In 1978, I was admitted to Harbin Institute of Technology

Chapter 296 The Misguided Air Force, with its Superb Flying Skills, Finally Gets Its Feathers Plugged

"Comrade Lei Qiang, remember, personal safety must be the top priority. If the fighter jet cannot be saved, you must eject!"

The following afternoon, on the gangway next to the J-7 undergoing its test flight, Xie Wei lay on it and solemnly emphasized once again to Lei Qiang, who was already ready for takeoff.

Like a nagging old mother!
Lei Qiang was speechless, but on the surface he had to earnestly assure Xie Wei that he would eject if necessary.

"Our school has a new fighter jet project that is far more advanced than the current fighter jets! It is on par with the most advanced foreign fighter jets and has already entered the prototype trial production stage."

Seeing the disapproval on Lei Qiang's face, Xie Wei knew that his emphasis on pilots being more valuable than fighter jets conflicted with the ingrained notions of people in this era, and was difficult to change. So he simply left with that statement.

what?
Fighter jets that are far more advanced than current aircraft!

These words immediately sparked an idea in Lei Qiang's mind.

Flying the most advanced fighter jets is every pilot's dream.

However, the pilot's excellent mental fortitude allowed him to quickly calm down and begin preparations for takeoff.

The boarding stairs have been removed, and the engines of the J-7 fighter jets have been started.

"Power system is normal."

"Weapon systems normal..."

……

"Aircraft in good condition, requesting takeoff!"

"Ready for takeoff!"

After receiving approval from the control tower, the control stick was gently pushed, and the J-7, with a PL-4 modified air-to-air missile mounted on each wing, began to slowly taxi on the runway.

As the engine output power increases, the speed increases.

Soon, the J-7 took off.

At the test flight site, Lai Guichang and others beside Xie Wei held binoculars and kept searching for the fighter jet, their faces tense.

Xie Wei was speechless: to ensure safety, this test launch required climbing to an altitude of 14000 meters, which posed no challenge to the J-7 with a service ceiling of 18700 meters or the PL-4 with a maximum altitude of 21000 meters.

The reason for choosing this altitude is that, in the event that the fighter jet's engine fails after launch, sufficient altitude provides enough time for the pilot to restart the engine.

Soon, the J-7 climbed to the launch area at 14000 meters.

The radar at the test flight site was constantly monitoring the fighter jets.

"emission!"

Upon receiving the order from the control tower, Lei Qiang pressed the missile launch button.

"Boom~"

The PL-4 missile under the left wing ignited instantly, trailing a plume of flame as it hurtled toward the target along the launch trajectory under the wing.

At the moment of ignition, the fighter jet veered to one side.

Lei Qiang, who was already prepared, discovered that the changes in the fighter jet's force state at that moment, as Xie Wei described, were almost exactly the same as the deflection direction Xie Wei had mentioned.

In particular, they also observed the situation after the missile launch.

Unlike the experienced test pilots who trimmed the aircraft the moment it began to deflect, the pilot paused for a few seconds before adjusting the control stick to raise the left wing of the fighter jet, causing the aircraft to change from a level position to a sideways flight.

The engine didn't stall!

"It's done!"

Lai Guichang and the others breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that the fighter jet had not stalled.

Ground radar tracked the trajectory of the launched PL-4 missile until it reached a distance of 28 kilometers. After the missile's propellant had burned out, the self-destruct mechanism was activated, and the entire missile turned into a firework in the air, disappearing from the ground tracking radar display.

"Maximum range 28 kilometers, maximum flight speed Mach 3.2!"

At the ground radar station, the radar operator, who had been staring intently at the data on the display screen, exclaimed in astonishment, "How can it be so far! So fast!"

The PL-4 tested previously didn't have such a long range or such a fast firing speed.

"Weren't the previous tests all conducted with different propellants and engines?"

Xie Wei was puzzled.

The problem of fighter jet engines shutting down is due to the replacement of solid fuel with higher energy density and more powerful rocket engines.

"At that time, for safety reasons, the speed was just Mach 2.6 and the range was 14 kilometers before it self-destructed."

Professor Lai explained.

Xie Wei glanced at him, but swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"Try post-launch climb..."

After Xie Wei breathed a sigh of relief, he asked to continue the test.

The theory was sound, and no unexpected events occurred during the actual operation, preventing Lei Qiang from being put in danger.

So, after circling once, it returned to the launch area.

With experience, the second missile was maneuvered in a different way to avoid the nose entering the missile's exhaust plume area, making it easier to operate.

The engine is still running!

"This……"

The test pilots were still somewhat puzzled.

"Actually, this has a lot to do with everyone's rich experience... During previous launches, when you noticed the fighter jet deflecting, you would immediately adjust the balance... Comrade Lei Qiang waited a few seconds after launching the missile before using maneuvers to adjust the balance..."

Faced with the puzzled looks on the faces of several experienced test pilots, Xie Wei explained.

In his time, all experienced pilots would experience engine failure after launch. When the test team was at a loss, Lei Qiang volunteered to give it a try.

After the test launch, he did not immediately level the deflected aircraft. Instead, he allowed the aircraft to deflect, first sticking his head out to observe whether the missile had been successfully launched, before leveling it.

I saw Xie Wei online.

The reason why the experienced test pilots experienced engine stalls before was because their skills were so good that it had almost become a habit...

"So, the problem arose because our technology is too good?"

A test pilot in his forties stared wide-eyed.

Is being too technically skilled a mistake?

Everyone was stunned.

Even though Xie Wei had explained the principle in detail before, they never suspected that the problem was caused by their superior technology.

Xie Wei glanced at them, but didn't continue explaining. Instead, he turned to Professor Lai:
"Next, we can prepare the target drone and conduct the live-fire test."

He was not satisfied with the PL-4's range or air maneuverability, even though its speed had reached Mach 3.2.

In his view, it was still not enough.

Against a fighter jet like the MiG-25, which flies at speeds exceeding Mach 3, an air-to-air missile with a speed of only Mach 3.2, if launched from 20 kilometers away, would be very difficult to shoot down even if it kept chasing the aircraft.

"Now the commanders shouldn't be able to refuse! Before, they used the excuse of slow speed and short range..."

Shi Hongwei looked excited.

The improved PL-4 has undergone complete design changes in the past two years, from the seeker to the propellant, from the warhead to the rocket engine.

Apart from the unchanged external shape and aerodynamic layout, it is no longer the PL-4.

"hope so!"

Xie Wei didn't have high expectations.

No matter what, the military will likely believe that domestically produced equipment is not as advanced as equipment purchased from abroad.

"Let's talk to Section Chief Wei and Director Xiong first, otherwise they'll say we're doing things haphazardly without the military representatives. We can't decide whether the Air Force leaders come or not. Anyway, we only have four prototype missiles left. They already have the data."

“What if the air force doesn’t give us any orders after we finish fighting them…” Lai Guichang asked worriedly.

Before he could finish speaking, Xie Wei coldly interrupted him, "Fire these four shots? If they don't give us the order and the money, we won't even show them these four shots!"

The two men stared at Xie Wei in shock, their lips moving, but ultimately they said nothing.

"What? They were doing target practice, and you didn't participate? Wei Changcheng, what kind of military representative are you?"

Upon hearing Wei Changcheng's report, Xiong Yueshan immediately stood up.

Wei Changcheng could only explain with a wry smile, "Director Xiong, I didn't want this either. You know the situation at the school..."

His days at the military representative office of Harbin Institute of Technology were not easy.

They kept a close eye on the school's important military research projects, fearing that Xie Wei might secretly sell some advanced technology and equipment if they weren't careful.

"See for yourself!"

Xiong Yueshan threw a document in front of Wei Changcheng.

Wei Changcheng was stunned when he picked up the document: "I haven't heard a thing!"

"Haven't you heard anything? Are the higher-ups just bored enough to post an article inquiring about Harbin Institute of Technology's air-to-air missile negotiations with Iraq?"

Xiong Yueshan was furious.

Hearing this, Wei Changcheng breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the inside story.

"There were no negotiations. Xie Wei simply wanted to provide Yitzhak with a sample of the PL-4 missile so he could take it back with him. A few days ago, Xie Wei went to see Principal Li with Secretary Liu Debao..."

"So, if the Air Force doesn't place an order, Xie Wei will have to sell this thing anyway?"

Wei Changcheng did not answer Xiong Yueshan's angry question.

"Nonsense! Absolutely nonsense! If everyone acted like them, chaos would ensue!"

Xiong Yueshan was even angrier.

Xie Wei was clearly threatening him, and the one most severely affected was him, the military representative of Harbin.

Of all the military industrial units in Harbin, none of them have messed things up like Xie Wei.

"Director Xiong, this can't be blamed on Xie Wei. The PL-4 was technologically outdated before, with a short range, slow speed, and poor maneuverability... Harbin Institute of Technology invested more than 1200 million yuan to modify the seeker, fuse, fuel, and engine, and its performance fully meets the Air Force's requirements..."

Wei Changcheng's expression turned serious. "Director Xiong, we have to side with Harbin Institute of Technology in this matter."

Xiong Yueshan glared fiercely at Wei Changcheng. "Tell me how to stand?"

"If it can meet the Air Force's needs, but the Air Force doesn't place orders or provide funding, why shouldn't others be allowed to sell it on the international market and recoup their funding?"

"You took bribes from them?"

Xiong Yueshan's voice was icy cold.

"I'd like to accept it! But the people in charge at their school don't understand social etiquette at all, as you know."

Wei Changcheng answered with a smile.

Xiong Yueshan stared at Wei Changcheng for a long time, and Wei Changcheng met his gaze without any hesitation.

"Ah~"

In the end, Xiong Yueshan could only sigh.

Nothing more was said.

"Is Principal Li coming back?"

Xie Wei looked at Liu Debao in surprise.

"It's not just Principal Li; some leaders from the General Staff, the General Logistics Department, the Air Force, and other relevant units will also be coming."

Liu Debao reminded Xie Wei, "Therefore, we must be fully prepared this time and cannot allow any unexpected events to occur."

"What unexpected events could happen?"

Xie Wei said nonchalantly, "Currently, the Air Force is only covering the cost of four prototype missiles, and each one has only received 150,000 yuan in funding. It's hard to say whether we'll get any more orders!"

Xie Wei is still unsure whether the Air Force will place an order.

His attitude was very bad before, and with Wei Changcheng and Xiong Yueshan speaking on his behalf, the stingy Air Force finally allocated 600,000 yuan to pay the project team for the remaining 4 PL-4 prototype missiles, and also allocated funds for two Changkong-1 UAVs.

Whether or not orders will be placed later, nobody knows.

"Your attitude..."

Liu Debao was both amused and exasperated.

Xie Wei is even more snobbish than Principal Li.

"By the way, what are your plans for dealing with Yitzhak? The Iraqis are almost in Hong Kong, and our people are leaving the day after tomorrow... That kid seems really interested in this kind of bomb."

Seeing that Xie Wei was about to explode, Liu Debao quickly changed the subject.

Xie Wei has been busy these past few days, and with the involvement of multiple higher-level departments, it's definitely impossible for Yitzhak to take away the PL-4 air-to-air missile prototype.

"What's the use of him caring? The Air Force may not have placed orders, but they did pay, didn't they?"

Xie Wei didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

"..."

Liu Debao felt that keeping quiet would help him maintain a harmonious relationship with Xie Wei.

Not long after returning to his office in the Civil Engineering Building from Liu Debao's place, Yitzhak came knocking on his door.

"Thanks. When will you deliver the free trial air-to-air missiles you mentioned? We're leaving the day after tomorrow morning."

Yitzhak found Shewe and urged him to hand over the six air-to-air missile prototypes that had been agreed upon.

When it comes to weapons and equipment, especially for exports, the handover procedures are not simple.

Time is running out.

It's free, and it's an air-to-air missile, so why not take it?

If it really performs well and is inexpensive, wouldn't that be a great achievement?
"Lieutenant Colonel, I'm very sorry, the research team conducted a test launch a few days ago, and during the test launch, problems such as engine failure in mid-air and target loss occurred during target tracking..."

Xie Wei looked troubled.

Engine stall in mid-air?
Target lost?

Even for non-professionals, Yitzhak knew that such problems were very serious quality issues for air-to-air missiles.

"Is that so? Then I can't take it back with me this time. If it malfunctions during use, it will not only seriously threaten the lives of our pilots, but also severely damage the reputation of your product..."

Upon hearing about such a serious malfunction, Yitzhak immediately lost interest.

He hoped that bringing it back would enhance his achievements, rather than causing problems and affecting his future.

"Is it really okay for you to lie to him like this? If he finds out the truth, it won't be so easy for him to negotiate with Abdullah in the future."

Liu Debao was both amused and exasperated after hearing this.

"He wasn't in charge of this area to begin with. Yitzhak is an intelligent talent; when he gets back, he'll probably get a promotion and become at least a regimental commander."

Xie Wei said indifferently.

Liu Debao did not doubt Xie Wei's explanation.

While Yitzhak was here, he had a lot of contact with Shevchenko, and the two had a very good personal relationship.

She even prepared a copy of "On Protracted War" and a set of "Selected Works of Mao Zedong" published in 51, intending to give them to Yitzhak when he left.

When Liu Debao first learned of Xie Wei's idea, he even thought that Xie Wei was planning to trick Yitzhak into starting a revolution in Iraq.

(End of this chapter)