Chapter 229: Jian-6, Take Off!

"At least three hours," the supervisor sighed, "the entire turbine assembly must be removed and readjusted."

"Then three hours it is," Li Mingyuan looked at his watch, "we continue testing at 3:00 AM. Everyone take turns resting to keep your energy up."

Someone muttered under their breath: "Working through the middle of the night, this is really tough..."

"What, tired?" Li Mingyuan turned his head, his gaze sweeping over sharply.

"The Di Guo bombers fly day and night; do you think they get tired?"

That person immediately fell silent and went back to work with their head down.

A full three hours of rework; every screw, every weld point, all underwent repeated inspections.

Li Mingyuan even climbed into the narrow maintenance hatch himself, using a magnifying glass to check the installation angle of every single Turbine Blade.

At exactly 3:00 AM, the second ground test began.

This time, the Engine started more smoothly, and there were no abnormal noises in the roar.

The thrust gauge reading rose steadily: 2500 kg... 2700 kg... finally stabilizing at 2750 kg!

"It exceeded the design value!" the data monitor's voice changed pitch with excitement, "Chief Engineer, our Engine thrust has exceeded the design value!"

Li Mingyuan revealed his first smile of the night, "Continue testing, run it for half an hour, and monitor all parameters."

Half an hour later, all data remained stable; the Engine performed excellently, even exceeding the original design expectations.

"Alright, shut it down," Li Mingyuan said, "tomorrow we conduct the full system integration test. If everything goes smoothly, we test fly the day after."

When the Engine stopped completely and the hangar fell into silence, Lao Liu suddenly slapped his thigh and laughed.

"Damn it, we really built a jet fighter! Chief Engineer Li, you are simply a miracle worker!"

Li Mingyuan did not respond to this praise. He walked to the side of the Jian-6 and gently stroked the cold metal fuselage, his eyes filled with a strange mixture of emotions—pride, anticipation, and a trace of imperceptible worry.

"Integration test tomorrow, test flight the day after," he muttered to himself, "then, we shall see the results on the battlefield."

On the day of the test flight, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, the secret airfield was already bustling with people.

The Jian-6 was carefully pushed out of the hangar, reflecting silver light in the morning sun.

The sides of the fuselage were painted with the striking Dragon Country Air Force emblem, and the muzzles of the three 30mm cannons under the nose were as deep as black holes.

"That's fucking cool," a young technician exclaimed sincerely, drawing laughter from several people nearby.

Li Mingyuan stood on the command tower, his eyes never leaving the fighter jet.

Yesterday's system integration test was very successful; all subsystems worked in coordination, and no anomalies were found.

Logically speaking, today's test flight should be foolproof.

But his heart still felt like it was about to jump out of his chest.

"This is not an ordinary new model test flight," he thought, "this is the first jet fighter independently developed by Dragon Country, a key step in changing the landscape of the war."

Test pilot Xiao Wang was putting on his flight gear.

As one of the best pilots in the Dragon Country Air Force, he had rich combat experience and had flown various types of warplanes, including propeller fighters imported from the Polar Bear.

But a jet fighter was a brand-new experience for him as well.

"Nervous?" Li Mingyuan walked to his side and asked.

Xiao Wang grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"It would be a lie to say I'm not nervous, but there's more excitement. Chief Engineer, I heard this thing can fly to 10,000 meters and reach near-sonic speeds?"

Li Mingyuan nodded, "The theoretical service ceiling of the Jian-6 is 17,900 meters, with a maximum speed of about 1150 kilometers per hour, approaching the speed of sound. But we won't push for the limit during today's test flight; safety is the priority."

"Understood," Xiao Wang patted his chest, "I guarantee I'll bring your treasure back in one piece."

Just as Li Mingyuan was about to say something, a commotion interrupted him.

Several military jeeps sped over and stopped at the edge of the runway.

Several high-ranking Military officials stepped out of the vehicles, led by the Frontline Commander-in-Chief.

"Chief Engineer Li!" the Frontline Commander-in-Chief walked over with long strides, a rare smile on his face.

"I heard your treasure was going to be test-flown, so I made a special trip to come and see."

Li Mingyuan saluted, "I didn't expect you to come to the site in person."

The Frontline Commander-in-Chief waved his hand, "This is a major event! Dragon Country's own jet fighter, how could I not come to witness it?"

He turned to Xiao Wang and patted his shoulder, "Xiao Wang, this mission is of great importance, be sure to be careful."

"Guarantee to complete the mission!" Xiao Wang straightened his back and gave a standard military salute.

As the time drew near, the atmosphere at the airfield became increasingly tense.

Technicians conducted final checks, medical personnel prepared for any contingencies, and security personnel set up a cordon to ensure the safety of the test flight area.

"Starting in ten minutes!" the countdown voice came over the broadcast.

Xiao Wang put on his flight helmet and climbed into the narrow cockpit.

This was his first time in close contact with the cockpit environment of a jet fighter; compared to the propeller planes he was familiar with, there were more instruments here and the controls were more complex.

"Don't be nervous," Li Mingyuan said through the communicator.

"The cockpit design conforms as much as possible to your operational habits; most of the control methods are similar to the planes you are familiar with, just with a few new functions added."

Xiao Wang took a deep breath, his fingers sliding skillfully over the various switches, "Understood, I am ready."

"Begin the startup sequence!" the tower issued the command.

Xiao Wang pressed the start button for the Power System, and a low hum immediately came from inside the cockpit.

Then came the roar of the fuel pump, followed by—

"Boom—!"

The WP-5 Engine roared to life, blue-white flames spewing from the tail nozzle, the heat waves distorting the surrounding air.

The entire fuselage trembled slightly, like a bird of prey about to take flight.

"Engine parameters normal!" the Ground Control Center reported, "All systems green!"

Wang Wei felt the vibrations coming from the seat; this sensation was completely different from a propeller fighter.

The power of the jet Engine was more direct, more primal, as if a wild beast were roaring behind him.

"Number 31 requesting takeoff!" Wang Wei said into the communicator, his voice trembling slightly from excitement.

The control tower responded quickly: "Number 31, takeoff cleared. Wind direction 3 degrees north-northeast, wind speed 2 meters per second, visibility good. Good luck!"

Wang Wei took a deep breath and slowly pushed the throttle lever.

The roar of the Engine suddenly rose an octave, and the vibration of the fuselage became more pronounced.

The J-6 began to taxi down the runway, its speed increasing rapidly.

50 kilometers per hour... 100 kilometers per hour... 150 kilometers per hour...

"It feels quite different," Wang Wei reported over the radio, "the acceleration is much faster than a propeller fighter!"

200 kilometers per hour... 250 kilometers per hour...

The spectators on the ground watched with bated breath; at this moment, history was being written before their eyes.

Wang Wei felt an unprecedented sense of being pushed back into his seat, as if someone were shoving his spine hard with a giant palm.

The G-force caused his cheeks to deform slightly, but he remained clear-headed, staring intently at the instrument panel.

300 kilometers per hour!

Takeoff speed reached!

Wang Wei pulled the stick gently, the nose of the J-6 lifted slightly, and then—it left the ground!