Return to Hong Kong Island for a Century

Chapter 312 Technical Roadmap and Environment
Of course, these news stories are not very meaningful for ordinary people.

Don't say things like "it's all about the wind" or "it's all about pigs' mouths"!

To put it simply, what you see is just to let you know.

If you try to follow the trend and make a quick buck, there's at least a 90% chance you'll die without even knowing how.

Because while many things are still under investigation, others have already entered the game.

By the time you see the news, others will have already taken the lion's share, and you'll be left holding the bag!

The profits are very small, and the risks are very high.

Of course, other people would love to find some suckers to take over, because others have made their profits and left you with all the risks and responsibilities!
Li Song looked at the news report: The Xinghui twin-turbofan small passenger plane produced by Chang'an Aircraft Manufacturing Plant conducted take-off and landing tests in extremely cold weather in a certain place in Northeast China.

The test data met the design requirements!
The next step for Xinghui's twin-turbofan miniature technology will be to conduct flight tests in other locations!
It is expected to be finalized by the end of July.

Furthermore, the Starliner has already obtained special airworthiness certificates from Europe and the United States!
StarHub will travel to Europe and the Americas to participate in European flight permit and trial certificate tests.

Li Song saw a shot taken from inside an airplane, showing snow-covered land and forests below.

There are also videos of planes taking off and landing at the airport.

The aircraft underwent de-icing during takeoff.

Aircraft de-icing involves spraying a heated solution containing corrosion inhibitors and surfactants.

In addition, the aircraft itself has a de-icing function!

Because when passenger planes fly at an altitude of 10,000 meters, it can cause ice to form on the wings and fuselage!

Even in the troposphere below 7,000 meters, there may be slightly cold raindrops!
In addition, during takeoff and landing, airplanes are prone to encountering clouds or cold rain in winter.

The wings and tail section are very prone to icing!

Once the wings and tail of an aircraft become icy, it not only increases the aircraft's weight but also interferes with the control of the wings and tail!
Aircraft de-icing can be roughly divided into four types: chemical de-icing, thermal de-icing, and mechanical de-icing.

The TV program showed chemical de-icing, which is suitable for ground surfaces.

The other three types are mainly for use during flight!

The first method is to run heat energy inside the wings and tail, which is equivalent to turning on the air conditioner inside the wings and tail!

The second method involves installing electric heating devices on the surfaces of the wings and tail.

Heating wire or heating film.

The third method is mechanical de-icing.

This involves placing a compressed rubber tube at the front of the wing or tail.

When ice forms on the surface of the machine, the rubber tube expands and contracts.

This causes the ice on the wing surface to break up, and then at the high speed of the aircraft, this broken ice is quickly blown away!
The Starliner uses two de-icing methods: heating the interior of the wings and tail.

Another option is mechanical de-icing!
Mechanical de-icing is generally used. If mechanical de-icing fails, another method is used.
The reason for using two methods is mainly for security reasons, since this is a private business jet.

This can also be used as a selling point in the future.

The Starliner uses two control methods: hydraulic control and mechanical control.

Tele-drive control is completely unnecessary.

In addition, the Star Shine aircraft itself is also equipped with radar.

Of course, this is a regular X-band weather radar.

Medium- and long-range passenger aircraft are equipped with C-band radar.

It still uses a CRT monitor with bright spots!
Li Song carefully read the news report. The aircraft itself was not highly classified because it still needed to fly to the West to obtain an airworthiness certificate.

Moreover, the aircraft's design drawings had already been patented.

Moreover, when this time they mentioned Chang'an Aircraft Manufacturing Plant, they didn't specify the nature of the plant.

Anyway, this period wasn't the internet era, and domestic information about foreign countries mainly came from the media.

Of course, there are also some magazines that spout nonsense.

Although at this stage these magazines seem to be talking nonsense and are somewhat unbelievable!

But in the end, it still achieved very good results.

Because some people believed the magazine, and then when they grew up, they abandoned everything to go to America!

To put it bluntly, if you can't do well in China, you'll likely find it difficult to do well in America as well.

Of course, it's still quite easy for elites to get by in America.

However, elites are prone to triggering some of Amei's unspoken rules, namely, the correct skin!

No matter how capable you are, if your skin is either not fair enough or not dark enough, you won't have any special privileges over there.

If your skin is dark enough, you have the right to take things from the store for free, as long as you don't take more than a certain amount at a time!

If you have fair skin, then there will be no ceiling in your career.

The final result is just like an example, just like when Cuba sent people to Aramco back then!
Anyone who longs for America can go!
This actually makes us feel closer to our country!
Of course, no country can be a monolithic entity.

There are six people in one dormitory, and maybe eight group chats.

Then Li Song saw this report in the news.

That is the commencement of the new generation pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant project.

There are several types of nuclear power plants, one of which is boiling water reactor and the other is pressurized water reactor!
The difference between the two is the water used for cooling; one is unpressurized, and the other is pressurized.

Li Song suspected that the nuclear power plant technology was the same as the power technology of the Black Fish he had brought out!
Of course, the news report did not mention the specific origin of this technology.

In fact, Li Song also has a safer thorium molten salt nuclear power technology.

This technology actually exists now, but Amy stopped the project in the 1970s.

The reason why thorium molten salt nuclear power projects are not currently being used is...

It's because such technology isn't needed right now.

The reason why boiling water reactors or pressurized water reactors are used to build nuclear power plants is twofold: one is the demand for power generation, and the other is the demand for weapons!
Thorium molten salt technology makes it impossible to make weapons.

Not only can it not be used to make weapons, but this nuclear power project also requires other radioactive elements to start up.

It seems that China has also successfully developed thorium lava technology in recent years.

However, it wasn't until decades later that they shifted to this technological path!
The shift to this technology decades later was mainly due to two factors. The first was that it no longer required weapon-grade radioactive elements!
Another point is that thorium is a byproduct of iron ore or rare earth ore!

Thorium is a radioactive element, although its radioactivity is not very high.
Decades later, industrial development has resulted in the accumulation of a significant amount of this material.

Therefore, this material should be used up!

Developing thorium molten salt technology in isolation is no longer in line with the demands of the times.

Of course, thorium molten salt technology also has some challenges, such as corrosion resistance!

Of course, the underlying message of these news stories is to tell people in other countries that we have mastered this new generation of technology and have already begun to use it in power generation!

The layman watches the excitement, while the expert watches the details!
Those working in related fields abroad will know that China has made another breakthrough in certain areas as soon as they see this news.

Thinking of this, Li Song thought of something amusing!

That means if the US helps upgrade domestic fighter jets in two years, I wonder what kind of fighter jets China will send for the upgrade.

However, Li Song estimated that they would still need to use the original fighter jet.

It's impossible for the mainland to simply take out the fighter jet technology it acquired and then have Aramco upgrade it.

Of course, if relations between the US and China sour in the future, the fighter jets that the mainland produces might cause misunderstandings around the world.

Even Amei herself won't be able to explain it then!

Thinking about this, Li Song felt a sense of anticipation.

Because if relations between the US and us sour, and this kind of incident happens, their domestic political scene will probably be in chaos again!

The next day, Li Song went to Chang'an with Section Chief Zhou.

Li Song then learned that the negotiations between Shanghai and McDonnell Douglas had broken down.

McDonnell Douglas's ambitions are too great!
"McDonnell Douglas has an order for dozens of aircraft, and they want us to buy them at the original price!"

"And then there's their production line!"

"In addition, there are over 300 million US dollars in technology transfer fees!"

"Added together, it becomes a very large number!"

"Moreover, General Motors has no intention of transferring their engine technology along with this!"

"We proposed that as long as the production line still has the technology, McDonnell Douglas will not agree!" Section Chief Zhou explained the matter to Li Song in detail on the way.

Li Song mentally estimated that if McDonnell Douglas had offered such terms in the past, the mainland would never have agreed.

Because the most crucial technology in an aircraft is its engine.

Not to mention the dozens of aircraft orders being sold at the original price!
McDonnell Douglas aircraft already had a bad reputation, and these orders were canceled by others.

"I heard they came in a hurry, but why are they asking for such a high price?" Li Song asked upon hearing this.

"It seems they're in a rush to develop the next generation of aircraft!"

McDonnell Douglas's stock has been falling for a long time!

"They probably want to dispose of non-performing assets!"

"Moreover, McDonnell Douglas often leaks the contents of their negotiations with us, supposedly in an attempt to boost the stock price."

"Actually, people in Shanghai are quite willing to cooperate with McDonnell Douglas!"

"An aircraft is worthless if it doesn't have core engine technology!"

"But the engine technology belongs to General Motors."

"General Motors refused to sell the engine technology, so it felt like a double-edged sword!"

"Of course, the higher authorities are mainly optimistic about Chang'an Aircraft Manufacturing Plant!"

"In just over a month, the medium- and long-range passenger aircraft from Chang'an Aircraft Manufacturing Plant will undergo ground testing." Section Chief Zhou knew quite a bit about it.

"Oh!" Li Song nodded.

China has always had a strategy for purchasing equipment: importing only a small amount.

Later, there was an international joke that said no matter what kind of equipment it was, as long as we looked at it, it would get pregnant!

Just like the Su-27, which was later introduced, there were many different models in the country.

The reason why China rejected the offer so decisively this time is mainly because it has enough confidence!

However, Li Song was not optimistic about McDonnell Douglas's new generation of aircraft.

Because that was also a flop, and even worse than the current one!

Li Song arrived at Chang'an Aircraft Manufacturing Plant!

The workers at the aircraft manufacturing plant were highly enthusiastic.

The salary is high, there's a year-end bonus, and they even provide an apartment.

The housing for local employees is not located at the aircraft manufacturing plant, but in a specially designated area within Chang'an City!
As for the technical team from Shanghai, one-third of them have already been allocated housing!
These houses are still under renovation, and the renovation is quite simple at the moment!
It involves tiling, plastering, installing a suspended ceiling, and then furnishing it with basic furniture and appliances.

Moreover, the house adopted the most popular large open-plan living room style later on!

Now, the family members of these technicians act as supervisors, going to the construction site every day to check on the progress of the renovation!

After the renovation is completed, an inspection is required. After the inspection, the room should be ventilated for a period of time before everyone can move in.

However, nowadays most furniture is made of solid wood, and there is very little particleboard furniture.

In the assembly workshop of Chang'an Aircraft Manufacturing Plant, the framework of the medium- and long-range passenger aircraft appears to have already taken shape.

Various facilities are being installed inside the framework, including control systems, air conditioning systems, sealing systems, fire protection systems, electrical systems, and so on!

Since this is the first medium-to-long-range passenger aircraft assembled, it is also used for technical training!
This is why, even with all the parts available, it still takes several months to assemble this aircraft!
In addition, Chang'an Aircraft Manufacturing Plant is currently lobbying for the B-type transport aircraft project, as well as turboshaft engine technology.

The Panda aircraft has absolutely no connection with Chang'an Aircraft Manufacturing Plant!
Because those small planes don't require specialized aircraft manufacturing plants at all.

Li Song took a short stroll and spoke with his two uncles.

It turns out that Li Song also wanted to settle some of his relatives from his hometown here.

However, because my family had built a new house when I went home last time, some people around me couldn't stand seeing others doing well and started gossiping behind my back!

Therefore, Li Song did not settle the people from his hometown in.

Li Song didn't have much affection for his hometown to begin with!
Of course, Li Song still has to contribute money to some public welfare projects in his hometown!

For example, building schools, repairing roads, and so on.

Anyway, if you have money but don't do something for the village, people will talk behind your back.

When Li Song was at Chang'an Aircraft Manufacturing Plant!
McDonnell Douglas's representative slunk back to America.

McDonnell Douglas originally intended to dispose of the company's non-performing assets.

The current management team then reinvested that money into the development of a new aircraft!
Because there isn't enough funding for the development of the new aircraft!

Historically, McDonnell Douglas's DC11 was even worse than the DC10 due to issues with R&D funding and market conditions.

If the non-performing assets are disposed of, the stock price will look better, and there will be more funds available for developing new aircraft.

Perhaps it will take a different turn than it has in history!
However, McDonnell Douglas also lacked core engine technology. Engine technology is universal, and what the mainland needed was engine technology!
Despite McDonnell Douglas's several attempts to communicate with General Motors, General Motors refused to sell its technology.

In contrast to McDonnell Douglas's frustration, BBC reporter Nick officially formed a crowdfunding club, which mainly crowdfunds products.

Moreover, Nick felt more at ease after learning about the relevant news, because the StarShines aircraft was an international patent applied for by Li Song's company.

If they can manufacture small twin-engine turbofan passenger planes, then small propeller-driven aircraft are even less of a challenge.

Of course, Nick also faces some problems, namely that some politicians within Aramco are proposing to revise the safety standards for small aircraft.

Some of the conditions are quite stringent, meaning that core components must be manufactured by Aramco.

Nick is now worried that if these regulations are implemented too early, they could be devastating to the crowdfunding plan.

So Nick really wants to see Li Song now, because this needs to be done quickly.

As long as Panda Aircraft obtains Aramco's product license before this policy is implemented, that will be fine!
(End of this chapter)