Chapter 210
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Chapter 210: X-1 “Monstrous” Streamlined Version
Of course, after transforming into forward-swept wings, the radar cross-section (RCS) issue would fundamentally improve. During combat, using forward-swept wings while cruising with variable wings meant that aerial survivability was not as simple as adding one plus one.
Chen Haiqing winked at Lin Mo, beckoning him to lean in closer, and proudly said, “I’ll let you in on a little secret since you’re the chief designer. Although it’s not official, we’ve incorporated a force transfer and feedback structure inside the wings while also using nanocomposite materials. We are tackling the structural divergence problem from two fronts to ensure the wings have enough strength. However, if we followed your material requirements, I’m afraid that after firing missiles and cannon rounds, the wings alone could be used as cold weapons to slice through enemy fighters.”
“That’s essential!” Lin Mo seriously nodded. Missiles and cannon rounds were simply not powerful enough; even when firing at full force, they lasted only a few minutes. In large-scale aerial battles, especially in one-versus-many situations, it truly felt lacking.
Since returning from Pakistan, Lin Mo had deeply realized that while aerial combat weapons were fast and had fierce attacking power, their sustainability was a significant problem. This thought had lingered with him while designing the wings.
If he had included these ideas in the design plans, it would likely have scared many people. “The surgical scalpel above the skies of Pakistan” was already shocking enough; if he proposed an airborne cutting machine, they would have no way to fight—just slice with the wings directly!
“Alright, alright! There’s really no point in trying to explain it to you!” Lin Mo’s stubbornness left Chen Haiqing speechless. “Just explore this area. There are several aircraft; feel free to look. We’ll officially test fly the day after tomorrow. Prepare yourself; I’ll have the technicians here connect with you.”
“Three aircraft?!” Lin Mo’s gaze shifted to the two other areas, which housed the J-14 and J-20. Those were good machines too! This was practically a gathering of the fourth, fifth, and sixth (counting the X-1 and Gold Coin; otherwise, it only counts as a sixth generation) together.
Having three aircraft to play with? Chen Haiqing isn’t just messing with me, is he? Lin Mo couldn’t believe it; no pilot in the country enjoyed such treatment.
“If I lied to you, I’d be a little pup. Hurry and chew through the operation manual; there’s a simulator here, and it’s enough for you to play. Remember, from now it’s only a two-day countdown. Don’t mess it up; I’m relying on you. My family is counting on you to secure the order; I’m waiting for rice to cook!” Chen Haiqing finally revealed his true intentions, shedding the fa?ade.
But Lin Mo was still willing to go along with this; it must be said that Chen Haiqing had a strong grasp of people.
“Wow! Lin Mo, this is what you designed! It’s even here!” Professor Yan, who had been exploring, walked into the area where Lin Mo and Chen Haiqing were and patted the fuselage of the X-1.
“It’s even here?!” Lin Mo was puzzled. It seemed that during his absence, many developments had happened in the circle that he was unaware of.
Seeing Lin Mo’s expression, Chen Haiqing knew what was up and explained, “It’s all because your designs became shared resources among the research institutes. Everyone got a copy, and some institutes even tried to prototype certain parts for validation. Others went so far as to replicate one for theoretical testing. Your ‘Monstrous’ fighter has become almost a primary model with high research value. Of course, if it were ever truly manufactured, that would be nearly impossible; the costs are too high and the technology is still immature. You’re not seriously building one yourself, are you? Let me tell you, the thirty million from selling those diamonds is just enough to build a framework; the rest is simply a bottomless pit. This design is good, but for domestic use, it can only serve as a reference, and it’s practically worthless outside.”
“I’m already making one!” Lin Mo’s response completely baffled Chen Haiqing. This rich second-generation finally realized someone could surpass him; there was no fear in building a fighter.
Chen Haiqing looked as if he had been struck by lightning, his eyes slightly shifting.
“What about the engine? Where are you getting it? Don’t think about taking the AL-31FN out from your J-10. Although there are two dedicated engines supplied to you, if you touch them, you will definitely face dire consequences. Let me make it clear: I cannot lend you the WS-15X vector engine. That’s borrowed from Guizhou Liyang Aviation Engine Company for testing; we have to send the data back to them afterward. A single engine is incredibly valuable; you can’t even buy it with money.”
Chen Haiqing was indignant. More than thirty million yuan is not just pocket change; if he wanted to splurge, he would have to weigh it carefully. Meanwhile, Lin Mo didn’t even flinch, putting the entire amount into this project.
Only Chen Haiqing knew the cost of this X-1 experiment. Without the many components and equipment sponsored by the production plants and design institutes trading experimental data for sponsorship, this money-sucking machine would have been impossible to create. Even so, the National Defense Star had already poured at least three hundred million into it.
Even after all that money was spent, many designs had obtained practical validation, which would greatly aid future product improvements and modifications. This was the advantage of manufacturing experimental machines.
“Don’t worry about the engine; I’ve already solved it. Heh heh, it won’t be worse than your WS-15X!” Lin Mo said, wearing a proud smile. The F-22’s F119-PW-100 engine? It’s brand new and imported, so it won’t be lacking!
But Lin Mo didn’t dare to say it outright; that could be fatal.
“Seriously? You wouldn’t be joking with me, would you?” Chen Haiqing exclaimed, grabbing Lin Mo’s collar inside the cockpit. The kid’s words nearly made him lose his grip!
You see, whether it’s a civil or military aircraft or any other transportation vehicles, the power core is the hardest part to tackle. Lin Mo surprisingly handled this smoothly without revealing it.
To acquire the six sets of WS-15 engines for these three fighter jets, the head of the National Defense Star had no idea of the vast price he paid or the effort it took, begging and pleading to get them.
Producing a fighter jet isn’t just about throwing money at it and piling on manpower. Even at a small supporting factory, they would have to work around the clock under pressure from even a single order. It requires a lengthy period of meticulous craftsmanship to guarantee quality.
“Lin Mo, are you joking? This young man speaks truthfully; the engine is not easy to deal with. This is a military-controlled item. Even if you’re a pilot, you don’t have the privilege to touch this.” Professor Yan, who was inspecting the X-1, chimed in. He understood Lin Mo was working on this outlandish idea of building his own fighter jet and even had a wooden model, but he was completely unaware of Lin Mo’s progress.
“Shh! Shh!” Lin Mo put his finger to his lips and said, “It’s a secret! This is state confidential information! I can’t disclose it!”
“Hmph! Keep boasting!” Chen Haiqing and Professor Yan shared an unusual moment of agreement as they rolled their eyes in unison.
“How could I be bragging? I just can’t say it; one word and I would get executed. I certainly don’t want to put you guys in danger.” Lin Mo sighed at their synchronized disdain. This was a military-grade packaging box delivered with a thirty-one-level confidentiality standard. During the inspection, the security guards were as vigilant as facing a powerful enemy, and even Old Pan, the head of the Aircrew Group, nearly crumpled in fear. It was best not to reveal the truth.
Right now, the Americans were already stirring trouble. Their claws dared to reach into the country. Lin Mo could not be certain they wouldn’t come looking for him at the Night Special Forces base to silence him.
“Kid, this X-1 should have a dual-mode switch between statically unstable and statically stable, right?” Professor Yan, with his keen eye, noticed the special design of the X-1.
“Indeed, Professor Yan, you have a keen eye! You’re absolutely right; this indeed uses dual-stability mode switching. That credit goes to Lin Mo, doesn’t it? Expert Lin.” Chen Haiqing teased Lin Mo intentionally, unsure how he pulled it off.
Having gone through flight school together and being selected into Team 7759, it hadn’t been long at all, and here he was, now an aircraft designer and a super ace pilot. With so many accolades upon him, Chen Haiqing had nearly forgotten Lin Mo was the same kid who once complained about not getting enough to eat in that small Korean diner.
“This isn’t some confidential technology; it just took some thought in the internal equipment’s layout. We used a center-of-gravity shifting device, combining it with aerodynamic layouts to change the stability states. It’s not some particularly groundbreaking tech,” Lin Mo shot back a glare at Chen Haiqing, annoyed at being underestimated.
This technology came to Lin Mo after acquiring the F119-PW-100 vector thrust engine. He realized that the different sizes, weights, and center-of-gravity positions of various engines significantly impacted the aircraft’s structure and aerodynamic designs. Especially since Lin Mo intended to temporarily use the F119-PW-100 engine, he knew better engines could be swapped in later, so he designed the structure to be modular and compatible.
To counter the center-of-gravity shift when changing engines, he utilized the tougher and heavier devices inside the fuselage to act as counterweights. The movement was automatically controlled by computers and gyroscopes, which adjusted the center of gravity dynamically while also adapting to the aerodynamic shape, allowing easy switching between highly maneuverable statically unstable and high-speed cruising statically stable states.
Thus, Lin Mo’s “Monstrous” design, with all its astonishing innovations, made this design a treasure among the research institutes nationwide. Even if it could not be genuinely manufactured, it was still highly commendable for reference.
Ultimately, this is the spark ignited by the collision of two vastly different civilizations, and this alone was enough for Lin Mo to transform himself into a sufficiently qualified aircraft design expert.
