The flight manager was anxious to let Li Zhan join the fourth-generation aircraft test flight team because the main test pilot had a serious health problem. The main test pilot is everything in a test flight team. Without the main test pilot, the project would not be able to move forward.

The main pilot was also Li Zhan's senior brother. Due to time constraints, Li Zhan didn't even have the opportunity to go to the general hospital to visit his senior brother who was hospitalized.

Old leader Bao Guanhua picked him up at the airport. As soon as they met, he patted Li Zhan on the shoulder and said, "I told you early in the morning that you can't escape from the Air Force, but that's not the case."

Li Zhan smiled helplessly, "Old leader, I was very reluctant to leave the Air Force, but my master clearly asked me to join the Flying Shark Force. I really had no choice."

"Understood, it's time for you to go to HNA and let them see the strength of the top talents trained by our air force. You see, in the past year or so, the combat effectiveness of the Flying Sharks has improved by leaps and bounds. I heard that you have compiled training materials, boy, You have reached the stage of writing a book and biography."

Li Zhan said modestly, "Everyone still has to do the work."

"Little slicker." Bao Guanhua said, straightened his face, and said seriously, "The test flight of the fourth-generation aircraft has reached a critical stage. The task is very heavy and demanding. You must be fully mentally prepared."

Li Zhan said, "When I was working in the Second Division, the Flight Test Institute wanted me to be a test pilot. I am confident in my abilities. And in terms of experience in handling dangerous situations, I should be the richest in the military. So. Old leader, you can rest assured."

"Of course I feel relieved about you. With you here, my heart will be able to fall into place." Bao Guanhua said, "But there is a very big difference between the fourth-generation aircraft and the third-generation aircraft, and you should be aware of it. It can be said that it is the difference between two eras."

Li Zhan said, "I can't wait to fly beyond the limits of the fourth-generation aircraft."

Most people will be a little worried when they hear these words. After all, there is a generation gap, and it is a prototype test flight. There has never been someone like Li Zhan who is eager to get started with the lever. If someone else had said this, Bao Guanhua would have reprimanded him directly. , but Li Zhan said this and Bao Guanhua became more confident.

Are there any planes that Li Zhan can't fly?

At least there is no airplane in the world today that he can't fly.

All the aircraft he has flown have cases that have exceeded the design limits, such as the 037 J-7EGGH. When it was still an E, he was asked to fly the ultra-low-altitude Cobra maneuver. Such a concept is incomprehensible to ordinary people.

He just has this ability.

All the way to the Chengdu Luoma Factory, Bao Guanhua never stopped introducing the test flight status of the fourth-generation aircraft, allowing Li Zhan to learn a lot about the situation in advance. Bao Guanhua is the deputy director in charge of production safety, and he is an Air Force pilot. After the test flight of the fourth-generation aircraft entered a critical stage, the factory assigned him to the permanent flight test team to be specifically responsible for this matter.

Originally, Bao Guanhua had arranged a grand welcome dinner, but Li Zhan strongly demanded that everything should be kept simple. Everyone would meet for a working meal in the evening, and start preparations for the test flight that night. He had studied the theoretical materials of the fourth-generation aircraft in advance. There is no big problem with the theory.

So he stayed up all night learning cockpit operations from other test pilots.

The situation of the fourth-generation aircraft is different from that of any fighter aircraft in the past. It does not have any previous models to refer to, and there is no simulated cockpit for practice. This is definitely the most thrilling modification flight in Li Zhan's history.

The problem is that the fourth-generation aircraft is a single-seater, so it cannot be flown.

For Li Zhan, he only needs to figure out three issues: the position of the throttle lever, the position of the joystick, and the position of the rudder controller. Then he can fly freely. If a brand-new fighter plane that has no final shape has rules that can be followed,

Why do you need a test pilot?

If every time a pilot takes off, he is stepping into the gate of hell, then every time a test pilot takes off, he is pre-registering with the Lord of Hell. If he returns, he should have a drink to celebrate, but if he does not, it is normal.

Test pilots use their lives to fly a set of rules that can protect lives for their comrades, and they are called life guardians.

From the perspective of the finalization of a new fighter aircraft, how much performance the new fighter aircraft can exert, whether it can meet the design indicators, how much redundancy it has, and where the various flight envelopes are, all depend on the test pilots to fly them one by one.

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In a new fighter R&D team, the chief test pilot's position is very important. It is a perfect combination of theory and practice. All the ideas and designs of the R&D team must be flown by the chief test pilot. If it cannot fly, no matter how advanced it is,

The design is meaningless.

In the eyes of front-line troops, it is difficult for them to have a clear concept of the capabilities of military R&D personnel. In its long history, the military industry has made some designs that were overly idealistic but lacked practicality.

A more famous example is the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle.

Even from the perspective of the world's small arms industry, the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle is a nearly perfect semi-automatic rifle, almost achieving the best overall performance that a semi-automatic rifle can achieve. Looking at it this way, this must be a deep-seated semi-automatic rifle.

A weapon favored by warriors.

However, the truth is exactly the opposite. Such an excellent semi-automatic rifle has been criticized by frontline soldiers. Generally speaking, it has insufficient accuracy and insufficient firepower. The accuracy is so good that it can be used as a sniper rifle, but the firepower is completely suppressed by the AK-47, especially

It's in a tropical jungle terrain.

Ultimately, the most important reason is that times have changed.

In a battlefield dominated by automatic rifles, semi-automatic rifles have entered the ranks of being eliminated. No one will deny the technology of the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle, but it has been unable to adapt to the battlefield environment. After the bloody lesson, military R&D personnel found that developing new weapons

It is very important to fully communicate with the troops at this stage and obtain the troops’ suggestions for use.

So when it comes to the current Air Force equipment, no matter how advanced the third-generation aircraft is, even if it uses part of the technology of the fourth-generation aircraft, it is still a third-generation aircraft. No matter you give it the title of third-generation and a half or other levels, you cannot get rid of the reality of generation difference.

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As the situation changes, the officers and soldiers of the frontline troops, specifically the direct users of weapons and equipment, gradually take the initiative. Most of the time, the military industry develops whatever weapons and equipment the troops need.

This is clear evidence that the big-headed soldiers prefer to use the Bayi Bar instead of the newer Type 95. A large amount of experience has proven that the advantages of the Type 95 cannot cover up its disadvantages. In response to the feedback from the troops, the manufacturer responded quickly,

Taking out the nine-five-kong-one, this is a very good interaction.

With Li Zhan's character, once he got into the mood, he would never stop. Out of trust in him, the manufacturer arranged for him to fly solo the next day. Even when Li Zhan slept, he recalled the sci-fi-like cockpit and delicate touch of the fourth-generation aircraft.

, the friendly interactive system, the very tactile throttle lever and joystick all made him want to stop.

He has flown Rafale fighter jets. Although he did not fly the Rafale fighter jet for a long time, he probably has more experience and deeper experience in actual combat use than many French pilots. Rafale fighter jets use side control sticks, so he has a lot of experience in actual combat use.

This joystick mode is nothing new.

The fourth-generation aircraft uses a layout scheme with left throttle and right control.

At 3:30 in the morning, the ground support team and the R&D team entered the site to make preparations. Check the condition of the aircraft, check the status of various sensors, check the flight test project process of the day, etc. Some people say that people in military aircraft factories do not wear military uniforms.

soldiers because of the nature of the work they do. In the military aircraft factory, there are many ground crews who have been transferred from the Air Force. They also use the same support system as the army, and the atmosphere is no different from that of the army.

At 4:30 in the morning, Bao Guanhua also came over to make final preparations with everyone.

The planned take-off time is from 8 to 9 a.m., and the specific time depends on the situation. The 50-kilometer radius centered on the Chengdu Lockheed Martin Factory is the first test flight airspace, and the 300-kilometer radius over the plains heading west is the second test flight area.

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Test projects that can maneuver in a small range of airspace are usually conducted in the first test flight airspace, which is also the category with the most content.

However, the first test flight airspace needs to avoid the take-off and landing airspace of civil aviation airports and entry and exit channels. There are not many choices, which further tests the test pilot's ability. The environment of the second test flight airspace is much better, with a large area underneath.

There are no residential areas in farmland, so test pilots can fly freely.

Today is mainly Li Zhan's adaptive flight. He first gets familiar with the situation of the fourth-generation aircraft, and at the same time tests the friendliness of the constantly improving fourth-generation aircraft for new pilots. Aircrafts are a collection of high-tech achievements.

Mechanically, but in general, for the pilot, it is nothing more than "whether it drives well or not."

The military and civil aviation have different understandings of "whether an aircraft is good to fly or not." The highest criterion for civil aviation to judge whether an aircraft is a good aircraft is safety. Flight safety is always the first priority and has a general status in the constitution.

On the contrary, the army's requirements for the aircraft are first of all whether it meets the requirements of the current war and whether it can exert the combat capabilities required by the army, and secondly about flight safety.

One is a tool for people to travel, and the other is a tool for soldiers to fight. They are two completely different concepts.

At 6:30 in the morning, Li Zhan woke up on time, washed up, took a poop and ate breakfast, feeling full of energy. He and Chen Ming took a car to the outfield.

Chen Ming joined the fourth-generation aircraft test flight team before the first flight of the fourth-generation aircraft project. He came from the Flight Test Institute and participated in the final test flights of many aircraft models. He is a very experienced test pilot.

Li Zhan wears an unfinished new flight suit, dark army green, very cool, very complete and powerful, highly integrated. The most obvious change is the life jacket on the neck. It used to be separated, but the new flight suit has been integrated.

Chen Ming said, "In terms of control, the fourth-generation aircraft has better sensitivity and very good agility. If you feel it carefully when you control the joystick, I believe you will be able to grasp the scale quickly based on your ability."

"Brother Chen, you have to remind me all the way." Li Zhan said.

Chen Ming said, "Don't worry, I will always be on the tower."

Chen Ming is not flying today and is wearing camouflage uniform. He will go to the tower to prepare. He will act as the deputy commander and will take over the command in case of emergency.

Chen Ming took Li Zhan to inspect the aircraft in advance. After completing this work, Chen Ming quickly rushed to the tower to make preparations for takeoff. The ground staff had already begun to conduct carpet inspections on the runway to ensure the safety of the aircraft's takeoff and landing.

At 7:30, the plane started driving, Li Zhan boarded the plane, and the tractor towed the plane out of the hangar. First, it had to do three ground rolls to simulate takeoff. The weather today was not very good, the sky was gray, and the wind on the ground was relatively normal.

At the take-off position of the runway, the tractor detached, Li Zhan opened the canopy, and the ramp truck came to pick it up, both sides. Yi Xiaoyi and another engineer stood on the ramp, one on the left and the other on the right, and continued to verify with Li Zhan

The aircraft's various system conditions were touched down, and some static functional tests were performed at the same time. Several groups of technicians repeatedly inspected and discussed the parts they were responsible for under the aircraft.

Many of the main performances of the fourth-generation aircraft have not yet exceeded the envelope, so Li Zhan's task is relatively heavy. At this time, the R&D team has already begun to dig into the details, and some small details that have not been considered for the time being must be improved.

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Prototypes are generally rough for this reason. You have to build the main structure first, and then fill it in step by step in the order of primary and then secondary. Of course, developing a new fighter aircraft is not as simple as filling it with things.

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Just laying out the lines is a project that takes decades of research.

The reason why the emergence of the fourth-generation aircraft was considered by many people to be fake news, and even the photos were considered to be photoshopped by military enthusiasts, is precisely because military workers endured the great pressure and criticism from the people and tried their best to survive.

After ten years of technological accumulation, at a time that surprised everyone, it suddenly made the first flight of the fourth-generation aircraft.

How sudden is the appearance of the Black Ribbon? It can be said that the Air Force has decided to entrust the Shen Hoi Factory to develop a third and a half generation fighter jet based on the J-11B. Before the fourth generation fighter comes out, it will at least be the most advanced air superiority fighter.

Served for more than ten years.

As a result, as soon as the Black Ribbon came out, the Air Force canceled the development of the follow-up model of the J-11B within two days. As a result, the J-11D project that had just produced a prototype was abandoned. Shen Hoi Factory simply put the

The prototype machine is used as a technical verification machine.

What kind of third-and-a-half-generation fighter planes are needed when there are already fourth-generation aircraft? The Air Force even made reductions in its Su-35 introduction plan. It originally planned to purchase dozens of aircraft to introduce a full set of technologies, but then decided to purchase twelve after repeated reductions. Considering

Relations with Russia barely increased to twenty-four.

The army considers the problem very realistically. When the J-10C enters mass production, the air force's control capabilities will be completely fine in the three or two years before the fourth-generation aircraft enters service. It is expected to take more than ten years to three or two years.

, the difference here is huge.

All personnel evacuated and Li Zhan closed the cockpit again.

He began to operate the joysticks to move various airfoils under the instructions of the ground personnel. The front canards, twin vertical tails, tail fins, and flaps were all rotating at full designed deflection angles. Looking at the whole thing, the black fourth-generation aircraft was very

Like Transformers ready to transform.

Full-moving canards, full-moving twin vertical tails, vector engines, integrated structures, integrated canopies, etc., 90% of the technology is world-leading, world-leading!
Chapter completed!