The train driver in the courtyard

After hanging up with Professor Qi, a look of doubt appeared on Li Aiguo's face.

According to the division of labor for Project No. 6, Li Aiguo and the Qianmen Locomotive Depot were responsible for design and development, hundreds of factories were responsible for production, and Harbin Aircraft Industry Group was responsible for test flights.

But just now on the phone, Professor Qi invited Li Aiguo to Harbin Aircraft Industry Group to participate in the test flight work, hesitating as if he had some unspeakable difficulty.

Li Aiguo picked up the phone, intending to call Professor Qi again, but his finger hovered over the dial pad before he changed his mind.

Professor Qi is an old-fashioned technician who has never hidden his thoughts. Since he is unwilling to speak out, he must have his reasons.

Returned home in the evening.

After learning that Li Aiguo was going on a business trip, Miss Chen tormented him several times.

Both of them were exhausted, so they lay down together and chatted for a while.

How long will this business trip take?

"It's hard to say," Li Aiguo said, unsure of what to expect.

An aircraft consists of tens of thousands of parts, and test flights are often very complex. If problems arise, it is normal for the flight to be delayed for several months.

"I've rested enough." Upon hearing this, Miss Chen forced herself to sit up again.

Just two days ago, the sister-in-law specifically told Ms. Chen to have more children while she was still young.

Just as Miss Chen was about to set off, the rough-looking man was about to leave, so naturally she had to hurry.

Li Aiguo: "."

The night was quiet.

The night was bustling with activity.

At two o'clock the next morning, it was pitch black outside.

Li Aiguo, carrying the luggage that Chen Xueru had prepared in advance, pushed open the door and left the courtyard.

Old Cat had been waiting outside in a Jeep for a while. When he saw Li Aiguo coming, he stubbed out his cigarette, crushed it with the sole of his shoe, and opened the car door.

"The transport plane is waiting."

Once inside the vehicle, the jeep roared along the quiet road toward Nanyuan Airport.

Li Aiguo was already used to riding in military transport planes. Once you're on the plane, there's no point in being afraid, because being afraid won't help.

Li Aiguo boarded the plane, found a small stool, sat down, and began to doze off.

"Patriot, you look pretty tired," Old Cat joked.

"Team Leader Cat, someone like you who doesn't have a wife has no right to say that," Li Aiguo laughed.

Old Cat: "."

Li Aiguo smiled and handed a cigarette to the old cat, then slipped one to the driver and passenger through the small window.

After sitting down, he looked at Old Cat and said, "Team Leader Cat, you should settle down by now. I think Zhou Tao from our station is quite nice; she even washes your clothes often."

“We’re comrades, don’t talk nonsense.” The old cat, who could face Dieter’s gun without blinking, suddenly felt embarrassed, stood up and walked to the window. “You rest, I’ll call you when we get there.”

Li Aiguo smiled, closed his eyes, and leaned against the warehouse wall.

When I woke up again, the transport plane had already landed.

After getting off the plane, Li Aiguo found that he was in an unnamed airport, which was very desolate with only one runway and two small houses next to it.

Professor Qi and a young technician were there to pick them up at the airport.

"Patriotism, you must have had a long journey."

"It's no trouble at all, thank you for making this trip." Li Aiguo felt that Professor Qi had something to discuss with him.

Sure enough, Professor Qi pulled Li Aiguo into the first car and had his student drive. After the jeep drove out of the airport, he slowly said, "This test flight is going to be a bit troublesome."

With Professor Qi's explanation, Li Aiguo also understood what had happened at Harbin Aircraft Industry Group recently.

After the armed helicopter was assembled, it was sent back to Harbin Aircraft Industry Group for initial testing.

Although it's called a preliminary test, the testing process is actually quite complex.

First, a static test of the entire aircraft must be conducted. In those days, there were no conditions for flight simulation or specialized equipment. The only way to test the strength of the aircraft was to use rope pulling to simulate the real conditions of flight, up to the limit.

This method may be old-fashioned, but it is very effective.

In later years, it was during static testing that the aircraft was found to be insufficiently strong. It was eventually discovered that instead of 64 4mm steel nails, 3.5mm aluminum nails had been installed.

These tiny rivets brought the first independently developed fighter jet project to the brink of cancellation.

The Thunderbolt armed helicopter was luckier than the 8-year-old, successfully passing the overall static test.

Subsequently, system verification was carried out, and tests were conducted on the main reducer cyclic power test, lubricating oil system simulation, hydraulic system, rotor blade fatigue, tail rotor resonance, automatic swashplate applicability, landing gear drop vibration, and other items.

Even the most crucial ground resonance was successfully passed.

This is a problem unique to helicopters. Back then, the Z-5 wasted half a year due to ground resonance.

The next step is the formal test flight.

but.

The flight test institute, however, demanded that the routine flight test items be replaced with extreme environment test items, and that special subjects be conducted.

"Extreme environments include high temperature, high altitude, and frigid environments."

"Special subjects include turning and landing, balance characteristics, handling stability characteristics, and endurance."

"Originally, according to the testing schedule of our Project No. 6, we would first test the performance from ground gliding and hovering to high-altitude performance, identify problems, solve problems, and then gradually expand the testing scope."

"The flight test institute is now forcing us to complete all the test flights within half a month."

At this point, Professor Qi let out a long sigh.

The long sigh sounded particularly jarring amidst the noise of the wheels rolling over the ground.

Li Aiguo also sensed that the higher-ups were in a bit too much of a hurry, and he was filled with doubt. Had something changed in the situation?

Thinking this, Li Aiguo felt the north wind blowing in through the window was a bit chilly, so he closed the car window and pulled his coat tighter.

"Old Qi, don't worry, I have confidence in our helicopters!"

Professor Qi took Li Aiguo's words as a way of comforting him and nodded silently.

Harbin Aircraft Industry Group (HAIG) is located more than 30 kilometers outside Harbin. It is a very large facility with a cultural center, kindergarten, middle school, apartments, hotel, hospital and other facilities.

Li Aiguo and Lao Mao left their luggage at the hotel and rested for a while before following Professor Qi in a car towards the flight test center.

Workers on the road were all wearing work clothes, and every now and then you could see some young workers sweeping the road and repairing the flower beds on both sides of the road.

Seeing that the people didn't look like cleaners or professional construction workers, Li Aiguo asked with a smile, "Is this voluntary labor organized by your factory?"

"It's voluntary work, but there's no organization involved; it's all done on a voluntary basis," Professor Qi explained.

Also.

For example, if a worker in a real factory gets married, the factory will arrange an office job for his wife and provide her with housing.

After having a child, the child studied at the factory. When the child got sick, the factory doctor helped with treatment.

Now that they see some problems on the roadside, the workers have to help clean it up.

Questions?
What interested Li Aiguo even more was that Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (HAMC) even had a breastfeeding station.

The working mothers feed their children here every day and take them home after get off work in the afternoon.

While the mothers worked in the workshop, the children were cared for by nurses.

It is similar in nature to the orphanage in the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, but the children are younger.

The Northeast is the eldest son of the industrial base, and the treatment here is even better than in Beijing.

As the jeep drove into the flight test center, Li Aiguo saw a man in a gray Zhongshan suit arguing with two young men.

"You just need to conduct the test flights according to the plan, don't ask so many questions."

"Commissioner Sui, the test flight is for testing the aircraft's reliability, not..."

“Qian Dayou, watch your attitude. You’re actually trying to back down from the task assigned to you by your superiors.”

The young man who was being reprimanded blushed and was about to speak when an older colleague grabbed his arm: "Xiao Qian, don't argue with the commissioner. Let's talk this out."

He turned to Commissioner Sui and said sincerely, "Comrade Commissioner, Xiao Qian is impatient, but he is only concerned about the safety of the helicopter test flight and has no intention of contradicting you."

Commissioner Sui's tense expression eased, and he nodded, saying, "I know this test flight is a heavy responsibility, but it's a tough task assigned from above, and we must complete it without fail."

As they were talking, they saw Li Aiguo and Professor Qi walk in, and all three of them stopped talking at the same time.

Professor Qi introduced the two sides to each other.

Commissioner Sui was responsible for supervising this test flight, and his position was rather special.

"Commissioner Sui, hello." Li Aiguo extended his hand in greeting.

Commissioner Sui grasped Li Aiguo's hand tightly: "Comrade Aiguo, we meet again."

Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo paused for a moment, then looked Sui up and down. The man was chubby, wore round-framed glasses, and always spoke with a smile. He looked somewhat familiar, but Li Aiguo couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

"Me? Xiao Sui, we met back when we were playing U2. At the command post, I was helping the leaders relay orders."

"You're Staff Officer Sui!" Li Aiguo suddenly remembered, but a chill ran through him.

Staff Officer Sui is Lei Gongye's close advisor, a high-ranking officer who enjoys Lei Gongye's deep trust. Now, he has been assigned to be in charge of test flights, which shows that the situation has definitely changed recently.

When acquaintances meet, they are especially warm and friendly. Li Aiguo and Commissioner Sui got along well in the southeast, and even ate watermelon from a fellow villager together. They had a good relationship.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Aiguo learned that Commissioner Sui had also been promoted one rank for capturing U2 and was now a first-class staff officer.

Congratulations, buddy.

"Rank and such are not important. What's important is to get the job done, and to do it well," Commissioner Sui said with a smile.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Professor Qi introduced two test pilots.

They all came from the Lanzi 806 team, which belonged to the 11th Flight School, and were also known as the 8th Research Institute of the First Ministry of Machine Building.

Due to the need for secrecy, this team had many aliases in later generations.

Team 929, Plain Meteorological Research Institute, and the 630th Research Institute.

The most prestigious title is Flight Test Research Institute, or Flight Test Institute for short.

He can be considered the pioneer of flight testing technology in China. Li Aiguo extended his hand to the young test pilot who had just argued with Commissioner Sui: "I am Li Aiguo."

"Hello, leader! My name is Qian Dayou, you can just call me Dayou!" The young man was only eighteen or nineteen years old, with bright eyes. When he heard that the person in front of him was the helicopter designer, his tone was full of enthusiasm.

Li Aiguo was also shocked when he heard the name.

This young man turned out to be the test pilot for the Seventh Prince in later generations, and he was the most skilled test pilot of that era.

Another test pilot, Huang Lin, also has test flight experience on many key domestic aircraft models and is calm and capable.

After the group got to know each other, Professor Qi had the engineers inspect the Thunderbolt attack helicopter again. Li Aiguo, Professor Qi, and colleagues from the Flight Test Institute held a short meeting, which was also attended by several leaders from Harbin Aircraft Industry Group.

The leaders of Harbin Aircraft Industry Group first welcomed Li Aiguo, and then moved on to discussing the test flight.

Commissioner Sui and Professor Qi each delivered a speech.

Li Aiguo sat quietly to the side and listened. Just like the situation Professor Qi described on the way, the Flight Test Institute was in a great hurry. Professor Qi and the leaders of Harbin Aircraft Industry Group reminded him several times, but he always stopped them.

The two test pilots, especially Qian Dayou, felt that test flights should follow the procedures step by step.

The meeting ended near noon, amidst the smell of gunpowder, without approving the relevant test flight plan.

Li Aiguo had just stepped out of the conference room, preparing to return to his hotel for a short rest, when Commissioner Sui stopped him: "Comrade Aiguo, could we talk in private for a moment?"

Li Aiguo nodded and followed Commissioner Sui into his office.

As the office door closed, Commissioner Sui said with a wry smile, "I originally thought that the comrades from Harbin Aircraft Industry Group and the Flight Test Institute wouldn't be that difficult to deal with, and that the flight test could be passed easily. I didn't expect them to be so principled."

"What's the reason behind this?" Li Aiguo asked unhurriedly.

Commissioner Sui did not answer him, but instead shook the phone and said into the receiver, "This is Xiao Sui, connect me to the leader's office."

After the call was connected, Commissioner Sui said a few words into the phone and then handed it to Li Aiguo.

"The leader wants to talk to you."

Li Aiguo took a deep breath, took the phone, held it to his ear, and said in a deep voice, "Leader!"

Ten minutes later, Li Aiguo pushed open the office door.

The midday sun made him squint, but the blood in his chest was surging violently.

He finally understood why Commissioner Sui insisted on rapid test flights and extreme environment testing projects.

The story begins with the article "On the Role of Armed Helicopters in Air Assault Operations" that Li Aiguo submitted to his superiors through the old regimental commander.

The paper was eventually submitted to Junwei and received high attention.

After detailed discussions and careful study of the tactics employed by the US military helicopters, the leaders decided to establish an air assault division, following the methods described in the paper.

The air assault division consisted of Thunderbolt attack helicopters and Type 56 fighter jets (later renamed J-5), as well as ground tanks and 105mm howitzers.

According to the original plan, it would take at least several years for the air assault division to be formed and fully operational.

However, now the Russians and the American family are at odds.
Both sides put on a show of fighting desperately. Although the higher-ups predicted that neither side would actually fight to the death, they were always just in case.

Our family is large and prosperous, so we can't place our hopes on others. True strength comes from our own efforts.

What should we do if the two companies start fighting tooth and nail to the death?
This issue was then put on the agenda.

Therefore, the formation of the air assault division must be expedited, the sooner the better, and the Thunderbolt helicopter needs to pass the tests as soon as possible.

If the Thunderbolt doesn't work, then mass-produce the Z-5.

In short, you must get a weapon for self-defense before any major chaos occurs.

In addition, Lei Gongye revealed a piece of news that greatly excited Li Aiguo.

The authorities hope to use the Thunderbolt attack helicopter in experiments with the giant mushroom.

"Perhaps I'll have another chance to meet up with my old friends from Factory 211!"

In fact, Professor Qi was not the only one who suggested that Li Aiguo join the test flight work; Lei Gongye was also among those who did.

"Comrade Patriot, we hope to see our domestically developed armed helicopters appear on the most critical battlefields as soon as possible. We're entrusting this task to you."

Remembering Lei Gongye's words, Li Aiguo felt excited and strode towards the hotel in the bright sunshine.

The afternoon meeting continued, but the deadlock remained unbroken.

Professor Qi turned to Li Aiguo: "Comrade Aiguo, you are the designer of Thunderbolt, what do you think?"

Li Aiguo pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, "Old Qi's safety concerns are reasonable, and Commissioner Sui's urgency also reflects the higher-ups' considerations. How about this, I will personally pilot the Thunderbolt to complete the test flight!"

Upon hearing this, both Professor Qi and Commissioner Sui were stunned. After they came to their senses, they both wanted to refuse, but the words wouldn't come out.

the reason is simple.

Professor Qi also knew that given Commissioner Sui's firm stance, it was impossible to refuse the test flight plan.

Having Li Aiguo, the deputy chief commander of Project No. 6, personally pilot the helicopter would maximize its safety.

Commissioner Sui was also troubled by his inability to persuade Professor Qi.

He couldn't announce the plan to form an air assault division, nor could he tell everyone that a major war might break out in the family and that we urgently needed armed helicopters.

He wasn't disregarding safety; the leadership had specifically instructed that Li Aiguo's opinions should be considered during the test flight. Now that Li Aiguo had volunteered, it wasn't unacceptable.

The two exchanged a glance and nodded silently in unison.

Considering the inherent dangers of test flights, Li Aiguo served as the pilot, Qian Dayou as the co-pilot, Huang Lin as the alternate, Lao Mao brought two meteorologists to oversee safety, and Commissioner Sui accompanied the flight as a representative.

As soon as the meeting ended, the flight test center became instantly busy.

Engineers and mechanics worked like tightly wound gears, each performing their duties diligently and without daring to slack off.

That's how it is these days. Disagreements are one thing, but once a decision is made, everyone will put aside their differences and work together towards the same goal.

Li Aiguo, together with Professor Qi and Commissioner Sui, also formulated a test flight route.

Late at night, in an office in the capital, Lei Gongye was reviewing documents sent from all over the country at his desk.

"Sir, Xiao Sui has sent an urgent telegram regarding the test flight of the Thunderbolt attack helicopter." A staff officer walked in with the telegram.

"Oh? Qi Tietou and the others have given in?" Lei Gongye put down his pen, a smile flashing in his eyes, and reached out to take the telegram.

But after just one glance, he raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone tinged with surprise: "Li Aiguo is going to pilot the plane himself? This kid has some nerve!"

"Comrade Patriot has always been courageous. Back in the South, I personally witnessed him braving artillery fire to reach the anti-aircraft gun position," the staff officer added with a smile.

"No wonder he's a tough nut to crack, praised by the higher-ups. Just for that courage, I'll definitely have to have a couple of drinks with him when he gets back to Beijing!" Lei Gongye laughed as he continued reading, his gaze falling on the test flight route.

The route was planned in a clear and organized manner: starting from Harbin Aircraft Industry Group (HAIG) → Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (600 km), with a focus on verifying the stability of the hydraulic and fuel systems, and stopping at HAIG for professional maintenance.

Shenyang-Yangchenggang to Jinling (1400 km): Test the engine's heat dissipation and power retention under high temperature and humidity conditions, as well as the viscosity stability of lubricating oil and hydraulic oil.

The flight from Nanjing to Xining (1800 km) is divided into three segments and takes more than ten hours. It focuses on engine start-up under low pressure, rotor lift and stability in thin air, as well as climb performance and maximum ceiling.

"This plan is truly comprehensive, taking all aspects into consideration!" After reading it, Lei Gongye nodded approvingly. "If Thunderbolt can withstand these tests, our air assault division will truly have another sharp blade!"

Seeing that Lord Lei was about to approve the telegram, the staff officer handed over a second telegram.

"Comrade Aiguo suggested that this test flight should be conducted with the armed helicopters equipped with a full set of weapons." As he spoke, the staff officer was somewhat worried, as this had never happened before in test flights.

This is why he sent out the first telegram first, and then this one.

Lei Gongye did not take the advisor's petty thoughts seriously and signed the telegram without any hesitation.

"Li Aiguo dared to take the risk of test flight, so we must protect him and ensure his safety!"

After the telegram was approved, Lord Lei raised his head and looked at the staff officer with a serious expression.

"Immediately order all radars along the southeast coast to be activated and to guard against enemy aircraft attacks. Order all areas along the flight path to fully cooperate with the test flight. Any negligence will be severely punished!"

"Yes, sir!" The staff officer saluted with his feet together, then turned and strode away.

As messages were sent out, radars along the southeast coast began to operate, and anti-aircraft artillery positions began to move.

Teams along the route were also notified and entered a state of first-level alert.

The morning sun shines across the land of China.

People got up, cooked, and went to work as usual. No one noticed that this day was different from usual, and they were unaware that countless pairs of eyes were quietly converging on Harbin Aircraft Industry Group's flight test center.

When Li Aiguo arrived at the tarmac after breakfast, the engineers in charge of weapons modification were lined up waiting for him, their gazes filled with more genuine admiration than the day before.

"Patriotic comrade, all weapons are fully equipped!"

Everyone saluted in unison.

"Thank you for your hard work." Li Aiguo returned the greeting and stepped forward to inspect the installed weapons.

A 12.7mm twin-barreled aircraft machine gun was mounted on the nose of the aircraft.

This thing is a copy of the Russian DSHK heavy machine gun, with a heat sink added to increase the rate of fire. It is mainly used to suppress enemy infantry and makeshift bunkers.

The machine gun's rate of fire is controlled at 1000-1200 rounds per minute, providing continuous firepower and ammunition that is compatible with ground heavy machine guns, thus reducing logistical burden.

While not exactly advanced, it aligns with the equipment logic of adapting to local conditions and using universal ammunition.

The key weapon is a modified Red Star RPG rocket launcher, mounted on short wings. A single salvo from the six-tube launcher can cover a small area and is specifically designed to strike hard targets such as main battle tanks, heavy armored vehicles, and fortified bunkers.

The hatch is also equipped with a 14.5mm anti-aircraft machine gun, which is operated by a dedicated gunner to deal with enemies rushing at close range or to intercept enemy light reconnaissance aircraft, thus serving as an air defense weapon.

Based on the performance of the Thunderbolt attack helicopter, it is entirely possible to equip it with air-to-air missiles, but unfortunately the suitable missiles have not yet been manufactured.

"We'll get the Stinger helicopter out when we get the chance," Li Aiguo said after inspecting the helicopter and making sure there were no problems. He then turned to the test pilots, Qian Dayou and Huang Lin, who were already waiting nearby.

"This test flight mission is of great importance, as it relates to subsequent mass production and deployment. We must go all out."

"Yes! We guarantee to complete the mission!" the two answered in unison, their clenched fists bulging with veins.

Li Aiguo boarded the plane first, grasped the start lever, Qian Dayou followed closely behind and sat in the co-pilot's seat, Huang Lin sat in the gunner's seat, and Lao Mao, Commissioner Sui and the two meteorologists also took their seats in turn.

"Instruments, weapon mountings, and communications have all been checked!"

"Start!" Li Aiguo shouted, pushing the control lever hard.

The rotor suddenly accelerated, roaring and kicking up clouds of dust, and the fuselage trembled slightly as it lifted its head.

On the ground, Professor Qi and Hafei's leaders went outside the safety line and waved vigorously.

This fighter jet, embodying the hard work and dedication of the Chinese people, is about to take to the skies.

Not far away, a red flag fluttered in the wind, reflecting the departing fighter jets.

(End of this chapter)