The train driver in the courtyard

the next day.

The employees of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot noticed that something seemed amiss.

The propaganda department staff led people to put up large banners, and the logistics department leaders organized people to clean up the area, even cleaning up the irrigation ditches.

The employees were also given advance notice that they were strictly prohibited from going shirtless within the section.

The main gate used to have only four security officers, but now that number has doubled, and you can often see unfamiliar faces patrolling the area.

In the past, such scenes always occurred when leaders came to inspect the area, but this time there was no prior notice.

Some curious employees saw Zhou Ke and quickly went up to him, asking, "What happened at the section?"

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask, understand?"

After the employees left, Zhou Ke turned to look in the direction of the studio, his heart filled with doubt.

What important thing did the patriotic brothers do to cause such a big commotion?
What others may not know is that Zhou Ke is currently working with the meteorological station to be in charge of the internal security work of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, but he is very familiar with it.

Leaders from the Ministry of Aviation Industry, Harbin Aircraft Industry Group, and several other departments, including the National Defense Industry Office and the Industrial Flight Test Center, have arrived at the Qianmen Studio.

The highest requirements have been set for security work, and the security work at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot has been raised to the highest level.

Aside from not implementing a complete lockdown, we did everything we could.

"Captain, a suspicious person has been spotted outside the east wall," a team member reported as he ran over.

Startled by the report, Zhou Ke shook his head, suppressing his shock and confusion, and ran over with his teammates.

Li Aiguo never expected to alarm so many leaders.

Seeing the leaders enter the laboratory accompanied by Teng, a leader from the Ministry of Railways, Li Aiguo ran over to greet them before returning to his post.

Because at this point his work had entered a critical stage.

A Thunderbolt engine was being lifted by a crane and slowly lowered onto a tall frame, surrounded by a dense network of pipes connecting it to the control panel.

This frame is used for testing engines and is also known as a test bench.

When the leaders of the Ministry of Aviation Industry saw the test stand, they were slightly excited. They looked at Leader Teng and said, "Leader Teng, I didn't expect you to have put together such a good thing."

"Oh, it's all just patriotic comrade messing around with. He just likes to tinker with these new things," Leader Teng replied with a smile.

"."

Liu, the leader of the Ministry of Aviation Industry, felt that Teng was in Versailles.

Since the start of developing domestic aero engines, the construction of test benches has been put on the agenda. The Ministry of Industry organized a large number of people to go to Russia to learn, but the results were not very good.

Only a portion has been completed so far.

The test stand in front of us, with its exhaust ejector, fuel system, and testing system, is clearly a mature test stand.

In addition, the sensors on the test bench are connected to the computer.

It's obvious that the engine's condition can be monitored in real time via computer, something even the Russians haven't been able to do.

At this moment, it was seen that Li Aiguo had already hoisted the engine onto the test stand.

Professor Qi and the experts began connecting the pipe fittings, and Leader Teng waved to Li Aiguo, calling him over.

Liu, the leader from the Ministry of Aviation Industry, pointed to the test stand and asked, "Comrade Aiguo, what made you think of making this thing?"

Li Aiguo had great respect for Leader Liu. In those chaotic times, it was Leader Liu who proposed taking over the captured aviation equipment and accommodating aviation technical personnel.

In addition to preserving a large number of talented individuals, it also received a large number of enemy fighter planes, laying the foundation for subsequent aviation development.

“Reporting to the leader, this is what I’m thinking: the engine’s internal structure is complex, and the materials used are also quite special. If it doesn’t undergo long-term testing, airworthiness testing, and specialized testing, even if it has been verified and test-flown, the engine’s quality and stability cannot be guaranteed,” Li Aiguo said, straightening his chest.

An expert nearby laughed when he heard this: "The big brother on the test stand also has one. What's with your airworthiness test and special test? The big brother tests the engine using a 1:1 long test."

Worried that Li Aiguo might not understand, the expert added: "That is, full life test, which means putting the engine on the test bench and letting it run until the end of its lifespan."

Li Aiguo glanced at him indifferently: "The lifespan of the elder brother's VK-1 turbojet engine is 100 hours."

米格- 15发动机不足100小时，图128截击机使用的AL-7涡喷发动机寿命为150小时。

Furthermore, the engines of the Tu-16, MiG-19, and even the Tu-124 passenger aircraft have a lifespan of only two hundred hours.

Our Thunderbolt engine, thanks to its high-temperature crystalline alloy fan blades and modular design, has an expected lifespan of over a thousand hours.

This is what it means to have data and the truth.

The expert's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

Leader Liu glared at the aviation expert: "If you don't understand, don't spout nonsense."

After scolding the man, Leader Liu turned to Li Aiguo and said, "Aiguo, besides developing aero engines, you've also studied engine testing, haven't you? These steps aren't something an outsider could do."

Li Aiguo shook his head: "No, no, I learned all of this from Professor Qi."

Here's what I'm thinking: since the lifespan of engines has been improved, using the old methods is no longer appropriate.

If we were to test for over a thousand hours, many of the faults that would be found would be unrelated to the engine itself, so I devised a strategy of testing for 150 hours.

During this process, the engine is repeatedly accelerated. If a fault is detected, the engine will be stopped for repair. After repair, a specialized test drive will be conducted targeting the faulty part.

Upon hearing this, Leader Liu's eyes lit up: "Targeted testing, I'm impressed. You're a promising young man. Comrade Aiguo, you have a high level of technical sensitivity. You're right, as the engine lifespan varies, we need to change our testing approach."

After saying that, he turned around and continued to berate his own people: "Look at them, you're just someone who only knows how to stick to books. You don't have the same open-minded thinking as someone from another major. Technology is constantly developing, and you testers need to keep up with the pace."

Li Aiguo also perked up at this moment.

It wasn't that he wanted to see the experts make fools of themselves, but rather that he remembered a deficiency in China's domestic aviation industry in this era: the lack of a complete testing and support system for aero engines.

Simply put, since most of our engines are copied from others, if others can fly, so can we.

If you use other equipment, this method eliminates the need for trial and error, and can indeed save costs and time.

However, aircraft engines are different; it is difficult to discover defects through experience and simple tests.

If mass production were to occur, it could result in massive waste, or even lead to an irreparable tragedy.

Countless research funds were wasted, and all the previous efforts were in vain.

Take the Z-6 helicopter, which should have been under development in the original timeline, for example.

Production was halted after only 16 were manufactured because a single-engine safety defect was discovered during flight.

Now that he has come to this era, Li Aiguo must prevent such a tragedy from happening.

Thinking of this, Li Aiguo continued, "This is just a ground test bench. I think if we could simulate the conditions during high-altitude flight, the engine testing work would definitely be able to reach a higher level."

"Is there a better way to test this?" Leader Liu asked in surprise.

Just as Li Aiguo was about to speak, an alarm sounded, signaling that the installation was complete and testing was about to begin.

Leader Liu was about to ask more questions when Leader Teng stopped him: "Old Zhao, Comrade Aiguo has an important mission."

"The platform is also very important." Leader Liu looked around and saw that the leaders of those ministries were all looking in their direction. He then realized that he had lost his composure in his excitement and quickly smiled.

"Comrade Patriot, you go ahead with your work, we'll talk later."

Li Aiguo walked to the testing area, where Professor Qi and the technicians had already made preparations and the computers were turned on.

Before the test began, all leaders were asked to step outside the safety line and put on safety helmets.

Seeing that the preparations were almost complete, Li Aiguo walked up to Leader Teng and asked, "Leader, are you here?"

Before Leader Teng could understand what was going on, Li Aiguo pulled him to the control panel.

There is a red button on it; just press it to start the engine.

It's full of ritual!

"You've got a knack for this kind of thing."

Even though Leader Teng didn't care about these trivial details, he became interested at this moment and pressed the red button when he heard the countdown was over.

The indicator lights on the control panel turned green instantly, and a slight hum came from the test bench, indicating that the pre-fuel injection was complete and the turbocharger began to pre-rotate.

Li Aiguo stared intently at the computer screen as fuel pressure and turbo speed steadily increased, with all data falling precisely within the preset range.

Suddenly, a roar erupted as pale blue flames shot from the exhaust ejector, the scorching airflow carrying waves of heat spreading outwards. The engine's hum intensified into a powerful roar, causing the steel test bench to tremble violently.

"Accelerate the test preparation!" Li Aiguo gave the order, and the technicians immediately began operations.

"Temperature stable! Blade stress normal!" the monitor shouted.

The images of the blades transmitted from the computer show that the high-temperature crystallized alloy fan blades show no deformation.

Li Aiguo breathed a sigh of relief. The core components passed the test smoothly, and his previous efforts to improve the alloy formula had not been in vain.

As the experiment progressed, the joy on everyone's faces grew stronger, and by the time the last test was completed, their faces were beaming with smiles.

Professor Qi and the researchers cheered even louder.

There is still a long way to go before the final test is completed.

However, as long as the initial tests are passed, the probability of the engine being successful is very high.

Leader Teng spoke first, setting the tone: "Patriotism! Good! You've done a great job this time. I've seen this engine. It's not just for armed helicopters; it might also be used in fighter jets and other aircraft in the future. Lao Liu, you can rest assured now! Hahaha."

Leader Liu was so excited that his face turned red. He took a few deep breaths before he calmed down and spoke.

"I was so excited, please excuse my appearance."

Most of the leaders present came from the aviation industry and understood Liu's feelings, so no one interrupted him. He gathered his thoughts and continued, "Our aero-engine development had a difficult start, which most of you don't know, so I won't go into details. There's something I've kept to myself for six years, and now I finally have the chance to say it."

At this moment, Leader Liu's eyes were already red.

The staff member was startled and looked at Leader Teng questioningly. Leader Teng shook his head, and the staff member returned to his original position.

Leader Liu took a deep breath and scanned the crowd: "Are there any comrades here who participated in the development of the WP-5 turbojet engine for the J-5 fighter jet?"

A middle-aged researcher in the crowd raised his hand and stepped forward: "Old leader, I used to be a researcher in the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation's blade group. The thing you mentioned should be the turbine blade explosion back then, right? I was on the scene at the time, and I was lucky that I was only grazed on the arm by the blade."

As he spoke, the middle-aged researcher rolled up his sleeve, revealing a long scar on his arm.

Leader Liu nodded and continued, "Back then, we were copying someone else's engine. The blueprints they provided had many pitfalls, and the key parameters were unclear. The first test run failed because the blades were not strong enough, and the engine 'exploded' on the spot, with debris scattered everywhere."

"Can we blame them? No! Even if they concealed the parameters, we should still thank them because we couldn't build it ourselves, and they were the only ones willing to help us at the time."

"We have no choice but to grit our teeth and pick up the fragments one by one to analyze them!"

"At that time, I told myself that I must develop my own engine and follow my own path."

"This Thunderfire turboshaft engine you've developed is several times better than the one you copied back then."

"Since you're all in the aviation field, I assure you, with this engine, we are absolutely confident in completing Project 116 and building our own attack helicopter! We will definitely not let you down."

As he finished speaking, Leader Liu clenched his fists tightly, venting his long-held resentment.

Leader Teng led the applause, and the other comrades followed suit.

After the applause subsided, Leader Liu raised another question: "Keep it a secret. The Thunderfire turbine engine has now reached the world's leading level. It must be kept strictly confidential."

When asked about secrecy, Professor Qi raised his hand: "Don't worry, leaders. Comrade Aiguo is in charge of the secrecy work. In fact, I feel that the secrecy regulations of this Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop are even stricter than those of our Harbin Aircraft Industry Group."

Furthermore, only Comrade Aiguo possessed the specific blueprints and related material formulas.

Leader Liu nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, not bad. Now that the engine has been successfully developed, Project 116 has taken a big step forward."

Taking the opportunity, Li Aiguo said, "Leader, we are receiving good news from Workshop 116 in various places. However, we are still lacking some materials. After all, we are a railway department, and it is quite difficult to allocate some sensitive materials. There are also some equipment that are only available in military institutes."

Li Aiguo's ambitions extend beyond armed helicopters; he also envisions developing fighter jets and transport aircraft, and he needs to acquire essential equipment first.

Even if it means paying money to buy it.

Leader Teng was pleased to hear this. The department had put in a lot of effort to help the Qianmen Locomotive Depot's workshop raise equipment. Now that the test run was going smoothly, Li Aiguo was also asking for some key equipment, which would reduce his workload considerably. This kid was very savvy.

After considering it for a while, Leader Liu nodded: "You don't need to worry about these things. I will set up a coordination team later. Just make a list of what you need, and we'll all work together to install the heart for our Iron Eagle."

The words were spoken.

Everyone applauded enthusiastically again.

The test drive continued, and Liu and the other leaders remained enthusiastic, watching from the side until nearly noon before deciding to leave.

Although Section Chief Xing was unaware of the experimental results, he knew it was a success when he saw the smiling faces of all the leaders.

"Today is a great day. It is an honor for us leaders to come to our Qianmen Locomotive Depot. How about I arrange a simple celebration banquet for us?"

Even setting aside the leaders of the aviation sector, just the fact that Leader Teng is here means that the Qianmen Maintenance Depot can't afford to be negligent.

Upon hearing this, Leader Liu remembered something and nodded, saying, "Alright, thank you for your trouble."

Section Chief Xing immediately arranged for someone to notify the canteen to make preparations.

Because of the special nature of their work, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot always keeps hot meals on hand; all they need is a few bottles of old wine.

After making the arrangements, Section Chief Xing led the way, and the group walked toward the canteen chatting and laughing.

The meal was simple: the main dish was a plate of pork stew with vermicelli, and the staple food was white rice.

Section Chief Xing planned to have the chubby cook prepare a few more dishes, but Leader Liu stopped him.

Leader Liu looked at Leader Teng and said, "I've always heard that when leaders from your railway system go down to the grassroots level, they eat and live with the workers. Now that we're here, we can't break your rules."

Leader Teng nodded and stopped Section Chief Xing, but instructed the fat cook to bring out the pickled vegetables, spicy and sour radish strips, and a plate of fermented black beans, all good dishes to accompany drinks.

Everyone was very enthusiastic during the meal and drinks.

Leader Liu had been keeping the issue of aero-engine testing in mind, so he made a point of clinking glasses with Li Aiguo and asking, "I think the test stand you made is pretty good. Could you get it to Harbin Aircraft Industry Group and Shenyang Aircraft Corporation?"

Li Aiguo answered quickly: "That's no problem at all. It's just that the test chassis here has great limitations. We can only do some simple tests such as mass and power."

Upon hearing this, an engineer interjected, "Ground testing? You can't test it in the air, can you? Wouldn't that require it to be installed in an aircraft?"

This time, Leader Liu did not stop the man, but turned to Li Aiguo and said, "Aiguo, don't be afraid of making mistakes. Tell me your thoughts."

Li Aiguo scratched his head, feigning embarrassment, and said, "Well then, I'll just say it. It was just some random thought from a train driver. If I'm wrong, please don't mind, leaders."

“Since we can’t test it inside the aircraft, we can build a platform, hoist the engine onto it, and then simulate the high-altitude flight environment to conduct targeted tests on the engine.”

"High-altitude test stations can not only be used to test aircraft engines, but also to test missile engines."

Although he didn't say much, his words made everyone present's eyes light up.

The engineer was about to press for more information, but Director Liu stopped him.

Leader Liu raised his glass and said, "Aiguo truly deserves to be called a national model worker. He is good at solving problems in practice. His technical thinking is very clear. Here, let me toast you."

Those present exchanged glances, each seeing a clue in the other's eyes: Leader Liu must have his eye on the high-altitude platform, which was why he was blocking it.

In fact, at that time, there were already ideas in China to develop ways to test engines in the air, but due to technological limitations, it remained only at the theoretical planning stage.

Li Aiguo's idea of ​​a high-altitude platform coincides with this concept.

Li Aiguo quickly picked up his glass and downed a drink. Then, Leader Liu said, "Comrade Aiguo, you seem quite interested in aero engines. We're short-handed right now, how about..."

Leader Teng said with a smile, "A while ago, Old Zhao from the First Ministry of Machine Building wanted to transfer Aiguo, so I told him to go back and study hard again."

The meaning is clear: helping is fine, but transferring people is not.

Laughter filled the cafeteria, and the meal ended happily.

Leader Teng was the last to leave, and Section Chief Xing saw him off to his car.

Beside the train, Director Teng said to Section Chief Xing, "The work at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot is getting busier and busier. As the section chief, you must do a good job in ensuring its smooth operation."

Section Chief Xing nodded: "Please rest assured, the studio uses a dedicated supply channel, and once an application is submitted, it will be approved immediately."

"Hmm, you've thought this through very well. If the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop is run well, it might be able to accomplish even greater things."

Section Chief Xing understood what his superior meant and nodded in agreement. Only then did Supervisor Teng get into the car and leave.

After the celebration banquet ended, Li Aiguo returned to the courtyard house at around 8 p.m. He rode his motorcycle to the corner of Nantongluo Lane and saw several people squatting by the roadside.

The car headlights shone across their faces, and they could vaguely see the chubby face hidden in the bangs.

"Second Uncle, it's so late and you haven't gone home yet. What are you doing loitering here?"

"It's Aiguo back. People from Qin Huairu's family have arrived. They're just thinking about how to deal with those people from Jiajiazhuang."

As Li Aiguo rode his motorcycle closer, he saw Qin Huairu standing not far away, with several middle-aged commune members beside her, carrying carrying poles; they were probably Qin Huairu's relatives.

There was a girl with a ponytail next to her. Although her face was not clearly visible, it could be identified as Qin Jingru from her figure.

Li Aiguo originally planned to leave directly, but after thinking about it, he stopped.

"Second Uncle, these are all able-bodied young men, not a single old woman. What, do you really want to fight in the capital? Let the police station arrest them."

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong finally realized what was happening.

“That’s right, we’re not here to fight, we’re here to reason things out. Qin Huairu, go back again tomorrow and bring the women in your family here.”

Li Aiguo didn't stop; he got on his motorcycle and left.

Qin Jingru tugged at Qin Huairu's arm and pointed at Li Aiguo's retreating figure: "Who is that person? Is he a high-ranking leader?"

Qin Huairu's face darkened slightly, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightly, and she remained silent.

Over the next few days, the testing of the Thunderfire engine continued, and Li Aiguo did not pay much attention to the war between the Qin and Jia families.

However, with the help of two war correspondents, Xu Damao and Yan Jiecheng, they could receive real-time battle reports every morning by the tree pit in the courtyard.

"Several women from the Qin family army raided Jia Zhangshi today, and Jia Zhangshi's hair was pulled out."

"Report! A crushing defeat! The Jia family army set a trap and launched a 'dung war,' fighting ten against one, driving the Qin family's men away. They all ran outside the city to wash clothes."

As long as Madam Jia Zhang doesn't bring people to the courtyard to cause trouble, everyone just treats it as a spectacle.

However, as time went on, it became clear that the Qin family army had gained the upper hand, and the war might soon be over.

It's not that the Jia family army is weak, but rather that Jia Zhangshi herself is just an outsider in the Jia family army, while Qin Huairu's parents are the main force of the Qin family army.

The difference between the two is obvious at a glance.

Xu Damao also felt regretful. He thought one of the girls was quite pretty and her fighting was very entertaining. He thought that if the war ended, he would never see her again.

"Xu Damao, do you want to die?!" Before the words were even out of his mouth, Liu Lan grabbed Xu Damao by the ear and made him kneel on a washboard when he got home.

The crowd laughed and dispersed.

Li Aiguo also arrived at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop, and received a phone call as soon as he sat down.

"Cousin, the azaleas on the back hill are in full bloom. My parents asked me to bring you two baskets of freshly dug potatoes. I've put them in the usual spot."

Azalea?
Li Aiguo's expression turned serious.

(End of this chapter)