Chapter 489: Sea Eagle Carrier-based Aircraft, Thrust Vectoring

He pressed the remote control, and a sketch outline of a fighter jet appeared on the screen: "'Sea Eagle' will be the world's first carrier-based aircraft designed specifically for a Ground Effect Aircraft Carrier. It must meet several key requirements: first, short takeoff and landing capability to adapt to the limited deck length of 'Kunpeng'; second, strong anti-sea and anti-ground strike capability; third, good low-altitude maneuverability; fourth, a simple and reliable structure for easy maintenance and production."

A young engineer raised a hand to ask: "Chief Engineer Li, you just mentioned short takeoff and landing. Does this mean we need a catapult device similar to the one the Star-Spangled Country is currently developing?"

Li Mingyuan shook his head: "No, we will take a completely different technical route."

He quickly drew a schematic on the blackboard: "'Kunpeng's' takeoff deck is only 120 meters long. Traditional fixed-wing fighter jets need a runway of at least 800 meters to take off safely. Even with a catapult, it is very difficult for a fighter jet to reach takeoff speed within such a short distance."

Li Mingyuan paused, observed the reactions of the crowd, and then continued: "Therefore, we will adopt a brand-new design concept—thrust vectoring."

A wave of surprised discussion broke out in the conference room.

"Thrust vectoring?" A senior engineer frowned, "Do you mean the engine nozzle can change direction? This technology is still in the theoretical stage globally, and there is no precedent for any practical application."

Li Mingyuan smiled slightly: "Exactly, and that is precisely why it is our opportunity."

He walked to the blackboard and quickly drew a cross-section of an engine: "The thrust direction of a traditional engine is fixed and can only propel backward. But a thrust-vectoring engine can change the nozzle angle, causing the thrust direction to change accordingly."

He marked different jet angles on the diagram: "During takeoff, the nozzle tilts downward by 45 degrees, with a portion of the thrust used for lift, reducing the takeoff run distance; during cruising, the nozzle returns to a horizontal position to provide normal forward power; during maneuvering, the nozzle angle can be adjusted as needed to significantly increase turn rate and climb performance."

The conference room was deathly silent; everyone was stunned by this unprecedented design concept.

An elderly engineer finally broke the silence: "Chief Engineer Li, this concept is indeed very revolutionary, but it is fraught with difficulties in implementation. The nozzle mechanism needs to withstand extremely high temperatures and pressures, and it must also ensure precise control and reliability. These technical challenges might take years or even decades to solve."

"I understand these concerns," Li Mingyuan nodded, "but we don't need to get it perfect in one step. The first-generation prototype of 'Sea Eagle' can use a relatively simplified thrust-vectoring system—with only two fixed angles: takeoff/landing mode and cruise mode. This greatly reduces the technical difficulty while still meeting the basic requirements for short takeoff and landing."

He turned to another engineer: "Engineer Liu, you studied turbojet engine design in Beijixiong Guo. Do you think this dual-mode vector nozzle is technically feasible?"

Engineer Liu pondered for a moment and nodded slowly: "Theoretically, it is feasible. If only two fixed angles are needed, the switching of the nozzle position can be achieved through a simple mechanical linkage. The main challenges lie in heat-resistant materials and sealing issues, but these are engineering problems that can be solved, rather than fundamental principle obstacles."

Li Mingyuan smiled with satisfaction: "Exactly. We don't need a perfect solution; we just need a system that is good enough and works. As the technology matures, we can gradually introduce more complex all-directional thrust-vectoring technology in subsequent models."

He walked back to the podium and pressed the remote control, and a more detailed design sketch appeared on the screen: "Now, let me introduce the basic parameters of 'Sea Eagle'—"

"Length: 15 meters

Wingspan: 10 meters

Maximum takeoff weight: 8 tons

Engine: Single improved Turbojet Engine, maximum thrust 4500 kg

Maximum speed: Mach 1.2 (high altitude)

Cruising speed: 900 km/h

Combat radius: 600 km

Weapon payload: 2000 kg, including air-to-air Missile, air-to-ship Missile, and conventional bombs

Special equipment: Dual-mode vector nozzle system, enhanced short takeoff and landing capability"

Li Mingyuan looked around and continued: "Starting from today, we have six months to complete the detailed design of 'Sea Eagle', and we must achieve the first flight within one year. This schedule is very tight, but I believe that with the intelligence and dedication of everyone here, we will certainly be able to complete this challenge."

The atmosphere in the conference room became lively, and the engineers began to discuss technical details and possible solutions. Li Mingyuan watched this scene with satisfaction, knowing that he had successfully ignited the team's passion.

Two weeks later, in the carrier-based aircraft design room, Li Mingyuan was discussing the latest design plan for "Sea Eagle" with Chief Designer Hu Zhiyuan.

"The preliminary design of the vector nozzle is complete," Hu Zhiyuan pointed to the blueprints, "We have adopted a simplified mechanical linkage system. Through a dedicated control lever in the cockpit, the pilot can switch between takeoff/landing mode and cruise mode."

Li Mingyuan carefully examined the design details: "Has the sealing problem been solved? High-temperature airflow will cause severe erosion to the moving parts."

"We have used improved High-temperature Alloy and ceramic coatings," Hu Zhiyuan explained, "Although we cannot completely avoid erosion, we can control the maintenance cycle to about 50 hours, which basically meets combat requirements."

Li Mingyuan nodded: "Acceptable. What about the wing design?"

Hu Zhiyuan unfolded another blueprint: "This is our latest aerodynamic scheme. Considering the requirements for short takeoff and landing, we have adopted a high-lift design, including leading-edge slats and trailing-edge flaps, which can provide sufficient lift at low speeds."

He pointed to the special shape of the wings: "In addition, we have introduced a 'forward-swept and backward-swept' combination wing profile, which maintains good low-speed performance without overly sacrificing high-speed performance."

Li Mingyuan was very satisfied with this: "A very good balanced scheme. What about the weapon system?"

"We currently plan to equip it with two main weapons," Hu Zhiyuan pulled out the weapon system blueprints, "First is the independently developed PL-2 air-to-air Missile, based on the basic principles of Beijixiong Guo's K-13, but with significant improvements; second is the YJ-1 anti-ship Missile, with a range of 80 kilometers, enough to attack enemy ships from a safe distance."

Li Mingyuan pondered for a moment: "PL-2 is fine, but the performance of the YJ-1 is not yet ideal. We need an anti-ship weapon with a longer range and more precise Guidance System."

He picked up a pen and quickly drew a new Missile shape next to the blueprint: "Consider a design like this—a range of 150 kilometers, using a dual-mode Guidance System of active Radar homing plus infrared terminal guidance, with a warhead weight of 250 kilograms. This will give 'Sea Eagle' long-range precision strike capability and significantly improve its combat effectiveness."