Chapter 343: The helicopter's progress is rapid

The performance once envisioned has already been fully realized!

The Zhi-9's biggest problem is its too-small payload!

Total weight four tons, empty weight two tons, plus one ton of personnel and fuel, leaving only one ton of payload!

On land it doesn't matter, but at sea the trouble comes: with a sonar buoy attached you can't carry a torpedo, and anti-submarine warfare still requires two helicopters working together; now, with an extra ton of payload, we can hang both the sonar buoy and the torpedo together!

Most importantly, the empty weight hasn't increased!

Generally, increasing engine power increases empty weight—add more water, you need more flour; tossing it back and forth, it just keeps getting bigger.

Now, power has increased without increasing empty weight—this is the most satisfying improvement, after all, it means increased payload!

"Currently, the Navy has already put forward a carrier-based demand, but we haven't yet considered this carrier-based solution……"

"Just use our French Harpoon-Grid system!" Qiewaliye said: "Don't worry, this is absolutely the best helicopter landing assistance system in the world!"

Looking down at the warship from above, it appears no larger than one's own shoe; as you approach, the ship rapidly enlarges, and just a few seconds before landing on the deck, it can even feel like you're about to hit a wall.

Thus, precisely landing a helicopter on the deck is no easy feat; although it doesn't match the takeoff and landing of carrier-based fighters, it's still a high-risk subject—akin to dancing on a blade's edge—and even more so in complicated weather.

Thus, various advanced landing assistance devices emerged.

The Russians' solution is simplest: just lay a high-strength fiber-woven anti-slip net on the helicopter deck; after the helicopter lands, its wheels press onto the net, making it hard to slide off.

Whether it can land depends on the pilot's skill; fortunately, Ka-series helicopters have coaxial counter-rotation, making them easy to operate and giving them strong resistance to crosswinds.

The West therefore had to think of other solutions.

In the 1970s, France developed the Harpoon-Grid system.

On the warship's helicopter deck, a grid is installed; beneath the helicopter's fuselage, a hydraulic rod is installed—so that after landing, the rod locks into the grid, forming a rigid connection, thus securing the helicopter to the deck—a fairly suitable option.

In later times, the Eastern Navy's carrier-based helicopters also used this method to land.

However, this is not the most advanced; under high sea states, at night, etc., the Harpoon-Grid system cannot ensure a safe helicopter landing.

If we're talking about the most advanced, it's still the American trap system.

The earliest is RAST: the helicopter flies slowly from the stern toward the flight deck, hovers at a height of six to nine meters, lowers a guide line; deck personnel below connect the guide line to the haul-down cable; then the pilot operates the winch, pulling the haul-down cable into the helicopter and locking it.

After that, nothing more needs to be done.

The haul-down cable's rope gradually pulls the aircraft down; after landing, the probe beneath the fuselage is clamped by the device inside the haul-down well, thus securing the helicopter to the deck.

After the helicopter shuts down its engine, folds its rotors, and completes other tasks, the deck tractor winch can start up and automatically tow the helicopter into the hangar.

This system continually evolved; later came ASIST and TC-ASIST, incorporating more modern technology—for example, adding a laser system to precisely adjust its position, and so on.

The Harpoon-Grid system can only be used in sea state three, whereas this system can operate even in sea state five!

At maximum, it handles fifteen degrees of roll and five degrees of pitch with no problem!

"The best? I don't think so—the American system can operate in sea state five; can our French system do that?"

Qiewaliye stared for a moment, then… embarrassedly said: "Qin Miao, the American system indeed has its advantages, but……"

"But we French don't have it—you bring up the American system in front of us, that's……"

"What do you mean? If you don't have it, we can develop it together." Qin Miao said: "I have a more advanced proposal here……"

Automatic tracking, automatic indicator lights, active capture…… all these together! Landing assistance, mooring, transfer integrated…… This approach can adapt to higher sea states and also reduce demands on flight personnel; the only difficulty is the need for advanced electronic support.

"Qin Miao, this requires advanced electronic technology; we……"

"You don't have it, but we at Ha Gong Da do—that's why we want to jointly develop it. How about it? Want to acquire such a system?"

Qiewaliye swallowed and said: "Good!"

That reply pleased Qin Miao greatly, meaning another business opportunity: once developed, the French lack advanced electronics, so the most valuable complementary subsystem will still have to be provided by us at Ha Gong Da!

"Everyone, time's about up—our helicopter is about to make its maiden flight!"

If Qin Miao hadn't arrived suddenly, the helicopter would already have taken off; now, the armed Zhi-9 has been pulled out and preparations for takeoff are underway.

Test pilot Zhong Changshu and his weapons operator strode forward toward the aircraft.

Tandem seating—something never flown before! The front seat is the weapons operator, sitting low with the best view, able to easily operate various weapons; the rear seat is the pilot, sitting high with a far view……

"Qin Miao, Ha Gong Da's electronics are advanced—can you later develop a single-pilot armed helicopter?" Qiewaliye asked.

Qin Miao smiled.

Since the birth of the professional armed helicopter, it has been a two-person crew, though…… single-pilot versions also exist; later, the Russians' Ka-50 created numerous firsts—the world's first helicopter with a coaxial counter-rotating structure, the world's first helicopter with a single-pilot control system……

But later, when the Ka-50 was improved into the Ka-52, it still added a second crew seat and even adopted side-by-side seating—definitely an oddity.

Besides this one, there has been no second model.

However……

Faced with the Frenchman's question, Qin Miao nodded: "Of course, within ten years such a helicopter will appear!"

Actually, in later times, as drones rose, demand for armed helicopters began to weaken!

Of course, this can't be told to the Frenchman—the advantage of being reborn is never mispointing the tech tree!

Just then, a roar sounded—the maiden flight of the armed helicopter officially began!