Reborn in Hong Kong: The Tycoon Grows Up

After a few simple words of greeting, the two people immediately got closer. This is the benefit of the alumni circle, and it is also the reason why so many well-known Hollywood directors supported their alma mater after the scandal occurred at the University of Southern California.

Although William Wales Douglas was angry and even a little sad about the merger of Douglas Company by MacDonald. But he has no complaints at all about MIT, the alma mater that trained him. And MIT is not only his alma mater, but also the alma mater of his father, Donald Wales Douglas.

Bao Zixuan is known as the greatest graduate of MIT, and it is not without reason. The current achievements alone have surpassed those of the founders of McDonnell Douglas and Douglas. As for how high it will develop in the future, only God knows.

Bao Zixuan came to visit him personally. They haven’t offended you, so you must give them the face they deserve. Otherwise, it will not only affect yourself, but also the company and family.

Bao Zixuan smiled and said: "Senior, how far has the super-large passenger aircraft been designed? The research and development of the Heiyun engine has begun, and we will see the finished product within a year."

What does this guy mean? He is not satisfied with his research and development speed. William Wales Douglas said very formally: "You are the one who said that there is no market for three-engine passenger aircraft. The future will definitely be dominated by two-engine and four-engine aircraft."

Why did he mention this again? It seems that the old man still can't let go.

The three-engine passenger plane was mainly due to his support. Of course he would be dissatisfied when he heard that someone was planning to build a four-engine super-large passenger plane. And this person is no ordinary layman, but a once-in-a-century super genius in the aviation industry.

Bao Zixuan said with a smile: "Everyone understands that the three-engine design has inherent shortcomings. Especially the engine arranged at the tail seriously affects the optimization of the aircraft's performance, so it is far inferior to the four-engine or two-engine layout. Because the three-engine aircraft The power structure is unstable. The stability and balance of power output at three points is far less than that of symmetrical output at two or four points. When encountering problems, accidents are more likely to occur. In addition, the engine has a certain weight Yes. A three-engine aircraft must have an engine on the tail rudder, which will cause some weight issues. In terms of fuel consumption, which airlines value most, three engines are not as good as two engines."

"In fact, it's not just three-engine aircraft. As the thrust of aero-engines continues to increase, even four-engine aircraft, the dominant aircraft in the sky, will gradually withdraw from the stage of history."

I heard that Bao Zixuan actually said that all four engines would be withdrawn from the stage of history, so why should we continue to develop them? Little Macdonald wanted to say something, but looking at the postures of the two of them, he didn't dare to speak.

It's okay to fool the beautiful models outside with my little aviation knowledge, but these two people in front of me are top experts in aviation. Compared with them, I am at the level of a primary school student. But he couldn't embarrass himself in front of the experts, and since Bao Zixuan knew that the four-engine super large passenger aircraft would be eliminated, he still spared no effort in research and development. It’s definitely not that there is so much money that there is no place to spend it, and I don’t know who will invest in this aspect.

In fact, William Wales Douglas certainly knew about the disadvantages of three-engine aircraft, but he just didn't want to be like Boeing. Maybe it was because of his vanity. Of course, it’s not absolute. Three-engine aircraft can indeed save some fuel. But compared with the potential safety hazards, saving a little fuel will not attract customers at all.

I didn't expect the kid in front of me to be so decisive, and this idea was not unreasonable. Who would have thought 40 years ago that airplanes could fly so fast and have such a long range. No one could have predicted the advancement of science and technology, and it might actually be possible.

William Wales Douglas: "The future will be dominated by your young people. It seems that I am really old. I know that the four-engine super large passenger aircraft will be eliminated, but I still have to invest in research and development. It seems that this product is destined to be a transitional product. You should have other ideas yourself!"

"In that case, I'll let you take a closer look. You are an expert in aviation. If you have any opinions, don't hide them. Only by discussing it together can technology progress, and at the same time be responsible to users."

A drawing appeared in front of Bao Zixuan, and he was very shocked after seeing it. Because this drawing reminded him of a name - the Airbus A380 double-decker passenger plane.

In fact, Bao Shaofu had some misunderstandings because it was before the Airbus A380. McDonnell Douglas also launched a double-decker passenger aircraft, project code-named MD-12, but it ended in failure.

William Wales Douglas continued: "MD-12 super large passenger aircraft; overall dimensions; wingspan 64.92 meters; aircraft length 63.40 meters; aircraft height 22.55 meters; wing area 543.0 meters*2; main wheelbase 11.58 meters; front main The wheelbase is 26.82 meters.”

"Internal dimensions: main cabin width 7.39 meters; upper cabin width 5.20 meters; height (all) 8.50 meters; underfloor luggage compartment volume 126.4 meters*3; main luggage compartment volume 521.5 meters*3; upper luggage compartment volume 198.1 meters*3 .”

"The design range is 14,500-15,800 kilometers, and the final value depends on what kind of engine Heiyun can provide."

"MD-12 requires a power unit with a thrust of 1,100 kilonewtons, which means four engines with a single thrust of at least 267 kilonewtons are required."

Bao Zixuan looked fascinated, and William Wales Douglas continued: "The original plan was to elongate the MD-10 aircraft that has been put into use, still using 3 engines, and the three-level layout can carry 375 passengers. Last time MacDonald Jr. throw in some of your comments, taking into account the higher direct cost of use per seat: mile.”

"The plan has just been revised, replacing the original three-engine layout with four engines. The plan is mainly extended to two models: four-engine 630-seat aircraft and twin-engine 500-seat aircraft."

After hearing this, I combined some information from my previous life. Bao Zixuan has completely understood that Americans have many design concepts that are really advanced.

If McDonnell Douglas had not been struggling and untimely died in the 1990s, the MD-12 would have likely succeeded before the Airbus A380.

William Wales Douglas saw that Bao Zixuan kept glancing at the fuselage and said: "The fuselage has an oval cross-section. The width of most sections of the 63.4-meter-long fuselage is 7.4 meters and the height is 8.5 meters. The aircraft is equipped with , the lower two cabins, the bottom floor is used for luggage and cargo. There are two conventional stairs connecting the upper and lower cabins, and the width of the stairs allows two passengers with luggage to pass in both directions. Passengers must pass through the lower deck to get on and off the plane. The stairs in front of the lower cabin The front cabin is first class. The cabin behind the forward staircase and on the upper deck can be arranged as business class or economy class.”

Although it is smaller than the later Airbus A380, it is still sufficient. In fact, in Bao Zixuan's view, the Airbus A380 is a bit wasteful. In later generations, only a few airlines purchased them, and they were often understaffed.

The super rich all own private jets, and people with poor financial conditions will choose low-cost airlines. Therefore, it is normal for the Airbus A380 to be full of passengers, and the current size is very good.

Bao Zixuan: "There is no problem with the overall layout of the aircraft, at least I think it is feasible. As for aviation engines, Heiyun will develop supporting products. In fact, the requirements can be met using existing engines, but we must do our best to do it." It must surpass the Boeing 747 at all levels, otherwise the airlines will not foot the bill."

"In addition, the avionics system, control system, flight effect system, and communication system will be jointly developed by Heiyun and Motorola. I believe that there will be no problems if we combine the top talents of the two companies."

"Mitsubishi will take care of the processing of precision parts after the design is finalized. The four of us will sit down together and have a good communication. This aircraft must give people a unique feeling, otherwise we will regret the efforts of the four companies."

I heard that Bao Zixuan solved all the problems in such an understatement, like an emperor giving guidance. You must know that this is the headquarters of McDonnell Douglas, and Xiao MacDonald doesn't know how to describe it. But he shouldn't be in a good mood at this time. After all, he basically couldn't get a word in when the two technical experts were chatting.

This time it was even more extreme, Bao Zixuan finished speaking. William Wales Douglas said directly: "This idea is very good. The aircraft involves hundreds of thousands of parts, including too many subsystems; you must find the most professional company to achieve the best results."

"McDonnell Douglas will complete the design as soon as possible and will notify you three in advance when everything is ready."

Knowing that he was redundant here, little MacDonald naturally left. It's just that the two of them couldn't get in the way when talking about professional knowledge. Now Old William also has to get involved in cooperation matters. Since the old man is so interested, it's best not to disturb him.

In fact, some concessions had to be made at some point, although it was MacDonald's annexation of Douglas. But the Douglas family still owns a lot of shares in the new company, and no one has that much cash to pay.

At McDonnell Douglas, the Douglas family still speaks with great weight. Under normal circumstances, McDonald Jr. will give his opponent enough face. Since there is no need here, it is more comfortable to chat with the beautiful woman. With this idea in mind, little MacDonald went out to talk to the Dickinson sisters about life.