Chapter 285

Chapter 285: "Dark Sabre" in the Company

The aircraft carrier has many departments, and even those who have worked on the ship for years may not have met people from other departments.

“I’m really sorry to ask for your help.”

Qiu Zhengjun seemed a bit shy, not like someone from a news or public relations background who could talk easily.

He led Lin Mo to a bay where he saw a J-15 "Dark Sabre" connected to many data cables. Next to it, several mechanics wearing the same uniforms as Qiu Zhengjun were busy connecting plugs and tuning equipment.

Qiu Zhengjun steadied the ladder for Lin Mo and pointed to the cockpit, saying, “Please sit in the cockpit. Just perform a few maneuvers for us; we need to test the fly-by-wire system’s response!”

“Alright! Just leave everything to me!”

Lin Mo jumped into the cockpit. The control functions and instrument panel maintain a distinctly Chinese style, not much different from the J-10 and similar models. Since he wasn’t particularly tired, he was happy to gain a deeper understanding of these carrier-based aircraft alongside the mechanics.

“We have disconnected control from the throttle and engine. The current operation is only through the computer system’s virtual command, so there will be no actual maneuvers—just like a simulator. You can start the ignition now.”

Qiu Zhengjun picked up a folder and began filling out the test forms.

“No problem!” Lin Mo expertly located the ignition system and started it. The aircraft, having been specially configured, lit up all the instrument panels and signal lights, entering self-check mode. Then, only the basic functional systems began to operate, with all other devices defaulting to off.

This was the initialization state. With a dedicated pilot for a specific aircraft, an experienced aviator would set some preset modes that fit their personal habits.

“Great! Now, turn on the radar for checks. Of course, this is a virtual radar. The equipment captures data packets to provide virtual data; using real radar here would be dangerous. Then, check the fire control system and conduct weapon mounting tests. Let’s start with this.”

“Okay, hmm, that’s excellent. I found something. The system is fine, but it seems that the main radar has a phased array that might have an issue. I’ll note that down for later resolution. Testing the fire control system, I’ll provide a data target for you. Watch closely—start! No, no, too fast; don’t shoot too early. Wait! You’re using the cannon! Oh my, how did you hit that? Alright, alright, sniper pilot, take it easy. Don’t take it too seriously; I’m currently testing the system, not in actual combat. Use your good shooting skills in a real battle; first, help me find the bugs.”

Once in work mode, Qiu Zhengjun transformed completely, methodically delivering one professional commentary after another, continuously recording testing data and guiding Lin Mo through various operations.

Technicians may know the names, functions, parameters, and uses of each module very well, but they cannot operate these functionalities like pilots do, often limited to textbook applications without the fluidity that real pilots can demonstrate.

Conversely, pilots only use the aircraft but typically lack the knowledge to maintain the machines. A pilot like Lin Mo, who excels in both fields, is rare. Not every pilot has the opportunity to meet retired experts from aircraft design teams and gain their recognition.

Thus, as actual users of the fighter jets, everything must cater to the pilots and combat design, making the performance testing inevitably require the cooperation of pilots. Lin Mo, adept at aircraft design, understood what the mechanics aimed for. Each test operation he performed felt like a seamless collaboration, quickly uncovering the aircraft’s peak performance and identifying any issues.

“It seems our progress is advancing twice as fast as expected. This is fantastic! We can bring tomorrow and the day after’s tests forward. Captain Lin, you are doing splendidly, almost rivaling a professional test pilot! You always manage to find the answers I want.”

Although it was the middle of the night, Qiu Zhengjun was energized, the folder in his hands rustling excitedly. Clearly, he was in a highly spirited state, displaying immense satisfaction with Lin Mo, as it was their first collaboration.

“Where have you been all this time? Here’s my business card; let’s stay in touch. If there’s a chance in the future, help us as a test pilot. Our organization is large, and I guarantee you’ll be satisfied with the treatment.” Apparently impressed by Lin Mo from this test, Qiu Zhengjun wanted to establish a long-term partnership. Great pilots are plenty, but finding test pilots who can collaborate so perfectly with mechanics is rare.

Due to different professional focuses, many pilots cannot grasp the mechanics’ intentions and goals. Thus, a good test pilot becomes extremely important.

Most test pilots are active officers; their opinions often determine the fate of products. Therefore, an excellent test pilot is more crucial than an experimental machine, as they can genuinely explore the performance strengths and weaknesses of products. Out of professional habit, this mechanic still didn’t forget to recruit talent.

The business card bore Qiu Zhengjun’s name, along with his affiliation and position: Senior Engineer of the Quality Supervision Group for the "Dark Sabre" Project at Shenyang Aircraft Manufacturing Company, along with the short number for communications aboard the aircraft carrier.

An aircraft carrier is almost like a small city—providing everything from food, clothing, housing, and transportation to entertainment, warfare, medical, and educational activities. Setting up a small printing room is no issue, and printing a business card takes just a minute.

“From Shenyang Aircraft? It’s a pleasure!” Lin Mo smiled and said, “My current organization is a high-security unit, but I had a teacher who used to work at the 611 Institute, so I can consider myself somewhat of a peer.”

“A peer? Aren’t you a pilot?”

Qiu Zhengjun showed clear astonishment at Lin Mo’s words, realizing that this unexpectedly recruited pilot had a unique background.

“I also work as a part-time aircraft designer, haha, and I’ve been a test pilot before.”

“A test pilot? My goodness! Our ship is full of monsters! The Captain can command the vessel and fly fighter jets. Now we have another dual-specialty professional in flying and design; it’s truly incredible! Where did you pilot and what models have you flown? The J-16, J-17, or perhaps the J-18?”

“National Defense Star; have you heard of it? It was just founded, code name NDS. I helped them test the new verification models of the J-14 and J-20, which use the WS-15 engine, as well as their domestically produced experimental models.” Lin Mo revealed information classified for an audience of professionals, as authorized by the Intelligence Group.

“National Defense Star? Oh, I’ve heard of it. It seems preparations started last year and has quite the background. Several engineers from Shenyang Aircraft have been tempted to join them, and they are developing rapidly.” Qiu Zhengjun’s eyes widened; Lin Mo’s statement surprised him.

This pilot was certainly not an ordinary individual, having even tested fighter jets for a newly emerging combat aircraft design and production company featuring two highly capable models, indicating strong capabilities.

“The 611 Institute should be the one that designed the J-10, right? Captain Lin, could you provide us with an assessment of our ‘Dark Sabre’? We at Shenyang Aircraft are currently developing a two-seater. Any suggestions would be highly rewarded if implemented.”

Qiu Zhengjun smiled widely; it was quite a fortunate encounter!

Lin Mo’s part-time role as an aircraft designer piqued his curiosity. He wanted to hear the insights from an outsider; their team of technicians at Shenyang not only trained mechanics for carrier-based aircraft but also gathered real data for improvements.

“Honestly, it was just my first touch with this aircraft, so it can only be called a rough opinion,” Lin Mo replied without hesitation. “There’s no problem with the aerodynamic layout; it is a statically unstable type. While it has great maneuverability, it also demands more from the engine. The WS-10 engine is still an immature transitional product; perhaps switching to the WS-15 would be better. Heavy fighter jets should have more powerful engines. Just look at the F-35; it’s completely hindered by its single-engine power. Using optical signal transmission would be best; electrical signals can easily be affected by electromagnetic pulse weapons."

Lin Mo had firsthand experience with electromagnetic pulse weapons, as he had once been brought down from the sky by one.

“I feel there’s still significant room for improvement in the operation system; some operations aren’t user-friendly, and the system’s performance matching isn’t intelligent enough. If possible, I could develop a system to be loaded onto it, and you could help me assess it.”

Of course, developing such a technical system would naturally involve a specialist like Long working for Lin Mo. The devices he would create would entirely depend on Long’s achievements. Even before loading the systems, this gold giant dragon could repeatedly test the devices through evolutionary forms with its unique advantages, without worrying about damage.

“You’ll be developing it?” Qiu Zhengjun, who had already widened his eyes, opened them even wider, locking onto Lin Mo like a phased array radar.

“Exactly; I have some programming skills. If you could provide some interface codes and function libraries, it would be easier for me.”

Lin Mo shrugged, indicating that he felt no pressure. He had become very skilled at this kind of makeshift work, using his own set of “Fire Seed” component modules to replicate the equipment drives on the "Dark Sabre" as easily as extracting gold coins.

“Really? Is this true?” Qiu Zhengjun clearly expressed disbelief. A pilot plus an aircraft designer might sound feasible, but adding a chief systems programmer would change everything. Coding for onboard systems not only requires intricate programming skills but also substantial hardware knowledge. High-altitude, high-speed fighter jets cannot tolerate even the slightest bug; one programming error, even a single misplaced symbol, could be a matter of life and death.