Chapter 565 The Sky of the Future (End of this volume, only 7.7k for today)
"Let's talk about the speed first. Why is it Mach 2?" The Air Force asked with great interest.

Gao Zhendong smiled and said, "The reason was actually mentioned a few days ago. The speed range distribution of air combat is the most important phenomenon. Of course, the essence of this phenomenon is that it is above Mach 2, and there is a huge price to pay."

It's all because of the sharp increase in air resistance as speed increases, and the two hurdles that fighter jets face when flying in the air.

Sound barrier, heat barrier.

There is no need to explain much about the sound barrier. When approaching the speed of sound, local shock waves appear, causing a sharp increase in aerodynamic resistance and turbulent airflow on the aircraft surface, making it difficult for the aircraft to accelerate and a sharp drop in maneuverability.

When modern fighter jets express parameters such as maximum speed and cruising speed, they do not use speed per hour like the S2-era fighter jets, but instead use Mach number. This is why the Mach number can better reflect the aircraft's transonic and supersonic capabilities.

As for why we don't directly use the Mach number to convert the speed into speed to express the speed capability, it is because the speed of sound is different at different altitudes in the atmosphere, and the actual ground speed of an aircraft during a certain flight must also take the wind speed into account.

The sound barrier has been solved now, so the only thing left is the thermal barrier. When an aircraft is flying at a high speed, the aerodynamic heating caused by the intense friction between the aircraft and the air will cause the temperature of the aircraft to rise sharply.

The thermal barrier is not like the sound barrier. It has a specific range of occurrence. It depends on conditions such as the aircraft material. In short, it is because the aircraft is flying too fast and the heat is unbearable.

At that time, the aircraft generally had aluminum alloy skins. The melting point of aluminum alloy determined that when the aircraft was above Mach 2, the skin material would begin to be tested. At Mach 2.5, even the best aluminum alloy could not withstand it.

The MiG-25 is called flying stainless steel because although stainless steel is heavy, it has a high melting point! It is crazy to think that the Russians use stainless steel, which is almost three times denser than aluminum alloy, to fly in the sky.

It should be mentioned that although the density of stainless steel is about three times that of aluminum, this does not mean that the aircraft manufactured is three times heavier than an aluminum aircraft, because stainless steel is stronger than aluminum and can be smaller in geometric dimensions such as thickness.

Another problem is that air resistance increases exponentially with speed. The faster you fly, the higher the engine thrust requirement.

In this regard, the sturdy-looking MiG-25 and F-15 are typical examples. One can fly at Mach 3, and the other can fly at Mach 2.5, both of which are the result of their great strength.

After saying so much, Gao Zhendong made a summary speech: "... This is undoubtedly beyond the capabilities of our existing engines. In summary, combined with the existing technical conditions, the possibility of supersonic air combat is very small. Taking all factors into consideration, 2.0 Mach ~ 2.2 Mach is the speed limit requirement for air superiority fighters."

Everyone can guess the requirements for engine thrust, but some comrades do not quite understand the emergence of thermal barriers. The reason is very simple: they have never flown at that speed and have no experience.

Many people simply cannot imagine that the air, which is usually gentler than water, can be so violent. The degree of aerodynamic heating does not increase linearly with speed, but climbs exponentially. At Mach 3, it is 300°C, and at Mach 6, it reaches 1500°C!
We have only flown at speeds below Mach 1.5 and currently lack a large wind tunnel capable of flying at speeds above Mach 2, so our knowledge of this phenomenon is extremely limited.

As for how Gao Zhendong knew this, everyone guessed that it was probably because he had done a lot of research on aerodynamics and was able to calculate it.

"Well, that's how it is. As for the altitude, you mentioned it before, and we have experienced it very well. Above 2 meters, the requirements for aircraft are very high."

This is not even a problem that a powerful flying brick can completely solve. Although the F-15A can fly at Mach 2.5, its practical ceiling is less than 2 meters. Even these are extremely excellent data.

As for the altitude, the Air Force does not have any further ideas for the time being. On the one hand, they know it is really difficult to deal with. On the other hand, they have heavy air-to-air bombs as a foundation, which can alleviate a lot of urgency.

"This technical analysis does make sense. The natural environment, aerodynamic principles, and engine technology within a certain period of time in the future do not support it." This is a true understanding of the overall situation.

"Well, the idea seems radical, but these indicators are down to earth and seem achievable." I suddenly felt that Gao Zhendong seemed to be relatively conservative.

"Chief Engineer Gao seems to have done in-depth research on aerodynamics. What exactly does he do?" This person is not very familiar with Gao Zhendong. Although he admires him, he is increasingly confused about his identity.

"Besides the 'double 2' requirement, what other specific indicators are there? How are they determined?"

The Defense Committee and the Air Force looked at each other and decided to focus on the details.

The comrade from the Air Force said, "This is the plan. Just set the general direction. Double 2, excellent maneuverability in the subsonic to high subsonic range, and a larger payload and range than the MiG-21. That's all for now. We'll work on the details once the aircraft is ready."

These are just Gao Zhendong's ideas and suggestions. As for whether it can be finally implemented, although it sounds reasonable and very tempting, except for the search and rescue system and heavy air-to-air ammunition, other items must provide materials and hold special meetings for further discussion before a final decision can be made.

The leader of the Defense Work Committee also laughed and said, "Comrades, you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. Comrade Gao Zhendong put forward systematic and scientific ideas, but whether these ideas are appropriate, whether they can be implemented, to what extent they can be implemented, and what the details are, these are not all things that can be decided today."

Although it seems very scientific and the situation is very optimistic, the pressure of the Air Force's equipment system in the next ten years cannot and will not be placed on Gao Zhendong alone. Otherwise, no matter the result is good or bad, it will be bad for everyone and the necessary process must be followed.

Gao Zhendong was also very satisfied with the result. It could be seen that both the Defense Working Committee and the Air Force were very interested in his idea of ​​"one attack, one bombing, three levels and three types". In the general direction, they were actually convinced.

If someone else had come, the effect would not have been so good, because several key points were solved by Gao Zhendong by drawing a pie in the sky, or in other words, he drew a pie in the sky and let the relevant personnel see the pie and think that his suggestions made sense.

For example, the anti-sea and anti-ship missiles of attack aircraft, heavy air-to-air missiles, radars for fighter jets, the installation position of the MiG-21 radar, the secret aerodynamic design of the medium-sized air superiority fighter, etc.

Fortunately, Gao Zhendong has achieved fruitful results and has a very high reputation in the Defense Work Committee and the Air Force. Otherwise, if an ordinary person were to try to make these big promises, he would probably be kicked out.

This system is slightly complicated except for fighter jets which are the active force occupying the sky, while attack aircraft and bombers are extremely simple.

This is very beneficial to the work of the Defense Work Committee and the formation of the Air Force's equipment. Some of the detail improvements that Gao Zhendong repeatedly used have even made the Air Force learn from them.

Looking at Gao Zhendong's planning proposal of "one attack, one bombing, three levels and three types", the Air Force always felt that something was wrong. It was not that it was not good, but... it could not meet the needs of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

I looked at the key points I wrote down for a long time and finally remembered them.

"Chief Engineer Gao, why didn't you remove the internal bomb bay and upgrade the fuel for your Tu-16 replica like the Gong-5 combat model and the Z-5 attack model? Wouldn't that give it a longer range?"

Gao Zhendong was dumbfounded when he heard this, it was not that he didn't want to do this, in fact, after the modification of this Type 6, it really did not have a bomb bay. Combined with other improvements such as the engine, the range and combat radius were indeed greatly improved, reaching the lower limit of a strategic bomber.

However, he did not dare to say this suggestion out loud, fearing that it would backfire.

Nowadays, as the largest bomber in the system, it has no bomb bay, which is much more sensitive than the Z-5 without the bomb bay.

After all, the bomb bay of the Z-5 was removed in the name of converting it into an attack aircraft, but the Tu-16 imitation model is still an out-and-out bomber.

Gao Zhendong thought about it and did not hide his thoughts: "For a relatively low-speed aircraft like a bomber, the internal to external attachment is not that sensitive. Compared with the resistance of the external attachment, the increase in fuel is more beneficial."

"So I did have this idea originally, and the small ammunition bay of the Tu-16 is indeed not very useful for the ammunition that may appear in the future. As for why I didn't bring it up, it was mainly because it didn't conform to the mainstream, and it was a bit too advanced and I was afraid you wouldn't be able to accept it."

Hey, you still know that you are radical?

The Air Force leader frowned and said, "Comrade Zhendong, you are wrong. As long as the reasons are sufficient and the arguments are scientific, we can still accept correct improvements to good things."

Gao Zhendong said modestly: "Yes, yes, the leader is right to criticize. This is my problem. Let's add this thing in." The Air Force leader was satisfied with Gao Zhendong's "correction of mistakes". "Well, that's good enough. Old X, don't forget this when you carry out the next step. You must help us verify it."

He actually knew very well that when the payload reached the passing line, the range was sometimes more important than the payload.

The leader of the Defense Work Committee smiled and nodded, looking at the air force people with a weird look, "You guys took the initiative to jump into the pit, and you did it quite skillfully."

The Air Force leader looked satisfied and turned to look at Gao Zhendong.

"Comrade Zhendong, I remember when we just started the meeting a few days ago, you said that your suggestion was to put aside the auxiliary models and only talk about the main combat models. It seems that you also have ideas about the auxiliary models?"

A leader is a leader, super sharp!
But these auxiliary models are actually quite difficult to make, and we lack the basic models for modification.

Moreover, even the Russians themselves are short of these basic models.

But since others have mentioned it, I might as well talk about it in advance.

"Comrades, leaders, we have indeed thought about this, but our foundation is a bit weak and it is difficult to do it in a short time, so we have only proposed the most urgently needed early warning aircraft."

Originally, I was afraid that I would bite off more than I could chew and that the project would expand too much, which would affect the advancement of the main goal. But now it seems that the main goal is relatively optimistic, and the Air Force has taken the initiative to request it, so I might as well mention it, just to plant the seeds in advance.

"As expected, there was an ambush. Comrade Zhendong, this is unacceptable. Tell us quickly."

Now the Air Force is interested in all of Gao Zhendong's ideas.

"I think if the system is to be fully equipped, at least a few more aircraft will be needed. The auxiliary aircraft I mentioned later, the ones that are closer to the front, are the ones that I personally think are more urgent."

The young man really has a lot of ideas.

"Aerial refueling aircraft, which provide aerial refueling for other aircraft, can greatly extend our force projection range. This is the most needed. With this, we can solve the problem of short legs of fighter jets to a certain extent. The biggest difficulty is that there is no suitable modification model. It is only possible for large transport aircraft. Smaller ones are not very meaningful."

If we add up all the aircraft we have or may get, even the oil-blasting-6 modified by Mr. Liu can only be said to solve the problem of whether or not there is one, let alone the others.

All the comrades were stunned by Gao Zhendong’s somewhat “fantastic” idea. Can this thing be realized?

The world's first aerial refueling was actually achieved quite early, in 1923, by a Citigroup, in the era of biplanes, and the process was extremely exaggerated. An aircraft above dropped the oil pipe, and the aircraft below carefully avoided the propeller and caught it with its hands.

However, as the speed of aircraft increased, the propellers of most fighter jets were on the nose. This juggling method was obviously not practical. In addition, the combat needs were not very urgent at the time, so it gradually faded away.

"Aerial refueling? How do we do that?"

"It's unimaginable."

"A bit fanciful, isn't it?"

But the Air Force is different. Aerial refueling? This idea is extremely bold, but it makes the comrades in the Air Force feel enlightened.

We really don't need too many long-range operations, but that also means that the few that do exist are very necessary. Originally, there was no way to solve this problem, but Gao Zhendong's suggestion gave them hope of solving the problem.

No matter whether it can be achieved or not, at least it is better than being helpless.

Both the Defense Work Committee and the Air Force were extremely satisfied. As expected, if they squeezed hard enough, Comrade Gao Zhendong could still squeeze out some good stuff.

"Yeah, gas pump... got it. What else?"

"Electronic reconnaissance aircraft, like electronic reconnaissance ships, detect the enemy's electromagnetic equipment and also perform electronic warfare."

To be honest, at this time when our electronic technology is not very advanced, this aircraft is not the most urgent, but it is very important in the long run.

Under the conditions at that time, Gao Zhendong could not be as exaggerated as he had seen in his previous life, from Gao Xin No. 1 to Gao Xin No. XX, and suggested producing a large number of special aircraft. He could only pick the most important ones, and still proposed a suggestion of multi-functional integration.

The most important thing is to make everyone aware of this aspect. As for whether these functions are combined in one aircraft or separated into several aircraft, it is not a big problem. When necessary, they will naturally be split and combined according to conditions.

"Electronic warfare, hmm, quite interesting." The navy and air force have benefited from electronic equipment in recent battles, and naturally know that where there is a spear, there is a shield. This thing may not be clear now, but in the long run, it will definitely be an important force.

"The maritime patrol aircraft provides maritime patrol and anti-submarine capabilities. If possible, it would be best if the aircraft could take off and land on water, so that it can carry out combat missions on islands and reefs without airports."

Maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare? And also island reefs?
Comrades from the Defense Work Committee and the Air Force looked at Gao Zhendong deeply. Aren't you from the Army? It seems that this hand is quite long. Well, we like it.

"Well, not bad, not bad, interesting, with some ideas, anything else?"

Gao Zhendong shook his head: "If we take a ten-year period, these are enough. I'm afraid we can't support more. These are the foundations, and there can be more improvements and changes in the future."

Although he looks radical, he is not unrealistic. He is based on existing conditions and is pragmatic and feasible. The Air Force likes Gao Zhendong very much.

Well, you are the ones who think it is radical, and you are the ones who think it is pragmatic.

The leaders of the National Defense Committee and the Air Force looked at each other and felt that it was almost done. For something of a planning nature, the results so far can be said to be extremely fruitful.

The leader of the Defense Work Committee said: "Well, this meeting is almost over. We will implement the relevant intentions and resolutions of the meeting as soon as possible."

There are too many things, and it’s impossible to finish them as quickly as possible. Fortunately, I have the basics for the most urgent things.

"Well, Comrade Zhendong, you will be in trouble many times in the future, so try to stay in Beijing. Thank you in advance." The comrade from the Air Force said with a smile.

Gao Zhendong nodded and smiled in his heart, I won't leave this place even if you drive me away.

This is roughly how the seminar to summarize the combat experience against the U-613, which lasted many days and was known in equipment history as the "2 Meeting," was described.

"This meeting, which originated from the strike against the U-2, turned into a major discussion on the air force equipment system for the next ten years in the following days. The system of the air force's main combat equipment 'one attack, one bombing, three-level combat' and auxiliary equipment 'pre-oil, electricity and sea' took shape in this discussion. The impact of its results will extend far beyond ten years, and even support the sky for the next twenty or even thirty years."

(End of this chapter)