I can upgrade the shelter-Chapter 845 - 743: Spaceplane Test Flight

The military base used as the research site for the Southern Celestial Gate project is an air force base, naturally equipped with a runway.

It’s just that this runway has been out of use for a long time, since the disaster, this air force base was sealed, and for several years no aircraft has taken off or landed here.

Previously, when Chen Xin and his team arrived by Land Ship, they only landed on a snow-covered apron.

It’s not that they don’t clear the snow, but the snow is over ten meters thick, and clearing it is truly a massive project. Moreover, the snow is frozen solid, so instead of sweeping the snow, it’s easier to use a steamroller to compact the snow and use it directly as the ground.

The only issue might be the road would be slippery after the snow is compacted, but even if cleared, in such cold weather, the ground easily freezes and becomes slippery.

So, to solve the runway problem for the test flights of the aerial vehicle, the base staff spent three days leveling the runway to at least meet the standards of a field airport, suitable for test flights.

"Is there no problem with the runway? Won’t the engine’s ignition immediately melt the runway?" Chen Xin’s concern wasn’t unfounded speculation, as the technology demonstrator aircraft still uses traditional jet engines, not the NVN field engine and KD-64BV variable cycle engine planned for the Profound Lady Aerial Combat Drone.

The so-called NVN field engine is a radiation propulsion engine, using the product of a giant reactor as the medium for propulsion. This method of propulsion is still far ahead of human technology, which hasn’t developed to this level yet.

Thus, the aircraft still uses traditional mature engine technology, relying on advanced technology from various countries to meet design requirements.

However, this brings a problem: when the jet engine starts, the exhaust temperature can reach thousands of degrees, instantly vaporizing the snow.

The researcher wasn’t too worried about this, responding to Chen Xin: "Please rest assured, Chen Academician, we’ve conducted detailed calculations, and there won’t be any issues."

Saying this, he introduced the aircraft in detail to Chen Xin, explaining that even if the snow on the runway is evaporated by the aircraft’s exhaust, it won’t affect the test flight.

After hearing the explanation, Chen Xin nodded; he knew that since these researchers could formulate such a test flight plan, it must be based on detailed calculations from all aspects, ensuring no issues before proceeding.

Yet he still felt uneasy inside, which is why he asked again.

And not only asked, but Chen Xin also sent the researcher’s explanation to Xi Yao, asking her to conduct deducing and calculations.

Despite these data being calculated once by Xi Yao before the project team submitted the test flight plan, he asked Xi Yao to calculate again, ensuring no issues before agreeing to let the aircraft take off.

With Chen Xin’s order, the aircraft on the runway began pre-flight checks and started its engine.

Chen Xin held a telescope and looked at the aircraft on the runway, now covered with a layer of black protective paint, looking very inconspicuous.

But unlike traditional aircraft, which have enclosed glass cockpits, the aircraft’s design indicates that it is essentially an unmanned aerial vehicle.

"I remember the Profound Lady’s design uses forward-swept wings and has both manned/unmanned operation modes, right?" Observing the aircraft reach its intended position on the runway, Chen Xin casually asked the nearby researcher.

According to the original design of the Southern Celestial Gate project, the Profound Lady Fighter used neural control, allowing pilots to directly control the aircraft through helmets, thus not needing a traditional glass cockpit.

In unmanned mode, a bionic neural computer is installed in the cabin to control flight and execute missions.

This design is workable except for the fact that current technology is unable to achieve such things, and indeed has no shortcomings.

The aircraft’s wing design was specially analyzed for feasibility; although not definitively rational or superior in performance, at least the structure could fly.

Hence, when the Southern Celestial Gate project emerged, those originally science fiction-level settings and requirements only underwent simple modifications or lower standards to comply with reality and current technology level, without further adjustments.

On the aerial vehicle, Chen Xin noticed that the technology demonstrator discarded most of the original Profound Lady Fighter design.

Rather than calling this technology demonstrator a realization of the Profound Lady Fighter, it would be more appropriate to say it’s a redesign based on the thought process of the Profound Lady Fighter.

The researcher clearly understood this issue, explaining to Chen Xin: "The original design of the Profound Lady Fighter has technical limitations, and the layout itself had issues, such as conflicts between the forward-swept wing design and diamond wing design forewings, greatly affecting pitch performance. So we revised the aerodynamic layout and redesigned the aircraft.

The current technology demonstrator seen by you, Academician, uses the aerodynamic shape Lucia initially designed for the Su-47 Berkut. However, the entire Su-47 project wasn’t produced extensively, so this design was only tested in a wind tunnel.

This time, with the Southern Celestial Gate project’s requirements, Lucia brought out this design and combined with other finished technologies provided by various countries, led to the current technology demonstrator."

Upon hearing the researcher’s words, Chen Xin wasn’t surprised. When he checked previously, he didn’t pay much attention to the aircraft’s shape, as he had so much to deal with back then, delegating specifics to project leaders.

He only managed overall issues, so details like these were only observable when the aircraft flew.

Especially since Chen Xin wasn’t familiar with aircraft, if not for the concept design of the Profound Lady Fighter in the documentation in front showing disparities compared to the current technology demonstrator, he might not have discovered these differences.

Just as Chen Xin and the researcher were discussing this, the technology demonstrator on the runway completed all pre-flight preparations, its engine emitting a long plume of exhaust, propelling it into the blue sky.