Chapter 779: First, Let’s Build up the Reputation of China Airlines
In terms of technology, as long as Chang Haonan opens his mouth, it is basically a done deal.
However, for the newly established Aviation Power Group, foreign cooperation, especially in the form of technology output, is still a new thing.
Although Chang Haonan has promoted projects such as NH90 before, he was just making suggestions at that time, and the comrades of Bingcheng Aircraft Industry Group were really responsible for implementation.
As for the other people...
They have even less experience in this area.
China's equal technical exchanges with Europe started from the Xianzhou 60. It has been less than four years since then, and there are only a few signature projects.
Therefore, everyone has a lot to consider.
"Comrade Haonan, when our group was established, didn't we set three key development directions?"
Deng Shiyou said:
"After the completion of the WS-10, the original plan was to shift the focus to the pre-research and project establishment of the three models. If an international cooperation project is suddenly added, will it affect our original schedule?"
This concern is still reasonable.
For a newly established enterprise, there is sometimes only a thin line between "bold exploration" and "blind expansion".
It may not be a good thing to rashly expand the stall.
However, Chang Haonan immediately waved his hand:
"I am quite familiar with CFM56. I have also learned about the general situation of M88. It actually has great potential."
"It's just that Snecma has been studying single-rotor engines in the past, and now it suddenly makes a dual-rotor model. The lack of experience has caused such a mess. If it is just improved to a usable state, it will not be too difficult."
"It just so happens that we have always said that WS-10 is a big exercise for our group. After the exercise, there will always be several assessments or exercises between the next actual combat. The M88 project can be regarded as a big test to see how good our technical personnel are!"
In fact, before planning to take over the WS-10 project that year, Chang Haonan specifically considered continuing to use the CFM56 core engine to make a plan with lower risks and difficulties.
However, after a round of research, it was found that using other people's core opportunities would lock the ideas and upper limits, and it would not be able to play its advantages in design. Compared with the United States at this time, China's production and manufacturing level is still a certain distance away, which is equivalent to only being able to build a youth version of the F110.
If we patch up the CFM56, it would be like dancing with shackles, so it is better to start from scratch.
This is how the current "3.75 generation" turbofan 10 came into being.
The M88 is a model that was forced to dance with shackles because of insufficient design experience.
At first, the French who thought they had obtained General Electric technology were still quite confident.
The first test model M88-1 even dared to mark 8.3 tons of sea level thrust (equivalent to a thrust-to-weight ratio of 10). As a result, it was found that the life and reliability exploded at the same time, and it was definitely not dared to install a mass-produced machine, resulting in the first few Rafale prototypes having to be equipped with F404 for a period of time.
The M88-2, which is currently being tested and planned for installation, should have increased the turbine inlet temperature and reduced the thrust to 7.5 tons.
However, after the sudden loss of the technical source in the middle, this engine, which had already entered the end of the R&D cycle, still encountered a series of problems.
Of course, if we only talk about the processing and manufacturing process, even after two years of improvement, China is still a little bit behind the old European industrial countries such as France.
But the reason why Chang Haonan dared to guarantee so confidently was mainly because the early M88 had too many problems. With the same level as the turbofan 10, or even a slightly higher turbine inlet temperature, it could only exchange for 7.5 tons of thrust and 8.5 thrust-to-weight ratio, which was completely dragged down by the design.
Moreover, CFM56 itself has some common problems.
For example, the gap between the outer ring of the high-pressure turbine rear shaft and the second ring of the grate ring is too large, which can easily cause the grate teeth to crack, and the original wire damper cannot inhibit the crack expansion, resulting in extremely poor tolerance of this part to the working environment, and it is easy to have accidents such as sealing failure or even breakage.
Just modifying a few of these problems is enough to fool the French.
Of course, if you want to further unlock the potential, that's fine.
You just have to pay more.
"There is another question, Comrade Haonan."
After a moment of silence, Wen Kangjian, the chief accountant who had not spoken just now, pushed his glasses and asked Chang Haonan:
"Is there a possibility that the French asked us for cooperation this time, in fact, to show off to the Americans, and use this matter as a bargaining chip to force General Electric to turn back?"
"After all, although there are some contradictions between the United States and France, they are still NATO countries after all. For such research and development involving the main combat equipment of the Air Force, can they really let us participate directly?"
Wen Kangjian's words might be something that anyone would think of twenty years later, but in 1999, they were quite insightful.
The other people looked at each other and soon realized that what he said made sense.
"We really can't rule out this possibility."
Chang Haonan pondered for a moment and replied:
"Or, I guess the French are probably prepared for both situations. If the Americans can change their minds, that would be even better. If they are determined not to turn back, they will consider asking us for help."
"They are using us as a gun..."
Deng Shiyou frowned.
"I think this may not be a bad thing for us."
Before Chang Haonan could speak, Lin Zuoming actually spoke before him:
"I think everyone knows what General Electric's status and reputation is in the field of aviation engines."
"Even if the cooperation fails in the end, as an emerging force, we can be used as a bargaining chip by the French to deal with General Electric, and it actually succeeded. It is equivalent to advertising for us."
Old Lin may not be a technical expert, but he is sensitive in running a business.
"Yes, I agree."
Chang Haonan immediately expressed his support:
"At this stage, as long as we can promote the reputation of our aviation power, we can only make money and not lose money."
"Of course, if the cooperation can be successful in the end, it would be the best. The whole world will know that the mess left by General Electric after it quit was cleaned up by us..."
Some things, if you look at them from different angles, you will get different conclusions.
After Lin Zuoming and Chang Haonan's analysis, everyone suddenly felt that being used as a gun was not so difficult to accept -
How many people want to be used as a gun when they can eat at the same table with GE, but they have no chance...
Zhu Linyu's eyes swept across the half circle in front of him, and seeing that everyone seemed to have no other questions, he said:
"In this case, then, I agree that we should actively promote this cooperation with Snecma and Dassault."
After speaking, he gently raised his right hand and signaled a vote.
After all, it was a leadership meeting. Even if no one expressed opposition just now, the decision-making process still had to go through.
The other six people also raised their hands to express their agreement.
"All votes passed."
Zhu Linyu nodded, then lowered his head to make a simple record in the notebook, and then continued:
"Then this will be the unanimous opinion of our entire group, reported to the National Defense Science and Technology Commission, and then prepare to officially start negotiations!"