Chapter 1054: A Groundbreaking Product

In fact, what has always troubled Chang Haonan is that the spectrum of domestic aircraft is too incomplete.

Apart from C909 and Y-8, the only aircraft that can barely be used as air platforms are Xianzhou 60 and C808.

At first glance, the former seems to be similar to the E2C platform, but in fact it is a circle larger than the E2C and cannot be put on board.

If it is a pure land-based platform...

It only has a range of 2000, and it has a large antenna on its back, and it does not have a large luggage compartment that can be converted into a fuel tank like a regular passenger aircraft...

The performance is really too abstract.

And the latter, like Y-8, is essentially more suitable as a medium-sized platform that can take everything, rather than the low one in the high-low combination.

For example, the anti-submarine patrol aircraft and electronic reconnaissance/electronic jammer currently under development have chosen C808 from the beginning.

However, just now, he found that he seemed to have made a misunderstanding.

Because the early warning aircraft platform was first planned in 1998, he naturally only thought of these models that have been or will be domestically produced at that time.

Later, although Chang Haonan had several contacts with the early warning aircraft project, he either thought of new radar technology or simply tested software or algorithms.

In short, it had nothing to do with the aircraft itself.

So he didn't reconsider this matter systematically.

But today, Chang Haonan took advantage of the topic brought up by Guo Lin to think carefully, and suddenly realized that the situation had changed dramatically compared to 5 years ago.

This change is not only reflected in technology, but also in the external environment-

In the past, we lacked core technology, so we were afraid of being unilaterally cut off.

But now...

Think about the NH90 helicopter

Think about the M88-3 engine.

Think about the Trent 900...

Say it again, who is afraid of being cut off?

China's competitiveness in the world industrial chain has long ceased to be, at least not just huge market potential and low supply costs.

But it actually has irreplaceable core technology.

In this case, let's not talk about the self-use models for the time being, at least for foreign trade products, we can open our minds more...

Let's not talk about anything else.

Don't the French want their own AWACS?

The Navy had to consider carrier-based aircraft, so it had no choice but to purchase E2C.

But the Air Force's choice of E3F was controversial.

This model is essentially the same as the E3A 20 years ago, except that the aircraft carrier platform has replaced the engine with better performance.

The price was nearly $500 million.

After entering the new century, the French Air Force, which felt that the E3F was a bit outdated, began to seek technical upgrades.

As a result, they were blackmailed again.

In addition, from the perspective of demand, the scale and mission of the French Air Force do not need a model of the size of E3A.

Not only Chang Haonan thinks so, but even the French themselves think so.

For a long time, there has been a constant voice about retiring the E3F and replacing it with E3A.

And before Chang Haonan was reborn, they did so.

Since even Swedish products can be bought, if the Falcon Z is used as a carrier, at least like the NH90, it can be nominally considered as a French production...

As for the command system and data link, they were originally optional parts.

Just use your own when you go back.

Anyway, even if it is E3F, it is operated independently by the French Air Force and is not connected to NATO's universal command system...

Not only that, it can also take advantage when it is sold to third countries.

At least it will not suffer because of the small number of users of Chinese fighter jets.

Thinking of this, Chang Haonan, who was a little drowsy just now, was no longer sleepy in an instant.

At this moment, Liu Yongquan happened to be tracking the test of the SeA650 engine in France.

It was just right for him to test the other party's attitude.

After all, the overall design of the Falcon Z still belongs to Dassault.

And to modify a special aircraft based on it, it is obviously a big problem without the original design plan...

...

A few days later, France.

The war clouds that permeated the sky over the Middle East have almost no impact on Europe.

At least not yet.

In fact, because no troops were sent to participate in the deterrence operation, the French spectators were mainly watching the fun.

Normal production and life were not affected.

Of course, this is old Europe.

The so-called "normal" production and life may not be very normal...

For example, the Falcon Z prototype, which was originally scheduled to fly for the first time in January 2003, was delayed for nearly a month without knowing it, although everything seemed normal.

Fortunately, the preparations on the ground were sufficient, and the SeA650 itself was a relatively mature design, and the French were experienced in passenger aircraft test flights, so after entering the test flight stage, there were no other problems.

By the end of March, the basic subjects had been completed and began to gradually transition to the next stage.

That is, the performance of the Falcon Z's commercial selling point.

There are mainly three parts.

Speed, range, and cabin quietness.

In addition to safety, these are also the most important performance of a business jet.

Quietness can be dispersed throughout the test flight process for testing, and does not need to be conducted as a separate subject.

In order to ensure the efficiency of the test, the flight must be arranged at a relatively later stage.

After all, more than 12,000 km is enough to fly directly from London to Beijing.

It can even be put into the test run as part of the publicity gimmick.

Just like the aviation industry in the 1920s and 1930s was keen on crossing the Atlantic in various ways.

Therefore, the core subject at the current stage is still the maximum flight speed.

In particular, the new wing designed by China, in the previous ground flutter test, the maximum allowable speed reached an astonishing 0.990 Mach.

It is higher than the design indicators taken out at the beginning.

Of course, this number is already the maximum limit that the aircraft structure can withstand, which means that it will be directly broken if it is faster, not that the aircraft can really fly at 0.99 Mach.

Even in the test flight, this speed will not be reached.

Dassault is not Boeing, and test pilots cannot really be used as consumables.

But as a model with high speed as its selling point, it will never hurt to have more safety redundancy...

"Charles, we checked the flight parameter recording equipment and confirmed that in this test flight, the aircraft reached and maintained an airspeed of 0.92 Mach in level flight."

In a hangar at the Merignac Airport, test flight leader Rob Boudin got out of the cabin of the Falcon 8Z and reported loudly to Charles Edelsteiner who was checking the cabin noise recording data not far away.

He strode to the test bench, put the recording device in his hand on the table, wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued:

"I have to say that the best design of this aircraft is neither the speed nor the noise, but the cabin cross-sectional area... I can finally stand up straight in a business jet, without bending over like walking through a dog hole..."

"Thanks to Snecma... uh... Anyway, thanks to the two new engines with strong thrust, the cabin cross-sectional height of the Falcon Z is 8 cm higher than the average of the same level models."

"Don't look at this number as insignificant, but for passengers of average height, it is just the critical point of whether they can stand up straight..."

As Edsteiner spoke, he raised his head and looked at the recorder in Robb's hand with complicated eyes--

0.92 Mach is actually a pie in the sky drawn by the Falcon Z during the early promotion process.

Because it is a pie, it was deliberately not marked at the beginning whether it was airspeed or ground speed.

His original idea was to find a favorable weather and let the aircraft's GPS speed (that is, ground speed) exceed 0.93 Mach at the altitude at that time.

If that doesn't work, he can make a shallow dive.

In short, he used all the Spring and Autumn style to the fullest, as long as he could avoid the accusation of false advertising.

This is also a kind of open secret in the industry.

Rich people usually think that their time is valuable, so they are very fond of this kind of propaganda.

But in fact, no one really cares about those 10 or 15 minutes.

However.

Who would have thought.

His original intention was bad, but he executed it well.

After switching to a wing with lower resistance, the aircraft actually reached an airspeed of 0.92 Mach in level flight...

That's good.

The Falcon 8Z has three main selling points.

High speed.

It relies on the low-drag wing designed by others.

Long range.

It relies on the low-fuel consumption engine designed by others.

Quietness.

It relies on the soundproof nacelle and active noise reduction system designed by others. …

Although the overall design of the aircraft was still led by Dassault.

But no matter how Edsteiner thought about it, he felt that it was not right.

The Falcon 8Z is a groundbreaking product in the field of business jets, but after a closer look, he found that the era was set by others?