Chapter 1322
In collaboration with Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, Li Aiguo helps improve the J-6 fig
"Let's go, I need to call the factory manager." General Manager Xu stood up.
This may seem like a technical matter, but once cooperation is involved, it becomes much more than just a technical issue.
New aluminum alloys are a major event that would definitely alarm the top leader in any era!
If this 7085 high-strength and high-toughness aluminum alloy is truly capable of shouldering great responsibilities, then it won't just be used on the J-6 fighter jet, but also on the Q-5 fighter jet in the future!
The Q-5 project originally belonged to Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and was named Dongfeng-106. Xu Jinglei was also involved in it. Later, it was handed over to Nanjing Aircraft Corporation.
It was shut down in 1960 due to economic difficulties.
A while ago, General Manager Xu heard that Nanfei had resumed the Q-5 project. If they had this new material, they would naturally think of their old friend.
Without saying a word, General Xu immediately called Director Gao of Shenfei.
As luck would have it, Director Gao was in a meeting at a ministry when he heard the news and rushed over with several chief engineers.
General Manager Xu introduced them to Li Aiguo: these were their Factory Director Gao and chief engineers.
Li Aiguo recognized Director Gao at a glance.
This is a veteran leader with a technical background and excellent management skills. He once created the nationally renowned "53 Factory Experience".
He later oversaw the design and manufacturing of the J-5, J-6, and J-7 fighter jets.
Even the initial overall process plan for Master Ba was personally overseen by Director Gao.
Coincidentally, Director Gao had served as the director of the Zhangjiakou Railway Factory before liberation.
Now that I've come to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, in a sense, it's like returning to my "home" in the railway system.
Director Gao didn't mention the ventilation shaft.
He could talk about it, but with the inspection by higher-ups, he found it difficult to bring it up, as it would seem like he was asking for a favor.
Technicians of this era are proud; if you won't lend them to me, I'll just build them myself!
Section Chief Xing also rushed over after hearing the news.
Li Aiguo suggested that everyone find a place to talk, since they all had the intention to cooperate and could communicate with each other.
Section Chief Xing nodded and arranged a meeting room, and also arranged security personnel outside to strictly prohibit others from disturbing him.
There weren't many people in the meeting room; just Li Aiguo, Factory Director Gao, General Manager Xu, and Section Chief Xing.
After serving tea and water, the group sat down and exchanged a few pleasantries as usual.
Then, Director Gao took the initiative to bring up the real business.
"Comrade Patriot, our General Xu said that you intend to entrust a new type of aluminum alloy material to Shenyang Aircraft Corporation for further research and utilization?"
Factory Director Gao already knew the whole story and was somewhat impressed by Li Aiguo's generosity.
If this new material were handed over to a ministry, it would be easy to earn a first-class merit award.
Because of this respect, he unconsciously started using honorifics.
Li Aiguo nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, that's the idea."
As you may know, our studio is currently also researching aircraft.
We're comrades running on the same track, so we should help each other out.
Li Aiguo didn't make any grand pronouncements, but instead gave a detailed and factual account of the current state of utilization of this new material.
However, in Shen Fei's view, regardless of how Li Aiguo viewed the matter, he was helping Shen Fei to reform Sixth Master.
The more modestly Li Aiguo spoke, the more Shen Fei felt he was of noble character, and the more effusive his praise became.
In the end, what should have been a proper technical consultation meeting almost turned into Li Aiguo's personal "praise session".
Finally, the two sides officially finalized the cooperation, and the Qianmen Locomotive Depot Studio and Shenyang Aircraft Corporation became partners.
Li Aiguo handed over the new materials to Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), while SAC dispatched General Manager Xu and several chief engineers to manufacture the wings and help the workshop build the aircraft.
Both units acted in equal footing, with General Xu taking full charge of the modification of the No. 6 aircraft and Li Aiguo in charge of building the airplane. This was definitely a powerful alliance.
It was only at this point that Mr. Xu curiously inquired about the specifics of the workshop's aircraft manufacturing.
Li Aiguo laughed and said, "Actually, it's just a transport plane. As for its size, it's about four times larger than the Y-5. As for its carrying capacity, it can carry one Type 59 tank, or three helicopters, and can also carry more than a hundred fully armed soldiers."
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire conference room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
As soon as he finished speaking, Director Gao's mouth dropped open in astonishment, and General Manager Xu and General Manager Xu exchanged a glance.
The feelings are waiting here!
Four times larger than the Y-5? Can it carry a Type 59 tank?!
However, after the initial shock, they didn't feel like they had suffered any loss; on the contrary, they felt their blood boiling.
Being able to participate in the manufacturing of such a large transport aircraft is a lifelong dream for every aviation professional!
Looking at the colossal creatures you helped create soaring in the blue sky of your motherland, the sense of pride and accomplishment is irreplaceable.
"Comrade Aiguo, this matter is settled. We still need you to resolve the material issue as soon as possible. Once the defects are resolved, mass production of the J-6 will begin immediately."
Factory Director Gao was the first to react.
Can Director Gao offer any opinion on the transport aircraft that Li Aiguo is developing? No.
After all, even Shen Fei doesn't have the ambition to build such a big thing.
My family is really bold.
"Please rest assured, we have already produced a batch of trial materials. I will contact the metallurgical institute again tomorrow to discuss mass production." Li Aiguo understood what Director Gao meant.
Manufacturing a small quantity of material in a laboratory is completely different from mass production in a factory, and many technological issues still need to be resolved.
As for how to improve the Sixth Prince, Li Aiguo was not worried.
The blueprints retrieved from the system are perfect for use. As for manufacturing, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation's technology is absolutely top-notch in China, so they'll handle it.
During dinner, to celebrate the joint venture, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot treated Director Gao and his team to a good meal in the canteen.
Although Director Gao is from the province of scallions.
However, having worked in Northeast China for many years and even ventured into the deep forests of the region, my personality has long since become as forthright and generous as that of a typical Northeastern man.
I won't go into details, but we didn't eat much of the food on the table, and the wine was kept coming in one glass after another.
Section Chief Xing and several other leaders of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot were quickly drunk and passed out.
Li Aiguo was now completely open-minded, welcoming everyone who came, and was almost ready to stand up and shout, "Who else is there?!"
There's nothing you can do, that's just how it is with cheaters.
Later, legends about Li Aiguo began to circulate within Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.
"That Comrade Li Aiguo, he's a once-in-a-century genius when it comes to research, and his drinking is even more incredible! He's practically a walking alcoholic!"
So much so that later on, whenever Li Aiguo went to Shenyang Aircraft Corporation on a business trip, the people at Shenyang Aircraft Corporation responsible for receiving him had to fast beforehand and prepare to be bombarded with questions from Li Aiguo.
But that's a story for another time.
After determining the required parameters for the J-6 wing, and finalizing the improved design drawings for the J-6 with General Xu.
Subsequently, General Manager Xu and the chief engineers of Shenyang Aircraft Corporation also formally met with the members of the large aircraft project team.
When General Manager Xu met Professor Anna, the Russian professor, in the project team, he was quite surprised.
In particular, when he learned that Anna was actually from the Ivchenko-Progress Design Bureau, he suddenly realized that Li Aiguo's decision to build a large aircraft was definitely not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather a premeditated and well-prepared one!
The fact that they can "invite" even foreign aid of this caliber shows that the power of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop is truly unfathomable!
Li Aiguo had already developed a series of mature ideas on how to improve the J-6 fighter jet.
However, due to the limitations of industrial conditions at that time, and the fact that this was only a minor modification and could not be a major overhaul, the project was hampered by the industrial limitations of the era.
Therefore, in addition to replacing the wing and fuselage materials, Li Aiguo focused on improving the adjustable air intake and adding leading-edge slats.
And most importantly, the hydraulic power-assisted flight control has been improved.
The J-6 does indeed have an assisted flight control system, but it follows the same approach as its predecessor, which is sufficient for its needs.
It wouldn't matter if other parts were a bit rougher, but the key is the flight control system, which directly affects the pilot's feel and reaction speed during aerial combat.
Imagine playing a flight combat game and experiencing a network latency of 888ms. What would that feel like?
By the time you pull up the control stick, the plane takes ages to respond, and by then it's too late; it's already been overtaken by enemy aircraft.
Therefore, Li Aiguo's first proposal was to improve the hydraulic power-assisted flight control system.
It's not actually that difficult; the hydraulic technology here at the studio is already top-notch.
After discussing the improvement direction of the J-6 fighter jet with General Xu, Li Aiguo contacted Liu, a familiar acquaintance at the Institute of Metallurgy.
Ever since Li Aiguo helped the Institute of Metallurgy develop the VAR furnace and high-temperature alloys, this old comrade has become a regular at the workshop, coming here every few days.
He would often bring two bottles of fine wine to Li Aiguo's home as a guest, and the two had long since become close friends despite their age difference.
Therefore, when the decision was made to manufacture large aircraft, Li Aiguo took out the 7085 high-strength and high-toughness aluminum alloy and handed it over to Chief Engineer Liu for research as soon as possible.
Of course, we still need to call first; we're all grown men, we don't do those surprise things.
Moreover, Chief Engineer Liu has been spending a lot of time at the smelter lately working on new materials.
When Li Aiguo arrived at the Institute of Metallurgy in Zhou Ke's large SUV, he had just started work and hadn't even gotten out of the car when he saw Chief Engineer Liu standing in front of the institute's gate.
There were more than a dozen researchers standing behind him.
"Haha, Lao Liu, I've kept you waiting."
"Welcome, welcome! If you hadn't come, I would have personally led a team to the locomotive depot to arrest you."
Chief Engineer Liu chuckled and said something cryptic, then pointed to a leader next to him and introduced him, "Aiguo, this is Deputy Director Zhang of our institute."
Li Aiguo had met Deputy Director Zhang before; they had visited the steel plant together. He only remembered that Zhang had a loud voice and particularly liked spicy food.
"Deputy Director Zhang, I'm bothering you again."
"I should be the one saying that, Comrade Aiguo. Your name is very well-known in our institute, especially for your high-temperature alloys and industrial control systems. They solved a big problem for us. I've always wanted to thank you in person."
The group stood at the door and chatted for a while.
After exchanging pleasantries, Deputy Director Zhang smiled and turned to the side, gesturing for them to sit down: "Come on, let's go to the conference room. We've prepared some excellent tea there."
Yes, it does seem a bit strange to have a group of people standing here.
Li Aiguo followed Deputy Director Zhang through several turns until they arrived at a meeting room. Upon entering, they saw a banner hanging on the wall of the meeting room.
[A warm welcome to Comrade Li Aiguo for his guidance at our institute]
Good heavens! No wonder Chief Engineer Liu was worried I wouldn't come; it turns out he had prepared such a grand welcome!
Li Aiguo was both amused and exasperated: "Director Zhang, Lao Liu, it's not necessary, it really doesn't have to be so grand! We're just exchanging ideas and learning from each other."
Deputy Director Zhang laughed and said, "Not at all, you're perfectly capable of doing this! To be honest, this banner was specifically ordered to be hung up by leaders from the Ministry of Metallurgy. With all the help you've given us, hanging up a banner is nothing! It's no problem at all!"
Is this about hanging banners? Or is it about giving instructions?
However, seeing that Deputy Director Zhang had even brought up leaders from ministries, Li Aiguo really didn't know what to say.
Since the banners are already up, we can't expect them to take them down now.
As for whether it's "guidance" or "exchange," you can decide for yourself which attitude to adopt; it's always better to be low-key.
In fact, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop and the Metallurgical Research Institute now have a deeply integrated cooperative relationship.
The Railway Research Institute also frequently commissioned the Metallurgical Institute to help develop special metals.
Li Aiguo came here hoping to have a good talk with Deputy Director Zhang and see if the cooperation between the two sides could be taken to the next level.
"Director Zhang, Chief Engineer Liu, since we're talking about work, I'll get straight to the point."
"You really need to give us your full support for the mass production of 7085 aluminum alloy; we're desperate for supplies over there."
Li Aiguo's words sounded somewhat impolite, even carrying a hint of urging.
However, since we're all old friends who know each other very well, if you start using official, bureaucratic language, people will think you're putting on airs and being distant.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Director Zhang and Chief Engineer Liu not only showed no displeasure, but instead beamed with joy.
In particular, Chief Engineer Liu has published several top-notch papers on high-temperature alloys and is now a leading figure in the field of metallurgy.
He knew that Li Aiguo was involved in this and had been thinking of helping him.
"Aiguo, don't worry. We know you need the 7085 high-strength, high-toughness aluminum alloy, and we've already contacted Southwest Aluminum."
I'll personally lead the team there in a few days; I guarantee it won't interfere with your work.
Chief Engineer Liu began.
Upon hearing about Southwest Aluminum, Li Aiguo knew that the Institute of Metallurgy was truly committed this time.
At this stage, there are very few factories in China that can mass-produce aerospace aluminum.
There were only Factory 101 in Northeast China, Factory 301 in Fushun, and Factory 112 in Nanjing in Southwest China.
As for Factory 501 in Hebei Province, it doesn't count. It mainly produces alumina and gallium, supplying components to the electronics industry. Factory 101 and Factory 301 still use the old technology passed down from their parent company, and mainly produce older models of aerospace aluminum such as LY12 and LY11.
Southwest Aluminum is different; it's a key project that only started construction last year.
Given the increasingly tense situation in the north, Southwest Aluminum has high hopes for itself and has invested a massive amount of resources in it.
Although it is not yet in formal production, the 1.25-ton horizontal extrusion press and the 2800mm hot rolling mill have been delivered and trial production of LC4 has begun.
This LC4 is a really good piece of equipment; it's specifically designed for making aircraft servo mounts.
"Director Zhang, Chief Engineer Liu, we're old friends. How could I not trust you to get things done?" Li Aiguo said with a smile.
"Actually, besides the aluminum alloy issue, I have another idea for me. I want to work on some thermal insulation materials, and after thinking it over, I think this matter should be handled by your metallurgical institute."
The moment these words were spoken, the entire conference room fell silent.
Not only was Chief Engineer Liu completely bewildered, but even Deputy Director Zhang looked astonished.
Deputy Director Zhang scratched his head and asked in confusion, "That's not right, it's patriotism."
If you're looking for thermally conductive or electrically conductive materials, then contacting our metallurgical institute is definitely the right choice; that's our specialty.
But...we're in the metal smelting business, and this is a heat insulation material!
Metals are naturally conductive, aren't you saying that backwards?
You should try contacting research institutes that specialize in chemical engineering or ceramics, right?
No wonder, the metallurgical research institute is researching things that are super hard, wear-resistant, and electrically conductive.
When Li Aiguo asked them to make insulation materials, they were completely baffled.
Li Aiguo shook his head: "I didn't say it the other way around. What I want to develop is multi-layer metal insulation material."
This material itself is an extremely high-performance, high-temperature insulating material.
Li Aiguo's desire to develop this thing wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather because its potential was so significant.
Most importantly, the principles and technology behind this thing are actually not that advanced.
Given the level of industrial technology in China at that time, it was entirely possible to manufacture it as long as the right direction was found.
It's a good product that's low-cost and effective.
When Li Aiguo uttered the words "multi-layer metal thermal insulation material," both Chief Engineer Liu and Deputy Director Zhang were stunned.
As experts in the field of metallurgy, they had actually heard of this thing before.
As early as the 40s, the concept of "layered radiation shielding" was proposed internationally.
I've heard that Xiaomei's family has already started research in this area.
"Yes, I remember seeing in a foreign journal a while ago that NASA had already approved the project, but I don't know what technology they used."
Chief Engineer Liu has a good memory; he can still remember articles he saw a long time ago.
“Yes, they are using a multilayer process.” Li Aiguo nodded, confirming Chief Engineer Liu’s statement.
This technique became the mainstream solution in later generations.
Well, the principle behind it is actually very simple.
To give an example that everyone understands, the cotton quilt we use is not warm because it is not just a single piece of cotton cloth, but because it is made of multiple layers of cotton cloth sandwiched with cotton wadding, which insulates the air layer by layer.
This material is essentially a metal version of a "warm quilt," only lighter and hundreds of times more effective at insulating heat.
What's most interesting is that it doesn't rely on the material itself being non-conductive, but rather on the dual effects of reflection and insulation.
This results in this thing exhibiting characteristics completely opposite to traditional metals, which conduct heat quickly and do not insulate.
Although it is a metal, its actual thermal conductivity is extremely low, only 0.001 to 0.01 W/m·K, which is 100 times lower than that of wood.
In layman's terms, the heat simply can't get through.
Moreover, its structural density is extremely low, only a few tens of grams per square meter, which is lighter than aluminum. When laid on the outer shell of missiles and rockets, it adds almost no extra weight.
How useful this thing is can be understood simply by mentioning it.
In the future, all rocket and missile shells, cryogenic storage tanks, and instrument compartments will be insulated with it.
The Apollo spacecraft of the United States, our Long March 5 and Long March 8 rockets, and even the liquid methane tanks, propellant pipelines, valves, and pump sets of SpaceX Starships are all wrapped in this material.
As for missiles, even more were used, including the Minuteman, Hercules, and Polaris.
Now, Li Aiguo is going to bring this wonderful thing to fruition ahead of schedule in this era!
After listening to Li Aiguo's detailed explanation of the principles, both Deputy Director Zhang and Chief Engineer Liu showed great interest, especially Chief Engineer Liu, who was practically a fanatic.
"Patriotism, that's such a good thing."
Although they vaguely knew that metals could be used as insulation materials, they certainly didn't understand the performance and characteristics of this multi-layered structure as well as Li Aiguo did now.
Li Aiguo smiled and said, "The above are all theoretical derivations; there will definitely be some distance between them and the actual implementation."
Li Aiguo first put on a layer of armor.
The techniques of later generations are incomparable to those of today, and it's hard to say how much of an effect they can achieve.
However, achieving even a partial solution can resolve a major problem.
Deputy Director Zhang said, "Chief Engineer Li, although the manufacturing principle of this thing is simple, I'm afraid it's not easy to make. If we fail on our side, it might delay your work, right?"
As a technician, all I need to consider is whether the product performs well or poorly.
However, Deputy Director Zhang had to consider whether the entire project could be successfully implemented, as well as the allocation of resources.
"It's really hard to say. They're also researching this abroad, but whether they'll produce any results is uncertain."
For our studio, it's not needed right now.
Li Aiguo smiled.
Multi-layer metal insulation materials are indeed good, but they are not needed for large aircraft now, and Li Aiguo is not in such urgent need of them.
If we really need to develop missiles and rockets in the future, we can just use this technology again.
Deputy Director Zhang pondered for a moment: "Since you don't need it now, there's no rush."
We need to plan this project carefully. There's not much progress overseas either. If we rush into it, it might backfire.
In addition, we also have a lot of urgent work to do here.
This is not an excuse; the next generation of tanks is already in the planning stages, and the metallurgical institute is responsible for providing the technical materials.
Of course, Deputy Director Zhang didn't completely refuse, but simply said that he had some ideas now and could start working on it as soon as he had the time.
Li Aiguo nodded in understanding.
As the leader of the studio.
He was well aware of Deputy Director Zhang's concerns; the worst thing in scientific research is to try to do too much at once and end up not mastering anything.
Chief Engineer Liu, standing to the side, was somewhat annoyed.
His expression was as if he would regret missing out on this multi-layered metal insulation material for the rest of his life.
Li Aiguo smiled and said, "Old Liu, don't worry. This kind of material can't be produced in a short time. Once I'm done with my work here and have some free time, I can contact a few more research institutes and work together to find a way to produce it."
Li Aiguo has now gotten used to finding outside help, and he will only personally take charge if he really needs to do something himself.
Otherwise, there would be too much to do, and even if you stayed in the lab all day, you wouldn't be able to handle it.
This type of large-scale operational model is actually the same as the operating model for many large projects.
The saying "many hands make light work" also applies to scientific research projects.
For Li Aiguo, the Institute of Metallurgy was the perfect external aid.
When Chief Engineer Liu heard this, his eyes lit up. As long as the project hadn't been completely abandoned, there was still a chance.
For the next few days, Li Aiguo simply stayed at the Institute of Metallurgy, where his main task was to work on the mass production process of 7085 aluminum alloy.
The Institute of Metallurgy also mobilized all relevant forces and resources to devote all its efforts to the task.
The reason they were so enthusiastic was, besides Li Aiguo's face.
Furthermore, the day after Li Aiguo arrived at the Institute of Metallurgy, leaders from the Aviation Industry Bureau called him directly, demanding that the Institute of Metallurgy do its utmost to cooperate with the work of the Qianmen Maintenance Depot.
Progress was made very quickly, especially since the Institute of Metallurgy had also mobilized a large number of front-line chief engineers who combined theory with practice and quickly developed a preliminary mass production process.
The reason it is described as preliminary is that whether this technology can be implemented depends on Southwest Aluminum's efforts to combine theory with practice.
Since Li Aiguo couldn't spare the time, Deputy Director Zhang of the Institute of Metallurgy led the team.
Before leaving, Deputy Director Zhang said to Li Aiguo, "I've made a solemn promise to you regarding the 7085 aluminum alloy you requested."
The accompanying engineers nodded repeatedly: "Yes, we'll also pledge our commitment."
The client, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot Studio, is so great.
They not only provide research topics, but also specific research and development steps, and even prepared the drawings and materials.
Furthermore, they send hundreds of kilograms of beef and mutton every time; who can stand that?
Even though it was smashed to pieces, it's still flesh, you know.
We must unite with such good comrades and good organizations.
A few days later, Li Aiguo received a long-distance call from Chief Engineer Liu at Southwest Aluminum in his studio.
After reporting on the smooth progress of mass production, Chief Engineer Liu lowered his voice and said, "Aiguo, about that multi-layer metal insulation material you mentioned..."
Although our metallurgical institute hasn't approved any projects, don't worry, as long as you're willing to do it, I'll definitely find a way to transfer personnel to help.
Although Chief Engineer Liu is currently at Southwest Aluminum, he is still thinking about multi-layer metal insulation materials.
Unfortunately, the metallurgical institute simply couldn't spare the manpower.
However, Chief Engineer Liu had a feeling that anything that could interest Li Aiguo so much must be something good.
Having dealt with Li Aiguo so many times, he knew Li Aiguo's style of doing things all too well.
This kid never speaks without a reason.
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) has now formed a powerful alliance with the Qianmen Locomotive Depot's maintenance workshop, and has even sent its chief engineer to work there.
Li Aiguo proposed multi-layer metal insulation material at this critical juncture. He would never believe it if you told him that this thing was not very useful!
As for Li Aiguo's statement that "it's hard to say whether the project will succeed," Chief Engineer Liu didn't believe a word of it.
Based on Chief Engineer Liu's understanding of Li Aiguo, this guy is absolutely confident in his projects; all he needs is someone else to help him build them.
At that moment, the word "tools" came to Chief Engineer Liu's mind.
That's right, it's a tool.
He was just a tool.
However, he was willing to be this tool, and even enjoyed it!
Li Aiguo never expected that Chief Engineer Liu, an old scholar, would be able to think of these things.
"Sure, I'll let you know if this project goes ahead."
Across from him, Chief Engineer Liu smiled, saying that opportunities are earned through one's own efforts.
Hang up the phone.
Li Aiguo then went to the workshop next door, which had now been transformed into an aircraft research lab.
Xu, the chief engineer of Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, along with a group of chief engineers, were working on the design drawings of the Sixth Master.
After several revisions, all of Sixth Master's flaws have been corrected.
"Aiguo, I've already contacted Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, and the prototype will be manufactured soon."
"Mmm." Li Aiguo also wanted to see just how powerful the new Sixth Master really was.
(End of this chapter)