Chapter 771 The Aftermath (Chapter 6K)
In a small auditorium at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a large group of students were gathering to watch the military parade.
There is no online live broadcast these days, and there is no TV signal in the dormitory. If you want to watch the live broadcast, you can only watch it in a few specific places in the school.
People in their early twenties are the most energetic and concerned about national affairs, and the special nature of Beijing Airlines has increased the proportion of this group of people.
Therefore, even before the military parade started, the place was already packed with people.
So that those who came later could only sit on the ground.
In the end, it was Tang Lintian who came forward personally and asked each dormitory building to open the activity rooms equipped with TVs, which stopped the surging crowd.
The content of this live broadcast of the military parade did not disappoint the early morning they woke up specially——
For those who have not yet entered the aviation industry system and have not been exposed to much confidential information For students, except for the J-7E with a formation in the middle, which is really lackluster, the other models are quite surprising.
However, the auditorium is a public area after all, so it is not suitable for making loud noises, and no one wants to miss a word of the commentator.
Therefore, at the beginning, everyone was still able to suppress their emotions.
There were only whispers from time to time.
“I said, Brother Zhou.”
Li Yan looked at the double delta-wing J-7 flying past on the TV, turned around, and whispered to Zhou Shuwan sitting next to him. :
“I remember Brother Nan...no...when Professor Chang went to school with us, didn’t he design an improved version of the J-7 with chin-intake in class? Why didn’t he have any equipment? ?”
Both of them were classmates of Chang Haonan when he was an undergraduate, but now the latter has graduated with a doctorate and became a professor, while they are still in their third year of graduate school and preparing for their master's thesis.
Zhou Shuwan frowned slightly and glanced at Li Yan next to him:
"Your dad is in the Air Force, are you asking me about this?"
Having said that, But he continued to answer:
“Besides, I remember Professor Chang said at the time that that model is still relatively backward, so we will equip it better.”
"It seems that he did say that, but I thought he was just showing off?"
Li Yan scratched his head.
His father did once serve in the Air Force, but he changed his career two years ago.
“…”
Zhou Shuwan was silent for a moment:
"Actually...I felt the same way at the time."
Then the conversation changed:
"But considering that he has really become our professor now, so when I think about it now... He may have planned everything at that time. Look at the many J-8Cs that flew over just now. They have obviously been equipped with troops in large quantities."
The chat between the two obviously disturbed the surroundings. Soon, there was a person in front. The individual turned around angrily and motioned for them to be silent.
“Su-27 is here, look!”
The original silence returned to the auditorium, except for the rhythmic voices of the two commentators.
Even students from the Aeronautical and Astronautical University have seen very few Su-27s with their own eyes.
I saw a lot of them on the news in 1996, but the signal quality at that time was even worse, and they were all cut into fragmented and scattered pictures (in order to put together enough shots), which definitely couldn’t be compared to the military parade. compared to the time.
Other than that, there are a few fixed pictures in military magazines.
Therefore, everyone couldn’t wait to hold their breath and didn’t want to miss any shot.
After all, they don't have the conditions to record the scene and watch it slowly, nor do they have a search engine that can find the picture by typing a few words.
Once you miss it, you don’t know when you will see it again.
But Zhou Shuwan is an exception.
His mentor is a well-known domestic aviation safety equipment expert. In Project 11, he participated in the technical absorption of the K36D ejection seat.
Of course, as a young master, he would not have the opportunity to participate directly.
But at least he had seen a lot of photos and information.
So, among the audience, only Zhou Shuwan seemed very calm.
I even unscrewed the thermos cup and took a drink of water, and mentally pointed out the strange classmates.
But before he could take the cup away from his face, he heard a roar from the man who had just turned around to condemn them.
“What the fuck?”
He was just about to reprimand him in the same way, but then, the auditorium rang with sounds one after another.
The contents are basically the same -
exclamations without any practical meaning.
Zhou Shuwan put down the cup and refocused his eyes on the TV screen.
Then, the pupils shrank suddenly.
Fortunately, the teacher on the podium reacted quickly and quickly raised his hand and lowered it quickly:
"Quiet, quiet! Listen to what the TV said!"
From the first exclamation. It took a long time to get to this point, but it only lasted a few seconds.
So they were lucky enough not to miss the narrator's voice.
"The next thing to be inspected is the domestic third-generation fighter jet formation..."
At that moment, Zhou Shuwan's mind was blank.
He didn't yell out like others.
But I don’t know what my mood is.
Calm?
Absolutely not.
Although he still looked indifferent on the surface, his beating heartbeat and rapid breathing betrayed his heart.
Surprise?
It seems so.
But not quite.
He had long heard of Project No. 10, a self-developed third-generation aircraft, and also knew that the prototype had made its first flight two years ago.
Now that I see my real body appearing in public, I feel joy, but it doesn't seem to be the main tone of my mood at this moment.
If I have to describe it, it can only be...
It’s hard to describe in one word, with all kinds of mixed feelings.
As a person born in the 1970s, Zhou Shuwan has always had a contradictory mentality.
He knows that China's weapons and equipment are generally more than one generation behind the world's mainstream.
We know that China's armored forces are even worse than the monkey version of the T72 that was killed indiscriminately during Operation Desert Storm.
I know that by 1996, there were still few fighter jets capable of firing medium-range bombs.
Know that Sovremenny-class destroyers are not "carrier killers."
These are the things that people like Huang Zhiqiang often talk about to ridicule.
But, it’s all true.
However, he also knows that our army has always been good at fighting when the enemy is strong and we are weak, and when the enemy is numerous and we are few.
We also know that from Chishui River to Sansuoli, what we are best at is making the impossible possible.
He has no reason to doubt that in the new era, the people's army can still continue to create miracles.
Whether this is despair or hope, even Zhou Shuwan himself has never been able to tell clearly.
Therefore, he almost never argues with those people, or even thinks about this issue in detail.
Because he is afraid.
Afraid that I will be convinced.
It was not until Zhang Man went abroad that he gradually began to think and discuss with some colleagues.
On how to find hope in despair.
Actually, to put it harshly, it’s YY.
But it is still a slightly more reliable YY.
So, the conclusion is nothing more than -
Just like countless times in the past, a huge sacrifice was used in exchange for a tragic victory.
Of course, there may be many ideas about specific ways to win.
But no one has ever thought that they can rely on technology and equipment, even if they are of the same generation as their opponents.
Suddenly, Zhou Shuwan seemed to have returned to three years ago, when he had just teamed up with Chang Haonan to do coursework.
After finalizing the seemingly crazy plan, several people once went out for a roast duck meal.
That night, they talked about fighter jets and the Air Force.
As usual, we talked about every subtle improvement of the J-8II and the mass-produced F22 that is about to fly for the first time.
At that time, Chang Haonan once said to him:
"Don't worry, it will happen, it will happen."
At that time, he just thought it was a casual comment.
But looking back now, maybe that’s not the case.
The J-10 did appear 20 years later than the F16.
But in the end, it appeared before the F22 entered service.
There is no generation gap.
Everything is really there...
When Zhou Shuwan came to his senses, only the last helicopter formation flying away from Chang'an Street was left on the TV screen.
The military parade is over.
But the impact of the military parade is far from over.
In the auditorium, the emotions that the students had just suppressed finally burst out.
"Just now...was that J-10 just now?"
Quite a few people have heard of the existence of this model.
Some people have even seen photos circulated on the Internet during the test flight.
But that is not public information after all.
Who can guarantee that it is true?
In other words, who dares to believe it is true?
You know, the J-7E was only equipped with troops six years ago.
The J-8C was only equipped with troops two years ago.
But this time...
The public appearance at the military parade, and the direct confirmation of the commentator...
“How can it be false?”
Someone on the other side of the auditorium soon stood up and answered loudly:
"It was just said on TV that our country develops and produces its own products. What else can we have besides the J-10?"
"And I see that it is still equipped with missiles. Does that mean it has been equipped with troops? ?”
Others speculated.
“You have already participated in the military parade, so you should be in service, right?”
“But I heard that the J-10 seemed to have made its first flight only the year before last, and it was put into service two years ago... This is unreasonable Right?”
After all, everyone here is studying aviation, and at this time, their minds are still relatively calm.
"Then...at least it will be fast, otherwise who would dare to fly an unreliable aircraft into the military parade?"
"Indeed..."
"It makes sense."
Obviously this statement is recognized by the vast majority of people.
However, the discussion will not stop because of this...the model is confirmed, and then there is the performance.
"I think that since the country has decided to make this model public, there will be more detailed reports on TV soon."
In this year, in order to satisfy the people's growing interest in military and weaponry , CCTV has already launched a series of programs such as "Military World", and the ratings are quite good.
But soon, someone turned their attention to the teacher on the podium:
"Teacher, can you analyze it for us?"
As this voice screamed, The auditorium was quiet for a moment.
Everyone immediately reacted -
When talking about airplanes at the Aeronautical and Astronautical University, aren't there ready-made experts?
"Yes, teacher, please tell me a little bit?"
The person in charge of showing the TV on the stage was a young lecturer who had only been in the job for two years, and everyone was numb at this time.
Although most of the people in the auditorium are undergraduates, there are also many masters and senior Ph.D.s. He may not be older than some PhD students who have completed their studies. He has never seen such a formation.
Besides, he doesn’t know anything.
How can anyone guess the performance just by looking at the appearance - or even watching it on TV?
Fortunately at this time, the door of the auditorium was suddenly pushed open:
“The plane on the military parade just flew past near our school, and someone took a photo!”
< br>The whole room exploded instantly.
Feeling that the situation was a little out of control, the teacher quickly found an opportunity, took out the mobile phone he had just bought, and called Tang Lintian, asking the principal to find a way to control the students' ignited passion...
...
In fact, the shock caused by this military parade went far beyond the country.
Subject to the limitations of rebroadcast technology, the "live broadcast" signals received by countries and regions outside China have a considerable delay.
Even most countries will not broadcast live broadcasts at all.
After all, even in today's timeline, China in 1999 was still not a country that attracted much attention and topic for most foreigners.
But for overseas Chinese, this meaning is completely different.
Birmingham, UK.
Zhang Man and his roommates were sitting in a bar owned by Chinese people, watching the footage broadcast by CCTV International Channel with a few local Chinese people.
Compared with the joy and celebration in China, here, even in this bar full of Chinese people, the atmosphere is much duller.
The reason why most people gather here is more of a nostalgia for their hometown, or in other words, a sense of ceremony.
Only Zhang Man looked very fascinated.
Even the hand holding the wine glass turned slightly white from exerting too much force.
Two years ago, she graduated from Beijing Airlines and came to Birmingham to study for a PhD.
At that time, neither Zhang Man nor her family thought about letting her go back.
However, after more than two years of studying for a Ph.D., her ideas began to loosen——
As a smart person, she soon discovered that as a Chinese, it was impossible for her to come into contact with any core projects here. , although there is no worries after graduation, it may be difficult to find a truly suitable job in the UK.
The way for most "seniors" to stay here is to directly marry a foreigner.
But Zhang Man is just a white and rich man in China. If this is what he wants, why go abroad? He can just find a rich son-in-law in China and be done with it.
Also, there is discrimination.
It may not even be intentional.
But unintentional strange looks are sometimes even more difficult to accept.
"Huh..."
Zhang Man looked at the picture on the TV and drank all the wine in the cup.
She is still not interested in the military, and her current research is in a rather fringe field that has nothing to do with aviation, so she doesn’t know much about the equipment that appeared in the military parade.
What she misses even more is the mass celebrations that followed and attracted little attention in the country.
Since I went abroad, I haven’t experienced such a lively scene for a long time.
"Maybe... it would be good to go back after graduation?"
She thought this way.
Compared to Zhang Man who was just thinking wildly, there were others who were paying attention to more professional aspects.
Although the general public will not pay attention, researchers in related fields cannot miss this opportunity.
Especially the Europeans who are already cooperating with China.
Whether it is because interests are tied to cooperation with China, or simply out of a rational analysis of China's scientific research level.
In short, at least some people have begun to try to look at this familiar but unfamiliar country from a rational perspective again.
About an hour after the military parade ended.
Charles Edelstein strode into the office of Serge Dassault, the second generation head of Dassault.
There was still a document that had just been printed out in his hand.
"Mr. Dassault, I think you should take a look..."
Halfway through Ed Steiner's words, he discovered that there was something playing on the TV not far away. What I want the other party to see - China’s National Day celebrations.
"What's the matter, Charlie?"
Dassault turned his head and looked at his old friend with some curiosity.
"Since you are watching, that's easy to say."
The latter pointed to the TV screen.
“Are you talking about these performances?”
Dassault’s gaze returned to the TV:
"It was boring at first, it was all... you know... unoriginal praise, but the later parts are very exciting, especially the dance, which is very creative."
Ed Steiner said helplessly He waved his hand:
"Of course not...I mean the military parade in front."
He said and put the folder in his hand on the desk:
"The Chinese exhibited two new fighter jets."
Dassault lowered his head and glanced down, but did not open it:
"I saw it. One is the Su-27 they introduced the Russian technology to produce, and the other is somewhat similar... uh... at least a little bigger. A light fighter similar to the F16, of course, should be larger than the Mirage 2000."
When talking about this matter, he was still quite irritable.
Originally, his father, Marcel Dassault, had already presided over the development of the heavy-duty Mirage 4000 fighter jet, but the French Air Force was not interested in it.
However, after the project was suspended, the Ministry of National Defense actually proposed to launch a research and development plan for a 9-ton fighter aircraft common to the navy and air force.
That is the later Rafale fighter jet.
Originally, the research and development process was relatively smooth, and the mass-produced Rafale C was scheduled to enter service in 2001.
But just at this critical moment, the Snecma Group, which was responsible for providing power, suddenly lost its chain.
Because General Electric suddenly decided to withdraw the technical support it provided during the M88 development process, about 15% of the parts were unable to be supplied on time.
The entire plan is now almost at a standstill.
On the other hand, looking next door, EF2000, which they withdrew from back then, is singing fast and furiously, and is about to catch up from behind.
If we continue like this, we will lose to the United States (F15), Russia (Su-27), Russia, and the United Kingdom (EF2000), and then China (J-10). In the end, there will be no loss.
This wave of GE’s salary cuts is not a slap in the French Air Force’s butt, but a slap in the face of Dassault.
But it’s troublesome, and there’s really nothing we can do about it.
I’ve already said all the good things and bad things, but the other party is so stubborn that he can’t be embarrassed and buy the British EJ200, right?
Do you still deserve to be French?
We can only wait and see when Snecma can solve the problem alone.
However, Ed Steiner took the initiative to open the document.
Inside is a color printed picture.
It is a three-machine formation.
Taken from behind.
Obviously cropped and enlarged, of course.
“I’m not referring to the aircraft itself.”
He pulled a stool, took care of himself, and said to Dassault:
“We are in front The reporter took a photo from a good angle.”
Ed Steiner said, stretching out two fingers and tapping lightly on the engines of two of the planes.
“According to our analysis, the aircraft in the front should be a basic Su-27 assembled by China using Russian-made components, while the aircraft in the back, and of course the other one that was intercepted, is a Chinese Su-27. Of course, the electronic equipment may have undergone some improvements, but that is not important.”
“It can be seen that the engines of the two aircraft are completely different.”
< br>Sergey Dassault’s professional skills in the field of aircraft design may not be as good as his father’s, but to be able to maintain a huge family business like the Dassault Group, he is by no means a novice who is completely ignorant of technology.
In fact, he himself graduated from the French Ecole Supérieure de l'Aeronautique and Astronautique and participated in the design of aircraft from the Super Mysterious to the Mirage 4000.
Therefore, when Ed Steiner pointed out those two places, he had already seen some clues.
Dassault picked up the remote control and turned off the TV:
“The model outside uses a ejector nozzle.”
At this time, he was already in a haze. Dimly understand the point in Ed Steiner's words.
Almost only Snecma Group in the world is keen on using ejection nozzles on fighter jet engines to reduce engine weight at the expense of some low-altitude performance.
But it seems a bit far-fetched.
After all, it’s just a spout design.
What can the same mean?
“That’s right.”
Ed Steiner replied:
"Actually, it's hard for me to explain why I have this idea, but anyway, I just contacted Snecma Group and asked them if they have any relevant information about China's third-generation turbofan engine."
"The answer they gave me was that about 10 years ago, the Chinese started a third-generation turbofan engine project based on the F110 engine, using the CFM56 as the core engine. Kema asked for some technical help, but soon, because the relationship between us and China turned cold, there was no follow-up news."
"So you think..."
Da. Suo frowned slightly:
“It took the Chinese ten years to install a high-thrust turbofan engine on a mass-produced aircraft?”
Although he didn't say it directly, his expression clearly showed that he didn't believe it -
CFM56 is said to be jointly developed by the United States and France. In this way, Snecma has developed a mid-range version based on it. It took almost 20 years, and in the end there were still many parts that needed to be produced in the United States.
On the other hand, the Chinese people have obtained all the CFM56 information from unknown sources. How can they spend 10 years from scratch to create a big promotion to the standard F110?
How about playing?
"Not that I think..."
Ed Steiner shook his head:
“I also think this is unrealistic, but these four engines are obviously different from any known models in the world.”
“If it is Russia There is no need to specifically replace a tail nozzle, and according to information from Sagem, almost all of the engines exported by Russia to China in recent years are high-bypass-ratio models, such as PS90A and D436T. ”
Clear and logical.
Dassault was speechless.
"So...you mean, maybe the Chinese have the key technology to mass-produce CFM56?"
"At least this is a possibility."
Ed Steiner replied .
In fact, his entire analysis process was completely inconsistent.
But because there were so many errors, they canceled each other out in the end, and we got a conclusion that was very close to the correct conclusion...
(End of this chapter)