Siheyuan: I eat melons while doing scientific research

Chapter 1425 That's it? (5k views)

Whether or not one seeks credit is another matter entirely. In any case, the credit for this matter is undeniable and will inevitably be claimed, and it's quite substantial.

The key thing is this: it's genuinely something to be happy about!

It's the Lunar New Year, can't people even have some fun?

The most crucial point is that the matter itself is solid enough, and at this stage, apart from the fact that the furnace age is basically confirmed to be unaffected, everything else that needs to be known is already known.

If we don't report this before the New Year, it would be a waste of all the effort our comrades have put into working around this equipment these past few days.

There are still a few days until the Lunar New Year, there's plenty of time.

The chief engineer thought about it for a moment and realized that it made sense. It was good news, so there was no need to be coy. It was a purely joyous occasion, and he should be confident in his abilities.

"Okay, let's communicate with Director Chen of the Third Rolling Mill and report this good news to both sides together," the chief engineer said with a smile.

"Yes, we need to be quick, preferably submitting it by tomorrow." Writing the materials takes time, and both sides also need to communicate together about how to submit it. To some extent, this huge project is a kind of benefit in itself. Besides the comrades who are already involved, how to distribute this benefit is also worth discussing.

Even Gao Zhendong, who is usually oblivious to outside affairs, had no objection to this kind of thing. As long as those who shouldn't be left behind are left behind, that's fine. As for the rest, it doesn't matter. Which place doesn't have a few comrades who need to be taken care of, or whose specific situations didn't have enough slots before?

This benefit is substantial enough to be distributed widely.

Moreover, without these comrades undertaking other tasks, it would have been impossible to assemble such a large team with outstanding technical skills and experience to accomplish this task.

"it is good!"

At this moment, the next batch of steel in the experimental workshop began to be smelted, and the comrades' faces were radiant with joy.
-
While other colleagues were so busy, Gao Zhendong himself was naturally not idle either. Even though it was almost Chinese New Year, he was still very busy with work.

Let's not even talk about the thermal power plant; it's a huge thing, and just the core alone is enough to keep him busy.

The other comrades were not idle either. So many days had passed, and the personnel of the Defense Work Committee had been organized long ago. In about a week, with the transportation resources that the committee could control, even if people were transferred from the most remote places in the four directions, they would have been transferred.

After all, the Falcon-20 is no pushover. The frequency with which this aircraft is used here is a great boon to its homeland, Gaul, as it provides a wealth of operational experience that will greatly benefit future improvements.

It's no wonder they're so impatient; anyone would be eager for a long-range precision strike weapon with a range of 800-1500 kilometers.

"Comrade Zhendong, we're here to rip you off again, hahaha." The comrades from the Air Force Equipment Bureau couldn't help but laugh as soon as they entered Gao Zhendong's office.

This big spender really enjoyed the meal, taking food and even some leftovers.

Gao Zhendong couldn't help but laugh at his pun. As long as it was edible, that was something to be desired. It was just a pity that some things were inedible because the technology hadn't developed to the point where they were truly inedible. After working hard for so many years, he had only just reached the point where he could eat cruise missiles.

“When you open a shop, you don’t have to worry about big eaters. Eat as much as you want.” Gao Zhendong’s words were loaded with meaning, and his comrades all laughed.

"This is..." The chief engineer was still preparing to introduce it when the comrades who came with him and Gao Zhendong all laughed.

"Boss, no need for introductions, I know most of these comrades well."

"That's right, we probably started dealing with Chief Engineer Gao even earlier than you."

If we start counting from the group that dealt with air-to-air missiles, that's definitely the case. And there's one person among them who's been around since Gao Zhendong was still in school—that's Su Weihua at the back of the crowd. Su Weihua is undoubtedly the one who first interacted with Gao Zhendong; there's no other like him here.

This group of comrades was drawn from the anti-ship missile team. The main focus of anti-ship missile development now is on extending the range. This involves both fuel production and waiting for over-the-horizon radar, so the manpower is currently quite sufficient.

The National Defense Industry Committee thought about it and concluded that this thing was most likely a missile, and that our longest-range air-to-surface missile was indeed an anti-ship missile developed by these comrades. No doubt about it.

So they transferred some people from the anti-ship missile team. This included not only Su Weihua, but also his senior engineer, Engineer Qi, though now he had to be addressed as General Manager Qi.

In fact, what the comrades were most curious about was how this thing was guided, so most of the people transferred here this time were in the guidance field.

Upon hearing this, the chief engineer slapped his forehead, confused. Comrade Zhendong's earliest interactions with the system, besides computers, were with missiles. How could these missile-working comrades not be familiar with him?

As everyone sat down chatting and laughing, the comrade from the Air Force Equipment Bureau couldn't wait to speak up: "Comrade Zhendong, now you can tell us your weapon concept with a range of 800 to 1500 kilometers."

He'd been holding this in for a long time; it had been so unsettling that he couldn't eat or sleep.

His words nearly gave the missile team a real fright. What? Are they playing this big?

When they were summoned, they were only told that there was a new long-range weapon concept that needed to be discussed, without any further details.

Comrades, think about it, how far can it be?

Anyway, as long as it's not a ballistic missile, the maximum range is 200 kilometers, and anything further is meaningless.

The first thing I heard was that this job was very expensive, costing 800-1500, which was a bit unexpected.

"800?" President Qi couldn't help but exclaim, "How am I supposed to guide this?!"
The comrade from the Air Force Equipment Bureau nodded: "Yes, it's 800." Let's take a lower limit first.

Gao Zhendong nodded, understanding that the impact of this number was indeed quite significant: "Yes, the lower limit is 800. Beyond that, it depends on the design level. In short, the missile's length should ideally be controlled at just over 6 meters, its diameter should not exceed 520 millimeters, and its weight should not exceed 1.5 tons."

These numbers are all carefully chosen and very scientific.

A little over 6 meters is the maximum possible length of a stealth bomber's bomb bay, the limit length of a submarine's launch tubes, and the limit length of the vertical launch system on the latest destroyer under construction. However, there is still some leeway for the vertical launch system.

520 mm is the diameter of a torpedo tube that does not exceed 533 mm, provided that the diameter is as large as possible.

The 1.5-ton weight ensures that the Tu-16 series can carry at least two missiles in its current configuration for common missions.

It's perfectly scientific, without a single flaw.

But to the comrades, these words meant something completely different.

Science my ass! You're telling me such a small missile can fly 800 kilometers away?
It's worth noting that their anti-ship missiles aren't much shorter than this size, about two-thirds the diameter and weighing about half as much, so they can only fly at most 120-150 kilometers.

Even Chief Engineer Wei, who knew Gao Zhendong's overall situation best, was having doubts. He knew Gao Zhendong was very accomplished in solid propellant technology, but this was somewhat unscientific. Even if it were GAP propellant, something that could be described as more valuable than gold, it would cost at most 200.

"Comrade Zhendong, is it difficult to achieve this range with this size? Should we loosen the requirements a bit?" the chief engineer asked.

“Yes, that is indeed difficult. We don’t necessarily require the Tu-16 series to carry two missiles; carrying one is fine too.” The comrade from the Air Force Equipment Bureau immediately understood why it was limited to 1.5 tons upon hearing the weight.

Gao Zhendong shook his head and briefly explained the reasons for the size and weight limitations.

The comrades were stunned. Comrade Zhendong was playing a grand game!

From his words, it was clear that he wanted to launch this weapon not only from existing bombers, but also from submarines and warships—his ambition was considerable. The chief engineer was both pleased and worried. He was pleased with Gao Zhendong's idea; if it could be realized, it would be a viable means of attack that could be used both at sea and in the air, and could even function as a medium- or short-range ballistic missile against neighboring threats.

This is also Comrade Zhendong's style; he always tries to take into account the needs of multiple parties as much as possible.

As for the concerns, the worry is that the requirement is too high and difficult to achieve. Although we know that Gao Zhendong must have some confidence and ideas since he said so, we still have to be scientific in our approach, no matter how well prepared we are.

At this size, not only is it possible to fly that far, but guidance is also a major issue.

Ballistic missiles can fly thousands or tens of thousands of kilometers with an accuracy of about 300 meters, which is achieved through a complex guidance system. Not only are they expensive, but they are also very large and heavy. In a sense, the saying "bigger is better" is absolutely true.

However, it seems illogical to cram both fuel and an engine capable of flying over 800 kilometers into a 1.5-ton missile, as well as such a complex guidance system, especially considering the price.

"Can it really be achieved?" The comrades from the Air Force Equipment Bureau had a much simpler mindset. "You said it yourself, and your word is your bond. If you dare to say it, I dare to believe it."

Gao Zhendong nodded: "Really capable."

"That's all right now," the comrades from the Air Force Equipment Bureau said with smiles. They were the ones who had the most confidence in Gao Zhendong.

"Could it be a new type of propellant?" the Venezuelan chief engineer asked, as this was the most likely scenario.

Gao Zhendong smiled and shook his head. "You're going too far. Even when I traveled back in time, GAP was top-of-the-line; there weren't any newer versions available. Let alone GAP, even the HTPB, which is widely used in advanced tactical missiles now, is something that very few companies can manufacture properly."

"Is that a high-altitude trajectory?" That's one method, but the survival rate would be questionable if that were the case.

Gao Zhendong shook his head: "No, the trajectory of this missile is limited to low or even very low altitudes, which is also its ability to penetrate defenses."

In the early days of their emergence, cruise missiles like the Tomahawk were extremely difficult targets to deal with. They were low, slow, and small. The fact that they were low made them ineffective against the air defense systems of more than 99% of the world's countries. The key was that they could fly low but still hit accurately.

Otherwise, we wouldn't have specifically trained the new three-way attack and three-way defense at the end of the 20th century.

This is complicated. What exactly is it?
"What kind of advanced technology is it?" This question from the chief engineer reflected the sentiments of all the comrades.

Gao Zhendong laughed: "Strictly speaking, this technology is not advanced. Of course, from an engineering perspective, it does require relatively high-tech implementation."

What is it? The comrades, like curious children, blinked their eyes.

"A small turbofan engine!" Gao Zhendong's answer left the comrades with a momentary feeling of "That's it?"

"Turbofan? It doesn't seem to be a very advanced technology, at least it's quite common." It does sound rather low-end, but whatever, as long as it works, it doesn't seem like a bad thing.

"Hey, turbofan engines are fuel-efficient and don't require oxidizers. From this perspective, a significant portion of the propellant load is saved and can be used entirely for fuel. Combined with larger wings and other lift-generating mechanisms, the range can indeed be greatly increased." Compared to rocket engines, which require oxidizers regardless of whether they are solid or liquid propellants, jet engines are indeed much less troublesome.

"If it's a turbofan, that means the missile will fly almost entirely under its own power. I don't know what kind of guidance it uses, but at least the maneuvering energy during the guidance process won't be a problem."

"But turbofans can't fly very fast, can they? They can't compare to rocket engines that can easily reach speeds of several Mach." Turbofans have a speed limit, and for a turbofan to function, it must mean that an aerodynamic shape that increases lift is needed, which increases drag.

"That's not a problem. If it's really about low-altitude or even ultra-low-altitude penetration, a cruising speed of Mach 0.8 or higher is enough. It's basically a low-altitude penetration unmanned bomber with a warhead." This analogy helped everyone understand the unique features of this weapon. And a cruising speed of 0.8 to 0.95 is indeed relatively easy to achieve.

Gao Zhendong didn't say much, but the comrades figured everything out on their own by following this line of thought.

"But we don't yet have very reliable turbofan engine technology, not even small one," one comrade pointed out the biggest problem.

The comrades all turned to look at Gao Zhendong. Since Comrade Zhendong had put forward this idea, he must have some plan.

Gao Zhendong laughed: "Well, some units have been working on small turbofan engines for a while now. They're based on the small jet engine of the Fire Peak UAV that we shot down, and they've already made some progress."

He didn't say where it was being carried out, but the chief engineer and the comrades from the Air Force Equipment Bureau remembered that this matter had indeed been planned long ago. After shooting down Huofeng and obtaining the wreckage, they started this matter on Gao Zhendong's suggestion, and the Guizhou Aviation Engine Research Institute was responsible for it.

Wow! Comrade Gao Zhendong's arrangement was so subtle and foreshadowing; he laid the groundwork without anyone even realizing it.

"Success?"

"It's not completely successful yet, and there are still reliability issues, but let's not forget that we're currently preparing to use this engine in missiles," Gao Zhendong said with a smile.

Although there are templates, better materials, and some other support, an engine still takes time to develop, and the unit responsible is a third-tier unit. It's newly established, so getting it completely right is difficult.

However, Gao Zhendong's words enlightened the comrades.

Yes, this thing is used on missiles, so it's disposable. Therefore, the requirements for reuse are completely non-existent here. In other words, for disposable missiles, it only needs to be able to work for about 2 hours at most. Maintainability, overhaul intervals, and continuous operation reliability can all be ignored or reduced, which makes things much easier.

The difficulty of maintaining an engine with a lifespan of 300 hours and requiring repeated maintenance is completely different from that of an engine with a lifespan of 2 hours. This is under the condition of a range of 1500 meters; if the range is 800 meters, it wouldn't even take a hour.

The chief engineer was somewhat amused and exasperated. This was using all the intermediate results from the research process; Comrade Zhendong's thinking was truly ingenious.

The comrades from the Air Force Equipment Bureau didn't care about all that; they only had one thought: could you please use it?

"An engine that runs for two hours... Hey!"

Gao Zhendong added: "Based on the current performance and fuel consumption of this engine, I have calculated that at a speed of Mach 0.8, the fuel carried by the 1.5-ton missile body, even if the aerodynamic shape is not very good, can fly for 1 hour without any problem."

This was the result he obtained after specifically inquiring about the progress and targets from Guizhou Aviation Industry Group in the past few days.

The engine's thrust was originally in the 250kg range, but Gao Zhendong insisted on increasing it to 260kg for some reason. Gao Zhendong didn't help much, but provided a cross-sectional diagram of the Tomahawk's F107 engine and some other "small" assistance.

Combined with the small jet engine of Huofeng, the progress is acceptable, but not "too fast". After all, Huofeng's small jet engine J-69 is much larger than the F107. The J-69's thrust of more than 770 kilograms is a bit excessive. It is also a turbojet engine. So the J-69 can provide experience, but it cannot be copied directly.

The committee and the Air Force Equipment Bureau only knew that there was such a project, but they were not aware of the progress at the moment. This project was so small and detailed that they would not normally be aware of it.

However, it doesn't matter if you don't know. Since Gao Zhendong said he has already calculated it, there won't be any problems.

After listening to Gao Zhendong's introduction of this small, even miniature, turbofan, the missile team was both surprised and delighted.

"So, all we need to do now is design a missile body that can fly smoothly under 260kg of thrust?" The comrade in charge of missile aerodynamics felt that happiness had come too suddenly. For him, he could even imagine what the missile would look like.

Straight, folding wings, pop-out air intake, cylindrical body...

This is just a small aircraft that doesn't require much maneuverability. To put it bluntly, even if he drew up a bunch of configurations, he could just take them to a wind tunnel and blow up the best one without it taking too long.

Gao Zhendong nodded and then shook his head: "It's roughly the same, but there are some details regarding the external dimensions, based on the requirements I just mentioned."

(End of this chapter)