Chapter 217
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Chapter 217: The Opening of the Mobile Workshop
Everyone’s gaze suddenly turned toward the special black forward-swept wing aircraft.
“Hahaha!”
Laughter erupted all around.
“I mean, Old Yan, this is too much of a joke!”
“Exactly! Even if you’re trying to rescue your disciple, don’t use this as an excuse. Are you getting a bit senile?”
“This is hilarious! If this was indeed designed by your disciple, he might as well graduate now. Old Yan, are you feeling alright? I mean, everyone, is this actually not funny?”
But few joined in the laughter, as most had strange expressions on their faces.
“What’s wrong with you guys?!”
Those who had laughed noticed something was off; many experts didn’t seem to find Old Yan’s words amusing and instead looked thoughtful.
“Old Yan was telling the truth.”
Finally, someone spoke up.
“What?!”
“Impossible! Have you lost your mind too?”
“This kid is a real pilot, not a design specialist stuck in a research institute.”
The ones laughing widened their eyes, disbelieving.
“It’s true! I can vouch for it. You several don’t work in an aircraft design-related field, so of course, you wouldn’t know, but this is known in places like the 301 Institute, 601 Institute, 608 Institute, and 611 Institute, which focus on aircraft design, radar research, and electronic control systems. Many units even have the design plans, and the designer is indeed Professor Yan’s disciple. With such exceptional conditions, there is only one like this in all of China.”
“I can also confirm! The designer of this ‘monstrous’ aircraft is Captain Lin. Haha, everyone knows this, and we even jokingly refer to the aircraft’s blueprints as open-source designs. I participated in it too, initially thinking it was just practice work, but later realized many research institutes and experts were involved. I didn’t keep it secret; everyone ultimately completed the plans together. It was a grand event of domestic technical cooperation. As long as there’s enough equipment and related technology, it’s not difficult to realize.”
That "not difficult," however, required vast amounts of funding and technical collaboration, some of which involved space alloy materials that even America might struggle to achieve. Even if achieved, finding qualified pilots to operate such advanced machines would be a challenge.
Perhaps this “monstrous” aircraft was just a reflection of many aircraft design experts’ dreams, merely a dream.
After all, the blueprint, containing massive innovation and technical imagination, was too precious. Naturally, some individuals were unwilling to let these dreams exist only on paper. Some manufactured parts for experimental data collection, while others created simplified prototypes for testing and technical accumulation.
Those who had previously doubted were now dumbfounded, having thought it was a joke, but it turned out to be true.
So many older and younger experts unanimously certified this; it was impossible to collude in a falsehood—science cannot tolerate deception.
“Enough of this chatter. We need to fly the second aircraft soon. Lin Mo, you can go now!” Professor Yan stood firmly guarding Lin Mo, showing his precious disciple to these old folks. That was enough.
Today, Professor Yan felt lighter by three pounds, walking with a buoyant lightness.
Lin Mo noticed the mechanics responsible for the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” sprinting toward him, waving his hand. “We have ten minutes left; get ready.”
“Alright.” Lin Mo nodded and saluted the senior figures in the domestic flight design field. “We’re about to start; I’m off!”
“Stay safe!”
“Show us what you’ve got, kid!”
The experts ceased their chatter and jokes and began to wait for the next show to unfold.
Weighing in at 17 tons, the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” was even lighter than the J-14 “Eagle Falcon.” From the outside, the two aircraft looked quite similar, both featuring canards, a single seat, twin engines, and fully movable twin vertical tails.
However, the biggest visual difference was the air intake. The J-14 employed a diamond-shaped intake design under the belly, while the J-20, like America’s fifth-generation fighter, the F-35, used a DSI intake. The difference was that the J-20 utilized an adjustable DSI intake, which had adjustable flaps mounted on the sides to automatically change the airflow based on speed.
The model used in this test flight almost uniformly employed the WS-15X vector-thrust engines, specifically designed for twin-engine fighters.
Additionally, the J-20 is covered with phased array antennas (on the main wings, tail, nose, and various sides of the fuselage), allowing for holographic perception capabilities and outstanding autonomous combat abilities.
The details reflect that the aerodynamic layout of the J-20 represents the ultimate design, making it a heavy air superiority aircraft with a focus on aerodynamic advantages.
It can be said that since the J-10, China has caught up to the levels of American and Russian fighters, with the J-14 and J-20 roughly maintaining performance consistency with the fourth and fifth-generation aircraft of the U.S. and Russia, even holding some areas of advantage.
The only flaw may be in the engines, which have historically been a weak point with a very low yield rate, continually troubling domestic aviation industry manufacturers. Lin Mo has personally experienced this, often resulting in the scrapping of dozens of components just to customize a single finished product, directly leading to frightening costs.
The J-20’s cockpit controls are more streamlined, featuring two spliced touch main screens for button inputs and utilizing an optical transmission operating system that replaces electrical wiring with fiber optics. This not only enhances strength and reduces interference but is also compact, saving space and weight.
Lin Mo’s authentic “monstrous” blueprints utilize this optical transmission operating system, capable of carrying much more data.
Moreover, its future expandable performance can be significantly enhanced, which is Lin Mo’s way of compromising on the inability to complete the designs with current technologies since this remains merely a dream aircraft.
Through the gold-coated cockpit canopy, Lin Mo watched as everything on the ground quickly shrank. Because it uses the same engines, the J-20 and J-14 have similar ascent capabilities, but the wing area of the J-20 is larger by 6.76 square meters, improving cruise speed and maximum speed by 9% to 13%.
The impact of aerodynamic layout on aircraft performance is enormous, which is why Lin Mo studies aerodynamic design under the guidance of Professor Yan Guoqiang, a former design expert at the 611 Institute.
The American F-22 and F-35 fighters focus more on engine power to compensate for the shortcomings of aerodynamic design. In contrast, China excels in aerodynamic research, addressing engine weaknesses through aerodynamic design.
China and America are like two rival sword sects: one emphasizes engine power while the other focuses on aerodynamic performance. Achieving a balance will still take a long way to go.
Operating the J-20 feels completely different from the J-10. The two-generation gap creates a significant difference, making Lin Mo realize that this is a speed-focused aircraft, with a greater dependency on weapons.
The J-20 will use the Lightning SD-10D medium-range air-to-air missile with active-passive dual-mode guidance and the PL-10 short-range air-to-air combat missile as its weapons, equipped with only two 30mm internal cannons.
From the aerodynamic layout, it is clear that it excels in beyond-visual-range missile attacks, aiming for a single, fatal strike.
It also inherits the J-10’s high-speed instantaneous turning ability while relaxing the static stability, and after performing several classic maneuvers, Lin Mo found the comfort of the J-20 superior to that of the J-14, as the cockpit’s overload capability is designed at a higher level.
Technological advances, even by every little bit, signify a revolution, and the leap from the fourth to the fifth generation is no easy task.
“We’re starting with super maneuvers; let’s test various movements one by one,” Lin Mo communicated with the ground team, beginning to try out different flight attitudes.
Cobra maneuver!
Herbst climbing wall maneuver!
Mongoose maneuver!
Hoover swing!
The initial basic maneuvers allowed Lin Mo to quickly confirm the aircraft’s performance. Drawing from his simulator experience, he smoothly completed some high-angle departure maneuvers with the J-20.
“Great job! Beautiful! Keep going!” The ground staff sent encouraging voices.
The J-20 performed a series of continuous attack maneuvers against imaginary enemies in the sky, earning applause from the ground crew.
In the air, Lin Mo transformed into a mobile workshop, showcasing a range of familiar aerial combat techniques. The ground personnel watched with sparkling eyes, as if witnessing a stunning beauty, unable to tear themselves away from their powerful binoculars, almost giving themselves panda eyes.
The test flight turned into an aerial performance competition, with experts gathering to analyze the J-20’s display. Of course, they were extremely satisfied with the pilot, who spontaneously executed maneuvers that tested the aircraft’s capabilities and design without needing further instruction.
It was a perfect collaboration, incredibly smooth.
Many experts began to consider whether they should find an excellent pilot disciple like Professor Yan.
Even Chen Haiqing found himself in the spotlight, being eyed by several experts, inquiring if he would like to join them for knowledge transfer to become an excellent aircraft developer in the future.
“I think this aircraft is better suited for missile combat!” Lin Mo’s voice came through the ground communicator. For someone more skilled at using cannons for combat, the J-20’s size seemed a bit too large. In close-range cannon fights, it would be easier to get hit, especially with the wing area being a factor.
“Let’s try a few more maneuvers!”
“Do something more intense! Let’s see the J-20’s limits!”
Several experts started urging Lin Mo to perform more extreme maneuvers to obtain actual limit data for the J-20, and several times, Lin Mo’s actions surpassed the established theoretical thresholds.
