Legendary Captain

Chapter 376 Steam Catapult

Contrary to Xu Xian's expectations, the captain's cabin was quite simple, and Captain Wu Yinian was looking at Xu Xian with curiosity.

"Younger than I expected, truly a promising young man!" Captain Wu Yinian said expressionlessly. "The Western Air Force Commander and the Southern Fleet Commander both informed me to 'treat' you well. In my twenty-three years in the military, I've never seen such a grand display of new recruits."

"Hmm?" Lu Ping, who was standing next to Xu Xian, was shocked. He hadn't expected that this unassuming recruit would have such a powerful background, as he had actually attracted the attention of the Western Air Force Commander and the Southern Fleet Commander.

Compared to Lü Ping's shock, Xu Xian's reaction was more subdued, showing little surprise.

Wu Yinian looked at Xu Xian, whose expression remained calm, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. He was indeed a composed young man. He waved his hand, signaling Lü Ping to go out first.

Seeing that the captain seemed to have something to say to Xu Xian alone, Lü Ping tactfully left the captain's cabin, leaving Xu Xian and Wu Yinian to talk alone.

"You heard what I just said, but even if the commanders of the Western Air Force and the Southern Fleet are protecting you, the standards absolutely cannot be lowered. This is our military's discipline, our bottom line! You can't get away with this by trying to pull strings." Wu Yinian slightly raised his eyelids: "Do you understand?"

"Understood!" Xu Xian didn't expect to lower his standards just because a leader had spoken to him.

"Good that you understand!" Wu Yinian nodded. "However, since both commanders have given their instructions, I can accommodate you a little in terms of living conditions. That's about the limit for me. Also, I heard from above that you're here to obtain carrier-based qualifications and will eventually return to the Western Air Force. If you're just here to gain experience, I advise you to go back as soon as possible to avoid making things awkward for everyone later."

Wu Yinian's meaning was clear: he wouldn't relax his standards towards Xu Xian just because he was only there for a short period of training. After all, Xu Xian was from the Western Air Force, and if things went wrong later, it wouldn't look good for the relationship between the Western Air Force and the Southern Ship.

The South China Sea Fleet is known for its rigorous training, and the living conditions at sea are much harsher than on land, which further increases the difficulty of training.

After the aircraft carrier was commissioned, a carrier-based aircraft force was formed. Due to the large shortage, a group of pilots were transferred from the Air Force and Army Aviation. However, many of these pilots could not adapt to the naval aviation environment and eventually returned to their original units.

Wu Yinian's words were undoubtedly a preemptive strike for Xu Xian, lest he become unable to bear it later and accuse HNA of deliberately making things difficult for him.

Xu Xian was mentally prepared for the intense training and harsh environment here. He firmly stated, "I've already learned about the situation here. Since I'm here, I'm willing to accept all the training arrangements."

Wu Yinian nodded in satisfaction: "I'm relieved to hear you say that. We soldiers always keep our word. Since you said it, I naturally believe you. Alright, go ahead!"

Xu Xian was taken aback, not expecting the trip to the captain's cabin to be so quick. It seemed the captain had merely called him over to give him a little "wind-up." After all, receiving greetings from the two commanders of the Western Air Force and the Southern Fleet could easily make a new recruit complacent. Xu Xian was a promising talent, that was beyond doubt, which was why Wu Yinian had specifically called him over to offer some guidance. Otherwise, if he didn't care, why would he take the time out of his busy schedule to speak with a new recruit?

However, Wu Yinian was overthinking it. Xu Xian was good for nothing, but fortunately, he was very self-aware, so it would be difficult to make him complacent.

Since the captain had clearly stated that he wanted to see the guests out, Xu Xian felt it was no longer appropriate to stay, so he turned around and prepared to leave.

Just as Xu Xian opened the door to leave, Wu Yinian's voice came from behind him again: "Oh, right, there's one more thing! A few days ago, I thank you on behalf of the South Ship for getting the Guangdong Air Force to stop retrieving terrain data!"

When Wu Yinian heard the news, the Guangdong Air Force had just received a request from the flight crew to retrieve terrain data. They immediately discovered that the terrain data for the Zhangzhou Airport area covered a portion of the area surrounding Longjiang Airport. Uploading the terrain data would risk leaking the terrain data around Longjiang Airport, which is the area around the South Ship Command. Therefore, the Guangdong Air Force contacted the South Ship Command to inquire whether the terrain data could be sent.

After learning of the situation, the South Ship Command specifically confirmed the details with the Huacheng Control Center. Having confirmed that Flight 5641 was indeed in an extremely dangerous situation, they still approved the request to send data.

If the data is actually sent up, then the South Fleet Command can indeed relocate. They simply can't stay at Longjiang Airport any longer.

While it's true that any sacrifice is worthwhile for the safety of the people, the relocation of the entire headquarters and command center involves far too many aspects, requiring unimaginable manpower, material resources, and financial investment. It's undeniable that Xu Xian, by painstakingly devising a solution, significantly reduced the troubles for the entire Southern Fleet.

That's why the South Fleet Commander specifically informed Wu Yinian. Xu Xian was the West Air Force's prized possession, so it was normal for the West Air Force Commander to greet Wu Yinian. But the South Fleet Commander had absolutely no connection with Xu Xian, so why was he allowed to greet him? It was because Xu Xian had indeed done the entire South Fleet a favor.

Xu Xian's body trembled slightly. He slowly turned around and smiled at Wu Yinian: "The Southern Fleet must have known that obtaining terrain data would put headquarters in danger, but they still agreed in the end. I also want to thank you!"

After saying that, Xu Xian closed the door and left the captain's cabin.

Wu Yinian's lips parted slightly, then a relieved smile appeared on his face: "That's right! Because we are all soldiers!"

Half a month later, in the cockpit of C18.

Today is Xu Xian's first solo flight training. Since Xu Xian already has experience flying the C-18, he only needs to familiarize himself with the takeoff and landing procedures of carrier-based aircraft, which is not too complicated.

One of the most crucial steps in the takeoff process is steam catapult!

That's right, the Gengdu aircraft carrier did not use ski-jump takeoff or the most advanced electromagnetic catapult, but rather the relatively widely used and technologically mature steam catapult.

There are many steps between the aircraft taxiing out and catapult launch, which the pilot must be completely familiar with and cannot afford to make the slightest mistake. Xu Xian spent a considerable amount of time just to become familiar with the entire takeoff procedure on the deck.

Xu Xian's flight instructor was personally appointed by Squadron Leader Lü Ping. Even though the takeoff and landing procedures for carrier-based aircraft were quite complicated, Xu Xian, with his exceptional memory and comprehension, mastered them within half a month.

Lü Ping, however, was quite magnanimous. After deciding that Xu Xian was ready to go solo, he gave Xu Xian the opportunity. To be honest, Xu Xian himself was a little apprehensive, after all, there are some differences between taking off and landing at a land-based airport and taking off and landing on a moving aircraft carrier.

However, even though he was a little flustered, Xu Xian was not the kind of person who was cowardly and timid. Since you allow me to fly, then I will fly and show you.

In the cockpit, Xu Xian was quite annoyed by the surrounding noise. Right next to Xu Xian's plane, a squadron was preparing for takeoff, and the various engine roars mixed together, giving Xu Xian a headache.

Aircraft carrier catapult launches aren't something you can do whenever you want. Steam catapults need a period of rest.

Therefore, the conventional operating method is to first launch a batch of aircraft in one go, then let the steam catapult rest, and during this period, the previous batch of aircraft returning from their missions can be recovered.

Of course, this is just a relatively normal launch plan. In a real emergency, high-intensity launch and recovery would be necessary, and the situation would be somewhat different from usual. However, Xu Xian had not encountered such a situation before. This time, it happened to be the time for a batch of aircraft to take off, so for a moment, the deck was full of carrier-based aircraft that were either started or in the process of starting, and the ambient noise was particularly loud.

Xu Xian couldn't stand the noisy environment any longer, so he closed the hatch. The moment the hatch closed, it was as if the world had fallen silent.

"That feels so good!" Xu Xian breathed a sigh of relief, finally finding some peace and quiet.

After obtaining permission to drive from the control tower, Xu Xian began working.

First, the battery switch is turned on to provide the aircraft with basic power. This differs from the C-14, the C-18's predecessor, which lacked batteries and an APU. This meant the C-14 relied on ground crew for power and air supply vehicles to start; without power or air, the aircraft simply couldn't start. In comparison, the C-18, equipped with batteries and an APU, can be self-sufficient, making it relatively more convenient.

Before starting the engines, just like previous commercial airliners, a fire alarm test must be performed first. The C18's fire alarm test is also dual-channel, meaning both fire alarm channels need to be tested.

When testing a fire alarm passage, fire alarm lights and voice alarms will appear in the cockpit, including engine fire, APU fire, and bleed air system fire. These three areas are the most likely to experience fires.

Once you've confirmed that the fire alarm lights are working properly and the voice warnings are clear and complete, you can switch to another fire alarm test channel and repeat the above steps. The desired result will be the same as before.

If the fire alarm test fails, the engine must not be started; otherwise, forcing a start could lead to dangerous situations.

Of course, Xu Xian's situation was relatively normal. He didn't encounter special circumstances all the time; at least during this solo flight training, Xu Xian tested both fire alarm exits without any problems.

Xu Xian pursed his lips, located the APU switch on his left, and flipped it to the ON position to start the APU. This switch was different from the spring-loaded start switch on the APU of passenger planes; the APU start switch here was just a regular two-phase switch, which was flipped up to the ON position.

After a short wait, the green light next to the APU ignition switch illuminates, indicating that the APU is starting normally. This allows the APU to provide the air supply and basic starting speed for the engine.

After the APU has started, you can start the engine.

Unlike the APU starter switch, which uses two phases (up and down), the engine starter switch is a two-phase switch that is toggled left and right. To the left starts the left engine, and to the right starts the right engine; this is easy to understand.

As is customary, Xu Xian started the right engine first, so he switched the engine start switch to the right. At this point, Xu Xian had to pay attention to two data points: the engine speed and the engine temperature.

After reaching 20% ​​of the initial engine speed, push the right-hand thrust lever to the idle position. Then, monitor the engine temperature. Under normal circumstances, the temperature should not exceed 650 degrees Celsius during starting. If overheating occurs, stop starting the engine.

Once the engine starts running, the fuel gauge on the right side of the engine data sheet will also start operating. The fuel gauge displays three data points: total fuel level, the fuel level of the aircraft excluding external fuel tanks, and emergency return fuel level. The emergency return fuel level needs to be manually set and varies depending on the mission.

During the right-hand start-up process, turn on all DDIs, set the altimeter to radar altitude, turn the radar to the working position, and perform inertial navigation calibration at the same time.

The inertial navigation system (INS) calibration on an aircraft carrier is different from that on ordinary land-based sites. The fundamental reason is that an aircraft carrier is mobile, while a land-based airfield is stationary.

For aircraft that take off and land on land, it is absolutely forbidden to move the aircraft during inertial navigation calibration. If the aircraft moves, the calibration process will fail. This is common knowledge, and the same applies to commercial airliners.

However, carrier-based aircraft are different. You can't just stop the carrier to allow the aircraft's inertial navigation to be calibrated; that's obviously not feasible. Therefore, there is another option for inertial navigation calibration of carrier-based aircraft: the carrier position.

If calibration is performed on an aircraft carrier, the inertial navigation panel can be rotated to the carrier position, at which point the aircraft will use the moving carrier as a reference for inertial navigation calibration.

Comparatively, the C-18's inertial navigation calibration is slightly simpler, at least it doesn't require adjusting the carrier's data link screen. Similar to the C-14 fighter jet, it needs to connect to the carrier's data link before turning the inertial navigation knob to the carrier position. Only after connecting to the carrier's data link can it use the carrier's own position information as a reference for its own inertial calibration.

Each aircraft carrier has its own data link frequency, such as 306.8, which provides relevant data support for each pre-flight preparation.

Of course, the C-18 isn't limited to operations on aircraft carriers; it can also take off and land at land-based airports. In these cases, the carrier position cannot be used. For routine calibrations in a stable environment, the ground position can be selected on the inertial navigation panel, allowing for calibration just like with any other aircraft.

Normally, a full calibration takes about eight minutes. However, just like passenger aircraft have full calibration and quick calibration modes, the C-18 also has a quick calibration mode, which can be selected via the STD HDG option on the navigation page below. After pressing this option, the aircraft can perform a quick calibration based on the previous position information, reducing the calibration time to about two minutes.

This was the aircraft's maiden flight today, and there was nothing particularly urgent, so Xu Xian still decided to conduct standard calibration.

While the inertial navigation system is being calibrated, the right engine has stabilized. At this point, following the previous steps, start the left engine to complete the dual-engine start-up. While the left engine is waiting to start, you can conveniently turn the radar knob to the working position and turn on the cabin oxygen supply system to avoid hypoxia in the high-altitude environment.

Immediately, I adjusted the cabin lights to a brightness I felt was appropriate. It was still too early; the sky was barely light, and without turning them on, some panels were difficult to see.

There's something to note here: adjusting the interior lighting is fine, but when operating on the deck, you absolutely must not turn on the external lights. This is a clear rule in aircraft carrier deck lighting regulations. Anyone who turns on external lights, especially taxiing lights, while taxiing on the deck will be called in for questioning.

Only after arriving at the ejection position and saluting the ejection officer to confirm your arrival can you turn on the external lights.

Afterwards, Xu Xian calibrated the altimeter and set the altitude alarm according to the flight briefing. He also began testing the flight control system.

Since the previous pilot may not have adjusted the aircraft's trim before disembarking, the flight control system needs to be reset for the sake of handling comfort or safety. This means setting all the aircraft's control surface trim values ​​back to zero.

As for the trim status of each control surface, you can select the support page in the menu button of the left-hand numerical display. Then, the flight control system option will pop up in the lower right corner. Pressing it will take you to the digital display of the flight control system.

Almost all of the C-18's subsystems can be displayed on the support and tactical pages of the menu button. The pilot can simply switch between these pages to achieve the effect of popping up the subsystem pages.

However, the menu button option will generate a timer after takeoff, but this does not affect the pilot's use.

After all trims are reverted, there is a flight controller self-test switch on the right control panel. You need to use this switch to perform a self-test of the flight controller system.

Before doing this, put the flaps in the automatic position!

Regarding the flight control system switch, it needs to be used in conjunction with the flight control system function button on the right-hand digital display. Specifically, while holding down the flight control self-test switch, press the flight control system function button on the right-hand digital display. The right-hand digital display will then enter the FCS-MC page. This page displays whether both channels of the flight control self-test are in test mode.

During the flight control system self-test, all control surfaces of the aircraft will automatically operate to check for any problems. Once the self-test is complete, an audible alert will be issued.

Next, the refueling probe switch, speed brake switch, tow bar switch, hook handle, and pitot tube heater switch were all checked. Finally, the flaps were set to the half-release position. In this position on the ground, the leading edge flaps are at 12 degrees, and the trailing edge flaps and ailerons are at 30 degrees. Once the wings are unlocked, the ailerons will turn to zero degrees.

Finally, release the handbrake and double-check the altimeter settings. There must be no errors, as this could be extremely dangerous. Additionally, Xu Xian set the radar altitude alarm to 40 feet, which is the standard for shipboard takeoffs and landings. For land-based takeoffs and landings, this should be increased to around 200 feet.

Unlocking the backup attitude instrument and switching the attitude data operator switch to the ready position, Xu Xian had completed all the cockpit work. Glancing to his right, he saw a guide in a yellow vest not far away; this was his aircraft guide. The subsequent taxiing would be conducted under the guidance of this guide.

As assigned, Xu Xian used the No. 1 catapult. Under the guidance of the guide, Xu Xian gradually approached the position of the catapult, and at the same time, the guide's instructions were given to unfold the folded wings.

The hand gestures used by the aircraft carrier's guides are mostly based on the international civil aviation organization's standard hand gestures, so Xu Xian didn't encounter any particularly big obstacles in learning and understanding them.

As Xu Xian gradually aimed for ejection, he kept glancing to his right. When passing the blast deflector, there was a worker in a green helmet and vest on his right – the blast deflector operator, responsible for raising the deflector. Xu Xian needed to maintain a safe distance from the operator during the gliding maneuver; otherwise, a conflict could occur.

Xu Xian's ground taxiing skills were quite good. After the aircraft passed the blast deflector, the blast deflector operator raised the blast deflector to prevent the personnel at the rear of the aircraft from being injured by the exhaust flames when the aircraft accelerated later.

After gliding a short distance, a staff member wearing a green vest appeared on my right front, holding a display board. This person was the weight display board operator.

He will display a rough weight on the display board based on a pre-known estimate, but this weight is not necessarily accurate, so it must be verified with the crew.

Xu Xian glanced at the display panel, which showed a weight of 21,000 kilograms. He then opened the checklist on the right-hand digital display, where the aircraft's weight was displayed. The accurate figure was 21,100 kilograms, which was basically correct.

Xu Xian gestured to the operator of the weight indicator board to confirm that everything was correct. This meant the ejection operator of the bubble chamber wouldn't need to adjust the pressure. Otherwise, if the weight difference was too large, the ejection operator would have to adjust the ejection pressure accordingly.

Otherwise, if the actual aircraft is too heavy and the catapult pressure does not increase, the aircraft will not be able to increase its speed to a sufficient level within a fixed distance, which is extremely dangerous.

Of course, adjusting the catapult pressure is one option, but there is always a limit to the catapult pressure output. If the limit is reached, the aircraft carrier can be notified to adjust the carrier wind, which can also achieve the desired adjustment effect.

At this point, there is a final inspector wearing a green helmet and a white vest on each side of the aircraft's forward trajectory. They will check the aircraft's configuration to confirm that there are no issues with the takeoff configuration.

However, suddenly both of the final inspectors touched their headphones, and at the same time, the guide seemed to receive some kind of notification and stopped what he was doing.

Before Xu Xian could react, he vaguely heard a piercing alarm. It wasn't from an airplane, but from an aircraft carrier.

Something seems to have happened!

(End of this chapter)