Debugging, mounting.
Once the fighter jet’s components and electronic equipnt have been successfully debugged and everything is running normally, it’s ti to mount the engine, the most core component, onto the plane.
Engine installation is a very delicate job, and for relatively low-end fighter jets, it’s easier to install the engine.
The installation of the WZ-A1 engine didn’t take too much ti on its first test flight, as only the main core interfaces were connected because of the mismatch between the fighter jet and the engine, which rely allowed for basic operations.
Now, switching to Warhawk-1 was different. Warhawk-1 was designed around the WZ-A1 engine, which also underwent functional improvents and adjustnts to fit Warhawk-1. It can be said to be ’a perfect match,’ where all functionalities and circuit interfaces would be utilized.
When the WZ-A1 engine is installed onto the Warhawk, there are over sixty interfaces alone, so of which require precise welding, and that takes no small amount of ti.
"It’ll probably take more than three days,"
When Liu Jiankun and his group ca over to ask, Zhao Yi gave a tifra, "I’ve asked Captain Yuan and others., and the fastest would also be two days. But we must ensure that no problems occur during the installation process."
"Right, it’s most important that there are no problems!"
Liu Jiankun nodded along and then said to the others with a smile, "Academician Zhao’s serious and responsible work attitude is worth learning from for everyone."
"Indeed!"
"Mounting must be taken seriously!"
"It’s most important to have no issues, as even a minor problem could turn into a big one."
"Absolutely."
Several others joined in, essentially echoing the last sentint.
In reality, it wasn’t anything extraordinary. Anyone else would do the sa, but when it cos to Zhao Yi, it sohow reflected the seriousness of his work.
He Shulin just smirked to himself but didn’t say anything. Just passing the debugging on the first try was proof enough of Zhao Yi’s capacity, what else was there to question?
Moreover, three days for engine installation wasn’t long at all, as it was an experintal stage; every step was an ’exploration’ without prior experience, so they definitely had to take it slow and steady. Any small error could result in a huge loss.
Next ca the mounting work.
Zhao Yi continued his strict supervision over each step of the work, just as before. He didn’t involve himself directly but oversaw the process from the side and occasionally gave directions.
However, with Zhao Yi there to direct, everyone else felt much more at ease. They felt confident that no issues would slip by, and if there were any questions, they were sure Zhao Yi would have the answers.
Among Liu Jiankun’s group, so, having heard it would take ’three days,’ chose to leave.
Others stayed behind.
Among those who remained, there were many representatives from the military. The military’s representatives were there to observe the Warhawk’s progress; they hoped to see advancents in the developnt of the Warhawk.
Now, every day they stayed seed to bring visible progress, so they decided to stay put and witness the first-hand news.
The high-ranking officials from the Air Force were extrely concerned about the developnt of the Warhawk, seemingly eager to have several Warhawks equipped as soon as possible.
This might sound impractical, but it also represented the leadership’s expectations for Warhawk-1.
...
Zhao Yi’s timing was quite accurate; the engine mounting took precisely three days, with electronic equipnt interfacing and debugging in the anti.
Three days later.
The Warhawk was towed out to the runway, ready to officially begin the ignition tests.
Although the na of the test was ’ignition,’ in reality, it involved firing up the engine to power the aircraft along the runway.
The ignition test wouldn’t actually make the aircraft take off; it was just to see if there were any issues with the aircraft running and starting up normally.
The first step was the engine ignition; the control tower issued the ignition command, with the aircraft still restrained, essentially testing the airfra’s ability to withstand the thrust.
"Ignition test!"
"Countdown, 10, 9, 8..."
"...2, 1, begin!"
The control tower commander shouted the start, and the engine imdiately made a noise followed by a gradually increasing roar; flas burst out from behind the plane and the booming sound filled the area.
The ’ignition test’ ran for three minutes at the lowest power setting for the engine. Once they confird there were no issues with the aircraft’s electronics, the test could conclude.
Next was the operation test.
At this point, the aircraft’s restraint rig was removed, and a pilot boarded. The test pilot responsible for the engine testing was Zhai Licheng.
Zhao Yi had told Zhai Licheng that he should be the one to test the Warhawk, and when Aviation Group considered testing the Warhawk, they had already decided on Zhai Licheng.
As the test pilot of a top-tier fighter jet, Zhai Licheng was slightly older in age. In truth, a better choice would be pilots in their thirties, who would generally have better physical conditions and superior endurance and reflexes.
However, as it was just a routine test without the need for high-speed takeoff, supersonic testing, or any complex maneuvers, having an older pilot wasn’t much of an issue.
Zhai Licheng, fully equipped, stood by, already rubbing his hands together in eagerness.
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