Chapter 1054 An epoch-making product
In fact, what has always troubled Chang Haonan is that the pedigree of domestic aircraft is too incomplete.
Except for C909 and Y8, the only ones that can barely be used as aerial platforms are MA60 and C808
The former seems to be similar to the E2C platform at first glance, but in fact it is smaller in size It is a bit larger than the E2C and cannot be boarded on the ship.
If it were a purely land-based platform...
It has a range of only 2,000 meters, and with a big antenna on its back, it doesn’t have a huge luggage compartment that can be converted into a fuel tank like a serious passenger aircraft...
The performance is really too abstract
Then Like the Y8, it is essentially more suitable as a one-size-fits-all medium-sized platform, rather than a low-end combination of high and low.
For example, the C808 has been selected from the beginning for the anti-submarine patrol aircraft and electronic reconnaissance/electronic jammer aircraft currently under development.
However, just now, he found that he seemed to have entered a misunderstanding.
Because the early warning aircraft platform was first planned in 1998, so naturally at that time, only these models that were or were about to be produced in China were considered.
Although Chang Haonan later had several contacts with the early warning aircraft project, he either thought of new radar technology or simply tested software or algorithms.
In short, it has nothing to do with the aircraft itself.
So I didn’t reconsider this matter systematically.
But today, Chang Haonan took advantage of the topic brought up by Guo Lin and thought about it carefully, and suddenly realized that the situation had changed dramatically compared to five years ago.
This change is not only reflected in technology, but also in the external environment -
In the past, we lacked core technology, so we were afraid of being unilaterally cut off.
But now...
Think of the NH90 helicopter
Think of the M88-3 engine.
Think about the Trent 900 again...
Say it again, who is afraid of cutting off the supply?
China's competitiveness in the world's industrial chain is no longer, at least not just about its huge market potential and low supply costs.
But it actually has core technology that cannot be replaced.
In this case, regardless of personal use models, at least for foreign trade products, we can think more broadly...
Don't say anything else.
Don’t the French want their own early warning aircraft?
Because the Navy has to consider shipboard, it really has no choice but to purchase E2C.
But when the Air Force chose E3F, there was still a lot of controversy.
Except that the carrier platform has been replaced with a better-performing engine, this model is not fundamentally different from the E3A twenty years ago.
The quotation was solidly close to US$500 million.
After entering the new century, the French Air Force, which felt that the performance of the E3F was somewhat outdated, began to seek technological upgrades.
The result is another big blackmail.
In addition, in terms of demand, with the scale and mission of the French Air Force, there is no need for a model the size of the E3A.
Not only Chang Haonan thinks so, but even the French themselves think so.
There has been constant talk about replacing the E3F with the Erie Eye.
And they did exactly that before Chang Haonan was reborn.
Since you can even buy Swedish products, if the Falcon Z is used as a carrier aircraft, at least like the NH90, it can be nominally regarded as French production...
As for the command system and The data link was originally an optional part.
Just go back and use your own.
Anyway, even the E3F is operated independently by the French Air Force and is not connected to NATO's common command system...
Not only that, it can also take advantage of it when sold to third countries.
At least they won’t suffer because there are fewer users of Chinese fighter jets.
Thinking of this, Chang Haonan, who was a little drowsy just now, stopped feeling sleepy instantly.
Right now, Liu Yongquan is in France tracking the testing of the SeA650 engine.
It just allows him to test the other party's attitude.
After all, the overall design of Falcon Z still belongs to Dassault.
To modify a special aircraft based on it, without an original design plan is obviously a big trouble...
...
A few days later, France.
The cloud of war hanging over the Middle East has had almost no impact on Europe.
At least not yet.
In fact, because no troops were sent to participate in the deterrence operation, the French people generally just watched the fun.
Normal production and life have not been affected.
Of course, old Europe. The so-called "normal" production and life may not actually be normal...
For example, the Falcon Z prototype was originally planned to fly for the first time in January 2003. Although everything seemed to be normal, it was still delayed for nearly a month without realizing it.
Fortunately, preparations on the ground were sufficient, and the SeA650 itself is a relatively mature design, and the French are experienced in passenger aircraft test flights, so after entering the test flight stage, nothing else came out. Yao Mozi.
By late March, all basic subjects will have been completed and the gradual transition to the next stage will begin.
That is to say, the performance involves the commercial selling point of Falcon Z.
There are mainly three parts.
Speed, range, and cabin quietness.
In addition to safety, these are the most important properties of a business jet.
Quietness can be tested throughout the entire flight test and does not need to be conducted as a separate subject.
For the sake of ensuring test efficiency, the voyage must be arranged at a relatively later stage.
After all, more than 12,000km is enough to fly directly from London to Beijing.
Could even be included in the trial run as part of a publicity stunt.
Just like the aviation industry in the 1920s and 1930s was keen on crossing the Atlantic in various ways.
So, the core subject at the current stage is still the maximum flight speed.
Especially for the new wing designed by China, in previous ground flutter tests, the maximum allowable speed reached an astonishing Mach 0.990.
It is even higher than the design indicators initially presented.
Of course, this number is already the maximum that the aircraft structure can withstand, which means that it will break immediately no matter how fast it is. It does not mean that the aircraft can really fly levelly at Mach 0.99.
This speed is not even touched during test flights.
Dassault is not Boeing, so it cannot really use test pilots as consumables.
But as a model with high speed as its selling point, it will not hurt to leave some safety redundancy...
"Charles, we checked the flight parameter recording equipment and determined that during this test flight, the aircraft reached and maintained an airspeed of Mach 0.92 in level flight."
A hangar at Merignac Airport During this period, flight test director Robb Boudin emerged from the cabin of the Falcon 8Z and reported loudly to Charles Edelsteiner who was checking the cabin noise record data not far away.
As he spoke, he strode to the test workbench, put the recording device in his hand on the table, wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued:
"I have to say, this The most wonderful design of an airplane is neither the speed nor the noise, but the cross-sectional area of the cabin... I can finally stand up straight in a business jet, without having to bend over and walk like a dog hole..."
“Thanks to Snecma... uh... in short, thanks to the two new engines with sufficient thrust, the Falcon Z’s cabin cross-sectional height is 8 cm larger than the average for its class.”
"This number may not look very impressive, but for passengers of average height, it is just the critical point of being able to stand up straight..."
Ed Steiner raised his head as he spoke, with complicated eyes. I looked at the recorder in Robb's hand -
Mach 0.92, which was actually the pie drawn by Falcon Z during the early promotion process.
Because it is a cake, I did not indicate whether it was air speed or ground speed at the beginning.
His original idea was to find a tailwind and let the aircraft's GPS speed (that is, ground speed) exceed Mach 0.93 at the altitude at that time.
If that doesn't work, you can still do a shallow dive.
In short, Spring and Autumn Brushwork is full of people. As long as it can avoid accusations of false propaganda, it will be fine.
This is also an open secret in the industry.
Rich people usually think that their time is valuable, so they eat this kind of propaganda very much.
But in reality, no one really cares about those 10 or 15 minutes.
However.
Who admits it?
His intentions were bad, but he executed them well.
After switching to a wing with lower resistance, the aircraft actually reached an airspeed of Mach 0.92 in level flight...
This is great.
Falcon 8Z has three main selling points.
High speed.
It relies on low-drag wings designed by others.
Big Voyage.
It relies on a low fuel consumption engine designed by others.
Quietness.
It relies on the sound insulation nacelle and active noise reduction system designed by others. ...
Although the overall design of the aircraft was still led by Dassault.
But Ed Steiner felt something was wrong no matter what he thought.
Falcon 8Z is an epoch-making product in the field of business jets. However, if you take a closer look, you will find that the times are marked by others?
(End of this chapter)