Reborn in Brazil As a Plutocrat - Chapter 452
Chapter 452 Technology Excess
General Nero Mora doesn’t know whether Fang Lang is a person with a clear distinction between public and private, but he is a smart man, and it is impossible for Fang Lang to believe whatever he says.
Moreover, the use of turboprop engines was also approved by the Air Force after research. Everyone knows how difficult this project is.
If you choose to give up now because the overhaul time of this engine is too short, it would be really stupid.
He is not such a short-sighted person. The reason why he brought Fang Lang over today is also to be able to discuss a solution.
Seeing that Fang Lang didn’t show any dissatisfaction on his face, he didn’t hold back, and said directly:
“Fang, our aviation academy has been put into use, and the first batch of students in the school have already started theoretical studies. Soon they will start learning on the machine, and there is not much time left for us.
Although we have purchased a lot of trainer planes from the United States, I still hope that our students can use our self-produced trainer planes for flight training.
Now it seems that when we designed this trainer, the data indicators we set for him may be too high.
Compared to these trainer planes purchased from the United States, I feel that our trainer opportunities are not too advanced. They can be used as fighter jets, and the cost of using them is indeed a bit high.
It seems a bit wasteful as a trainer. ”
Fang Lang never thought that the Air Force would not accept the goods. After all, when he was designing and developing this trainer aircraft code-named T-1, he made many suggestions to Professor Tan Ke.
And these suggestions are actually based on Fang Lang’s impression, the inspiration from the most successful trainer project in Brazil in later generations-the Super Tucano. Although, with Brazil’s current technical strength, it is certainly impossible to make the current T-1 as good as the “Super Toucan” of later generations.
But at least it has to be close, and these suggestions put forward by Fang Lang make the current T-1 trainer plane not have the electronic equipment of later generations, and the power of the engine cannot reach the level of later generations, in fact, it is already very good in all aspects. close.
So, as long as this aircraft can be put into production smoothly, Fang Lang is sure that he can definitely meet the needs of the Air Force.
Now listening to General Neiro Monet, it seems that this aircraft is too advanced and can be used as a fighter jet. It seems a bit wasteful to use it as a trainer aircraft, which makes Fang Lang a little at a loss what to say.
Listening to the discussions of everyone in the conference room, Fang Lang glanced at Major Leo Kanter, who was standing in front of the wall drawings, waiting for the results of everyone’s communication, and turned his head to General Nero Mora, who was beside him, and said in a low voice:
“The major said just now, let us discuss and see how to choose.
It seems that you should have some new ideas, so please feel free to speak up. ”
Actually, whether it is General Nero Mora, Fang Lang, or the Air Force officers here, everyone knows the so-called results of the discussion, making choices, and the final decision is not in the hands of these officers.
Instead, it was only on Fang Lang and General Nero Mora. After all, this project was led by the two of them.
As the boss of Fangyuan Aircraft Manufacturing Company, Fang Lang is also a representative of naval aviation, and his ideas are even more decisive.
So today General Nero Mora invited Fang Lang over, obviously hoping to persuade Fang Lang to make some changes to this aircraft. Although the other party didn’t say it clearly, Fang Lang already had some vague guesses.
General Nero Mora heard Fang Lang’s words, at least from his tone, he didn’t hear any dissatisfaction, so he was not polite, and said directly and without concealment:
“Our idea is to see if we can replace this turboprop engine with a more mature piston engine. In this way, even if the performance of the aircraft is affected, we can accept it.
You also know that the military budget of our Air Force is limited. If we directly purchase the turboprop engine version, we may not be able to afford such an overhaul frequency. ”
Fang Lang heard the words, and he knew it. As expected, the Air Force wanted to use piston engines to reduce the maintenance cost of the aircraft.
Fang Lang actually has no objection to this. Anyway, the current T-1 project was also designed and developed by the Air Force Academy jointly funded by the Air Force and the Navy and commissioned by Fangyuan Aircraft Manufacturing Company.
The funds used for the entire project are shared by both parties. Now Fangyuan Aviation has completed the research and development of the prototype aircraft according to the performance parameters originally designed, and Fangyuan Aviation has completed the contract according to the contract content.
As for the Air Force’s feeling that the maintenance cost is too high and wants to reduce the performance and use piston engines, it is equivalent to pushing the original project back to the beginning. In this case, it is obviously necessary to reinvest money.
But for Yuanyuan Airlines, there is no loss. Instead, it can have new funds to conduct research on another model.
From Fang Lang’s point of view, there is no problem. The military’s money was burned, and the technology was actually digested and absorbed by Fangyuan Aviation. There is nothing dissatisfied with this.
As for re-studying the issue of investing in the navy, Fang Lang is even more okay, and he didn’t pay for it himself. Why is he unwilling.
So, he said without hesitation:
“If this is the case, the design of the entire aircraft is equivalent to having to tear it down and start over!
After all, piston engines and turboprop engines are different. If this is changed, not only the nose part will have to be modified, but the size of the entire aircraft may have to be reworked.
Are you sure you want to choose this way? ”
General Nero Mora frowned after hearing Fang Lang’s words, and said helplessly:
“We understand what you said, and this is why we are struggling.
We have full confidence in the technical strength of Fangyuan Airlines. After all, the successful completion of the research and development of the T-1 project has fully proved this point.
We don’t mean to give up the T-1 project, because after our demonstration, we found that the T-1 trainer can become a very good ground attack aircraft with a little improvement.
If possible, we would like to invite you to resubmit a ground attack aircraft research and development project to the Ministry of Defense, and directly turn this T-1 project into a ground attack aircraft.
The new research and development military expenditures are used to develop trainer aircraft with piston engines. ”
Actually, Fang Lang knew in his heart that General Nero Mora had another choice that he did not mention, and that was to directly purchase turboprop engines from abroad instead of self-produced.
During this period, Britain and the United States already had turboprop engines with overhaul time and power exceeding this engine. For example, the “Dart” 525 turboprop engine of the British Rolls-Royce company has a single power of 1990 horsepower.
However, the size of this engine is definitely not suitable for use on a small trainer airframe.
Fang Lang is also very clear about the reason why the other party did not propose this idea. On the one hand, he must want to support domestic production, and on the other hand, he must have something to do with being the owner of Fangyuan Company.
This is a very good way to save face.
After hearing General Nero Mora’s words, Fang Lang didn’t answer right away, but began to think seriously, weighing the pros and cons.
Soon, he thought of a question, and had to turn his head to look at the other party, and said to General Mora with a little apology:
“General Mora, if we develop a new ground attack aircraft based on the T-1 project, our naval aviation may not be able to participate.”
Fang Lang’s words made General Nero Mora’s expression change. He didn’t expect Fang Lang to refuse. You must know that this is a business to take care of Fangyuan Airlines.
Seeing General Mora’s face, Fang Lang could only sigh helplessly and said:
“Don’t misunderstand, General, I don’t want to continue to cooperate with your air force, but the T-1 aircraft is not suitable for naval aviation to use on aircraft carriers.
Don’t forget, its take-off run distance is 380 meters, but the length of our aircraft carrier deck is only 246 meters. ”
As soon as this remark came out, General Nero Mora didn’t know where the problem was, and he ignored such a critical problem. For a moment he didn’t know what to say.
In fact, the attention of everyone in the conference room had already been focused on Fang Lang and General Nero Mora. After hearing Fang Lang’s words, they all sighed together.
I understand that Fang Lang really can’t be blamed for this.
For a while, the conference room fell into a strange state of silence, which made Fang Lang feel very depressed. After thinking about it in his mind, he finally broke the silence and said:
“Your Excellency, I already understand what your Air Force thinks.
Now that you have decided that you want to use piston engines as the power of the trainer, I can come forward to negotiate with Fangyuan Aircraft Manufacturing Company, and they will raise their own funds for research and development.
But when purchasing, we must allow the other party to recover the research and development costs by increasing the unit price. What do you think? ”
Everyone in the conference room looked at Fang Lang in disbelief when they heard the words. Everyone understood that the investment in developing an aircraft was very large.
Fang Lang actually promised to come forward to negotiate with Fangyuan Aircraft Manufacturing Company and let them do their own research. This is a great favor to the entire Air Force. After all, if this is not the case, the Air Force may finally propose to replace the imported turboprop engine to improve the overhaul life of the engine.
This will not only be a major blow to Yuanyuan Aircraft Manufacturing Company, but will also make the completely domestically-produced aircraft that was sworn at the beginning a joke, and General Nero Mora, who initiated this project, may be implicated.
It is of course possible not to replace the imported engine, but this will cause the military expenditure of the Air Force to be severely sucked by this bottomless pit, and of course the military expenditure of the Navy Department will also be damaged accordingly.
This is something neither Fang Lang nor General Nero Mora wanted to see.
Actually, the current turboprop engine still has a lot of room for improvement. As long as the power research room is given some time, they will be able to break through these technical difficulties.
Even if it doesn’t work, technical support can be obtained from the United Kingdom and the United States. Sooner or later, the overhaul time will definitely be extended to meet the requirements, but now the Air Force obviously can’t wait.
What really made Fang Lang helpless was that the Air Force felt that the T-1 technology was too much, which made Fang Lang a little dumbfounded.
In Fang Lang’s view, no matter how good this T-1 is, he is always just a propeller trainer. How can there be excess technology in front of jet aircraft?
Unfortunately, although the current Brazilian Air Force knows that Europe and the United States have already begun to abandon propeller aircraft and enter the era of jet aircraft, they have not really started to get in touch with jet fighters.
This gave them the illusion that the T-1 technology was excessive. Compared with those old-fashioned trainer aircraft purchased from the United States, the T-1 was too advanced and could be used as a fighter jet. This is what the Air Force wants to use now. The real reason the engine was switched to a piston engine.
(end of this chapter)