Rebirth of the 1980s: The Military Industry Empire

The Z-8 is still in the stage of surveying and imitation. Domestically produced models haven't taken off yet. However, the Z-8's airframe platform is still viable. It's possible to modify it into an airborne early warning helicopter without having to develop a dedicated airframe platform. It should be easier.

"Okay, we'll provide the helicopter airframe, but the radar part installed on it will still need your Factory 960 to help with."

"No problem. We have extensive experience, especially since it's to meet maritime needs. We guarantee to complete the task."

The sea surface usually has waves of only one or two meters high, unlike land with mountains and valleys, which are uneven. Therefore, there is very little radar clutter on the sea surface. All kinds of early warning aircraft first have maritime search capabilities before gradually transitioning to having land search capabilities.

Factory 960 has sufficient technical strength. They've even developed the KJ-2000, let alone something smaller?

However, the layout of this radar needs to be considered.

The British early warning helicopter has a large dome placed on one side of the fuselage, which looks unbalanced. The Russian early warning aircraft has a flat panel placed on the belly, which unfolds and rotates under the belly after takeoff. Although the field of vision is wide, it sways back and forth in the wind.

How should we lay it out?

Qin Yang only hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. Of course, he doesn't need to worry about this kind of thing. Let the technicians worry about it!

He only provides the plan. The choice is up to the technicians. That's right, that's it!

Having made up his mind, Qin Yang let out a long breath: "Everyone, I've agreed to so many conditions for you. Are you satisfied now?"

"President Qin, there's a long way to go if you want to build an aircraft carrier!" Old Liu said with emotion: "Our biggest problem is that we're completely in the dark. We have no reference and rely entirely on feeling our way across the river, which will lead to detours. You're not a shipbuilder, so I'm afraid you can't give us design drawings, right?"

Qin Yang really doesn't have that ability. Qin Yang knows a lot, but it's mainly limited to army weapons. For the air force and navy, he mainly relies on his vision, coupled with the efforts of others. He definitely can't do it himself.

Design an aircraft carrier? That's even more impossible.

An aircraft carrier of tens of thousands of tons is like a city, with a large number of cabins and various pipelines. Even just the pipeline design of a ventilation fan can cause accidents.

The aircraft carrier designs of various countries come step by step.

Take the old Maozi as an example. They first designed the 15,000-ton helicopter carrier Moscow class, and then the 30,000-40,000-ton Kiev class. Step by step, they began to design the 60,000-ton Kuznetsov, and slowly developed a modern heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser.

What about us?

Starting in the 1990s, the East brought the Varyag back and studied it carefully. Later, when they built their own, they didn't dare to play with catapults right away. They honestly built a sister ship of the Varyag, and then they were confident enough to start building an aircraft carrier similar to the Kitty Hawk class.

Qin Yang, an amateur, dared not pat his chest and guarantee that he had the ability.

It's too difficult to start a domestic aircraft carrier.

So, what does Old Liu mean by saying this?

Qin Yang suddenly thought of something: "Are we planning to buy a retired aircraft carrier from abroad and dismantle it for research?"

"Sure enough, President Qin is amazing. He can guess what we're thinking. President Qin must also know which aircraft carrier we want to buy."

"Now, there are only a few second-hand aircraft carriers in the world that can be bought, and it has to be an aircraft carrier that has no use. Only the Melbourne is left."

Everyone sighed. President Qin is so awesome!

The Melbourne is a very famous aircraft carrier in the world, but its reputation is based on its collisions.

After the end of World War II, a large number of warships still on the slipway were no longer needed. The declining British also did not have the ability to maintain a huge fleet. Therefore, many warships began to be eliminated, some were dismantled, and some were sold. In contrast, the fate of aircraft carriers that could be sold was the best.

The Majestic-class aircraft carrier HMS Majestic had such a fate. It was built in 1943 and launched in 1945, and then the war ended. Seeing that it was useless and was about to be dismantled as scrap iron, the Kangaroo Country Navy took a fancy to it and decided to buy it, naming it the Melbourne.

The British were very happy and sold it for ten pounds, but they made a request: the aircraft carrier had to be modernized in the UK, and carrier-based aircraft had to be purchased from the UK.

In this way, the Kangaroo Country had to spend money and provide a lot of employment opportunities for the UK. Moreover, the aircraft carrier did need to be modernized. For example, it was equipped with steam catapults, a 5.5-degree angled deck, and a landing sight, etc., and it could operate carrier-based aircraft after a makeover.

The Kangaroo Country ordered it in 1949 and received it back in 1956. The addition of this 20,000-ton displacement aircraft carrier made them suddenly feel confident and feel that they were already very powerful.

"President Qin, can you come forward to help us purchase it?" Old Liu asked.

Qin Yang shook his head directly: "Of course not! If I come forward, things will get out of hand. Find a scrap metal recycling company or a ship dismantling factory to go, and it will be done."