RPAGF #411 - chain reaction
#411 - chain reaction
Considering the need to go to sea, the Z-5 project, which was originally kept highly confidential, no longer needs such a high level of secrecy. Official media outlets have begun to promote it directly.
"Emerging from nowhere, Dongda's first helicopter, the Z-5, amazes in its test flight."
"Rewriting history, insiders reveal that the design of Dongda's first helicopter can be traced back 20 years."
"Aviation achieves new successes, a record of the arduous research and development process of the Z-5 helicopter."
"Compared with the world's advanced helicopters, what are the strengths of the Z-5?"
The official media, with both pictures and text, used an extremely rare all-round reporting method to put the Z-5 in the spotlight all at once, making it a new hot spot in Dongda and even the world's aviation industry!
Although some key indicators of the Z-5 have not yet been revealed, the Z-5's flight photos, ground static photos, and color promotional photos have all been exposed in newspapers.
For most people in the West, this news will only appear in the corner of the eighth page or later, and most people will just glance over it without leaving any impression.
However, for the military intelligence departments of the great powers, this news is no less than the release of a blockbuster weapon.
John Bull's MI6: Fully collect relevant information on this helicopter, research institutions and production, we need to assess their role in the military.
Rogue Eagle's CIA: Dig deep into all the information of the Z-5.
Little Japan's Intelligence Headquarters: Mobilize forces to figure out the intention of the other party to announce this product at this moment.
The introduction of army aviation has greatly improved the combat effectiveness of the army.
According to the combat concept introduced by Ren Zhong from the main world, Dongda's army aviation will not use helicopters as ordinary combat platforms to charge on the front lines, but will undertake key tasks!
However, these are all things of the future. The army aviation has not yet been established, so it is too early to say these things.
Therefore, Ren Zhong found it difficult to understand the focus of attention of these foreign intelligence agencies.
However, Ren Zhong doesn't care. The Z-5 is only the first-generation helicopter. After it matures, the research on the second-generation main helicopter will begin immediately. Bigger and stronger is the pursuit of the new model.
On this helicopter, the next step is to improve the diversification of applications.
Civilian use is just one point.
It is precisely because Ren Zhong doesn't think this thing is so important that he is ready to take it out and monetize it as soon as it is successfully developed.
This is completely different from the research in the main world. According to the research rules in the main world, unless the new generation comes out and becomes the backward generation, it may be sold to the outside world. Generally, first-line military products are not directly converted to civilian use.
The main focus is to prevent the leakage of military secrets of first-line equipment.
Now in this Bright Sword world, the dominance of technology is in Ren Zhong's hands. Ren Zhong often decides whether this technology needs to be made public, because most of the things Ren Zhong researches exceed the imagination of Dongda scientists at this time.
Just like the helicopter, before, absolutely few people thought that it could achieve results so quickly.
Therefore, in the eyes of these people, since things can be done so quickly, they feel that this technology does not seem so important, and it does not matter whether it is exported or not.
After all, things that can be done in more than a year seem to be nothing to foreign countries.
This is different from the historical time and space of the main world. Before the big explosion in 2010, many things were several generations behind. Hiding it was really hiding clumsiness.
But after 2010, when the technology began to explode, they stopped pretending and began to explode artifacts on a large scale.
First, the 99A main battle tank began to serve around 2011, followed by the J20 test flight in 2011, and then the 052D was launched in 2014. The leading figures of the army, navy, and air force were pulled out to show off one after another!
Because this is really black technology, even if people see it, it will not affect the combat effectiveness!
Unlike a J-7 that almost became a family heirloom for half a century, from its introduction in 1966 until production stopped in 2013, but in fact, it still did not stop paying tribute to the classics in 2023 (FTC2000G ultimate magic modification version), truly one machine passed down through three generations!
Of course, the Bright Sword world will not be like this again. Ren Zhong started with the P51D, then chose the J-5 based on the MiG 17, and the Super-7 based on the F4H! It can be said that every step is a big step forward, and the new generation of fighters achieved are the leading models at the time, and there will be no squeezing of toothpaste.
If the Super-7 is launched now, it will be a proper leading lead.
For the intelligence agencies of the major powers, the news of the Z-5 is just a small shock, but for Bell, this is a bolt from the blue!
One by one almost suffocated in place!
"Who can tell me, what's going on?" William Matthew, the head of the Bell 204 project team, asked a group of elites with a livid face. They had just won the bid for the new generation of main helicopter program for Rogue Eagle in February and were preparing to start a big project. Who knew that in the blink of an eye, they saw that the other side of the ocean had already built this helicopter!
They could tell at a glance that the Z-5 in the newspaper was not exactly the same as their H-40, but completely identical!
This, if you say it's a leak, then they haven't really started work yet, just the drawings and specifications have been finalized.
If you say it's not a leak, how do you explain such a high imitation appearance?
When Matthew first saw the image in the report, he almost fell to the ground!
"Director, I personally think it's a coincidence. When we started pre-research last year, we didn't refer to anything from any competitors. We just derived it from our original model. Judging from the information released by Dongda, they have been researching this project for at least 2 years, so basically it is certain that they also referred to our previous models when they were researching, but everyone had the same ideas, so this formed a coincidence that is similar to our plan."
A smart guy stood up and explained.
Only in this way can it be fooled, otherwise the military just selected Bell Company's plan and just established the 204 project within the company, and the military gave the product the research model code XH-40. If it is spread out that it is a leak, everyone in this room will inevitably be thoroughly reviewed by the FBI.
If it's good, everyone will be transferred from classified positions to work on screws in the future. If it's not good, then they will have to go to the well-known Chrysanthemum Protection Club!
But with such an explanation, it seems reasonable. The other party's research is almost 2 years ahead. You can say that our business ability is poor and we are behind the competitors, but you can't say that our thinking is dangerous, and someone took confidential information to defect to the enemy.
Everyone understood the words of this smart guy and was greatly inspired, and one by one they took a breath.
They began to add fuel to the fire on the basis of this smart guy, gradually enriching the cause and effect, and forming a relatively complete closed-loop explanation plan.
This also relieved Matthew to some extent. At least from Fobo Le's perspective, there was no reason to focus on the project team leaking secrets. Everyone was temporarily safe.
However.
"Everyone has spoken very well. We will collect these opinions and ideas and submit them to the higher-ups. Next, how should we carry out our research and development work? Let's brainstorm again?" Matthew summarized and then raised the next question.
"Do we still need to continue researching according to the original design plan?"
Faced with such a question, everyone in the project team fell silent.
Continuing would obviously have a lower risk of realization, after all, the opponent had already demonstrated it and the test flight was successful. However, this would mean picking up what others have discarded, and people would laugh at them for the rest of their lives. A dignified first-class helicopter manufacturer like Rogue Eagle would actually plagiarize the competitor's ideas. Even if they dared to swear to the cake seller that everything was their own design, no one outside would believe it.
The latest novels are first published on Liu Jiu Shu Ba!
The entire helicopter competitor had already conducted a test flight more than a year in advance. Your side is at least more than a year behind in producing a test flight model. What is that if not plagiarism?
But to completely redesign a new model from scratch would take at least another year in design. Moreover, it's uncertain whether they will be chosen as the main contractor again, which involves a huge deal of several hundred million US dollars.
Starting over is tantamount to giving the competitor a handle to make a comeback!
But if they don't say it, and when the prototype is produced, the military finds it is exactly the same as the opponent's, then they won't be able to deliver the goods!
Matthew suddenly felt like he was about to collapse.
Not only was Matthew's project team about to collapse, but at this moment, the military helicopter selection team and Bell's senior management were also a little confused.
After the Dongda Zhi-5 was unveiled, someone naturally reported this big news to the upper echelons of Rogue Eagle. Soon they saw that the opponent's newly released product looked very familiar, so they turned out the 204 project file that had just been approved. Sure enough, the H40 helicopter on the drawings was exactly the same as the competitor's Zhi-5!
Sikorsky's XH-39, which failed to compete with the UH-1 (code-named XH-40)
This news was an extremely embarrassing matter for the military selection team and Bell Helicopter.
After a long and difficult negotiation, the military and Bell Helicopter, as well as Sikorsky, which lost the last bid, compromised. The contract for this generation of main battle helicopters will be handed over by Bell to Sikorsky for research, but the engine and cabin design will continue to adopt the specifications and standards of the XH-40. The gas turbine engine originally prepared for the XH-39 project cannot achieve a substantial increase in power due to being too advanced, and will be used as an alternative for future technology maturation. At the same time, as a condition of exchange, one-third of the military's next-generation helicopter contract will be handed over to Bell for production.
In this way, the military stitched together the XH-39 and XH-40!
Although this is not the optimal solution, it is the best compromise at the moment. Otherwise, if Bell Helicopter is allowed to continue with the UH-1 according to the original plan, and a helicopter similar to the Dongda Zhi-5 is produced in a few years, wouldn't that become a world-class joke?!
Helicopters are one of the military's image projects, and the military of Rogue Eagle cannot afford to lose face by using a knockoff Dongda helicopter!
After all, they have established a technologically leading image in the world for so long, and they cannot allow their faces to be slapped directly on this helicopter!
Ren Zhong didn't know that he inadvertently strangled a classic helicopter product of Rogue Eagle in the middle. Rogue Eagle will never have Hueys wreaking havoc in the world again. I wonder if the new Sikorsky XH-39 can reshape the glory of 16,000 Hueys!
However, Ren Zhong estimates that it's a bit difficult. After all, classics cannot be easily replicated.
However, these things have nothing to do with Ren Zhong. Anyway, what he has to do now is to follow the successful path of others first, and let others trudge on the rugged and winding road.
Ren Zhong arranged this matter and felt that it was still not enough. After all, even if helicopters sell well, the output will not be too high. A scale of hundreds of aircraft is considered an extraordinary performance. Obviously, it is impossible to establish the product image of Dongda by relying on a niche product.
It can only be built up slowly bit by bit.
It's been a long time since I've been involved with the new automobile group I set up earlier. I don't know how the preparations are going.
Thinking of this, Ren Zhong prepared to visit several new factories.
Taiyuan Heavy Industry Power Branch.
Factory Director Zhao Tianbao led the Deputy Factory Director and the Director of the Factory Office to wait at the factory gate early in the morning.
The superiors notified that a special guest would visit today, and he was to receive them carefully, but he was not to make a big fuss. Zhao Tianbao understood after a little inquiry.
As Ren Zhong's early student in Taihang Mountain, Zhao Tianbao's circle of friends is now quite powerful. The background of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University Special Branch makes him speak and act more firmly. Relying on his hard work to learn technology, coupled with his daring to fight and rush forward during the tank explosion, he is accustomed to the high-intensity work of a 12-hour production line. After the factory's continuous expansion and mobilization to support construction in various places, Zhao Tianbao has also become the director of a factory.
Don't underestimate it as a branch factory, but now it has more than 10,000 workers under its command, producing dozens of models of products from tank engines to automobile engines, with an annual output of more than 100,000 units, making it a veritable engine king in China!
Not long after Zhao Tianbao eagerly waited, three Willis Jeeps slowly drove over. Zhao Tianbao immediately cheered up and greeted them when he saw that the license plate was the group's special reception vehicle.
He walked directly to the second Jeep, respectfully opened the door, "Teacher, you've worked hard. Welcome to inspect Taiyuan Heavy Industry Power Branch!" Zhao Tianbao held the roof of the car with his hand and said respectfully to the familiar figure inside.
"Zhao Tianbao, right? Are you still working at the Power Branch?" Ren Zhong glanced at Zhao Tianbao and quickly recognized him. He had several students at Taiyuan Heavy Industry. When producing tanks before, he didn't have much meeting and communication with these students, including when promoting the National Military Standard standardization system, he also came to give them lessons.
"Teacher, the student is incompetent and doesn't have much knowledge. I can only squat in the factory to engage in engine production," Zhao Tianbao said with some embarrassment.
"Mr. Ren, Factory Director Zhao is reluctant to leave the factory. The Provincial Department of Industry has transferred Factory Director Zhao to work in the department several times, but he has declined," said Si Yuwang, the general manager of Taiyuan Heavy Industry, who came over from the first Jeep at this time with a smile.
"The Power Branch can thrive and provide high-quality engines for our Taiyuan Heavy Industry Group and brother units. Factory Director Zhao's contribution is indispensable."
"Oh, is that so." Ren Zhong got out of the car and nodded to Zhao Tianbao. It's a good thing that these students of his haven't forgotten their roots.
"Let's go, let's go into the factory and take a look." Ren Zhong has always only gone to the front line to inspect work, so he strictly ordered to simplify the welcoming and sending off personnel.
At the same time, he doesn't give the people below much opportunity to prepare. The main focus is on seeing the truth on the front line. (End of this chapter)