Hafei, cafeteria.

   "Today's maiden flight was a complete success. Let us raise our glasses together to celebrate this hard-won achievement!" Ma Sheng raised his glass and said to everyone: "From then on, we have an advanced ten-ton helicopter!"

   "Come on, cheers!" Wu Shengli also raised his glass: "This achievement is hard-won, and our navy's shortcomings will soon be completely made up for!"

  Everyone held the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. Even Xu Can also held the wine glass and drank all the wine in the glass, and the two little faces became flushed.

"This is just the beginning. Next, our helicopters can be further developed." Ma Sheng continued: "For example, the armed type we modified on the basis of the Z-20 will be available soon. Our Army Aviation There will be advanced armed helicopters soon."

  Army aviation urgently needs not only transport helicopters, but also armed helicopters. At the beginning, adding pylons to the straight nine, the Wuzhi nine was created, but it was only temporary. Over the years, it has been researching professional armed helicopters.

It's a pity that due to engine and other problems, the special Wuzhi 10 has a low take-off weight and limited weapon carrying capacity. When the research and development of the Zhi 20 is completed, external pylons will be added to make a helicopter similar to the Wuzhi 9. At the same time, the fuselage design will be modified. To become a professional armed helicopter, these are what Army Aviation is looking forward to most.

   "Our navy also needs carrier-based helicopters with weapons." Wu Shengli nodded. In the cross-sea landing battle, naval-type armed helicopters also take off from the deck of an aircraft carrier or amphibious assault ship to participate in the battle.

  When Qin Tao went to Lao Maozi, he bought a few Ka-29s, which opened the eyes of the navy. The navy also needs this kind of professional armed helicopter!

  Amid the excitement of the crowd, Deng Hui said, "Boss Qin, do you think we should bring invisibility into our current armed helicopters?"

   Now, stealth is already a trend. Not only fighter jets must be stealthy, but other equipment must also be stealthy. Even huge warships are trying to achieve stealth, not to mention small helicopters.

   And, there is already a precedent for this: the Comanche helicopter.

  In the 1980s, Americans highly respected stealth. While developing various stealth fighters, attack aircraft, and bombers, they also began to develop stealth helicopters. This project is the Comanche helicopter code-named RAH-66.

It is a helicopter that is completely considered in terms of stealth. From the perspective of the fuselage, it adopts a polyhedron structure, rounded corners, reduces right-angle reflective surfaces, and uses a lot of absorbing materials. Its air inlet is specially designed. , has a complex air intake to avoid direct radar waves from irradiating the fan blades of the turboshaft engine, and the exhaust pipe has a complex design for cooling and covering to reduce infrared radiation, and even uses a rare ducted tail rotor. As for the missile, of course it has to be built-in, and a retractable landing gear is also used.

  The aircraft uses composite materials in a large area, and the rotor system is even more refined, trying to make the helicopter disappear on the radar.

   Now, do you want to go this way?

Qin Tao shook his head: "If you can improve it with the least cost during design, you can try it, such as reducing the infrared radiation of the exhaust pipe, simple modification of the fuselage, etc., if it is based on stealth For the first goal, forget it."

   "Why?" Deng Hui was very curious.

   Ma Sheng also opened his eyes wide. Isn’t it right for us to follow the path of the United States?

Why? The Comanche, the world's first stealth helicopter, disappeared completely afterwards, which means that this road will not work.

This project was tossed from the 1980s to 2004, and was finally abandoned by the US Army. As for the reason, it is generally considered to be funds. It took 21 years and cost 8 billion US dollars. It is said that if it is mass-produced, one will cost 59 million Dollar.

  The price of the F-35 of the future generations can be as low as 78 million US dollars for the US military's own use. Isn't it more fragrant than the Comanche?

  Comanche is one of the largest projects canceled by the U.S. military in history, which has made countless people feel emotional, but the U.S. Army knows in its heart that it has no choice but to cancel this tasteless project, otherwise it does not know how much money will be filled in.

   If it is a funding problem, Dongfang has always had a very low R&D cost. Can it be completed at a very low cost?

  This has to consider another question: what is the research and development for?

An important mission of the Comanche helicopter is reconnaissance, and on the future battlefield, reconnaissance can be replaced by a large number of drones. Even if it is shot down, there will be no big problem. It is much simpler for a pilot to be surrounded or even captured by the enemy.

Another task is to attack, and with the development of technology, drones can also launch attacks, which are still silent and low-cost. Therefore, most of the combat tasks of Comanche helicopters will be divided up by drones. As for For other tasks, ordinary armed helicopters can perform them, so there is no need to develop a special stealth helicopter.

After the Yankee retired from the Comanche, he used the technology developed on the Comanche to improve the existing helicopters, and even the stealth Black Hawk appeared. When a bearded man was wanted because he wasted electricity by not turning on the lights, he was called The stealth Black Hawk was captured.

   Now, of course, Qin Tao will not let his own scientific researchers go into this misunderstanding, so he briefly introduces it.

"Armed helicopters are supposed to fly at the height of a tree. Even if the radar is invisible, it is meaningless. They will still be spotted visually and captured by the optical weapons of various ultra-low-altitude weapons. If they are painted black, then only It can fight at night and be seen clearly during the day. The weapons have to be built in, causing the cost to soar, so it is enough to improve the existing helicopters a little, and we can wait and see what happens to the stealth helicopters in the United States.”

  Everyone nodded.

   "Compared to stealth helicopters, I value tilt rotor aircraft more. Last time I discussed with Oscar, this type of aircraft will definitely replace helicopters and become the mainstream in the future." Qin Tao changed the subject.

Engaging in stealth helicopters is a wrong technology tree. Even if many people attribute the dismantling of the Comanche project to the disappearance of the Red Empire, the U.S. military has no urgent needs. However, the rise of drones will take away many tasks of armed helicopters. This is also an indisputable fact.

  The correct way is the tilt rotor aircraft, which can replace the helicopter. It has both the vertical take-off and landing characteristics of the helicopter and the fast flight ability of the ordinary propeller aircraft. This is simply a perfect aircraft.

   "Yes, we have also seen the advancement of the tilt rotor aircraft, but we currently do not have any technical reserves. If we want to develop this aircraft, we need to pay a lot of hard work."

"Yeah, this project is not easy, and I can't help you much. The old man only has a backward V-12 tilt rotor aircraft, which is not mature at all." Qin Tao directly blocked Deng Hui and continued In other words, Deng Hui still wants to ask Mr. Qin to help, but Qin Tao can't do anything, and the old man doesn't have mature tilt rotor technology.

   "President Qin, have you heard of Mi-30?" Deng Hui asked.

  Qin Tao shook his head. He had heard of Mi-8, Mi-17, and Mi-26, but he had never heard of Mi-30.

Seeing Qin Tao shaking his head, Deng Hui planned to continue the introduction, but when he saw Xu Can's big shining eyes, he changed his mind: "Xiao Xu, please introduce to everyone present, this Mi-30, I I still heard it from you."

  Xu Can was originally a foil, because he was a test pilot to sit at the same table with so many people, now he has the opportunity to speak, very excited.

"Let's look at the V-12 first. With a maximum take-off weight of more than 100 tons, a unique transverse twin-rotor design, and two jet engines as auxiliary propulsion, this aircraft has many problems, but It was a great attempt by the Miri Design Bureau. They broke through the problems of aeroelasticity and structural dynamics in the mechanical transmission design caused by the mutual interference of the transverse helicopter wing/rotor. On the basis of this failed model, the Miri The Li Design Bureau began planning to develop a more advanced tiltrotor aircraft."

  Xu Can's voice was not loud, but it clearly entered everyone's ears. She was not nervous and continued to introduce everyone.

"The time came to 1972. At that time, the chief designer of the Miri Design Bureau, Jishenko, proposed the Mi-30 transport-type tilting rotor aircraft. This new structure of the rotor aircraft is far superior to traditional helicopters in terms of performance indicators, especially the flight speed. And voyage. They are constantly summing up experience and improving the design. In the 1980s, after the superiors checked the relevant materials, they believed that the technical accumulation was sufficient, so in August 1981, the Miri Design Bureau was approved to officially start promoting the Mi-30 tilt. R&D work on rotorcraft. The military recommends using the most powerful D-136 engines."

   Do what you do, love what you do. Since Xu Can is a helicopter pilot, she is very interested in these things, especially the future of helicopters. She also firmly believes that the tilt rotor is an inevitable trend.

"In the next few years, we argued with each other, and finally came up with three plans. The take-off weights were 11 tons, 20 tons and 30 tons. The engines were also different. The product with the largest take-off weight was paired with two D-27 engines. .”

  Engine!

   Any aircraft that wants to be successfully developed cannot do without a qualified engine. If you want to start this project, you must have an advanced engine.

  The V-22 tiltrotor aircraft uses the AE1107C turboshaft engine produced by Allison Company, with an output power exceeding 6,000 horsepower. There is currently no turboshaft engine of the corresponding level in China, except for the D227 engine of Genghis Khan Aviation!

  Although there is excess power, in a tiltrotor, excess power is also beneficial: once one of them fails, the other has to output full power to drive the propellers on both sides through the drive shaft!

   Moreover, since it is going to be built, it must not be too small, otherwise it is meaningless. It seems that the maximum take-off weight is 30 tons, and it is the best choice to match with our own D227.

"After the end of the Cold War, Da Mao was no longer able to continue to develop the Mi-30, but the Mili Design Bureau was still full of expectations. They hoped to expand to the civilian market, and proposed the Mi-30S with a weight of 3.2 tons and the Mi-30 with a load of 2.5 tons. The 30D and the Mi-30L with a load of 0.95 tons can carry 21, 11, and 7 passengers respectively." Xu Can continued to introduce: "Later, they also tried to join the European Future Advanced Rotorcraft Program, but they were unsuccessful. The Mi-30 The project was eventually abandoned."

   "When I went to Mili Design Bureau, I didn't hear them talk about this project." Qin Tao said with emotion: "It seems that we still need to know more about it in the future."

  The Red Empire collapsed for ten years, and Qin Tao went there to reap the benefits of ten years. Just like this, there are still some things that have not been covered. Hearing Xu Can talk about this project at this time, Qin Tao is also full of emotions.

He didn't know that when he went to the Mili Design Bureau, he actually mentioned the tilt rotor aircraft. He just mentioned a few words and fooled around for a while, and he forgot afterwards, but the Mili Design Bureau took it seriously. , continue to tinker.

   "Boss Qin, if we develop from scratch, the progress will inevitably be slow. If we can conduct research and development with Mili Design Bureau, the progress will be much faster." Deng Hui said.

   Nothing can be accomplished overnight, especially the development of an advanced equipment. The Americans have been working on the Osprey for decades. If they start from scratch, the progress will definitely be slow.

  Oscar and others are only familiar with helicopters, but not with tiltrotors. The latter requires a lot of aerodynamic experiments and accumulated a lot of experience.

  Qin Tao nodded: "Okay, I can coordinate."

   "Thank you, Mr. Qin." Deng Hui was overjoyed.

  Xu Can was also very happy: "Great, not only can I become a test pilot for Z-20, but I can also test fly when our Osprey Sky comes out in the future!"

   Osprey Sky?

  Qin Tao smiled: "Okay, then I wish our Osprey Sky will be released as soon as possible! Come on, cheers!"

  Leaving Hafei, on the plane, Wu Shengli sighed: "If there is a tiltrotor, our navy will have another advanced equipment! Taozi, when do you plan to do it?"

   "The 22350 is about to be handed over, and the old man will definitely come by then. I will take this opportunity to propose this tiltrotor development plan with my old friend." Qin Tao said: "Strive for cooperation as soon as possible."

   "22350 is about to be handed over? So soon?" Wu Shengli felt incredible.

  Qin Tao smiled: "Of course soon, isn't it just a shell?"

   Lao Maozi does not intend to build a complete warship in the east, but just builds a shell in the east, and the outfitting work is still placed on Lao Maozi's side. Of course, the progress is not slow. You must know that Mingzhou Group is good at building shells.

The fully automatic CNC plate bending machine directly processes the steel plate into the corresponding shape, and then the fully automatic welding machine welds on the berth. Only a few inconvenient places will be welded manually to manufacture the shell of a four to five thousand ton warship. A few months is enough.

   It's just that Lao Maozi's warship also required the installation of an engine, so it was delayed for a while, otherwise it would have been delivered long ago.

   "It's not very convenient to only have this warship. After all, I don't need this kind of aircraft." Wu Shengli said with emotion.

   "That's right, but we have also started construction of a 075 in our dock. Just let the old man take a look and fool around. They will also have this kind of warship in the future, and of course they have to develop corresponding aircraft."

The most suitable match for the tiltrotor is the amphibious assault ship, which is simply a sharp weapon specially prepared for the Marine Corps. Now the old man does not have this kind of warship, but they will be tempted. Since the French can build the Mistral in the future , why can't we find Dongfang to build 075 now?

  Qin Tao is full of confidence.

  Mingzhou in April is a bright spring, and the shipyard is in a busy state. On one of the berths, a long banner was pulled up, with two lines of slogans with the same content written in Chinese and Russian respectively.

  Warmly celebrate the launch of the first 22350 frigate!

  This speed of delivery has amazed the whole world, even if it is just a shell, it is absolutely impossible to deliver it so quickly.

   But the facts are like this. The satellites passing by every day can testify that the construction of the 22350 frigate is simply rising on a rocket.

A piece of steel plate is constantly bent into the corresponding shape and welded. Although it is a way of building blocks and does not use the popular segmented construction, the speed is surprisingly fast. The hull, superstructure, and engine installation are all so fast. Incredible people.

Now, the entire warship has changed from a design drawing to an actual existence. Looking at its hull with a stealthy appearance, looking at the hole in the four-sided phased array radar antenna reserved on the top, looking at the space reserved for the hanging hair. The space is full of emotions.

   When Nicholas arrived with a large group of people, he also did not believe it.

   "Qin, you actually finished the project?"

   "That's right, the last time you came, didn't you already finish half of the construction? Of course it's finished now." Qin Tao said: "This is our Eastern Speed."

"Yes, this is the Eastern speed full of miracles. If it is our Da Mao side, it will not be able to complete the construction of the hull in less than two years!" A naval officer beside Nicholas said: "We originally I thought it would take a long time to receive this warship, but now it seems that the time has been greatly advanced!"

   This officer seems to be the captain of the first 22350 frigate. Seeing the excited state of the other party, Qin Tao is not ashamed to pour cold water on it.

   It is impossible to advance ahead of time. All the time saved by our Mingzhou Group will be delayed by the subsequent outfitting work. There is no seven or eight years, so don't expect to be able to enter the army.

   "Nicolas, are you going to drive back or drag it back?" Qin Tao asked.

After repeated discussions, the power system used by this warship is still the conventional diesel-fuel alternation, and the gas turbine is provided by Dongfang. The conventional UGT15000 model, the diesel engine has not been installed yet, and the old man is still counting on providing opportunities for their domestic related enterprises, but The rear gearbox, drive shaft, and propeller are all installed.

  So, if you want to drive the ducks to the shelves, you can really start it. However, if you want to drive back, it will be too shabby.

  Mingzhou Group has a floating dock here, so they can help carry it back, even if you hire a tugboat to tow it back.

   "Our tugboat is on the way here. It will come after it is launched, and it will be towed to the Far East for outfitting." Nicholas said: "Forget about the gas turbine, it is too expensive."

  They were unwilling to drive back because they were afraid of wasting gas! Qin Tao is also speechless, this calculation is wrong.

   After all, Nicholas came from the Far East, so if there are benefits, he should still think about the Far East and let the Red Star Shipyard take over the business.

   "Okay, after we launch into the water, we will drag it to the nearby pier and wait for your tugboat to come over. Now, let's hold the launching ceremony, Nicholas, what can you say to everyone?"

   While speaking, everyone had already walked near the slipway and stood in front of the table with the microphone.

   This table is used quite frequently, after all, the Mingzhou Group launches warships too fast.

  The workers are also used to it. If necessary, the launching ceremony can be done in half an hour.

  Nicolas nodded and walked up to the stage.

"I still remember that last year, I stood here and announced the start of construction of 22350. I didn't expect that this year, it ushered in its launching ceremony. Mingzhou Group showed me what Dongfang speed is, and let me see Dongfang's shipbuilding How prosperous the industry is." Nikolai said: "We are very satisfied with the quality of this warship, and hope to have more cooperation opportunities in the future!"

"Since the collapse of the Red Empire, we have not started construction of a warship, and our strength has been declining. Today, the launch of the 22350 frigate represents that we have got out of the predicament and started to move towards a bright future! Everyone knows that we put This warship is named Gorshkov. It was originally the name of a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser. The heroic soul of Marshal Shkov!"

   "Now, I announce that the 22350 frigate Gorshkov is officially launched!"

   After speaking, he picked up the champagne in his hand, and strode towards the slipway.

It is an ancient tradition to celebrate by smashing champagne when launching into the water, but with the advancement of technology, it has long been electric. As long as you press the button, a rope will hang the wine bottle and turn it around, hitting the bow of the ship, successfully rate one hundred percent.

  However, Lao Maozi has always liked primitive operations.

  The big guy watched Nikolai walk to the berth, walked to the side of the warship, waved his arms, and after turning around a few times, the champagne finally let go and flew to the bow of the Gorshkov.

Snapped!

   Sure enough, he is growing old and strong! Qin Tao said with emotion that he couldn't guarantee that he could smash the wine bottle, but Nicholas did it with ease. It seems that the unicorn arm has been exercised a lot recently.

  Everyone applauded.

Amid the applause, the fixing device of the warship on the berth was loosened, and the huge warship began to retreat slowly, getting faster and faster, and then the stern entered the water first, causing huge waves, followed by the warship body, bow...

  When the entire warship entered the water, everyone applauded enthusiastically again.

   Successfully launched into the water!

   "Congratulations, Nicholas." Qin Tao stretched out his right hand, intending to shake hands with Nicholas again, but Nicholas directly opened his arms and hugged Qin Tao: "Thank you, my old friend."

  So, Qin Tao could only hug each other helplessly, feeling sorry in front of so many people.

   "Nicolas, I'm free now. How about I show you around the shipyard?" After the two separated, Qin Tao said, "We've also started construction on a 075, do you want to take a look?"