

As they approached the three fighter jets, they could hear Lin Mo’s muttering from a distance as he worked on the unfinished aircraft.

“Hmm, an unconventional all-touchscreen instrument panel that can stack multiple data displays. I need to enhance the voice control recognition and purchase intelligent voice chips. It would be best if it could connect with intelligent servers to increase the level of automation and reduce operational complexity…Enhance electronic warfare capabilities and add all-frequency jamming, allow for the use of non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse projectiles at close range. The cannon needs fine-tuning and calibration…”

“…Additionally, I need to customize some high-performance integrated optical path modules to compile them into a core processing unit (ICP), improving systems like fire control calibration. The helmet also needs adjustments, and it similarly requires customization! The core processor must be powerful, ideally utilizing a solid-state quantum processor to reduce size, while enhancing superconductivity. But the cost, ah, it’s a headache! The airframe’s outer shell still needs some composite materials for nuclear radiation protection. What if we encounter a neutron bomb? And I need some nanoparticle ceramic joints and locks for the variable wings…”

“Which main radar should I use? Gold Coin, help me out here! I need something lightweight with a long detection range; if I could get the AN/APG-81 AESA active phased array radar, that would be amazing. An electro-optical tracking system (EOTS) wouldn’t be bad either…”

“…The aerodynamics layout needs to be preset with an adjustable center of gravity. If we switch engines in the future, the aerodynamic layout, airframe structure, and control systems will all need to be redesigned. This isn’t a mech novel where you can just swap things around without thinking about control systems or center of gravity…”

Lin Mo’s self-talk left outsiders puzzled; many technical terms were incomprehensible. Though still in the era of electronic computing, Lin Mo mentioned integrated optical paths.

All the calculations eventually boiled down to budget considerations. As Lin Mo continuously improved the existing plans to adapt to reality, he also needed to reserve interfaces for future upgrades. However, the main focus for now was building the airframe to support modularity as much as possible.

Just as Uncle Yan once said, it’s not that a perfect fighter jet cannot be designed; it’s that the current conditions simply cannot support such a technological environment and cost supply. Lin Mo faced the same issues all aircraft design experts encountered.

The gap between ideals and reality, even if slight, can indefinitely delay the formation of an airframe. If it were that easy, many enthusiasts wouldn’t have noticed the numerous time discrepancies in the technologies equipped on fighter jets, which quickly became outdated and unable to maintain pace with technological standards.

In fact, every generation of fighter jets takes at least 20 years from conception to completion. Even after that, there’s still a need for ongoing technical upgrades and cost control.

“Captain Lin! Captain Lin!”

Captain Pan called out loudly while pressing the buzzer beside the barbed-wire gate.

“Hey! Old Pan, just a moment! I’ll be right there!” Lin Mo seemed completely absorbed, his digital glasses displaying the gold giant dragon motif while he continuously searched for the latest research results from major domestic research institutes, matching them with his requirements.

“Shh!” General He chuckled slightly, halting Captain Pan from pressing the buzzer again. “Let’s wait a moment; after all, this is Comrade ‘Gold Coin’s’ hard work.”

General He’s kind understanding made everyone smile, and no one made a sound as they quietly waited for Lin Mo.

Jotting down notes and typing calculations on his keyboard, Lin Mo finally wrapped up the current stage of his work. With a reminder from Gold Coin, he suddenly remembered that a group of people was still waiting for him.

He rubbed his hands, steadied himself on the wing, and jumped down.

A general? A colonel? Lin Mo quickly noticed the unusual ranks of two people. Old Pan and Captain Feng were signaling him, and he immediately responded, saluting, “Hello, sir! Fighter pilot Lin Mo from the Night Aircrew Group, reporting to you!”

“Hello!”

“Hello!”

Both General He and Colonel Huang returned the salute simultaneously.

“You are ‘Gold Coin’?! ” General He sized up Lin Mo, a young man with a sturdy, well-proportioned build and a fierce warrior aura. The sharply defined lines on his face truly reflected the caliber of personnel suitable for China’s most elite combat units.

“Yes! I report, sir, my code name is indeed ‘Gold Coin’!” Lin Mo’s eyes remained fixed, recognizing his visitors were the officers inspecting the Night Special Forces before heading out on a mission today.

“Are you planning to make a fighter jet?!” General He’s gaze turned to the uniquely shaped fighter jet behind Lin Mo. Clearly, it didn’t look like a model or a toy at all. The cold airframe and the special lines of composite materials could easily lead one to mistake it for an alien fighter jet.

“Yes, I firmly believe that only the weapons I create with my own hands can bring out my true combat power,” Lin Mo expressed his genuine thoughts.

However, fighter jets aren’t like swords or spears. Aside from a few rare talents like the Wright brothers, no fighter pilot can have the capability or conditions to build a fighter jet for themselves.

General He and Colonel Huang exchanged glances; this young pilot was intriguing! While what he said made a lot of sense—that the strongest fighters were often the most familiar with their weapons—it must be noted that a fighter jet is a high-tech super weapon that requires a robust industrial and technical system to support it. Simply put, relying on a pilot to claim he could build his own fighter jet seemed delusional. Prior to seeing the aircraft with their own eyes, General He and Colonel Huang would generally regard such declarations as mere whimsical nonsense.

However, what lay before them left no room for disbelief. Lin Mo might really be able to accomplish what others viewed as a joke.

“Well said!” General He nodded with a smile. This “Gold Coin” was not simple. “I truly hope to see your work make its mark, contributing significantly to the history of world air forces and fighter jets.”

“Could you tell us about your fighter jet?” Colonel Huang asked with interest. The craftsmanship of this uniquely designed aircraft was exquisite and bore no signs of amateurish construction. Though not fully formed, it exuded a sense of technological beauty.

These two high-ranking officers had sufficient authority. Lin Mo took a glance at the others; the squadron leaders standing beside Captain Feng exchanged looks, voluntarily stepping back a dozen steps and moving away to engage in quieter conversations.

The security and confidentiality regulations at the Night base were strict. Although people could move about freely most of the time, they couldn’t touch certain sensitive areas. A significant portion of Lin Mo’s work involved strict confidentiality levels.

Those without sufficient clearance naturally took the initiative to step aside, giving Lin Mo space to speak.

“Okay!” Lin Mo finally began, “This fighter jet is a heavy forward-swept variable wing multi-role fighter, code-named ‘Genius.’ It has an empty weight of 21 tons and a maximum payload of 45 tons, powered by twin engines, designed for a speed of 5 Mach for supersonic cruising, and a maximum flight altitude of 25,000 meters…”

The design parameters Lin Mo listed were essentially at the pinnacle of fifth-generation fighter data. However, this was constrained by material and engine factors—this represented the theoretical limit for a spacecraft in the atmosphere. With air-breathing engines as its power source, aircraft could only reach slighty over 30,000 meters. Beyond that point, one would need to entirely replace and upgrade to a new generation of propulsion engines.

In Lin Mo’s design, if this top-tier fifth-generation fighter jet were to incorporate “Gold Coin,” it could transform into a magnificent sixth-generation fighter. With enhancements to the cockpit, navigation systems, and endurance, it could even achieve the standards of a preliminary seventh generation.