Chapter 221
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Chapter 221: 7 Mach! “Aurora”
Until two in the morning, the buffet dinner and overnight snacks continued, and after Professor Yan dragged Lin Mo around to greet everyone, Lin Mo finally got the chance to load up his plate and enjoy a feast. He then joined the apprentices of the experts and engaged in lively discussions about various advanced technologies.
Professor Yan generously shared his knowledge with Lin Mo. After thoroughly reviewing Lin Mo’s piloting and maintenance skills, he laid a solid foundation—more comprehensive than what most undergraduate and master’s students possess. He even shared his high-tech insights without reservation. So, Lin Mo wallowed in conversations with seasoned professionals who had dedicated over a decade to this field, showing no signs of being a newcomer who had only been interacting with fighter jets for less than two years. His rapid progress was evident through the combination of theory and practical experience.
“Today, we might encounter heavy rain, possibly thunderstorms. Temperatures will range from 18 to 25 degrees Celsius, with gusts of wind reaching six on the Beaufort scale, visibility around 500 meters. Weather conditions are harsh; avoid thunderstorm clouds. You are cleared for takeoff; may the Dragon God bless you.”
“Okay, I got it. Dragon God above, I don’t believe in any god,” Lin Mo replied as he piloted the X-1 onto the runway, preparing for an all-weather adaptability flight. It was raining today, making it perfect for testing adaptation to various weather conditions.
As a descendant of the dragon, Lin Mo’s comment was spot-on, possibly a mere coincidence.
“Stay safe!”
Chen Haiqing maintained contact with Lin Mo from the ground. Today, only one aircraft was being tested. A select few experts in aerodynamics and electronic flight control were present, while others attended a large discussion in a venue that could accommodate over 400 people. Meanwhile, some folks in the factory were disassembling the J-14 and J-20 experimental machines for physical testing.
Overall, National Defense Star (NDS) was buzzing these days. The higher-ups at NDS were all smiles as their R&D personnel followed the experts closely, learning many useful things. The technical directories they compiled during overtime meant that NDS’s technical reserves were gradually accumulating. They believed that in the future, they could compete for international orders alongside renowned fighter jet manufacturers.
For the Chinese, earning their own money was no small feat. Just the military representatives stationed at the production facility were enough to be a handful. The production plants mainly focused on technical accumulation and contributing to the nation, earning only modest amounts. However, securing international contracts would mean making staggering profits.
With production costs under twenty million dollars, the international simplified pricing of the J-10 starts at three million dollars. Adding supporting services and further equipment, one hundred million dollars wouldn’t even be enough to cover the basics. The related products and services that branch out would generate substantial revenue.
On the other hand, NDS aimed to connect with Lin Mo through their own companion Chen Haiqing, hoping to attract some fortune from the previous Zhuhai Airshow. If Lin Mo could once again charm foreign military procurement teams like he did last time, even a slight leak of that magic would be enough to make NDS very rich.
As Lin Mo executed a high-angle ascent, raindrops pelted the golden-coated glass canopy of the cockpit, forming a dense pattern before the powerful airflow swept them away. Despite the blurred vision, there was no need to worry about speeding tickets or violations.
Within a radius of nearly a hundred kilometers lay a no-fly zone designated by local government and the military; only Lin Mo’s plane could fly freely as it pleased.
During the steep rolls, the tips of the left and right forward-swept wings sometimes left behind two white trails that disappeared as quickly as they formed, swallowed by the rain.
As the aircraft rolled, the wingtips would often leave a white line behind due to the high speed and strong pressure beneath the wings. Air would rush upwards at the wingtips, creating vortices. As the pressure decreased during the rolls, another force emerged that quickly pushed the outside air toward the wingtips, compressing it until it generated fine white smoke, akin to a sonic boom cloud. Although the aircraft hadn’t yet broken the sound barrier, a localized supersonic phenomenon emerged.
Boom!
A thick purple-blue lightning bolt struck near the X-1’s wing, heading straight for the ground.
“Whoa, that was close! Almost got zapped by lightning!” Lin Mo exclaimed, startled. The X-1 was composed of nearly forty percent composite materials, with ample lightning protection. The previous flash had only startled him.
“Looks like things aren’t peaceful over there! Be careful not to end up as roast chicken! Hahaha!”
From the ground, Chen Haiqing heard the explosive crackle of thunder overshadowing the engine noise through his headset.
“That’s impossible! I’m looking for the USB port. Is there a sound amplifier onboard?” Lin Mo rummaged around the aircraft and suddenly burst into laughter, saying, “Found it! ‘Three Yellow Chick,’ you even copied this exactly! I’m truly impressed by the character of you people at National Defense Star. It’s a pioneer car stereo player, and I just happened to bring a USB drive!”
A melodious tune filled the cockpit, drowning out the roar of the WS-15X engine, the booming thunder, and the sound of raindrops beating against the canopy.
“……” Chen Haiqing’s face turned blue and red, furiously taking off his headset and addressing the surrounding staff, “Who installed the sound system on this plane? This is a fighter jet, not a private car.”
“This, this…” a flustered assembly supervisor wiped sweat from his forehead. The broken gadget only cost a few hundred bucks. To the entire fighter jet, it was a negligible expense; they casually acquired and installed it. Those in charge of procurement and assembly didn’t pay attention to such trivialities as adding entertainment equipment to a weapon.
This unfortunate fellow had run directly into Chen Haiqing’s anger. The person who handled the blueprints should have known better; this was a fighter jet, not a gaming console. They had taken borrowing ideas to a whole new level.
Actually, it wasn’t just National Defense Star that got caught up in this; many design institutes also fell into the same trap because it was so inconspicuous.
A ray of sunlight broke through, seemingly gilding the dark gray fighter jet with a golden edge. Soon, more golden sunlight cascaded down, enveloping the entire aircraft.
Like a light swallow, the X-1 leaped out from the sea of rain clouds into the vast blue sky.
“Today is a beautiful sunny day!” Lin Mo teased, transmitting through the radio to the tent where Chen Haiqing and the others were hiding from the torrential rain and lightning.
“Did you break through the clouds?! Alright, alright, it’s always sunny up there! How’s the aircraft performing? Let’s try some altitude today!”
“No problem, I’ll see if I can reach twenty-five thousand! Hmm, let me check the oxygen. Great, the oxygen tank is full, so you won’t have to scold the mechanics like crazy anymore.”
“Hey, be careful; this is an experimental machine, very expensive!”
“So what if it’s expensive? I can’t afford to pay more.”
“Then just use your prototype as collateral.”
Lin Mo and Chen Haiqing exchanged banter over the radio as the X-1 began to climb at a 45-degree angle.
Chen Haiqing now knew that Lin Mo’s “monstrous” creation in progress was truly a prototype.
Prototypes typically use the best materials, are fully functional, and serve as the ideal verification models. The later production models are usually slightly improved versions that use cheaper materials and have simplified technologies.
Thus, the value of a single prototype far exceeds that of a hundred production models.
The aircraft trembled slightly as the X-1 maintained a relatively stable angle while climbing swiftly. The higher it went, the less atmospheric influence it encountered, which made the engine use fuel more efficiently. However, at a certain altitude, oxygen supply would become insufficient, leading to incomplete fuel combustion and a decrease in output power. This is why many jet fighters have an altitude limit close to twenty-five thousand meters.
Compared to flying in a thick atmosphere, the engine noise at heights above ten thousand meters becomes noticeably quieter due to the lower air density.
“Altitude one-seven thousand!”
“Altitude one-eight thousand!”
“One-nine thousand! The ascent rate is starting to drop; I need to gradually increase the throttle to maintain power.”
“Twenty thousand!”
“Twenty-one thousand!”
“Twenty-two thousand!”
To ensure accurate data, Lin Mo checked the altitude with the ground control via radio.
“Twenty-three thousand!”
“Twenty-four thousand!”
“Approaching the theoretical value of twenty-five thousand; the engine is dropping sharply. Let me see, whoa, it’s puffing black smoke. Oxygen supply is insufficient, causing incomplete combustion. I hope the Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t come to sue me.”
As the ground radar confirmed their altitude reached twenty-five thousand meters, Lin Mo’s voice filled the channel with a mix of embarrassment and excitement, indicating the X-1 performed admirably and exceeded expectations.
“Twenty-six thousand! The performance is pretty good! What a surprise.”
“Twenty-seven thousand!”
“Twenty-eight thousand! I can’t take it anymore; the ice layer outside is getting too thick. I have to descend. It’s freezing below the stratosphere; the temperature in the cockpit has already dropped to below zero! Can’t you find a better pressure suit? It’s minus forty-one degrees outside.”
“……” Chen Haiqing felt like pulling this kid down from the sky, thinking he should just bring his own combat armor next time.
The X-1, based on the original “monstrous” design, had decent aerodynamics. Compared to typical swept-wing models, it was less prone to stalling. Under Lin Mo’s control, the aircraft began to lower its altitude.
“Altitude back to twenty-five thousand! Wait, I see something! Wow, whose windows are left open? A fly just flew in!”
“What fly? What do you see?”
“Hmm! If I’m not mistaken, the other party’s speed should be around seven Mach. Damn, it’s ‘Aurora’, the goddess of dawn! What a lousy radar; it’s so close, I can see it clearly, and yet there’s no response at all.”
Lin Mo’s voice grew louder with excitement over the channel, and what he claimed to see was actually due to using the Light Mirror Technique.
