CHAPTER 435: CHAPTER 433 NEW DESIGN

After completing all the tests in the sky, the Y-9 finally returned to the combat readiness airport and was pushed back into the hangar after landing.

This time, the test exposed many problems. The aircraft not only required inspection and maintenance, but many parts also needed repair.

When the leader brought a group of people to the hangar, about to question Chen Xin on why he had to go up in the aircraft, he saw Chen Xin hovering in the air, using the flight capabilities of his nano armor to inspect the airplane’s propellers. The words of blame were swallowed, and instead, the leader inquired about the condition of the aircraft from Chen Xin.

"Academician Chen, how did the test flight go this time?" the leader asked, raising his head to look at Chen Xin, who was hovering in front of the propeller.

Hearing the leader’s voice, Chen Xin turned his head to glance at him, then descended to the ground and greeted him, "Hello, leader. The flight test went well, but there are still many issues."

"Could you elaborate?" The leader, upon hearing Chen Xin’s words, also adopted a serious expression.

"The aircraft performs well in the troposphere, but the environment above the stratosphere is too harsh, and the aircraft can’t currently adapt to such conditions," Chen Xin explained to the leader. He then led the leader beneath the aircraft’s engine and showed him the air filter that had been dismantled by the ground crew technicians: "Look here, leader. While this air filter can effectively block sand and dust from entering the engine, it also becomes severely clogged because it blocks the dust itself.

Due to the presence of a large amount of dust and particles in the stratosphere, during flight, the engine operation sucks in a large amount of air, causing sand to accumulate within the air filter. The significant accumulation of sand affects the filter’s effectiveness, leading to a power drop in the aircraft engine."

Hearing Chen Xin’s explanation, the leader’s face became slightly grave, and he asked Chen Xin, "Is there any way to solve this problem? Can the aircraft not fly normally now?"

Faced with the leader’s questions, Chen Xin replied, "Currently, the environment is what it is, and we can’t change it. However, if we want the aircraft to fly normally, there are ways to achieve this.

We can have the aircraft fly only below the stratosphere. If it doesn’t enter the stratosphere, the air in the troposphere environment is manageable. Relying solely on the air filter, we can ensure the aircraft’s normal flight.

Of course, we can also manufacture an all-electric aircraft, thus ignoring the effects of sand and particles on the aircraft engine. This is my proposed second modification plan, using a micro nuclear reactor as the aircraft’s power source, and employing electric engines to provide power for the aircraft.

"An electric aircraft? Is this really achievable?" a staff member beside the leader asked Chen Xin.

Chen Xin nodded and took out a blueprint to show to the leader.

"This is precisely the electric aircraft I’ve designed. It uses a 3-megawatt nuclear reactor as its power source, supplying ample electricity to the aircraft’s four engines." As Chen Xin spoke, he pointed at the blueprint, "This aircraft is modeled after the famous Osprey Helicopter, adopting a tilt-rotor design. However, compared to the Osprey Helicopter, this aircraft has four rotors, providing more lift."

"Four rotors... this design looks somewhat like a drone?" The leader observed the blueprint and found the rotor arrangement quite reminiscent of a drone.

Chen Xin nodded without hesitation in acknowledging what he had referenced, confidently stating, "I indeed referred to the rotor layout design of drones; it can take off and land vertically like a drone, or take off in a leap like an Osprey Helicopter. In the air, the four rotors can provide both lift and thrust, sufficient to meet the needs of flying in various complex environments.

Moreover, compared to the original Osprey Helicopter, this design has the advantage of allowing the front two rotors to provide vertical lift, while the rear two provide horizontal thrust.

It doesn’t face many technical issues due to rotor adjustments, unlike the Osprey Helicopter. Although I’ve already resolved these technical issues." Chen Xin’s words left the leader deeply amazed.

In seven days, not only did Chen Xin complete modifications to the original Y-9 transport aircraft, enabling it to fly normally, but he also finished designing this new type of helicopter. This was beyond his imagination.

In typical circumstances, aircraft design work requires at least several years to complete, while the Federation spent a full 20 years to commission the Osprey Helicopter!

At this moment, the leader finally had a direct understanding of Chen Xin’s capability.

"How is the performance of this aircraft?" The leader gathered himself and, without showing his inner emotions, shifted attention to the aircraft’s performance.

"The aircraft is 20 meters long, with a maximum wingspan of 16 meters, a height of 7 meters, an empty weight of 16 tons, a maximum takeoff weight of 40 tons, and it can carry 20 tons. Its maximum flight speed is 550 km/h, with an operational ceiling of 8,000 meters. Because it’s nuclear-powered, it has unlimited flight range." Chen Xin introduced the aircraft’s performance with a rather proud tone, also saying with some self-assurance, "The performance of this aircraft is slightly better than the Osprey Helicopter. It can transport 12 fully armed special forces soldiers, or carry 2 tons of supplies at 500 km/h.

Whether for combat, disaster relief, or supply transportation, it can perfectly fulfill these roles. This is the best solution I came up with considering the current environmental conditions, since conventional aircraft engines always have to deal with the impact of airborne dust."

At this point, Chen Xin motioned for the leader to look at the Y-9 propellers.

Following Chen Xin’s direction, the leader noticed with surprise that the Y-9 propellers were full of scratches and wear marks, and such marks were almost all over the windward side of the entire aircraft.

"If only flying in the troposphere, it’s fine. But if the plane ascends into the stratospheric layer, the large amount of particles and dust suspended in the air will cause significant wear on the aircraft under airflow influence, with the faster the speed, the greater the wear.

Therefore, under current conditions, the stratosphere remains a no-fly zone. Unless aircraft skin is made from higher-strength materials to withstand wear, and the engine can ignore the damage caused by dust, I don’t recommend any aircraft flying in the stratosphere." Chen Xin looked at the leader and solemnly advised him.

The leader, after listening to Chen Xin and looking at the surface scratches and damage on the Y-9, contemplated deeply before nodding earnestly.