Zhang Gangchuan’s reasons were very persuasive, but the voices of opposition were louder. The eting attendees could all be considered ’big shots,’ and they were not inclined to indulge Zhang Gangchuan’s feelings, "Compared to your engine team, I have more faith in Academician Zhao."
"Look at Academician Zhao, who solved the turbine blade material problem in just a few months. What about your materials team? No progress in more than a decade, still relying on the achievents of Project 307."
"rge for joint research? You’ve taken five years just to improve—when will it be ready for production?"
"I’ve looked at Academician Zhao’s application report. He is applying for the second team, which is to develop a higher-end engine based on your foundation, with their latest blade material as the basis for manufacturing turbines. It’s essentially an entirely new line of research."
"What you set your sights on was the J-20, but it’s not even suitable for equipping a J-8. Academician Zhao is aiming for independent developnt. In European and Arican countries, engines and fighter aircraft are developed separately. Our goal should be the sa. His research isn’t for a specific fighter jet, but to create high-end engines."
"I’ve heard that M Country is already working on the sixth-generation engine, while their latest fighter jets are only using fourth-generation engines. Given your Kunlun engine team, to say nothing of the fourth generation, give you another five years, can you even catch up with the third generation?"
Several big shots were outspoken and vehent in their criticisms, leaving little room for refutation.
Zhang Gangchuan stopped speaking altogether.
What could he say?
The Kunlun engine indeed had not been delivered on ti, plagued by a host of unresolved issues, utterly unable to et third-generation aviation engine requirents, unqualified to equip dostic mid-to-high-end fighter jets. To qualify would require an upgrade, but regarding the new turbine blade materials, they were rely in the verification process and couldn’t be used in the short term. First, they had to solve the existing problems with the Kunlun engine; otherwise, they wouldn’t even pass the technical review, let alone the approval for design and manufacturing.
There were still so in the eting who supported Zhang Gangchuan, but they were significantly outnumbered and mostly affiliated with the Kunlun engine team. Outside observers lacked confidence in the Kunlun team and were very optimistic about Zhao Yi.
Thus, there was no need for further reporting. Liu Jiankun decided on the spot to approve Zhao Yi’s application to establish the ’second team.’
There was a lot of work ahead.
For instance, the funding issue. Operating a new engine research team would inevitably tie up a huge amount of resources.
Moving such a large sum of money wasn’t sothing Liu Jiankun could decide alone; comprehensive preparations had to be made.
Additionally, supporting the new engine team—securing talent, liaising with factories, and choosing a primary research location—all posed challenges.
The decision rested on Zhao Yi’s preferences.
When Liu Jiankun initiated a video call with Zhao Yi, eager to hear his detailed ideas, Liu Jiankun was caught off guard by Zhao Yi’s lack of planning. "A new facility? No need. I’ll mainly be working from Yanhua University."
"If you can help find a large space for temporary equipnt testing and storage, that could work..."
"But it must be in the capital; otherwise, it’s too far."
"Liaison is crucial."
"The reason I applied for independent funding and a separate research team is to bypass the Kunlun engine team and directly connect with the factory, allowing our designs to be manufactured imdiately!"
Liu Jiankun was stunned.
No need to build a large research facility? Just a space for equipnt trials?
Zhao Yi hadn’t even ntioned subsequent funding, only saying, ’If the funds are insufficient, just file a report. In the initial stage, it’s just designing. As long as the factory can produce good parts, that’s enough.’ His requirents were incredibly modest.
"Maybe it’s because Academician Zhao lacks experience," Liu Jiankun started to doubt Zhao Yi, rembering his young age, it was unlikely he had experience. Hastily applying for such a significant project, wouldn’t he encounter various problems later on?
"We can only deal with problems as they arise. But even at his worst, he’s definitely better than the Kunlun team!" Liu Jiankun thought.
In fact, Zhao Yi didn’t realize the importance of a research base, or perhaps he didn’t need a large one.
A large research base would house all the related research teams working independently and coordinating to so extent. The project leader’s main job isn’t to do research but to manage the teams, ensuring that all components developed by the teams are unified to create the final product, which is the aircraft engine.
But Zhao Yi didn’t need ’coordination.’
Even if he had a host of research teams and various outcos, he could use the "Supervision Law" to effortlessly integrate these results into a perfect whole.
Moreover, Zhao Yi felt sowhat like Kongming.
He intended to personally delve into each critical technology and design of the engine, then refine them to bring them together, and that would be the final design of the engine.
As long as there was a refined design, then rely instructing the factory to manufacture the items in the design and putting them together would suffice.
That would be the end of it.
The sort of incessant minor issues that plagued the Kunlun engine over several years of testing would be unthinkable for him; he would find problems imdiately and solve them.
During this process, what Zhao Yi worried about most was manufacturing issues at the factory—China’s high-end manufacturing capabilities still fell short.
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