Chapter 152: The Engine Is What Really Matters

"Excellent, excellent, all fine things," Shi Ping exclaimed excitedly as he reviewed the technical specifications of the new J-7 trainer. Although it was not a product of Hongdu, he saw great potential in this new J-7 trainer.

"Your modifications are definitely the highlights of the new trainer. Some of these changes could certainly be incorporated into our new primary trainer at Hongdu—like the ejection seat and the cockpit layout. We will integrate these into the design of our new primary trainer. Regarding logistics and maintenance of common parts, we will send people soon to discuss those specifics."

Though Shi Ping did not explicitly agree to cooperate with Base 0011 at this moment, his demeanor, actions, and words reflected his true thoughts.

Yang Hui could see that Shi Ping was on board with the collaboration, but he still needed to hear a firm confirmation to rest assured.

"So, Shi Team Leader, do you have any thoughts on my proposal?"

"No problem, I personally fully support cooperating with your Base 0011. As long as you can provide 25% of the development funding for the new trainer, we have a 90% chance of success in this partnership."

Yang Hui’s suggestions on the new trainer inspired Wang Ping. Suddenly, Wang Ping recalled the aerodynamic design he had seen earlier while reviewing the new J-7 trainer’s materials.

It seemed that the aerodynamic scheme for the new J-7 trainer was proposed and led by Secretary Yang. Now was the perfect time to consult this insightful aerodynamic expert.

Thinking and acting as one, Shi Ping grabbed a piece of draft paper and roughly sketched the outline of Hongdu’s initial primary trainer design.

"Secretary Wang, I heard that the new J-7 trainer’s aerodynamic design was proposed and led by you. Take a look at the aerodynamic design of our new primary trainer—I hope you can offer some classic design insights."

Yang Hui was somewhat surprised. Shi Ping, the design team leader he had only met a few days earlier, was now consulting him on Hongdu’s new aircraft aerodynamic design.

This not only reflected Shi Ping’s professionalism as a designer but also affirmed Yang Hui’s work on the new J-7 trainer’s aerodynamics, which delighted Yang Hui. He gladly examined Shi Ping’s three-view drawings of the new primary trainer while listening to Shi Ping explain the aerodynamic concepts, mentally comparing it to the future K8.

After comparison, it became clear that the new primary trainer already resembled the future K8. After all, as a primary trainer, its aerodynamic layout was conventional and uncontroversial.

"The side intakes, low wing, normal tail, and tricycle landing gear layout seem best suited for a primary trainer. After all, a primary trainer needs stable and simple flying qualities. I think this aerodynamic layout is quite good."

Yang Hui then pointed to the cockpit design in the drawing. The new trainer’s cockpit had yet to reach the maturity of the future K8; the height difference between the front and rear cockpits was not pronounced, leading to a somewhat awkward look.

"Though the aerodynamic design is excellent, the cockpit needs improvement. The current front and rear cockpit arrangement is on par with our old J-7 trainer, which is inadequate. For a trainer, the front and rear seats should have a significant height difference to provide the instructor in the rear cockpit with a good field of view."

Great minds think alike. Shi Ping also advocated for increasing the height difference between the front and rear cockpits of the new trainer. However, since the design was still in its infancy with many uncertainties, the cockpit design was somewhat outdated.

As the project design leader, Shi Ping had some reservations, but after hearing Yang Hui’s advice, he fully embraced the new cockpit scheme.

"I understand what you mean. I had planned to design it that way, but since we’re still in the concept validation stage, we haven’t optimized the height difference yet. To save effort and improve interchangeability between the two new trainers, I believe we can directly use the cockpit data from the new J-7 trainer."

Shi Ping’s quick thinking surprised Yang Hui; he suggested directly adopting the aerodynamic cockpit data from the new J-7 trainer. It was reasonable since both were trainers.

The J-7 trainer’s cockpit was compact, so using it on the new primary trainer was feasible. Yang Hui considered this briefly and nodded in agreement.

"That’s no problem. Our new J-7 trainer’s design is further along, and we do have some experience to share. Once our cooperation is finalized, we can open up our design data to you."

Recognizing the clear benefits of cooperating with the base, Shi Ping said no more and immediately reported to the Hongdu leadership. As long as Hongdu’s executives approved the project, there would be no issue.

The base leadership had already been persuaded by Yang Hui. With Saudi funding easing financial pressure on the new J-7 trainer project, the base was in a stronger position. Moreover, Yang Hui had mentioned another matter to the base’s top leaders during his explanation.

Now Yang Hui was ready to discuss a separate topic with Shi Ping concerning the base’s plans for civilian technology.

"Team Leader Shi, let’s talk about cooperation on civilian equipment. Our base leadership attaches great importance to this and hopes for a more pleasant collaboration with Hongdu."

Shi Ping had originally come to discuss the new primary trainer, so he was surprised to hear about a new cooperation project, apparently related to civilian products, which struck him as odd.

"Oh? What exactly is it? Although I’m just an aircraft designer, I can help convey your intentions."

Yang Hui’s civilian product proposal was straightforward. He was interested in Hongdu’s Changjiang 750 motorcycle. At this time, the Changjiang 750 was a high-end, sought-after product. Yang Hui had no intention of acquiring the entire technology. What he wanted was the Changjiang 750’s powertrain.

The Changjiang 750 was well known. Its prototype was the Soviet M72 military motorcycle, which itself was a copy of the German BMW military motorcycle from World War II.

It boasted a noble lineage, though it was “Slavicized” once in Soviet hands, then “refined” again after transfer to the Republic.

The Changjiang 750 had a great reputation, but its performance was mediocre. Its retro styling was appealing, but its technology and ergonomics lagged behind international motorcycles of the 1980s. Within a few years, as a flood of foreign motorcycles entered the market, it would lose its appeal.

Therefore, Yang Hui had no plans to fully import the motorcycle. He also knew that in the coming years, the Changjiang 750’s technology would be widely disseminated—over a dozen manufacturers would produce it. He saw no need to follow the herd.

However, the engine of the Changjiang 750 was another matter. It was a highly promising gasoline engine. During World War II, high power required twin-cylinder engines, which offered more room for improvement compared to the common single-cylinder motorcycles of the time.

With new improvements, this engine could unleash far greater performance, enabling the development of new engines with broader applications. This was Yang Hui’s real intention.

When the 750’s technology spread widely later, having a more powerful engine would make it easier to outcompete other manufacturers’ clones.

At that point, it would be more cost-effective for the base to manufacture engines and continue developing in this field. This exemplified the responsibility of a state-owned enterprise.

This was their strength—they focused only on the core products, refusing to compete in saturated markets. They were the backbone of the national industry, fulfilling the true role of a state-owned enterprise. (To be continued.)