Chapter 200: August 19th
With only five million rubles spent, Qin Tao packed up the Yak-141 technology and bought it back. At this moment, Qin Tao felt very happy.
In later generations, Lockheed Martin bought it, but they spent 400 million, yes, 400 million U.S. dollars. Even if there is inflation, the difference between 5 million rubles and 400 million U.S. dollars is still very big. big.
Of course, that was also because the two sides were hostile before. The Yakovlev Design Bureau had no choice but to sell technology to its former imaginary enemy. Of course, it cost a high price. Now, it is sold to a friend, and, this The friend was so considerate and even had Nikolai present, so Alexander finally agreed.
"Fifty Yak-141s, please rest assured that we will do what we say. I have relations with the Chinese military, and Nikolai knows it." Qin Tao continued his promise, and then extended his hand: "I hope we can cooperate in the future Pleasant, and if you encounter technical problems in the future, maybe we can help.”
Zhao Ling was standing next to her. Nicholas knew the identity of this female secretary clearly, so he also nodded: "Yes, if the Yak-141 technology matures, our navy can also purchase a batch. After all, Our current heavy-duty aircraft-carrying cruisers still need specialized vertical take-off and landing fighters, but the Yak-38 has no actual combat capabilities, so it will be retired."
Wait a minute, the Yak-38 is retired?
Qin Tao suddenly had another bold idea in his mind. Now that this kind of aircraft has been retired, it can be sold as junk! Packaged and sold to Siam? I just don’t know if the Yak-38 can fly in tropical areas!
Moreover, even if it can fly by then, I don’t know if it will burn a big hole in the deck, so I still have to be cautious and think twice about buying junk.
Both of them talked about technical issues, and Alexander also returned to technology: "Qin, can the idea of the fan you just mentioned be more detailed?"
“Of course, do you have a pen and paper? I can make a sketch.”
“Then please go to our drawing room.”
Rows of tables are neatly placed in the drawing room, and there are special drawing boards next to the tables. However, it is empty and there is no one there. The Yakovlev Design Bureau, at first glance, looks like it is in decline.
Qin Tao came to a drawing board, picked up the drawing tools, and began to draw skillfully.
Yak-141 is an aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 19.5 tons, which is almost twice that of Yak-38 and Sea Harrier, so it requires quite strong power.
Although its R-79 engine has a maximum afterburning thrust of 152 kN, during the vertical takeoff and landing phase, the compressor of this engine also needs to bleed air to supply the wingtips and tail nozzles for attitude adjustment. Therefore, the maximum thrust is reduced to 137.2 kN. However, if you install two RD-41 lift engines developed by the Tumansky Design Bureau in series on the fuselage at the rear of the cockpit, there will be no problem. The thrust of a single engine is 41.68 kN, which is enough to ensure that the aircraft can be used to pull onions on dry land. Fly.
Now, if you want to replace the two front lift engines with fans, how awesome should this fan be?
The graphics are being drawn quickly. After all, it is just a simple diagram, but it still looks clear at a glance.
At the back is a horizontal cylinder, which is the R-79 engine. The tail nozzle drawn by Qin Tao is still downward, and the front looks like a vertical gasoline barrel.
"The structure of this fan is not complicated. It is similar to the compressor of our aero-engine. It is a two-stage counter-rotating fan. It has a disc with blades, two sets of fixed blades and a set of variable inlet guide blades. , this variable inlet guide vane provides the thrust variation from idle to maximum required for vertical takeoff and landing.”
What Qin Tao focused on was this lift fan, which was completely designed according to Rolls-Royce. It was designed after so many studies, and it must be the most mature design. There is no need to make another alternative.
Alexander opened his eyes wide and looked at the design drawing. As an aircraft designer, he had a hunch that this design might really work, especially the bottom blade, which could be used to change the thrust. It was really What a good initiative.
"As for the entire fan, in terms of overall size, complex aerodynamic design is required. I think the diameter is about one meter and two meters. In terms of height, it has to pass through the entire aircraft body, which is the same as the height of the aircraft body. I estimate that it is also one meter. About two hundred hours. As for its lifespan, two hundred hours is enough. I think that with the Soviet Union’s current technology, there shouldn’t be much of a problem in making these.”
Alexander nodded. This lift fan is equivalent to the compressor of a turbine engine. This should not be difficult.
“The difficulty with this kind of lift fan is the transmission system. This transmission shaft must use a speed of at least 8,000 rpm to transmit more than 20,000 horsepower.”
“How is this possible?” Nicholas immediately reacted.
The power of 20,000 horsepower is almost close to the power of a warship. Therefore, the propeller of a warship only rotates a few hundred times. Therefore, the power output of the engine must go through the reducer and then be output to the propeller through the transmission shaft.
It is not difficult to output 20,000 horsepower from a transmission shaft, and it is not difficult to output 8,000 revolutions per minute, but it is difficult to combine these two requirements.
The transmission shaft must be hard enough and the machining accuracy must be high, which simply challenges the limits of engineering mechanics.
impossible, that’s crazy!
Qin Tao smiled: "This is not the most difficult thing. The most difficult thing is the clutch."
Clutch!
There is no need for a clutch on a warship. Whether it is a boiler or a diesel engine, the power output is changed by adjusting the power machinery. Even if the propeller is reversed, if it can be implemented on the engine, it will never touch anything. Reducer and the like.
However, this system is different. The lift fan is only used during the take-off and landing stages. The engine behind it has to rotate all the time, so it involves the problem of combining and disconnecting power.
Engines with one to two hundred horsepower on trucks may burn the clutch once they encounter special road conditions. Power machinery with more than one thousand horsepower should try to avoid this thing. Now, it is actually necessary to be able to reliably connect and disconnect the clutch. Horsepower power? How can this be?
(On a jet, we only talk about the thrust, not the horsepower. Only on propeller aircraft, we talk about the horsepower of the engine, not the thrust. This is because the conversion of horsepower into thrust requires the propeller. The efficiency of the propeller It also played a big role.)
Qin Tao smiled secretly in his heart, is this thing so easy to make? The Yankees' aviation technology can almost be described as alien technology. Just like this, the vertical take-off and landing power plant has repeatedly been delayed, and it has been delayed for several years before it was put into service.
The take-off weight of the fertilizer is greater, so the lift fan requires 29,000 horsepower. For the current Yak-141, 20,000 horsepower is enough.
The design drawing of the lift fan has been drawn. As for how to turn it into reality, it depends on the person in front of you.
In Alexander's eyes, there were moments of surprise, confusion, and doubts, but they all turned into firmness in the end: "After these two difficulties have been overcome, our Yak-141 will be able to get rid of the lift engine and officially launch." The ship is ready, we will continue to carry out this project!"
His expression, to use a common saying, is that he will continue to do it even if he sells iron!
Qin Tao nodded: "Then I wish you success. At this stage, the lift engine version can be developed and matured first, so that it can be put into service as soon as possible. It is also convenient for us to purchase. As for this version, it can be used as a pre-research for future projects. After all, , this method places higher requirements on the flight control system.”
It is impossible for pilots to complete such complex adjustments by manual operation, so they must rely on computers. This aircraft is the first digital fly-by-wire flight control because it needs to process a large amount of data. During the takeoff and landing phases, almost all automatic.
Of course, when encountering danger, ejection escape is also automatic, which has been the case since the Yak-38 period. Often, before the pilot can react, he is out in a swish!
It was precisely because of the automatic ejection escape system that the pilot of the Yak-141 crash survived.
Now, when Qin Tao talked about the flight control, Alexander's face became tense again: "What problem could occur with the flight control? We have searched for it many times and can't find the cause."
“I don’t know anything else. The most feared risk of digital fly-by-wire flight control is that the pilot induces concussion.” Qin Tao knew everything at this time.
"This is caused by a problem with the programming of the flight control rate. Specifically, the aircraft veered to the right, and the pilot pushed the control stick to the left to correct it. However, the flight control system did not handle it properly and made too many adjustments, and the aircraft veered to the left. When the pilot After discovering that the plane veered to the left, I quickly corrected it and pushed the control stick to the right. As a result, I corrected too much. In this way, the plane rocked back and forth, and the tiny yaw was quickly amplified, eventually causing the plane to completely lose control."
Although the pilot was asked to induce concussion, it had nothing to do with the pilot. It was caused by a problem with the flight control system. Qin Tao was a shipbuilder, not an aircraft designer, so he only knew this.
When countries develop advanced digital fly-by-wire flight controls, they will first input the flight control program into a stabilizer for testing. But I have just made the leap from analog fly-by-wire. Many things in it are probably still there. I don’t understand, or even if I do, I don’t have that much money.
Alexander opened his eyes wide: "Yes, that's it. Our plane went through such a process before it crashed! Qin, thank you for giving us the advice!"
With a smile on Qin Tao’s face, he was right!
“Qin, how do you know this?” At this time, Nicholas, who had been an audience member, spoke.
Qin Tao is from the shipbuilding industry, how come he knows so much about the aviation industry? What a surprise.
Yes, how did you know?
This question went around in Qin Tao's mind, and he said calmly: "A few years ago, we had a good relationship with the West. The West once sold us fighter jets, and their engineers said that digital telex Some problems in research and development. I heard about it when I was drinking with them, but I didn’t take it seriously. Now that I think about it, I feel really flattered to be able to inspire professional aircraft designers.”
Just push it to Westerners. We have all been exposed to Mirage 2000 and F-16.
Nicholas nodded.
"Drinking? By the way, having said so much, it's time for us to go drinking." Nicholas said.
After a lot of trouble, by the time the four of them came out of the drawing room, it was already dark.
LaCour and others had already seen enough of the Yak-141, and then visited the production workshop and arrived at the canteen. Then everyone met again.
“What we are bringing this time is Maotai, our national wine. Come on, let’s all drink. Don’t be polite.” Qin Tao opened the wine bottle and began to pour wine for everyone.
Mr. Gu then asked: "Mr. Qin, what did you do just now? It took you so long?"
“Of course we are talking about aircraft design. I have a lot of inspiration. Mr. Gu, are you recruiting people? I will be a designer for you. It will be no problem.”
Mr. Gu opened his eyes wide. Are you an aircraft designer?
“Yes, if you don’t believe me, ask Comrade Alexander.”
Alexander nodded immediately: "Yes, Qin's design is quite good and has given us a lot of inspiration. Gu, you are also an aircraft designer. After seeing our aircraft today, can you give us some advice?"
“No matter what your opinions are, in front of the Soviet designers, we are just apprentices.” Mr. Gu said politely.
Qin Tao picked up the wine glass: "I have some ideas."
“What? Please speak.” Alexander was very solemn.
“In the war a few months ago, the Americans used a large number of F-117 stealth fighters and destroyed a large number of ground targets.” Qin Tao said: “Everyone should know about this, right?”
"Yes, I've heard of it. Wait, tell me?" Mr. Gu looked at Qin Tao in disbelief: "Stealth fighter?"
At this time, in the early 1990s, only one fighter plane, the F-117, was exposed. It created a myth and shocked everyone around the world by the United States' world-leading technological strength.
Of course Mr. Gu knows that, but that kind of aircraft is just an attack aircraft. How can it be turned into a fighter jet?
What is the current level in the country? Second-generation aircraft like the J-8 are already at the highest level. They were given the nickname "Aerial Beauty" based on their slender figure. They did not care that such a figure cannot perform high-overload maneuvers at all. Although it is said to be a fighter jet, in fact It's just an interceptor.
Stealth fighter? Too far!
However, Qin Tao knew that according to some declassified information, the Yakovlev Design Bureau had already begun developing the next generation model of the Yak-141 before the Soviet Union collapsed.
This aircraft is improved on the basis of the Yak-141, and is also called the Yak-43 (some say it is the Yak-41M, or the Yak-143, I don’t know how the first 1 is added.)
According to later declassified information, this Yak-43 has undergone stealth modifications in appearance. For example, the two vertical vertical tails were made into an inclined shape. At the same time, it also had a built-in bomb bay. These changes caused the aircraft to become invisible. The weight increased by a full 25 tons, so the engine was replaced with the NK-32 engine on the Tu-160. (The hero of East China is skeptical. Even if the engine on the bomber has enough thrust, it is too big to be installed on the fighter jet.)
He was bored now anyway, and was in a friendly drinking atmosphere, so Qin Tao casually said these things to see what Alexander's attitude was. What if he could swindle something?
“Yeah, invisibility is the trend in the future, but it’s a pity... Come on, drink!” Alexander picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.
What's a pity?
It's a pity that they have no money. Qin Tao quickly realized that it was really embarrassing to expose others' scars like this!
Lao Maozi now has Su-27 and MiG-29, but they will not stop research and development. A new generation of fighters is also in pre-development, and it has been taken over by the Mikoyan Design Bureau. After all, this Building a brand new fighter jet is too expensive, and the Sukhoi Design Bureau is not qualified to play with it.
As for the Yakovlev Design Bureau, we can only think about it. Looking at the empty drawing room, you can know that they do not have the ability to develop stealth fighters at all.
"I think that with the development of aviation technology, vertical take-off and landing fighter jets will definitely mature. In the future, maybe all fighter jets will take off and land vertically. Regardless of the difficulties your design bureau is encountering now, as long as you persist If you go down, there will be a bright day!"
Alexander nodded, then picked up the wine glass again and drank it all in one gulp. If you look closely, you can see that there seems to be something shiny in the corner of his eyes.
Qin Tao also sighed, it seems that he has to make more money! Only when you have money in the future can you start a happy life of buying and selling, and it can also give these frustrated people a new life.
Qin Tao didn't drink too much and walked very steadily, so he and Zhao Ling walked into the guest house together.
Next door, LaCour and his adjutant were already snoring loudly.
“Brother Tao, there’s one thing I’m curious about.” Zhao Ling said to Qin Tao after turning on the playback of her walkman.
“What is it? Why do I know so much about aviation?”
"No, why do you provide those advanced design concepts? I have been observing from the side, and Alexander is very interested in your design. This design will make the vertical take-off and landing fighter more mature."
Why don’t you bring these ideas to a design office in China? Moreover, with your personality, it doesn’t seem like you would take the initiative to give charity.
Qin Tao smiled, it turns out it was for this!
Does this need to be said? Of course I'm just showing off when I'm bored.
"Xiao Ling, just wait and see. Now I will provide them with technical ideas and let them do research first. When the opportunity is right in the future, I will spend some money to buy the technology. In this way, they are still equivalent to helping us develop it. .”
Zhao Ling nodded, deeply agreeing with Qin Tao's statement.
The money Qin Tao talked about was of course money to buy junk.
the next day.
Rakul rubbed his aching head, still sighing in his heart, how could this Maotai liquor be so high? Is something wrong?
He remembered clearly that when he visited China, he also drank Moutai, but it didn’t taste like this.
“Hey, Rakul, how were you yesterday?” Qin Tao asked Rakul.
"Well, that's right. That Andre took us around and saw a lot. That engine is really incredible. It can actually output a thrust of 150,000 newtons. Although its lifespan is not as good as that of the West, it is only Speaking of performance, it’s pretty good.”
Qin Tao nodded: "I made an agreement with them yesterday. As long as the Yak-141 is tested and ready for service, we will purchase fifty Yak-141s from them. At that time, if you need it, we can transfer it to you first. The aircraft carrier is not in a hurry."
"Qin, that's great!" Rakul said: "The performance of this aircraft is far better than that of the Sea Harrier fighter. So, after I go back, I will report it to my superiors. We have to wait for this aircraft!"
“Now that you have seen it and are satisfied with the performance of this aircraft, can you go back?” Qin Tao said.
Lakul nodded: "Yes, you can go back, but Qin, when will you leave? If you continue to stay here, then we can delay a few days and investigate more."
It's inconvenient for you to follow me. Yesterday, I gave you wine first and made it easier to communicate with you. Qin Tao was about to make an excuse. As he was talking, Zaitsev had already come over. Rakul quickly shut up. .
"Qin, Mr. Nicholas has something to do. He went back to the base last night. Do you want to continue walking around here, or go back with me? If you have other schedules, I will go with you."
Zaitsev worked as a bodyguard for Qin Tao in the past, so there is no problem now.
Qin Tao was just a little curious and looked at Zaitsev: "You went back last night? Did something happen?"
"I don't know about this either." Zaitsev said. Even if he is Nikolai's confidant and he is responsible for all kinds of private activities, he is still a naval infantryman after all and is not qualified to have access to many secrets. of.
Wait, Qin Tao suddenly thought of something. During this period of time, he was so busy that he forgot many things!
“What day is August today?” Qin Tao asked hurriedly.
“August 19th.” Zhao Ling quickly replied.
Hmm, how could you ignore such an important day? I've been busy dealing with a lot of things lately, and I've forgotten such an important day.
Just last night, a lot of things happened in the Red Empire, and major changes occurred in the army. Therefore, after getting the news last night, Nicholas must have quickly returned to his job.
However, this matter has nothing to do with the navy. Nicholas is just fulfilling his duties.
Qin Tao was in a bad mood. Zhao Ling was very curious, but she did not ask. No matter what unexpected changes occurred, as long as Qin Tao was there, there would be no problem.
Zhao Ling has great trust in Qin Tao.
“Zaitsev, we need to leave your country, the sooner the better.” Qin Tao said.
Although this matter will be resolved peacefully, from the beginning of this matter, Lao Maozi's country will be very chaotic. Qin Tao does not want to have unexpected changes and end up being trapped here. After this chaotic period of time passes, Qin Tao It wouldn't be too late for Tao to come over and be his second dealer.
(End of this chapter)