The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 768 Domestic Passenger Aircraft
Ma Fengshan showed a look of delight.

At this moment, he felt again what it meant to be rich!
Joining Panshan Group made Ma Fengshan feel what it means to have no shortage of money.

The Y-10 project lasted 1970 years, from the issuance of the development task in August 8 to the suspension of flight in February 1985. The total national investment was 2 million yuan, including 14 million yuan for development and 5.38 million yuan for capital construction. The Magic City provided 3.34 million yuan in working capital.

However, the funding provided by Panshan Group to the Y-10 project far exceeds this amount.

It can be said that the funds are very sufficient.

Moreover, the food, clothing, housing and transportation of the Y-10 development team are far better than before.

"How about regional jets?" Liu Tao asked.

Compared with large aircraft like the Y-10, regional airliners are undoubtedly much easier to operate.

The Y-10 large aircraft is needed, but the same regional airliner is also needed.

Both have great prospects and huge market demand.

Only the rich can buy a large aircraft like the Y-10 as a business jet. But if a regional airliner is converted into a business jet, it is much easier and the market is much larger.

You know, Liu Tao solved the three major problems of aviation engines, materials and airborne supporting equipment for them, and even optimized the fuselage design.

"Two prototypes have been manufactured and are undergoing various tests," said Ma Fengshan.

As the chief designer of passenger aircraft development, Ma Fengshan is well aware of this.

Large aircraft like the Y-10 are trunk passenger aircraft, that is, civil airliners that fly on trunk routes between cities with large passenger traffic. They can also conduct intercontinental flights and are used on international routes.

Regional jets, which are small passenger aircraft with less than 100 seats, are mainly used to transport passengers between large cities and small and medium-sized cities.

Regional aviation only began to emerge in the 60s. Although it emerged relatively late, it has developed rapidly, especially after the United States adopted the "deregulation" policy on the civil aviation transportation industry in 1978, it has developed even faster.

The regional jet they developed was named "Yun 13". As for why it was not named Yun 9, Yun 11, Yun 12, etc., it was naturally because these categories already had names occupied.

The Y-13 regional airliner can carry 78 to 90 passengers, with a standard range of 2225 kilometers. It is mainly used to meet the requirements of radial routes from central cities to surrounding small and medium-sized cities. The aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 40.5 tons, a maximum operating altitude of 11900 meters, a maximum range of 3700 kilometers, and a designed economic life of 80000 flight hours/30 calendar years.

At the same time, the Y-13 includes a series of models including basic, cargo and business jet models to explore the application market.

"Add a few more prototypes and strive to put them into formal use within five years!" Liu Tao said after a moment of hesitation.

Even during the test flight, these prototypes can help Panshan Group transport some materials, but because they have not completed a series of tests and obtained certificates, they cannot be used by other units or for civil aviation.

Therefore, building a few more prototypes will not cause waste.

Because Panshan Group’s business itself is sufficient to absorb these prototypes.

In the afternoon, Liu Tao watched the "Sea Eagle" fighter jet conduct a test flight.

Currently, three prototypes of the "Sea Hawk" fighter have been produced, equipped with a total of 3 test pilots.

According to the plan, all flight tests were to be completed in 1993, the design was finalized, and small-scale production was to be carried out. By the time the 'Type 001' light aircraft carrier was delivered, only 20 aircraft would be produced.

Of course, these 20 aircraft are export versions, namely the 'Sea Hawk A' fighter.

As for the self-use version, there are currently three prototypes, the official name is the "Ocean B" fighter. The performance of the self-use version is close to that of the third-generation aircraft, with a longer range, a larger combat radius, a faster speed, and a more powerful engine. The export version is a second-generation and a half fighter, and its performance is similar to that of the British "Harrier" fighter.

"We are now discussing whether we should build an aircraft carrier model in the sea for take-off and landing tests. After all, take-off and landing on land are different from take-off and landing in the ocean!" said Lei Weiguo.

Now they are all performing takeoffs and landings on land.

However, the "Sea Hawk" fighter is a carrier-based aircraft, which is placed on an aircraft carrier. Aircraft carriers travel on the ocean, and the ocean environment is very different from the land environment.

The best thing would be to conduct test flights on an aircraft carrier and take off and land under different sea conditions.

However, the 'Type 001' light aircraft carrier will not be built until several years later, and the conditions are simply not met.

According to the contract agreement, Panshan Group has been responsible for training Thailand's carrier-based aircraft pilots since 1995.

Liu Tao pondered for a moment and thought that this made sense.

Although he is confident in the carrier-based aircraft he developed, he still needs to conduct a series of tests in the ocean environment to be convincing enough.

"Okay, I'll handle this matter. You guys first complete the tests that can be completed on land, and then we can conduct the tests on the ocean." Liu Tao said.

Before the aircraft carrier is built, there are only three options for conducting tests in this area.

One option is to build a runway on an island, take off and land on the island runway, and fly over the ocean at the same time. This can be done on islands such as Zhoushan and Qiongdao.

The second option is to build a platform like an aircraft carrier at sea and conduct a series of tests, which is also the method chosen by some countries.

The third option is to convert merchant ships into aircraft carriers. This method was most commonly used during World War II. The British Royal Navy also adopted this method during the Falklands War.

Of course, there is no rush in this regard at the moment.

Because there are still many projects that have not been carried out for the "Sea Hawk" fighter, such as the aerial refueling project, such as moving to Qiongdao or Zhoushan for marine environment testing, and going to the desert for desert climate testing.

"What are your feelings about the test flights so far?" Liu Tao asked.

Lei Weiguo paused for a moment and said, "It has advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that the take-off and landing distances are very short. Under certain load conditions, it can even take off and land vertically, and the requirements for the take-off and landing site are not high."

"But the advantages are also disadvantages. The bomb load and range are limited, which is much worse than other aircraft." Lei Weiguo has also flown many types of fighters and has a clear understanding: "If a naval battle occurs, the 'Sea Eagle' fighter will probably have no advantage over the F14 and F/A18 fighters."

Liu Tao nodded slightly. It was both an advantage, but also a disadvantage.

He knew this.

Moreover, this short-range/vertical fighter was originally developed for light aircraft carriers and has limited application.

Liu Tao estimates that the final demand for this type of fighter will not exceed one hundred.

Unless other countries also purchase the 'Type 001' light aircraft carrier.

As for the rest, it is simply what the Marine Corps needs.

If you want this short-range/vertical fighter to have stronger performance, you must have a more powerful aircraft engine.

(End of this chapter)