Chapter 313: The Bomber Who Runs Out of the Alphabet
That evening.
Two prototypes of the T-10K were pushed into the warehouse. Perhaps for a long time, these two prototypes will need to stay here quietly. After all, the production of the Su-27 has not yet begun, and the Varyag has not yet been brought back. Therefore, these two prototypes The plane cannot be used for the time being.
However, their fate has changed. They will not be exposed to the sun and wind at the Nitka base and eventually become scrap metal. They will become the hope of the Chinese Navy's carrier-based fixed-wing aviation!
Countless people stood in front of these two planes, imagining the future.
"This time, we hired a group of people from the Antonov Design Bureau. In addition to pilots, there are also designers." Qin Tao started to talk about the arrangements of these people: "Their current establishment is our aerial work. Transportation company employees, but it would be a waste if they were left here directly.”
Qin Tao doesn't care about paying these people and letting them settle down, but after all, these people are technical experts. It's a bit wasteful to maintain airplanes here.
"Yes, it is a bit wasteful for them to stay here. However, the aircraft factory in our old district is currently just demonstrating the large aircraft project and has not officially launched it yet. After all, the state's funds are not enough to maintain too many aviation projects. .”
Now, the Air Force and Navy already have the Il-76 and Il-78 in their hands, which is great. Of course they want to have more similar aircraft, but if they want to have new domestically developed aircraft, they are not able to do so for the time being. Mount your horse.
"Currently, we can only make improvements to some old projects." Wu Shengli continued: "For example, we are very satisfied with the engine used on the IL-76. If this engine can be replaced on our H-6 , which can greatly improve the performance of H-6."
Although the prototype of the H-6 is the Tu-16, a product of the Tupolev Design Bureau, these people who build large aircraft are all able to draw parallels. Now, it is also possible to help develop the modification of the H-6 first. .
Although the D-30K engine used on the Il-76 is Lao Maozi's first-generation large bypass ratio turbofan engine, it is much more powerful than the turbojet-8 engine installed on the H-6, and its fuel consumption is reduced by hundreds. Thirty-thirty points, the H-6's range was abruptly increased from 6,000 kilometers to 9,000 kilometers. In this way, a tactical bomber became a strategic bomber!
Even more, because the thrust of the D-30K engine is too great, it cannot fully open the throttle on the H-6, which reduces the thrust and increases the lifespan.
This modification is entirely appropriate.
"Okay, then please ask the relevant departments at the higher level to help coordinate. I will also introduce it to the old guys. If they are willing, I will take them there."
Qin Tao invited the people here, and of course Qin Tao had to make arrangements for them.
“Hey, there are so many people, I’m late.” At this moment, a voice sounded from behind.
"Mr. Lin? What kind of wind has brought you here?" Qin Tao looked at Mr. Lin and other air force leaders with some surprise. This T-10K is used by the navy.
"Huh, this morning, I heard a big plane flying overhead. When I looked up, my dear, it has six engines. After asking about it, I came over." Mr. Lin said to Qin Tao with a smile.
Qin Tao scratched his head helplessly: "Well, Mr. Lin, our An-225 flew back from Ermao. It doesn't seem to pass through the capital, right?"
"Of course not through the capital. Did I say I came from the capital?" Mr. Lin looked at Qin Tao with a smile: "You kid, you are so rich! You bought such a big plane for 100 million US dollars! "
The An-225 was parked outside. Before Mr. Lin came in, he had already circled the plane in a large circle.
"You're interested? You're interested. You can buy it for 100 million U.S. dollars. I don't want the activity funds, gas expenses, etc." Qin Tao was very generous.
Mr. Lin shook his head: "Where can the Air Force have such funds? If it really has such money, wouldn't it be better to buy two more Su-27s? By the way, I heard that you gave us an idea to make Lao Maozi willing to sell the production line?"
"Yeah." Qin Tao nodded, saying that good things never leave the house and bad things spread thousands of miles. How come his good things spread so fast?
"Our country has a vast territory and needs heavy-duty air superiority fighters with long range. Our air force and navy both need Su-27, especially the navy. With the Il-78 aerial tanker, it can obtain a patrol radius of three to four thousand kilometers. In the future , there can also be a two-seater combat bomber type, so we must be able to produce it independently, and we must not rely entirely on procurement." Qin Tao said: "If the old man doesn't sell it, we have to find a way to let them take the initiative to ask for it. Let’s buy it.”
Mr. Lin nodded: "You are right!"
"Before the collapse of the Red Empire, the MiG-29 of the Mikoyan Design Bureau had been sold to many countries, and a production line was set up in Asan. However, the war in 1991 made the MiG-29's reputation infamous. , the problem of short legs of this aircraft is very prominent, so the MiG-29 cannot be sold. On the contrary, the Su-27 of the Sukhoi Design Bureau has shown good market prospects after obtaining the export license." Qin Tao Analyze it carefully: "If we go to the Mikoyan Design Bureau now, the people there will definitely happily agree to any of our requests."
The tide is turning.
In the past, few people heard about the Sukhoi Design Bureau. This design bureau seemed to have no reputation and was completely overshadowed by the Mikoyan Design Bureau.
On the battlefield in the Far East, the MiG Corridor is famous all over the world. At the peak of the Cold War, the MiG-25 fighter jet flew at three times the speed of sound at an altitude of 30,000 meters, which attracted the attention of countless aviation experts. The MiG-29 has become the leader among the third-generation aircraft.
Who would have thought that after the collapse of the Red Empire, the Mikoyan Design Bureau would fade away? In the end, because he couldn't pay his subordinates wages, the chief engineer even committed suicide in shame and anger?
In the era of the Red Empire, they didn’t care what fighter aircraft they exported. However, it is different now. Each design bureau is responsible for its own profits and losses. If the aircraft cannot be sold, then they have to drink from the northwest wind.
Now Lao Maozi has grasped the Chinese Air Force and believes that the Su-27 is the only choice. As long as it falls into the arms of the MiG-29, Sukhoi will be anxious!
"Mr. Qin, you are absolutely right." Mr. Lin said, "So, we would like to ask you to go to the Mikoyan Design Bureau."
“What? It’s me again?”
“Yes, those who are able should work harder.”
“Isn’t it true that there are many talents for those who are capable? What good do I have?”
“Benefits? Which route your air transportation company wants to fly, our Air Force will approve it in seconds!”
"Okay. However, I have to arrange my domestic affairs first before I go."
Mr. Lin nodded, and the matter was settled. He circled around the plane, and then said: "This three-wing layout looks really domineering. By the way, I heard that for these two planes, Did you set the Nitka base on fire?"
Qin Tao's expression changed: "Mr. Lin, you have a red mouth and white teeth. Don't talk nonsense. The weather is dry and dry, and a cigarette **** may cause a fire. What does the fire over there have to do with me? It's like the fire in Daxinganling. They say it was caused by Fei Xiang's singing, and now I am even more unjust than Fei Xiang."
Mr. Lin laughed.
The next day, the tarmac.
“An-24? I didn’t expect to see such an ancient aircraft here!” Kowalski said with some emotion.
This is a passenger aircraft converted from a small transport aircraft, with a single wing and a turboprop engine on both sides. The fuselage is small and the shape is ordinary.
"You can say that this is our domestically produced Yunqi." Qin Tao said: "We are about to take this plane to inspect domestic aviation companies. Everyone, come up with me!"
So, Kowalski, and the more than 40 technicians he brought with him, entered the cabin.
The interior space of such a small aircraft is naturally very small, but the advantage is that you can look out from the portholes on both sides at any time.
The propellers on both sides began to rotate.
"No, why is the noise of this plane so low? I have flown on the An-24 before, and I had to shout at the top of my lungs in the cabin." Kowalski suddenly discovered something and said to Qin Tao.
He has sat on almost all the products of the Antonov Design Bureau and was very impressed.
"Because this aircraft has undergone a lot of improvements. For example, the noisiest engine outside is already imported from Canada, including the propellers, which are all low-noise." Qin Tao said: "After improvements, the old product has also become It can bring out new vitality. What do you think?"
Up to now, Qin Tao has not said the purpose of this trip. He is afraid that after telling them, these people will lose interest, so he will keep it secret for now and take them there before talking about it.
This is a good opportunity to lay some groundwork along the way. Now is a good opportunity.
Hearing what Qin Tao said, Kowalski nodded: "Yes, your east is a magical country. Even a backward aircraft like the MiG-21 can tap its potential through continuous improvement here. It is said that , you also have a major modification plan called Super Seven, which is changed to two-rib air intake, and the performance is greatly improved."
Although Lao Ba had given up on the Super 7 project, Tu Lao did not give up. He went to the Mikoyan Design Bureau and kept in touch for a long time, so the news spread among Lao Maozi’s aviation community.
For Lao Maozi, the MiG-21 was a transition, and soon there were variable-sweep-wing fighters like the MiG-23. In the East, the MiG-21 was developed into a series, constantly competing with Keep pace with the times.
Super Seven has changed the air intake from the nose to the two-rib air intake, leaving the nose free to install a radar. It claims to achieve 70% of the combat capability of the F-16.
Under Qin Tao's deception, Yun Qi flew over mountains and rivers, crossed the Qinling Mountains, and landed on the dustpan-shaped plains of the Wei River.
“Everyone has come a long way and thanked you for your hard work. On behalf of the 603 Institute and the 172 Factory in our old district, I welcome you.” Just on the tarmac, a large number of people stood there. The leader was gray-haired and energetic.
Mr. Zheng, although he is not well-known in the aviation industry system, he is a veteran of the aviation industry.
Once, he and senior Ma Fengshan participated in the trial production of the H-6. He was responsible for the most critical overall design and structural strength calculation. You must know that the structural strength data was missing in the Tu-16 bomber data given by Lao Maozi. , after this project, he thoroughly understood the H-6, and then started working on the redesign of the H-6.
Later, he played a prominent role in the mapping and imitation of Yunqi and the development of Feibao. He was even the deputy chief designer of Feibao.
Now, when he heard that Qin Tao had brought a large number of Lao Maozi's technical staff, he was extremely excited. He immediately put down the work at hand and came to greet them together.
Standing behind him is a new generation of technicians. Zhou Zhengguo and Jiang Jianjun, both in their thirties, are working tirelessly on the modification of the H-6.
Mr. Qin is here and has brought Lao Maozi’s designer! They are also looking forward to it.
When it comes to technology, the people of the motherland are not bad. They were able to establish the aviation industry when they were poor. However, most of the work was surveying and mapping, and they have not developed large aircraft themselves. Therefore, The arrival of the designer Lao Maozi is a perfect complement to each other!
(I wonder if some readers will criticize, why do we always engage in old-fashioned technical staff? What about ours? Is this belittling our own scientific researchers?)
Kowalski stepped off the plane. The noon sun was a bit dazzling. He turned his head to the side, and then he became surprised.
“Why, you are still producing this kind of aircraft?” Kowalski pointed to a H-6 next to him and said, “The Tu-16, it has a history of forty years and has long been outdated!”
Although he had made a lot of preparations on the plane, when he arrived here, Kowalski was still extremely emotional when facing the outdated plane.
Although these old guys have already seen several Navy H-6s at the base in Huating, those aircraft are of a certain age at first glance. They may have been produced ten or twenty years ago. These aircraft It's normal.
But this is different, this is an aircraft factory! That shiny airplane still has an aluminum alloy skin and is not painted! It is absolutely a brand new aircraft.
This picture -16 is still in production?
At this moment, everyone present was a little embarrassed, but Qin Tao was very confident.
“Kowalski, my friend, that’s the Tu-16 you’re talking about. The one we have now is the H-6!”
“Hongliu, isn’t it Tu-16?”
"Of course not." Qin Tao answered simply. He looked at the person in charge opposite: "Mr. Zheng, can you take him to the plane to have a look first?"
"sure!"
This H-6 is an improvement on the Tu-16. It is a product of the 1950s, and there is no confidentiality at all. Moreover, when these old guys came here, they originally planned to ask them to help modify the H-6 and let them take a look. normal.
Everyone was a little nervous, but Qin Tao was very confident.
If we say that the initial production of the H-6 is indeed no different from the Tu-16, however, during the long production process, the H-6 has also been continuously improved!
The initial bomber had no suffix. Later, when it was necessary to carry the atomic bomb, the first improvement began, named H-Liujia, followed by the medium-range bomber H-6B equipped with various reconnaissance equipment, and the H-6B with electronic warfare capabilities. Six C, used by the navy, can launch anti-ship missiles.
After the appearance of Hong Liu Ding, it began to gradually integrate with the West, so Hong Liu Ding became Hong Liu D. After that, there were models with various letters.
Among them, many models are under design and have not been produced. For example, in the early 1970s, there was an H-6I bomber equipped with the JT3D-3B turbofan engines used by four Boeing 707s. Two are installed in the wing root engine nacelle, and the other two are suspended under the wings on both sides.
Later, my imagination gradually opened up. There was a layout of stuffing two Speys into one engine compartment, and a plan of hoisting six engines under the wings. If it was really realized, it would be similar to the An-225.
In later generations, there are still the famous H-6K, H-6J, H-6N, etc. The aviation force is so satisfied with this bomber that they plan to let it flourish for another fifty years. The only worry is that there are not enough letters. use.
So, it is not as useful as the original Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. When combined, there are sixty numbers, which is more than double the number of the alphabet.
Now, Mr. Zheng led everyone to the plane. The old guys were also studying this plane, and they quickly realized: "There is no transparent pilot and bombing compartment on the nose of this plane?"
The layout of the Tu-16 bomber is a classic World War II-era layout. There are two pilots in the cockpit, a first and second officer, and a radio operator behind. The cabin in the nose is transparent, and the pilot and bombardiers are seated in it. The tail gun is over there. There are people.
It takes six people to fly such a bomber, and four of them have ejection seats that are ejected downwards. If the height is not high enough, they will definitely die.
The early H-6s produced in China also had this layout. The nose of the aircraft in front of me was already covered with aluminum alloy, and it looked shiny.
"Mr. Kowalski, I have already said that this aircraft is different from yours. It is a H-6. Our H-6 has a transparent glass cover on the nose, which is already outdated."
Qin Tao spoke confidently, while Mr. Zheng felt a little embarrassed.
That’s right, this one does not exist, because this newly manufactured aircraft is a H-6 aircraft!
Hong-6 modified aerial tanker, why does it need that transparent cover?
However, of course he couldn't tell it, so he left everything to Qin Tao.
"Modern aviation technology is developing rapidly. The previous method of flying above the enemy's head to drop bombs has long been outdated. Our bomber is positioned as a launch carrier aircraft for cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles. Therefore, it has long been There is no need for a transparent glass cover, it is equipped with advanced electronic equipment, and its combat effectiveness has been completely changed."
It is clearly an air tanker!
Mr. Zheng frowned. Is it okay to keep fooling him like this? When these old fools stay to work, they will soon find out that this plane is a tanker. Will they think that they are lying?
At this moment, Zhou Zhengguo on the side spoke: "Mr. Qin said it well. If our bomber wants to continue to play a role in future wars, it must change its function and be used as a missile launcher!"
Although there are many models of H-6, the only one that has real combat experience is H-6 Ding, which is an anti-ship missile carrier aircraft. This kind of bomber has fat C601 anti-ship missiles hanging under the wings, and it shoots in the bay. A ship attack was launched, and the results were quite fruitful.
At that time, Zhou Zhengguo was considering the way forward for the H-6. Now, Qin Tao's words finally confirmed his idea, allowing him to boldly say that building a missile carrier is the most suitable solution for the H-6. position! In this way, H-6 can serve for another thirty years!
"Yes, this kind of bomber is most suitable for hanging missiles on the wings. If it can be strengthened, a few more hanging points can be installed under the wings to improve the ability to mount missiles. Even if there are only three hanging points on one side, It can mount six long-range missiles and launch attacks on the enemy from hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away."
Qin Tao was very satisfied with Zhou Zhengguo's answer and continued to introduce: "In this way, the bomb bay in the aircraft has no role. Therefore, we completely removed the bomb bay in the aircraft and turned it into a fuel tank, which increased its The fuel capacity can increase its range."
As he spoke, Qin Tao pointed at the belly of the bomber.
If it is an ordinary bomber, of course it has an internal bomb bay. It flies over the target's head, opens the bomb bay door, and pours out the bombs carried in it. The scene is absolutely spectacular.
But now, this is the H-6, which has become an aerial tanker. In order to increase the amount of fuel carried in the aircraft, of course the bomb bay must be sealed and converted into a fuel tank. Qin Tao's introduction was a mistake.
The old men nodded.
"If a missile pylon is installed inside the belly of the aircraft, launching the missile will be very cumbersome. Having an external pylon is the simplest way. In this way, the fuel capacity can be increased," Kowalski said: "I just don't know what the engine of this aircraft is like? Does it still use an old turbojet engine?"
“Yes.” Qin Tao said: “We are still using the turbojet-8 engine, which consumes very high fuel consumption. If there is a suitable engine to replace it, its performance can be improved to a higher level.”
“The aircraft of the Antonov Design Bureau all use large engines, which are not suitable. The engines used by small guys like the IL-76 are just right,” Kowalski said.
“Yes, the D-30K engine should be the most suitable choice.” Another engineer also spoke.
Qin Tao was overjoyed and quickly flattered: "Your suggestions are really great! However, we do not have this modification experience now. Do you want to stay and try to install the D-30K engine into this bomber? ?For you, this must be a piece of cake."
Everyone held their breath, waiting for the old guys' answer.
Kowalski barely hesitated and nodded immediately: "Yes, for us, this is a small thing. Are you really going to do this?"
“Of course, if you can help, we will hire you as designers for this project immediately!”
(End of this chapter)