In 1978, I was admitted to Harbin Institute of Technology

Chapter 357 Taking over the Y-10 is impossible; letting Northwestern Polytechnical University take it over is the best option.
"Ah~"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Li Rui sighed.

He remained silent, took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. An air force leader next to him hurriedly lit it for him. Li Rui exhaled a cloud of smoke, glanced around, and completely whetted everyone's appetite.

Seeing that Minister Lü and other high-ranking officials were about to reach their breaking point, he sighed again, "Sigh~ Xie Wei's demands are not easy to meet... Now Project No. 10 is about to enter the prototype trial production stage..."

What the hell!
Minister Lü's face immediately darkened upon hearing this.

on purpose!
Damn it, are they taking advantage of me?

Don't play with people like this.

If they didn't know that Project No. 10 was about to enter the prototype trial production stage, would the Third Ministry of Machine Building and the Air Force be in such a hurry?
"Xie Wei said that because of the heavy research and development tasks and insufficient supporting facilities, the school's research teams are working day and night without even rest... In order to ensure the health of the school's researchers, Xie Wei proposed to have a group of health care doctors to conduct a comprehensive physical examination for all researchers every six months... We can provide some of the medical equipment for the examinations, but Xie Wei proposed that the health care doctors should be experts or professors..."

"this?"

This request left everyone speechless.

There were not many healthcare doctors in China to begin with, and there was a talent gap during those ten years.

Xie Wei also demanded the absolute best.

less.

These healthcare doctors all have heavy workloads.

"We can field three players."

The air force logistics personnel thought for a moment, then gritted their teeth and said.

Without meeting these conditions, it would be impossible to smooth things over. Although it is difficult, it should not be a problem to arrange three top-notch medical professionals through the Air Force's connections.

"We'll send five!"

Minister Lü said through gritted teeth.

The Third Ministry of Machine Building did not have its own dedicated physicians, but many of its leaders came from military backgrounds, so it was possible to arrange such a service.

"That's no problem."

Li Rui was overjoyed. The difficult problem was solved, and he wouldn't have to resort to shameless tactics to beg for personnel from various units. "Of course, the school will fully guarantee the research projects and funding for the school's health care doctors."

"In that case, is this matter considered closed?"

Minister Lü asked Li Rui.

coming!

The sex scene is coming.

"The matter needs to be reported in the newspaper before any solutions can be implemented..."

"That's not the problem. The biggest problem right now is what to do with the Y-10 project?"

Minister Lü didn't want Li Rui to change the subject.

After the successful maiden flight of the Y-10 last year, it is still in the adjustment and test flight stage. According to the mission plan and schedule, it will enter the research and development test flight stage around the end of the year, and then enter the large-scale intensive transfer test flight after the new year.

However, now that the Civil Aviation Administration of China has just begun test flights, it has started to show no support for this domestically produced large aircraft and has been in more contact with McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company.

The Air Force had no funding, and the Third Ministry of Machine Building had even less.

The only thing that could save the Y-10 was the university's industry-university cooperation office.

"Xie Wei's stance is very clear: the university will resolutely not accept the Y-10 project. Everyone knows what's going on with the Y-10 project; it was essentially designed and manufactured under duress. The supporting infrastructure required is far too extensive..."

Li Rui didn't dare mention the Y-10 to Xie Wei.

Even before Project No. 10 was officially approved, he kept recommending Y-10s to Xie Wei, and even buying Y-11s from Factory 122 was to pave the way for the school to take over the Y-10 project.

We've tried every possible method.

Xie Wei's attitude remained unchanged.

"..."

Everyone was silent.

After Minister Lü came down, he took the initiative to find Xie Wei.

"Currently, the Y-10 does indeed have many problems. Its design is not advanced enough, its supporting facilities are not keeping up, and its manufacturing process is also lagging behind... If the project is allowed to be cancelled and McDonnell Douglas comes in, it is unknown when we will be able to manufacture large domestically produced aircraft of the 100-ton class again..."

Minister Lü's words were very sincere.

The Civil Aviation Administration's refusal was not without basis. Even if some people were biased, it was impossible for them to offer no support at all, given the guaranteed safety performance of the Y-10.

For a large mainline passenger aircraft weighing over 100 tons, welding the main beams alone is extremely dangerous.

"Civilian airliners are different from military aircraft. If a military aircraft has a problem, at most the crew members will die. But if a civilian airliner has a problem, it means hundreds of lives... Of course, I'm not saying that the crew members of a military aircraft are less important than the passengers of a civilian airliner, but the impact... The design and development team, along with the large aircraft manufacturer, the Shanghai Municipal Government, and the Third Ministry of Machinery Industry, wanted to use the Y-10's test flights to continuously improve design flaws, which is theoretically fine. But everyone knows the potential consequences of each test flight..."

Xie Wei did not hide his views and attitude from Minister Lü.

"For the Y-10 to reach the level required for market entry, its design must be significantly modified! This is even more difficult than redesigning a large aircraft."

“If we don’t support it, it will be even more difficult in the future. The country has invested too much in this over the past ten years. Once the project is gone, all the supporting facilities will have no chance to survive. This is why the Third Ministry of Machinery Industry and the military still wanted to support the Y-10 even though they knew it had many flaws.”

An Air Force logistics officer said.

"Hehe, I support you!"

Xie Wei raised an eyebrow. "You're supporting us, but using our funds? It's not that the leaders of the Seventh Ministry of Machine Building aren't going to get involved; they're just waiting for the outcome. If it's not resolved well, and we're a subordinate unit of the Seventh Ministry of Machine Building..."

"you……"

The air force logistics officers were speechless after Xie Wei's retort.

But Xie Wei was telling the truth.

If they had the funds, they wouldn't be putting up with Xie Wei's attitude here.
It's not that I don't have money.

“Project No. 10 didn’t have much of a foundation before, and even the supporting facilities were insufficient. Even with your strong support, the Air Force would find it difficult to get many orders in a short period of time. The Y-10 can be modified into a tanker, early warning aircraft, or transport aircraft in the military market, not to mention the civil aviation market. Although advanced fighter jets can enhance national defense capabilities and compete for air superiority, this requires the construction of a system. A single advanced fighter jet cannot support national defense security.”

Minister Lü looked at Xie Wei with a serious expression and a clear attitude: You support Project No. 10 even though it has little foundation and not much market potential in the short term. The Y-10 is more important for the development of technology and supporting facilities in the entire country's aviation field, and can even promote the development of fighter jet supporting facilities and technology. Yet Xie Wei resists it.

"We definitely have to support it."

Xie Wei said calmly, "But this project is not suitable for the Harbin Institute of Technology's Industry-University Cooperation Office to handle; we have too many projects."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing Xie Wei's words, Minister Lü and the others felt that Xie Wei's attitude had softened, and immediately stared at Xie Wei, waiting for his explanation.

"We've handed it over to Northwestern Polytechnical University. We've collaborated with Northwestern Polytechnical University on the early warning aircraft project. Although we've only started preliminary research on the early warning aircraft so far, we should also prepare for other aspects."

Xie Wei did not look at the gazes of the crowd.

what?
Everyone was stunned.

Unexpectedly, Xie Wei's support meant that Northwestern Polytechnical University would take over the Y-10.

What a fuss!

What's the situation at Northwestern Polytechnical University? They don't even have enough funding themselves, so they can't possibly support the current research and development projects.

"Xie Wei, to be honest, Northwestern Polytechnical University is indeed the most suitable, after all, they are a school specializing in aeronautics. But Northwestern Polytechnical University is different from yours. The school is short of funds. Not to mention the funds needed for research projects, there are not enough funds even for school construction... The Air Force does not have much funding support, and you know the situation of the Third Ministry of Machinery Industry..."

Minister Lü's face fell.

He never expected that Xie Wei would directly hand over the Y-10 to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Previously, when Xie Wei wanted Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) to take on the early warning aircraft project, he cunningly claimed that HIT was an aerospace subsidiary, mainly focused on rockets and missiles, while Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) was an aviation-related institution, and that the aircraft-related fields should be handled by NPU. He then directly handed the early warning aircraft project over to NPU.

To date, Northwestern Polytechnical University has not yet developed a comprehensive plan for an early warning aircraft due to a lack of funding and other issues.

Now Xie Wei has handed the Y-10 over to Northwestern Polytechnical University again?
What kind of support?
It's clearly a case of playing Tai Chi.

If Northwestern Polytechnical University were to take over the Y-10 project, its future would be even bleaker without financial support.

"Sir, Northwestern Polytechnical University is the most suitable."

Xie Wei sighed, "Harbin Institute of Technology previously had a sum of money for investment. If Northwestern Polytechnical University is only lacking funds, it can borrow money from the university..."

"what?"

The Air Force logistics leaders were furious. "Xie Wei, you're supposed to be brother units, supporting and helping each other. How could you possibly try to make money off your brother units?"

Xie Wei glanced at the leader but did not refute him. He then turned his gaze to Minister Lü beside him.

He awaited Minister Lü's reply.

Minister Lü took several deep breaths. He knew that Xie Wei was still unwilling to take over the Y-10.

National righteousness?

Defense needs?
It doesn't work.

Every organization needs to develop.

Xie Wei's proposed solution was actually the best one.

"Xie Wei, let's think about this matter again."

He did not express whether he supported Xie Wei's proposal. Li Rui, the most crucial figure, was not present. Their biggest goal had been achieved—to understand why Xie Wei was unwilling to support the Y-10.

"It's not that he's unwilling to support the Y-10. After all, Harbin Institute of Technology is a subordinate unit of the Seventh Ministry of Machinery Industry. So far, apart from a 150mm long-range rocket artillery system, none of its other businesses have anything to do with the Seventh Ministry of Machinery Industry. Air-to-air missiles and air defense missiles are within the scope of the Eighth Ministry of Machinery Industry... About half of the university's research funding has been invested in Project 10 and related supporting units..."

Facing Minister Lü and the Air Force logistics officers, Li Rui sighed silently.

Yuan Zhenyue was absolutely right when he said Xie Wei was an old silver coin.

His thoroughness in considering things even surpasses that of Li Rui, a leader who has been working within the system for decades.

"So you also think that the Y-10 will continue to be developed with loans?"

Minister Lü's brows furrowed deeply. "Everyone knows how many flaws the Y-10 has. Relying on loans will only lead to an unknown amount of debt..."

"Yes. All the Air Force needs are wide-body military transport aircraft."

The Air Force logistics leader also spoke up.

He now deeply regretted agreeing to his superior's arrangement to handle the matter himself.

Wouldn't it be better to find someone else?

Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) received a loan from Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) to support the development of the Y-10 transport aircraft. If it succeeds, all will be well; but if it fails, not only will NPU have to repay a huge debt, but it will also have to pay corresponding interest.

The current air force is so poor that they don't even have underwear to wear.

Li Rui remained silent.

He just watched Minister Lü silently.

"Ah~"

Minister Lü sighed, "I can't make a decision on this matter, and neither can the ministry. Let's ask Northwestern Polytechnical University."

Li Rui neither confirmed nor denied it.

Contacting the leaders and cadres of Northwestern Polytechnical University is naturally unnecessary for Li Rui to do, and it would be inappropriate for him to do so.

"What? Are you here to persuade me to agree to let the school take over the Y-10 and provide funding for improving its defects and continuing research and development?"

Xie Wei's attitude towards Li Rui was not good at all.

Even though Li Rui was his mentor.

The old man never does anything good.

Am I really that unreasonable?

Li Rui was furious.

Seeing Xie Wei nodding repeatedly, with an expression that seemed to say, "You really are that unreasonable," his face immediately fell. "Okay, I did want the school to take over the Y-10 project before. After all, the country's investment over the years is no small amount. Although the Y-10 has many flaws, it is, after all, a 110-ton class large aircraft that our country designed and built entirely independently. Once it's completely canceled, it will be much more difficult to rebuild it..."

Li Rui's words surprised Xie Wei.

Minister Lü is like that.

The same goes for Li Rui.

But in the end, the Y-10 project was cancelled.

After waiting for almost 20 years, the domestic large aircraft project, C919, was finally restarted!

By the time the C919 was restarted, almost all of its components were obsolete.

He was momentarily dazed: If the higher-ups saw it, why did the Y-10 project ultimately not continue?

Xie Wei was well aware of the defects and problems of the Y-10 through the words and attitudes of Minister Lü and Li Rui. This meant that even if that bastard Shen Tu did not reap the benefits of the wheat harvest, the Y-10 would still have a hard time surviving due to its design and supporting defects.

The importance of large aircraft is clear to the top leadership.

With full support from higher authorities, the funding can be less, but at least the project can be kept going and improved little by little.

"Everything requires funding! Not to mention the supporting infrastructure, just the improvements to the Y-10 alone would be impossible to complete without three to five hundred million..."

Li Rui sighed.

"Three to five hundred million?"

Xie Wei shook his head with a wry smile, "Even three or five billion yuan might not be enough to completely solve the defects of the Y-10 and allow it to enter the civil aviation passenger aircraft market... Putting aside other things, how do you convert a narrow-body aircraft to a wide-body one? Right now, the Y-10's main beams are all welded! Without a die forging machine of 65,000 tons or more, it's simply impossible to form it as a single piece... Now, every time the Y-10 goes into flight, the design team and manufacturing units are most afraid that the Y-10 will disintegrate during flight, right?"

This wasn't something Xie Wei made up on the spot.

The efforts and achievements of the research team must be acknowledged. It is because of this acknowledgment that Xie Wei was willing to allow Harbin Institute of Technology to provide a loan to Northwestern Polytechnical University, so that Northwestern Polytechnical University could continue to lead the Y-10 project.

Harbin Institute of Technology's geographical location is ultimately not good enough.

Otherwise, Xie Wei wouldn't have needed any persuasion from his superiors; he would have agreed to take over the Y-10 without any prompting.

(End of this chapter)