Rebirth of a technological power

In the past, for any major project, the first step was project approval.

Project establishment work often takes several years.

Subsequently, there is the plan demonstration, a process that often takes several years.

The next step is to build one or two prototypes.

The prototype flew for the first time, and after almost a year or two of testing, construction of the experimental aircraft began.

The experimental aircraft undergoes a series of tests and improvements, and finally the key design review work is completed, and then the detailed design phase is completed, followed by finalization and naming.

It is normal for this process to take ten or fifteen years.

Before and after, it is normal for an aircraft to be put into service for thirty years!

But now, Cai Jin has actually figured it out.

This kind of thing, no matter how you think about it, seems like a fantasy.

"Mr. Cai Jin, you are an expert in artificial intelligence and other fields, but you have never developed an airplane and don't know much about it." The old man couldn't help but say.

He participated in the development of the J-10 and the J-20.

The old man is very aware of the difficulties in developing an advanced aircraft.

Even though China is now far better than before, it still faces great difficulties in developing a new generation of aircraft.

The J-20, according to everyone's current unified standards, is a fifth-generation fighter jet.

According to the principles of China's weapons development, there is one generation for service, one generation for development, one generation for pre-research, and one generation for exploration.

China is now developing sixth-generation fighter jets, pre-researching seventh-generation fighter jets, and exploring eighth-generation fighter jets!

As an expert in the aviation field, the old man actually knows that it was Cai Jin's plan to transform those retired old aircraft into drones. Now it has been proved that Cai Jin is also an expert in the field of drones.

But this is a new aircraft, completely different.

When that kind of old aircraft is transformed into a drone, there is no need to change the aerodynamic layout.

But for a new aircraft, the layout needs to be restarted to explore the best aerodynamic layout.

"Actually, I already have a manufactured prototype, which is currently in suborbital orbit and has been tested for ten days." Cai Jin said with a smile.

Facts speak louder than words.

No matter how much you talk, it’s better to see the real thing directly.

The leader who presided over the meeting said: "Comrade Cai Jin, can you let this prototype land at the designated location?"

"It's no problem. It's no problem even if we come directly to the open space here." Cai Jin said.

Of course, it is impossible to come here directly.

Safety issues cannot be ignored.

Afterwards, Cai Jin sent the air and space fighter plane to the target airport.

It will take a longer time to get to the suborbital orbit we are in now, but it will be quite easy to return from the suborbital and fly to the target airport.

When Cai Jin and the others had just arrived at the target airport, the aerial fighter plane performed a vertical landing in front of everyone and stopped steadily on the apron.

Each expert looked horrified.

This kind of vertical take-off and landing is actually nothing new.

As early as the late 1950s, since the birth of vertical takeoff and landing technology, this technology has been one of the most anticipated developments in the aviation field.

And it is also used in fighter jets, such as the British Harrier aircraft, the Russian Yak-36, Yak-141, and the now famous F-35 "Lightning" fighter jet!

China is in its early stages in this regard!

Aircraft using vertical take-off and landing technology are flexible and have unparalleled advantages over conventional aircraft, but they also have shortcomings. The first is the short range. The take-off weight of the aircraft can only be 83% to 85% of the engine thrust, which makes the aircraft Payload was greatly affected, affecting the aircraft's fuel capacity and range. At the same time, when the aircraft takes off vertically, the engine works at its maximum state, which consumes a lot of fuel and limits the combat radius of the aircraft!

However, this technology still attracts much attention. Once this technology matures, it will be even more powerful for naval aviation.

But now, a plane was right in front of them, performing vertical landing techniques.

And at first glance, it’s still mature technology!

The plane then glided into a hangar.

After all, there are too many reconnaissance satellites in the sky.

Confidentiality is still necessary.

Technical experts began to look at this aerospace fighter carefully.

Unlike traditional fighter jets, this fighter jet has obviously lost a lot of weight.

There is no cockpit, which means this is a drone!

The absence of a missile pylon means that the drone does not have the ability to launch missiles.

In the previous meeting, they already knew that it only carried one laser cannon.

"Comrade Cai Jin, can such an aircraft really continue to cruise in suborbital space for 20 years?" The leader couldn't believe it.

If you just listen to the data, you won't feel anything at all.

If you see it in person, you will have an intuitive feeling.

Compared with the J-20, this is the younger brother among younger brothers.

"This air and space fighter is operated unmanned and is commanded through artificial intelligence or ground. Once the automatic mode is activated, everything will be dominated by artificial intelligence." Cai Jin explained: "It uses a lot of new processes and new materials. , the total weight is only two tons, it uses nuclear batteries, which can continuously provide energy, and the four sets of thrusters can rotate 360 ​​degrees."

"Theoretically speaking, let alone cruising for 20 years, if the material can withstand all kinds of radiation corrosion, cruising for a hundred years will not be a problem."

In space, various rays can cause damage to materials.

"Nuclear battery!?" An aerospace expert couldn't help but said in shock: "Have you developed mature nuclear battery technology?"

Nuclear batteries have the characteristics of small size, light weight and long life, and their energy size and speed are not affected by the temperature, chemical reaction, pressure, electromagnetic field, etc. of the external environment. Therefore, they can operate in a wide temperature range and harsh environments. Working in the environment makes nuclear batteries attract much attention in aerospace technology.

But at present, nuclear battery technology is always in the exploratory stage and is not yet a mature technology.

Now China's most advanced nuclear battery technology is applied to the lunar rover, allowing the lunar rover to continue working for 30 years!

But the difference between now and Cai Jin's nuclear battery technology is not even the slightest bit.

If there is such mature nuclear battery technology, then the lifespan of satellites in the future will start at least twenty years. Then in the future, it is estimated that they can still operate for twenty or thirty years.

The lifespan of satellites is generally short, either because there is insufficient fuel or the life of the battery panels is limited. Once the fuel is exhausted and the lifespan of the battery panels expires, the satellites become space junk.

And the most important thing is that if a deep space probe is launched and a nuclear battery is installed, the deep space probe can fly farther and have a longer lifespan.