Chapter 159: 30 Minutes, Lasting Shock

Over the next 24 hours, the entire research institute fell into a state of busyness once again.

Li Mingyuan personally redesigned the fuel nozzle, increasing the aperture and improving the atomization angle.

At the same time, the technical team adjusted the turbine clearance and strengthened the sealing and cooling systems.

The next afternoon, the modified Engine was installed on the test stand again.

The audience this time was even larger than the day before; news had spread somehow, and even the Aviation Academy had sent representatives to observe.

"Comrades," Li Mingyuan stood at the entrance of the control room and announced to everyone,

"Thank you all for coming to the site again. Although yesterday's test stopped midway, it already proved the feasibility of the basic design. Today, we will conduct the second test, with the goal of achieving stable operation for at least five minutes and reaching over 90% of the design thrust."

As soon as his voice fell, a burst of whispers spread through the crowd.

Five minutes? 90% design thrust? Is this young man being too confident?

Li Mingyuan ignored these questioning voices, turned around, and walked into the control room to begin preparations for the second test.

"All systems checked, ready for ignition," Li Mingyuan's voice came through the loudspeaker again, "Ten, nine, eight..."

Just like yesterday, as the countdown progressed, the atmosphere at the site became increasingly tense.

But this time, in addition to tension, there was a hint of anticipation and blessing in people's expressions.

"Three, two, one, ignition!"

Inside the control room, Li Mingyuan pressed the start button again.

A brighter orange-red flame flashed from the Engine nozzle on the test stand, followed by a roar that was louder and more stable than yesterday's.

The Engine's turbine accelerated rapidly; in less than three seconds, the roar was deafening, and the hot air ejected from behind the test stand formed an even more distinct shockwave.

"Engine running stably, speed 5000 RPM, temperature normal, pressure normal," the technician inside the control room was practically shouting the report because the Engine's roar was simply too loud.

Li Mingyuan smiled as he watched the various data points rise steadily; the operating state this time was significantly smoother than yesterday.

The Engine's sound no longer had any noise, only that pure roar that made one's heart surge, as if a real steel beast were roaring.

"Speed 10000 RPM, thrust has reached 70% of the design value!"

In the observation area, experts began to whisper to each other, their eyes flashing with excitement.

Yesterday's 30 seconds had already shocked them; if it could really run stably for five minutes today, it would be a great miracle in aviation history.

"Speed 15000 RPM, thrust reaching 85% of the design value..."

Inside the control room, Li Mingyuan's fingers danced lightly on the control panel, fine-tuning various parameters to ensure the Engine was running at its best state.

As time passed, the Engine's performance continued to improve, and the various data points grew closer and closer to the design values.

"One minute... two minutes... three minutes..."

Every time a minute passed, a burst of cheers would erupt in the observation area.

When the time reached five minutes, the entire test site boiled over.

People hugged each other and cheered, and some old experts even shed tears of excitement.

But Li Mingyuan did not stop the test: "Continue running, let's see where its limit is."

"Speed 18000 RPM, thrust reaching 95% of the design value!"

On the data screen inside the control room, all parameters were stable within the optimal range: temperature, pressure, speed, thrust... not a single one showed abnormal fluctuations.

This Engine was not just capable of running; it was capable of running stably and efficiently, fully meeting the design requirements.

Ten minutes... fifteen minutes... twenty minutes...

The Engine continued to run stably, without any signs of slowing down or instability.

The crowd in the observation area had changed from their initial cheering to quiet watching, each face filled with disbelief and deep admiration.

"Total test time thirty minutes, all parameters stable, the test is a complete success!" the technician finally announced, their voice full of pride.

Li Mingyuan pressed the shutdown button, and the Engine's roar gradually weakened, finally falling into Silence.

But the atmosphere at the test site became even more heated.

People rushed out of the observation area, scrambling to pour toward the control room.

Li Mingyuan walked out of the control room, met by a mountain-shaking, sea-roaring wave of applause and cheers.

Minister Zhao and Zhou stood at the very front, the shock on their faces evident.

"It's unbelievable," Zhou gripped Li Mingyuan's hand tightly, his voice trembling with excitement,

"Thirty minutes of stable operation, all parameters reaching 95% of the design value; this has already exceeded the performance of the early Jet Engines of the Polar Bear and the Star-Spangled Country!"

Minister Zhao also excitedly patted Li Mingyuan on the shoulder.

Li Mingyuan smiled and accepted everyone's congratulations, but in his heart, he was already thinking about the next step of the plan.

With the Jet Engine, the next step was naturally to design and manufacture a jet fighter.

But now, time seemed to be running out...

Just as he was immersed in his thoughts, Zhou suddenly offered a suggestion:

"Chief Engineer Li, I believe we should immediately start large-scale production and strive to equip our Air Force in the shortest possible time. According to intelligence, the war in the Sun Country has escalated, and time is very tight."

This proposal immediately received an enthusiastic response from the Military Representatives present.

"That's right, we should put it into production immediately!"

"The sooner we equip the troops by a day, the sooner we can form combat effectiveness!"

"I suggest forming a specialized production team to operate 24 hours a day!"

Facing these eager suggestions, Li Mingyuan unexpectedly shook his head:

"Everyone, I understand your urgent feelings, but there is still a long way to go from a prototype to mass production. We need to conduct more tests, optimize the design, build a complete production line, train technical personnel... these tasks cannot be rushed."

His words were like a basin of cold water, extinguishing everyone's enthusiasm.

The venue fell into Silence, followed by low discussions and dissatisfaction.

"How can we not be in a hurry? The war has already broken out!"

"What do you mean it can't be rushed? Didn't the Polar Bear during the war years also develop and produce at the same time?"

"At a critical moment like this, not the slightest bit of delay can be tolerated!"

Zhou frowned, clearly feeling puzzled by Li Mingyuan's attitude: "Chief Engineer Li, do you not understand the urgency of the current situation? We need to immediately strengthen our air power!"

Facing the public anger, Li Mingyuan remained calm:

"General, forgive my bluntness, from now until the large-scale reinforcements from the Star-Spangled Country arrive, there is at most only one or two months of time."

"In such a short time, even if we run at full capacity to produce, it is impossible to train enough pilots and establish a complete logistics support system."

"Forcibly equipping the troops will not only fail to enhance combat effectiveness, but instead, due to improper operation and insufficient support, it may lead to unnecessary losses."

The crowd was in an uproar.