Siheyuan: I eat melons while doing scientific research

Chapter 1215 Don't change anything, just copy it (5k more)

In Gao Zhendong's opinion, making the Z-5 an anti-radiation patrol drone is only the first stage. Of course, the goal of this stage is also very clear, which is to use it for emergency purposes and gain experience at the same time.

For the troops, it is self-evident what the emergency response is aimed at.

"Two stages?" Even the comrades in the Air Equipment Bureau were puzzled by this statement.

In their opinion, the core subsystem of this thing only lacks an anti-radiation seeker. Once the anti-radiation seeker is ready, some targeted modifications can be made and integrated into it. Why does even this have to be divided into two stages?
Is Comrade Zhendong too rigorous? Although they knew that Gao Zhendong had his own starting point when considering things, the comrades in the Air Equipment Bureau still did not quite understand.

Gao Zhendong nodded: "Yes, two stages. Comrades, do you think there will be any problems if the Z-5 target is changed to an anti-radiation cruise missile? Comrades can look at it in conjunction with that thing."

After Gao Zhendong finished speaking, he pointed to the pile of Firebee unmanned reconnaissance aircraft wreckage on the ground next to him.

The comrades were not fools. When they saw the pile of firebees that Gao Zhendong was pointing at, they realized that, although there was only one, it really looked like a "pile".

After seeing this pile of fire bees, the comrades understood.

"Chief Engineer Gao, are you saying that the Z-5 is too big and consumes too much fuel?"

"I think it's inconvenient to launch. This thing is so small that it can be mounted on a transport plane. It's much more convenient to take off than the Zhan-5, and the transport plane can also be used to increase the combat radius of the drone."

"I think it is easy to recover. This plane is small, and if you want to recover it, you don't necessarily need an airport runway."

“How do you recycle disposable items?”

"That's not necessarily true. This plane is a reconnaissance plane. Reconnaissance planes must be recycled. What if we want to make reconnaissance planes in the future?"

"..."

In fact, as long as the road is pointed out, the rest of the comrades will be able to use their imagination.

This is exactly what Gao Zhendong meant when he talked about two stages.

"Comrades, what you said is basically correct in the general direction! The operating requirements of the Z-5 are still too high. After all, this is the foundation of a fighter jet. There are many design costs, all paid for the fighter jet, which is unnecessary..."

The Z-5 needs an airport to take off, and the fuel cost for a sortie may be higher than that of professional low-priced drones. The fuel needed for this thing to attack is calculated by tons.

"Moreover, fighter jets have requirements for speed and maneuverability, but drones do not necessarily have these requirements. After removing these requirements, the fighter-based Z-5 target has overflow performance in terms of structure, wing shape, control, and other aspects, and these overflows are useless and cannot be used at all. So the two stages I mentioned are based on this consideration. The first stage is to improve the anti-radiation cruise drone based on the Z-5 target. The second step is to use the experience of the first step to design a drone that better meets the requirements in all aspects."

Gao Zhendong's words led his comrades to deeper thinking.

"Chief Engineer Gao is right. We don't feel the cost pressure of using the Z-5 to make drones now because these aircraft already exist. We are just reusing them, so it doesn't cost much. But once a war breaks out, drones will be consumed in large quantities and new drones will need to be built. Then the base of the Z-5 target will not be suitable."

The comrades from the Air Equipment Bureau said to their comrades.

Gao Zhendong pointed at the wreckage of the Firebee and said, "Comrades should have noticed that the empty weight of this professional drone is only more than 600 kilograms, and how much is our Zhan-5? Nearly 4 tons! If the weight alone does not explain anything, then I will give you another data. Judging from the possible drop points of this aircraft, the range of the Citigroup drone exceeds 1000 kilometers! There is no doubt that much money can be saved here. The key is that the drone based on the Zhan-5 has many technical and tactical aspects that cannot meet the requirements, which is also the biggest reason why we need the second phase."

The more he talked, the happier the comrades in the Air Equipment Bureau became.

"Yes, Comrade Zhendong's words make a lot of sense. We should not only develop a better drone based on the Zhan-5, but also absorb the experience of the Zhan-5 and the technology of this Citi drone to develop our own professional drone!"

After the comrade from the Air Equipment Bureau finished speaking, he turned to Gao Zhendong and said, "Comrade Zhendong, let's not talk about the Zhan-5 target for now. This is an emergency item. I think what new ideas you have for drones are the most important."

Converting the Z-5 into an unmanned aerial vehicle is undoubtedly a stopgap measure and an extreme form of waste utilization. However, after listening to Gao Zhendong's words, the comrades of the Air Equipment Bureau realized one thing, that is, when a real war breaks out, this thing is not so suitable, mainly because the cost of replenishing it is too high, and the foundation is like that, which means that a Z-5 production line must be maintained.

In this case, the cost is unacceptable and the functional performance is not the most suitable.

This is also the reason why Gao Zhendong saw in his previous life that although we have a large number of retired aircraft, there are not many used to make functional drones - specially developed ones are more attractive.

Therefore, the original enthusiasm for converting the Z-5 target into other functional drones quickly disappeared.

If Gao Zhendong had not said that this type of drone was a source of experience for the first step, and considering that this aircraft has a large body and can be equipped with a very large warhead after removing the machine gun, life support and other systems, they would even want to skip the Z-5 and go directly for the latest drone.

The main reason is that it takes time to develop the latest drones, and judging from the current atmosphere, time is running out.

Although comrades in the army always want more and more, they have another characteristic: they are not picky. When there is nothing, they will use whatever they have to ensure the generation of combat effectiveness first.

So the Z-5 needs to be modified, but what they are most interested in is the real drone.

Look, in their minds, the modified Z-5 drone is no longer a serious drone.

Gao Zhendong nodded and said, "Well, okay. Let's not talk about things that are too far away. Under current technical conditions, from a technical point of view, regardless of their functions, there are two types of drones, remote control and program control. I think everyone should understand the difference between the two types, right?"

When he asked this question, his comrades nodded one after another, saying that he really understood it.

This is the good thing about our language. Apart from crude translations like "robustness", we can make sure that even foreign words can be understood by people with a certain level of education at a glance, not to mention that what Gao Zhendong said was not a foreign word.

"Based on the current situation of the overhaul factory and its potential development within a certain period of time, they are suitable for making programmable drones..."

This made the comrades in the overhaul factory feel a little embarrassed. They thought they didn't have enough skills and could only make the program-controlled type, not the remote-controlled type.

At this time, the remote control type undoubtedly seems to be more advanced than the programmable type, but comrades do not know that there will be something called "autonomous type" in the future, and that thing will be more advanced.

Of course, before we enter the 21st century, we don’t need to think too much about autonomous things or have too high expectations.

Gao Zhendong probably saw through their thoughts and said with a smile: "Comrades, do you think the program-controlled type is inferior?"

Chief Engineer Cheng smiled a little embarrassedly, but didn't say anything. If he said too much and irritated the comrades in the Air Equipment Bureau, he might even lose the chance of getting the program control. At that time, we had to fight for the Zhan-5 target, so we couldn't ruin this new thing.

Gao Zhendong laughed. "I understand your desire to take on more difficult tasks, but there is no distinction between high and low for these things. The key is to see what they are used for. Program-controlled drones can at least be used to carry loitering ammunition, and they also have a ready-made application direction, which is urgently needed by the Air Force."

The comrades looked at the pile of drones still on the ground and immediately realized that this was true!

Although auxiliary aircraft such as reconnaissance aircraft may not seem to be very eye-catching in the eyes of ordinary military fans, they are actually the aircraft with the most application scenarios and application time. After all, fighter jets cannot shoot down enemy aircraft at will, and bomber attack aircraft cannot just drop bombs on the ground at will, but reconnaissance aircraft can do their job at any time.

Moreover, the higher up the ranks, the more comrades understand that battlefield intelligence is often even more important than weapon performance.

Gust: Yes!

10 Master: It’s fine if you’re weak, but even if we go it alone, you can’t do it.

In short, this is very good news for the comrades in the overhaul factory, and their mood immediately became better.

"Chief Engineer Gao, you are right. There is no difference between high and low equipment. What do you think we should do next? Copy the drone of the Citigroup guy?"

Gao Zhendong nodded: "Yes! As a unit that has a certain understanding of aircraft, it is suitable for you to imitate this drone. Other factories are really too busy, so the curtain of serious drones really depends on you!"

Whether it is the Northeast, Southwest, Northwest, or Porcelain Capital, they all have their own tasks, and they are very important. This task of imitation is just right for the overhaul factory. The main reason is that the equipment these days is not that difficult. If it is a few decades later, the situation may be reversed - imitation is much more difficult than self-development!
At least it is almost impossible to imitate K-13 and Thunder-1 by picking up a rattlesnake shell like it is now.

Gao Zhendong’s words made the comrades at the overhaul factory very excited. It’s the grand opening!

Chief Engineer Cheng was happy, but he did not forget the objective conditions: "Dear experts and leaders, we can still make the plane, but this engine..."

The problem of heart disease has a long history. Not only military fans decades later know about it, but also comrades engaged in technology in the 60s know about it.

The Firebee has a small turbojet engine.

The chief engineer of the Defense Work Committee heard his concerns and laughed: "Don't worry, this matter is just like the guidance head of an anti-radiation missile. You don't have to worry about it. The Northeast Aerospace Development Institute will complete it."

The current engine structure is far less complicated than that of a few decades later, so we are relatively confident in copying it. In particular, the chief engineer of the Defense Work Committee knows the most difficult problem of materials, and Gao Zhendong has already laid a solid foundation in this regard.

Gao Zhendong was moved when he heard this: "Wait, Boss, I remember there should be an aircraft engine factory over on the Third Front, right?"

Now the factory and institute have not been separated yet, and having an aero-engine factory means having a research institute.

When the chief engineer heard this, he patted his forehead and said, "Yes, yes, yes! There is one, in Qianshan Anshun area, and it is almost ready for operation now."

This factory is not as famous as Northeast Airlines, but in fact the tasks it undertakes and the contributions it makes are not low. The most famous ones are the engines of the Fa Cai 1 and Zhan -35, which are both researched and produced here.

Of course, it is still in its infancy, and its construction is mainly to provide support for another aircraft factory nearby.

Gao Zhendong’s idea was very simple, just let them build this small turbojet!

The technical difficulty of this small turbojet is relatively low, and it is a good training opportunity for this new third-line engine unit.

This aircraft engine factory will most likely take over the production of the modified LYP-6, as the Northeast Factory will gradually turn to the production of improved engines for the MiG-21. The modified LYP-6 is the main engine for current combat aircraft such as the Z-7 multi-purpose fighter and the Gong-5 attack aircraft. There is a huge demand for it, so it is definitely impossible to stop here.

But production alone is certainly not enough to meet the factory's need to improve its own capabilities. At the same time, the Northeast Institute is already very busy with the task of improving the MiG-21 engine and cannot spare the energy to imitate this small turbojet.

In fact, the demand for small engines such as small turbojets will be no smaller than that for medium-thrust and large-thrust engines in the future. In fact, in terms of quantity alone, the demand may even be greater than them, after all, they are cheaper.

Even though this small turbojet is not small enough strictly speaking, it does not prevent it from being the pioneer of our small jet engines.

The chief engineer of the Defense Work Committee listened to Gao Zhendong's words, thought about it, and nodded repeatedly: "Well, your idea is very reasonable. This will reduce the burden on the Northeast Institute and allow them to focus on medium and large engines. At the same time, it will also be a good exercise for the scientific research capabilities of Anshun Aero Engine Factory. It's a two-pronged approach, very good!"

After saying that, he turned to look at the comrades in the overhaul factory and said, "In this case, you don't have to worry about the engine problem. Just focus on making a good overall copy of this Citi UAV."

Gao Zhendong is also very satisfied with this. According to future standards, the Firebee cannot be considered a long-flight UAV, but as a professional UAV, its hovering time is still relatively good in the current technological environment, at least one or two hours, and its speed is relatively fast. It has many directions for improvement and great potential for improvement.

As for the long-flight UAV, Gao Zhendong has other arrangements, because if he wants to use this thing well, it involves another type of UAV.

Chief Engineer Cheng of the overhaul factory was very excited to see that the matter was finally settled, and repeatedly expressed his determination to replicate the drone well.

Gao Zhendong listened to him and took over the conversation: "Chief Engineer Cheng, when you are imitating, you must pay attention to the modular design of the payload cabin. The decoupling between the payload cabin and the entire fuselage must be done well. There should be no other connection between the two except for the necessary electrical and fixed interfaces."

The comrade from the Air Equipment Bureau looked at Gao Zhendong and said, "Comrade Zhendong, what do you think?"

Gao Zhendong said: "In addition to target drones, reconnaissance, and anti-radiation, this aircraft can also be used for other purposes, such as electronic jamming in the future. Since there are so many possible tasks, we might as well create the conditions right from the start."

After that, he told Chief Engineer Cheng: "We have just seen the condition of this BQM-147. Generally speaking, it is well preserved. This is also due to the fact that the comrades in the Air Force used machine guns instead of more powerful missiles when they shot it down. Therefore, the replica samples are relatively complete and the conditions for replicating are very good. Your task is to replicate this aircraft as completely as possible. Before the replica is successful, except for necessary or convenient improvements, do not make any changes to the aircraft. What we want is a small tactical drone that can be used. Do you understand?"

What he said at the beginning was that the reason why he wanted to see the sample of the shot down enemy plane was that he wanted to evaluate how much of a benefit this sample would bring to his imitation. As long as it was big enough, he would not have to consider anything else and could just copy it.

In reality, the drone is in very good condition, even the recovery parachute is almost intact, quietly wrapped in the parachute cabin.

Don't underestimate the parachute. The parachute area alone is a very important parameter.

In Gao Zhendong's opinion, this thing must be ensured first, and then other things can be considered. In terms of the overhaul factory's capabilities, copying is the most appropriate. If you force yourself to improve something, you will easily fall into a quagmire.

His words calmed down Chief Engineer Cheng and others who were full of confidence and ideas, and also reminded the comrades in the Air Equipment Bureau.

"Comrade Zhendong is right. Your first task in the process of copying this UAV is to copy it completely. It is enough to achieve the original performance of the aircraft as much as possible." A comrade from the Air Equipment Bureau added.

Just from the flight altitude and speed displayed when the plane was shot down, plus the range estimated by Gao Zhendong just now, the comrades in the Air Force were already very satisfied. They were already very satisfied with the drone that could achieve a practical ceiling of 17000 meters, a speed of 0.85 Mach, a range of more than 1000 kilometers, and parachute recovery. They even doubted whether the imitation results of the overhaul factory could reach this level.

In Gao Zhendong's previous life, the Firebee we imitated was mainly used for target shooting. The reason for this might be that it was kept confidential and not made public, but it was more likely that its performance was not as good as expected and it could only be used for target shooting.

In the view of the Air Equipment Bureau, as long as the imitation can be completed successfully, even a discount is acceptable.

The comrades from the overhaul factory nodded and wrote down the requirements of Gao Zhendong and the Air Equipment Bureau. Although they were not very convinced, they also knew that now was not the time to act on impulse and make random promises. The overall situation was the most important thing. What was important was to ensure that the comrades in the Air Force had something to use.

(End of this chapter)