Chapter 549: J-20’s Thoughts
Even Qin Tao has forgotten when he said such words, but looking at Mr. Song's appearance now, it is obvious that he has kept his words in mind. So, this is the idea that has been struggling in Mr. Song's mind for a long time today?
"Mr. Song, I am only engaged in warships. I am a layman when it comes to aircraft design. You are a professional aircraft designer, so you must not listen to me! We have always said that true knowledge comes from practice. Our duck Whether the traditional layout will destroy the stealth effect, you have to test it before you know!"
Qin Tao was a little helpless. Mr. Song had been struggling here for a long time. Wouldn't he try it out?
"Even if it destroys the stealth performance, we can make up for it through design. The biggest advantage of the canard layout for us is that we can use the aerodynamic layout to make up for our shortcomings in the engine." Qin Tao continued to analyze: "You What we are talking about is that to build a twin-engine heavy-duty air superiority fighter, we need to benchmark against the F-22. In the field of engines, we will not be able to reach the level of the United States for a long time. Therefore, we must adopt excellent aerodynamic layout. To make amends.”
Mr. Song nodded.
The canard layout brings advantages in maneuverability. If the engine is not powerful, it must be compensated by aerodynamics. This is also an important design idea for their J-10. Now, if they want to develop the next generation of air superiority fighters, they must also use this idea. , after all, the biggest problem with the canard layout is the flight control, and they have already mastered these.
“Mr. Qin, why didn’t you consider the canard layout of the vertical take-off and landing fighter you designed?” Mr. Song asked Qin Tao.
Qin Tao smiled helplessly: "When our project started, Project 10 had not yet made its first flight. Our aircraft is just an improvement on the Yak-141. How could it be completely different?" .”
These are all reasons. How could the technical staff of their J-31A Design Office have as high a level as the staff of the 611 Institute? If they adopt a duck layout, their project will be delayed for at least five years.
He can't afford to wait. This kind of project will easily become corrupt if it is delayed for a long time, and the customer will lose patience.
Moreover, Qin Tao is targeting the mature F-35. He doesn’t want to reinvent the wheel. Even the X-32 on the other side of the ocean started to use a delta wing layout, but in the end, didn’t it change back to a conventional aerodynamic layout?
Our side has made a moderate choice. Of course, this choice will inevitably lead to poor maneuverability. However, our side has no intention of competing with enemy aircraft for maneuverability.
Mr. Song has put down the burden in his heart and smiled on his face: "Mr. Qin, did you just say that you are optimistic about our project?"
"Yes, Mr. Song, our land is vast and we face many threats. Therefore, we must need dual-engine heavy-duty air superiority stealth fighters. I am optimistic about our 611 Research Institute and hope that we can fly advanced fourth-generation heavy-duty stealth fighters in the future. .”
Mr. Song nodded: "Mr. Qin, thank you for your compliment. We will work hard. However, it is said that our brother units also have ideas."
Brother unit?
Seeing Qin Tao's confused eyes, Mr. Song explained: "Mr. Qin, during the last defense exhibition, didn't you and the Sukhoi Design Bureau come up with ideas for changing the stealth machine? The technical staff of the 601 Institute also listened. Now, they are starting to think about whether they can develop a stealth heavy fighter based on the Su-27."
What?
Qin Tao was indeed a little shocked.
He indeed proposed this at the beginning. After all, this was the improvement idea for later generations of Mao’s stealth machines. However, this is definitely not the best choice. This is just another evidence that Mao Zi is resting on his laurels.
It is no longer possible for Lao Maozi to completely develop a brand new fighter jet. They can only tinker with the existing one and flatten the Su-27 and use it as the Su-57. It is a lot of useless. The design has been inherited, so Qin Tao will not like this kind of imperfect design.
And, more importantly, it is the design of Institute 601. Well, it will take a long time for Institute 601 to fully understand the original design of the Su-27, and it will take a long time for them to improve it.
So, Mr. Song doesn’t have to worry about competition at all.
“Mr. Song, even if your brother unit has an idea, I will still support you.” Qin Tao said: “You have the best design team, and you will definitely be able to design the best fighter!”
Mr. Song nodded, his eyes full of expectation.
"I don't know anything else, but using the turbofan 15 as the intended engine should be the most suitable. Once the design unit understands the original design and makes improvements, the performance will definitely improve a lot." Qin Tao also began to introduce. "The heavy fighter has enough volume to design a large bomb bay. The main bomb bay must be able to mount six medium- and long-range air-to-air missiles, and the side bomb bays must be able to mount two short-range air-to-air missiles."
Although when the J-20 was publicly displayed, the J-20 opened the belly bomb bay, which contained four air-to-air missiles. However, if you look at the J-20's simulator, it shows that the positions of the weapons are six medium-range missiles and The mounting configuration of two close-range missiles requires at least eight missiles to go out and say hello to people.
In fact, the F-22 was originally equipped with four AIM-120 missiles. Later, part of the missile wings were cut off, and six missiles were inserted into it.
If you want more, you can only hang it outside, which will destroy the stealth appearance. You will have to wait until stealth-type missiles and stealth pylons appear in the future before you can hang it outside. By then, with the power of the fourth-generation aircraft Performance, hanging more than a dozen units is not a problem.
Now, with Qin Tao's introduction, Mr. Song's eyes are slowly brightening. Mr. Qin just said he was not familiar with airplanes, but now, he clearly looks very familiar with them!
Mr. Qin is really awesome!
After some chatting, the basic aerodynamic shape of the J-20 was actually revealed. The nose part is similar to the current J-31A, except that it is larger. The bomb bay is still under the air inlet, and two are stuffed in the back. The engine is equipped with twin vertical tails tilted outward.
The appearance of this aircraft is definitely much more domineering than the current J-10. With the modified turbofan 15 as the engine, the power performance will reach a new level. In this way, this fighter can really compete with the F-10. 22 is a lot better.
“Mr. Qin, what do you think of the vector nozzle of the aircraft?”
Normal fighter planes have fixed nozzles, and the engine can only blow air backwards. The maneuvering of the fighter plane is entirely accomplished by the rudder.
But the fourth generation aircraft is different.
The American F-22 uses a baffle. If you look at it from the back, its engine nozzle is not in the form of chrysanthemum petals, but has two movable baffles up and down. It can be adjusted through the baffles. It is quite simple. But it's not efficient. This method can only change the direction of airflow up and down, also called a binary nozzle.
Although Lao Maozi does not yet have a fourth-generation machine, it already has an omnidirectional vector nozzle. Its circular nozzle has a very complex structure. It has more than a dozen action tubes, which drive a large number of scale-like things. When it shakes its **** When the nozzle is used, the jetted airflow can rotate in circles and spray in all directions. This type is also called a three-way nozzle.
If you compare the performance, the latter is far better than the former. However, if you compare the lifespan, it is a different situation. After doing so many tricks on the hot flame of the engine, the lifespan is very low. Lao Maozi provided Ah San with The Su-30MKI has this kind of nozzle. It is said that the lifespan is only fifteen hours. This is simply a scam. Even if you buy it, you don't dare to use it. It has to be used as a normal engine.
In fact, the vertical take-off and landing fighter jet currently under development has a nozzle that can rotate downward more than ninety degrees, which can be regarded as an alternative vector nozzle.
How to rotate the vector nozzle?
"It depends on our domestic research level." Qin Tao said: "Our duck layout is already very agile. We can not use it for the time being. When the domestic scientific research level reaches the level in the future, a suitable vector nozzle will be developed. , and then put them on the aircraft, the flight control can also reserve these."
With the vector nozzle, the maneuverability of the aircraft will be greatly improved, and the flight control will also need to be adjusted accordingly. Fortunately, we are now in the era of fly-by-wire flight control. If the previous hydraulic control was used, it would not be possible at all. Control tasks for so many rudder surfaces.
Qin Tao is an outsider, so of course he will not interfere with these specific details of the design. To what extent the domestic vector nozzle technology has developed, what vector nozzle can be used accordingly? In the initial test flight, ordinary nozzles must have been used. .
“Mr. Qin, do you think our aircraft should be reserved for boarding ships?” Mr. Song continued to ask.
This time it has something to do with Qin Tao. After all, he is a shipbuilder, and they are currently building aircraft carriers!
The carrier-based aircraft used on the aircraft carrier must first be the J-15, but this aircraft does not have stealth capabilities, so a stealth carrier-based fighter is definitely needed in the future.
Then, should we consider it?
It is impossible for the J-10 to board the ship because it uses the belly air intake method. This method has the highest flight efficiency at large elevation angles, but it also faces the problem of insufficient strength. It is fine for normal takeoff, but it absolutely cannot withstand the shipboard impact.
Now this twin-engine stealth heavy fighter uses the same nose design and air intake method as the F-22. The front landing gear is also connected to the fuselage beam, so the strength is no problem, and you don’t have to worry about the aircraft being ejected. It was dragged apart and fell apart.
So, can the J-20 get on a warship?
This is the most controversial point among military fans in later generations.
Some people support it. After all, in later generations, the J-20 is the only domestic fourth-generation carrier-based aircraft. Although the J-15 has powerful performance, it does not have stealth capabilities after all, so it is impossible to continue to serve for decades. Carrier-based aircraft in other countries are gradually moving towards While in the stealth era, the J-15 is slowly falling behind.
So, who are the alternatives?
There are also many objections. For example, some say that the size of the J-20 is too large. This reason is actually untenable. The size of the J-20 is smaller than the J-15.
The J-15 has a total length of 22.28 meters, a wingspan of 15 meters, a maximum height of 5.9 meters, and a maximum take-off weight of 32.5 tons. The J-20 has a total length of 20.3 meters, a wingspan of 12.88 meters, a maximum height of 4.45 meters, and a maximum take-off weight of 39 tons.
As for the folding of the J-20's wings, it's not a big deal. A special folding mechanism can be set up on the outer edge of the rear delta wing. Even if it is not folded, it can be placed alternately forward and backward like the French Rafale fighter. to reduce the floor space.
The maximum take-off weight is a problem, but it’s not a big problem. With the powerful electromagnetic catapult, plus the advantages of the J-20’s engine and aerodynamic layout, it’s no problem to take off from the aircraft carrier. But if it lands, it’s impossible to go up to the sky and come back. , after returning, the fuel consumption was almost the same, and the weight was reduced.
However, in later generations, the J-20 has almost never been seen on the ship. There are many problems in this. It is not that Chengdu Aircraft does not have this capability. The biggest problem is that the output of the J-20 is low. Even with the pulsating production line, every year There were only thirty or forty aircraft. Later, in order to increase the production of J-20s, Chengfei handed over the production of J-10s directly to Guifei, specializing in the production of J-20s.
Before Qin Tao's time travel, domestic J-20s were only equipped with dozens to more than a hundred aircraft. For the huge air force, it was simply not enough and stretched. The air force was not satisfied yet, so how could it give it to them? Used by the Navy.
So the Navy can only hold its nose and continue to purchase the J-15, which is more expensive than the J-20. And Shenfei also feels the imminent pressure. When the stealth aircraft era comes and the Su-27 and its derivatives are discontinued, will they become a foundry? They were also anxious. They came up with the J-31 project and built a campaign to put it on the ship. However, the Navy never expressed its position.
What now?
If the J-10 completes all flight test subjects, Mr. Song will lead the team to build the J-20. Maybe in the next ten years, the J-20 will be built. In this way, production will gradually increase. Does the Navy need the J-2? A stealth machine?
Qin Tao was thinking about these questions in his mind, and seeing Qin Tao not answering, the hope in Mr. Song's eyes slowly turned into doubt.
“Mr. Qin, do we have too many demands? If our J-20 needs to be mounted on a ship, it will compete with your J-31A...”
Song Lao's words brought Qin Tao back from his thoughts. The words were transmitted in his mind for another second or two before reaching Qin Tao's brain. He immediately shook his head with a smile.
"Of course not." Qin Tao said: "Our J-31A has followed the path of international cooperation from the design stage, which means that the performance of our aircraft will be known to the outside world. Such an aircraft There is no longer confidentiality, so if our domestic military is hungry and wants to purchase a batch, of course we welcome it, but if the military has concerns, it will still not purchase in large quantities."
At the beginning, there was no domestic funds. If you wanted to build this kind of aircraft, you could only use the commercial model. The navy and air force could not complain. The performance was known to the outside world. Therefore, even if the navy and air force were equipped, they probably would not be able to produce them in large quantities. equipment.
This aircraft is an introduction. Through the research and development of this aircraft, domestic military aircraft will be brought to a new level. Technologies such as high-thrust engines, phased array radars, and stealth coatings will all enter the fast lane through the development of this aircraft. This provides opportunities for the research and development of other domestic stealth aircraft.
Even if it focuses on arms sales, there are benefits. Arms sales are never independent. Through the sales of this aircraft, many countries can be drawn into the Eastern camp. Even if they do not express support clearly, at least they will not. He would be colluding with those conspirators.
"We predict that the vertical take-off and landing version may suit the needs of the Navy. In the future, when the Navy has a large number of amphibious assault ships, it will inevitably choose our vertical take-off and landing version, conventional ejection version, and land-based fighter aircraft. version, the domestic market should not be big.”
Mr. Song's eyes showed hope again: "Mr. Qin, do you mean that the Navy might choose our aircraft?"
“I don’t know about this. I just made an objective analysis. I think that as the maritime situation gradually deteriorates in the future, the Navy should need heavy-duty twin-engine stealth fighters.”
What does the future look like?
The Yankee Navy will carry JSF fighter jets. It is still unclear which one will eventually succeed. This fighter jet will also be equipped on the aircraft carriers of other countries to show off its power.
What about our own side?
If our side takes the J-20 on board, will the Yankees cry and call it unfair?
Thinking about the scene of a heavy fat electric appliance being knocked down, it is really pleasing to the eye!
The F-22 is only a land-based fighter, and the production line is still closed. The Yankees have nothing else but to rely on the JSF to conquer the world. It's okay to bully the third-generation aircraft, but you have to kneel in front of the black ribbon!
“Mr. Qin, Mr. Qin?” Mr. Song became curious again. Why did Mr. Qin always look absent-minded today? What was he thinking?
"Well. Mr. Song, regarding the issue of getting the J-20 onto the ship, I think you don't need to think too much. At present, we should first build a land-based fighter. After all, the American F-22 is also a land-based fighter, and the Air Force's market is also The largest one will be transformed into a carrier-based aircraft later when the time is right."
The land-based transformation of the carrier will definitely increase the weight. Under the current circumstances, it is most appropriate to build a land-based air superiority fighter first. Later, for example, if a new engine is developed, the weight will be reduced and the thrust will be increased. It can just offset the weight gain of the modified carrier-based aircraft.
This sentence should be ordinary, but Mr. Song opened his eyes wide: "J-20? What is J-20? Is it the aircraft we just talked about?"
Qin Tao let it slip again. Why did he also reveal the model number?
However, now that everything has been said, we can only continue to talk nonsense.
“That’s right, it is.”
“But currently our models have only just reached the J-15 model! There is still a vacancy for the J-14 model.”
"Well, we just leave a few vacant models for the outside world to speculate that we have multiple models." Qin Tao said: "Furthermore, the successful development of this aircraft will definitely be in the next century. It will be a project in the 20s. , giving a codename of J-20 is also very appropriate."
After arriving, there were twenty Yun, twenty Zhi, twenty Jie, all twenty families, and they were no longer arranged according to serial numbers.
Mr. Song nodded, acquiescing. Mr. Qin is talented in many aspects, and the number twenty is indeed good.
“I’m already old. I’m very satisfied to be able to build two models in my life. I just don’t know what the next generation of fighter jets will look like after the era of stealth aircraft!” Song Lao sighed again.
The next generation?
If we were still in the Cold War, weapons would be updated very quickly. In the 21st century, fifth-generation aircraft, sixth-generation aircraft, and even seventh-generation aircraft may appear. Now, even by 2020, the J-20 will They can maintain absolute air superiority. The next generation of fighters may not appear until 2030 or even 2040.
Since it’s about imagining, let’s just dream with Mr. Song.
“There could be two directions.”
Qin Tao is not an aviation major, but Qin Tao has the knowledge of future generations.
“Oh, please speak.”
"The first direction is unmanned driving." Qin Tao said: "The pilot gives the fighter a soul, but at the same time, the existence of the pilot also drags down the fighter. The overload is always limited to about 10. If there is no pilot, the fighter can Doing more high-G maneuvers will make it easier to dodge missiles.”
Song Lao nodded: "Yes, this is a direction, but without the pilot, how will the fighter operate?"
“Rely on powerful artificial intelligence technology, that is, electronic computer technology, and cooperate with the remote operation of ground operators to fight.”
In later generations, drones have become popular, but most of them are used for reconnaissance and bomb dropping. They are still far from having the ability to fight fighter jets.
“Yes, you are right, but what about the other one?”
“The other one relies on breakthroughs in engine technology.” Qin Tao introduced: “For example, variable cycle engines.”
“Yes, it would be great if we could switch back and forth between turbofans and turbojet. Unfortunately, we don’t have such research and development capabilities yet,” Song said.
The gap in engines is huge. The world's first variable-cycle engine is the J-58 engine used in the SR-71 Blackbird. It induces airflow on the fourth-stage compressor and passes through several tubes outside the engine. , the afterburner is directly introduced when it reaches 2 times the speed of sound. The MiG-25 flies at supersonic speeds with afterburners turned on. It can only fly at Mach 3 for a few minutes, but the Blackbird can maintain this speed for a long time.
Of course, this kind of variable cycle engine is very simple and primitive. In the bidding for the fourth-generation aircraft, the YF-120 engine installed in the failed YF-23 is even more advanced. It is a double-circuit variable-cycle engine with two ducts. They are led out from LDFS (large fan driven by low-pressure shaft) and CDFS (compressor driven by high-pressure shaft) and sent to R-VABI (RearVariableAreaBypassInjector: rear variable bypass injector).
However, it is estimated that the Americans have no confidence in this engine. The F-22 successfully bid through conventional methods, while the YF-23 was shelved because it was too advanced. It is really ridiculous.
“Not now, but there will be in the future. Maybe in the future when we are stronger, we can also make engines for aerospace aircraft.” Qin Tao said with a smile. Anyway, now he is imagining the future and can brag without limit.
(End of this chapter)