novelslam Chapter 75 Test Flight in the Blue Sky
Chapter 75 Test Flight in the Blue Sky
A top-secret military base on the outskirts of Beijing.
Inside the enormous hangar, the lights were blazing. A sleek, silver-gray fighter jet sat silently in the center, like a lurking metallic beast. There were no markings on its fuselage, but its futuristic technological sophistication made the heart race of everyone who saw it.
The hangar was surrounded by people. There were engineers in white lab coats, generals with stars on their shoulders, and several leaders from the General Armaments Department. All eyes were fixed on the fighter jet.
"Colonel Lin, this is the prototype aircraft built based on your design," Director Li of the General Armament Department excitedly introduced. "We've given it the tentative codename 'Mighty Dragon-10.' According to your design, it adopts stealth coating, vectoring engines, intelligent flight control systems... many of these technologies are being used for the first time in the world."
Lin Zhe stood in front of the aircraft, looking up at the behemoth. Although it was still far from the most advanced sixth-generation fighter jets he remembered from his previous life, in this world, it was already a revolutionary existence.
He reached out and touched the cold fuselage, feeling the texture of the metal. In his previous life, he could only design these devices on paper and test data in laboratories. In this life, he could see them become reality with his own eyes and touch them with his own hands.
"How are the test flight data?" he asked.
The test pilot beside him, a lieutenant colonel in his thirties, exclaimed with gleaming eyes, "Fantastic! Colonel Lin, I've been flying for fifteen years, but I've never seen an aircraft like this before. Its maneuverability, speed, stealth capabilities... it's completely beyond my imagination. During yesterday's test, I performed several difficult maneuvers, and the flight control system responded as quickly as if it were an extension of my thoughts!"
Lin Zhe nodded: "What about the weapon system?"
"It hasn't been tested yet," Director Li said. "Today's schedule is for weapons system testing. We've prepared a maritime firing range with simulated ships and aerial targets."
As they were talking, several military vehicles drove into the hangar. The doors opened, and several generals stepped out. Leading the group was Zhao, the Vice Minister of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission, a lieutenant general.
"Comrade Lin Zhe!" Vice Minister Zhao strode over, grasped Lin Zhe's hand, and exclaimed, "Finally, I've met you! The technical reports and design drawings you submitted saved us at least ten years of wasted time!"
"You flatter me, sir." Lin Zhe saluted.
"Not an exaggeration at all." Vice Minister Zhao looked at the "Mighty Dragon-10" with deep emotion in his eyes. "This aircraft, from design to manufacturing, only took eight months. This was unimaginable before. Moreover, according to test data, its performance surpasses our most advanced fighter jets currently in service, and may even... surpass the United States."
A murmur of astonishment rippled through the crowd. Surpassing even the most advanced stealth fighter from the United States, it was touted as the world's best.
"Can we test the weapon system today?" Vice Minister Zhao asked.
"Yes," Lin Zhe said. "But, sir, I have a request."
"you say."
"I want to test fly it myself and test the weapons system." Lin Zhe looked at Vice Minister Zhao. "I designed this aircraft myself, and I know its performance limits better than anyone else. Besides... I am also a qualified pilot."
Vice Minister Zhao paused for a moment and looked at the test pilot next to him.
The test pilot nodded: "I've seen Colonel Lin's flying skills. When he was training at the air force base, his flying results were better than many veteran pilots."
"This..." Vice Minister Zhao hesitated, "Comrade Lin Zhe, your value is too great, what if..."
"Don't worry, sir," Lin Zhe said calmly. "I have confidence in this aircraft, and I have confidence in myself. Besides, only by testing it myself can I obtain the most accurate data."
Vice Minister Zhao pondered for a moment, then looked at the generals beside him. They whispered a few words, and finally nodded.
"Okay, approved!" Vice Minister Zhao patted Lin Zhe on the shoulder. "But you must be careful. This plane, and you, are both national treasures!"
"clear!"
Lin Zhe walked to the changing room and changed into his flight suit. The orange anti-G suit and white helmet transformed his entire demeanor when he emerged—from a composed officer into an air knight about to embark on a mission.
Ground crew began final checks. Refueling, powering on, checking the avionics system... everything proceeded smoothly.
Lin Zhe climbed the gangway and sat in the cockpit. The canopy slowly closed, isolating him from the outside world. Before him was a brand-new glass cockpit with three large displays showing various flight data.
"Tower, Dragon-10 is ready and requesting takeoff." Lin Zhe pressed the communication button.
"Tower received, Mighty Dragon-10, runway cleared, ready for takeoff."
The engine ignited, its deep roar echoing through the hangar. The aircraft slowly taxied out of the hangar and onto the runway.
Sunlight shone on the silver-gray fuselage, reflecting a cold light.
"Dragon-10, takeoff!"
Lin Zhe pushed the throttle, and the plane accelerated. The strong thrust pressed him into his seat, and the scenery on both sides of the runway rushed past. When the speed reached the critical point, he gently pulled back on the stick.
The plane looked up, like a giant silver bird soaring into the blue sky.
Inside the cockpit, Lin Zhe sensed every subtle response of the aircraft. The elevator's sensitivity, the rudder's stability, the engine's thrust... everything matched his design parameters, even better.
He performed several simple maneuvers—climb, dive, roll. The aircraft responded quickly, without any lag.
"Tower, flight status is good, begin performance testing," Lin Zhe reported.
"Received. Proceeding as planned."
Lin Zhe began testing the aircraft's limits. He pushed the throttle, and the plane accelerated. Mach numbers 0.8, 0.9, 1.0… breaking the sound barrier produced only a slight vibration. He continued accelerating: Mach 1.2, Mach 1.5, Mach 1.8…
The instrument panel showed a top speed of Mach 2.2, with some capacity remaining. This figure exceeds the maximum speed of Chinese fighter jets.
Next came the maneuverability test. The Cobra maneuver, the Herbst maneuver, the tailslide… every difficult maneuver was executed flawlessly. The advantages of the vectoring engine were fully demonstrated here—the aircraft could rapidly change attitude from a near-stall state, performing maneuvers that were impossible for conventional aircraft.
"It's too perfect..." In the ground control center, the test pilot looked at the flight trajectory on the radar screen and murmured, "I can't do these maneuvers."
Vice Minister Zhao was also dumbfounded: "This...is this a fighter jet or a spaceship?"
Twenty minutes later, the performance test ended. Lin Zhe adjusted his course and flew towards the designated sea area—where a firing range had been prepared.
"Tower, the Mighty Dragon-10 is proceeding to the test area to prepare for weapon system testing."
"Roger that. The firing range is ready; we can begin."
The plane flew over the sea. Below was the azure ocean, with several small islands in the distance. The firing range was located in this area, with floating targets simulating ships and target drones towed in the air.
Lin Zhe activated the weapon system. On the display screen, various weapon icons lit up—air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, precision-guided bombs, machine guns…
He was preparing to select a target when suddenly, the radar alarm went off.
"Beep beep beep—"
On the screen, four bright spots appeared at the edge of the radar, rapidly approaching from the southeast.
Lin Zhe frowned. Today's test was top secret, and this sea area should have been designated as a no-fly zone, so how could there be other aircraft?
He widened the radar scan range and locked onto the four targets. The data showed that they were four fighter jets, and judging from the radar characteristics... they were F/A-18s from the United States.
"Tower, four unidentified aircraft have been spotted, located southeast, 120 kilometers away, and are approaching," Lin Zhe reported.
The ground command center immediately tensed up.
"Can it identify the person?"
"Judging from the radar signature, it's an F/A-18. The lack of a transponder signal suggests it's conducting covert reconnaissance."
Vice Minister Zhao's face darkened: "US aircraft? How did they know we were testing here?"
"It was probably detected by satellite reconnaissance," a staff officer next to him said. "This area is usually an international shipping lane, so they probably thought we were conducting routine training."
"Tell them to leave!"
The communications officer attempted to call using an internationally recognized channel: "Unidentified aircraft, this is the Chinese Air Force. You have entered the Chinese Exclusive Economic Zone. Please leave immediately. Repeat, please leave immediately."
no respond.
Instead of leaving, the four planes accelerated and headed straight for the test area.
In the cockpit, Lin Zhe stared at the radar screen, his eyes turning cold. He opened the communication channel and said in English, "Unidentified aircraft, this is Chinese airspace. You have violated our sovereignty. Please leave immediately. Otherwise, we will take necessary measures."
This time there was a response. A voice with a heavy American accent spoke in English: "Chinese aircraft, this is international airspace, we have freedom of navigation. But what secret tests are you conducting here?"
Provocation, blatant provocation.
Lin Zhe remained silent. He knew that reasoning with these people was useless. The US, relying on its superior military strength, frequently used "freedom of navigation" as a pretext to conduct reconnaissance near other countries. Previously, China's equipment was inferior, so it could only protest. But now…
He glanced at the instrument panel, then at the four dots on the radar.
"Tower, requesting interception," Lin Zhe said.
Vice Minister Zhao hesitated in the command center. Interception meant a potential conflict, and this "Mighty Dragon-10" was still a prototype; what if something went wrong...?
But before he could make a decision, the four F/A-18s had already entered his visual range. They were flying in formation, clearly prepared for the occasion.
"Sir, let Colonel Lin handle this," the test pilot suddenly said. "The Mighty Dragon-10's performance far surpasses the F/A-18, and Colonel Lin's skills... I trust him."
Vice Minister Zhao gritted his teeth: "Interception approved! Furthermore, order nearby airports to scramble emergency scrambles for support!"
"yes!"
The order has been issued. But support will take time, and conflict could erupt at any moment.
Above the sea, Lin Zhe piloted the "Mighty Dragon-10" towards the four F/A-18s.
The distance is getting closer and closer, fifty kilometers, thirty kilometers, twenty kilometers...
The four F/A-18s had clearly spotted Lin Zhe as well. They changed formation from a regular formation to an attack formation—two in front and two behind, a typical tactical arrangement.
"Dragon Country aircraft, final warning, leave this airspace!" The voice of the M Country pilot came again, this time with a threat.
Lin Zhe didn't respond. He disengaged his weapon and selected an air-to-air missile. The missile icon lit up on the screen, and the radar locked onto the nearest F/A-18.
Ten kilometers away.
The F/A-18 pilot clearly sensed being locked on and began evasive maneuvers. But the "Dragon-10's" radar was too advanced; once locked on, it was impossible to shake off.
Five kilometers.
"Fire! Fire!" the M country pilot shouted over the channel.
Two F/A-18s launched missiles simultaneously. But Lin Zhe was prepared; with a sharp turn and dive, he easily dodged them. The vectoring engine maximized the aircraft's maneuverability, making missiles that would be deadly to conventional aircraft appear as slow motion in front of the "Mighty Dragon-10."
After dodging the missile, Lin Zhe launched a counterattack.
He locked onto the F/A-18 that fired first and pressed the launch button.
Beneath the wing of the "Dragon-10," a missile detached from its pylon, streaking towards its target. The F/A-18 frantically maneuvered and released flares, but to no avail. The missile seemed to have eyes, locking onto its target.
Three seconds later.
"boom--"
A fireball exploded in the air. The F/A-18 was blown to pieces mid-air, and its wreckage rained down into the sea.
"John!" came a cry of surprise from the channel.
The remaining three F/A-18s panicked. They hadn't expected that this strange-looking Chinese aircraft would not only be incredibly maneuverable but also possess such formidable firepower.
"Retreat! Retreat!"
But it was too late.
Lin Zhe swooped down like a falcon, locking onto the second F/A-18. The plane tried to escape, but its speed was no match for the "Dragon-10." Lin Zhe caught up and strafed it at close range with his machine guns.
"Knock knock knock knock—"
The 30mm cannon shells drew a trail of fire through the air, accurately striking the F/A-18's engine and wing. The plane, billowing black smoke, began to lurch and plummet.
The pilot ejected, and the white parachute opened in mid-air.
Two planes remain.
The two F/A-18 pilots were utterly terrified. They split up and fled, one heading east and the other west.
Lin Zhe chose the one heading east. He floored the throttle, and the "Dragon-10" caught up instantly like a silver lightning bolt. This time, he didn't use missiles, but instead fired a few short bursts with the machine gun, destroying the opponent's tail fin.
The F/A-18 lost control and spun as it plummeted into the sea. The pilot ejected at the last moment.
The last F/A-18 had already escaped twenty kilometers away. But the "Dragon-10's" radar remained firmly locked on it.
Lin Zhe launched the last missile.
The missile traced an arc through the air and struck its target with pinpoint accuracy. A fourth fireball erupted in the sky.
The battle is over.
From start to finish, it took less than three minutes. All four of the United States' most advanced F/A-18s were shot down.
Four white parachutes slowly descended over the sea. The parachuting pilot from Country M stared at the mysterious silver-gray plane in the sky, his eyes filled with fear.
What kind of aircraft is that? Why is it so fast? Why is its maneuverability so high? Why are its radar and missiles so advanced?
They don't realize that what they are encountering today is technology that is at least ten years ahead of our time.
On the ground, the command center was completely silent.
Everyone stared at the radar screen, at the four disappearing dots of light, and at the "Dragon-10" that was still cruising.
Vice Minister Zhao opened his mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out.
The test pilot muttered, "Four...all wiped out..."
At that moment, Lin Zhe's calm voice came through the communication channel: "Tower, threat cleared. Requesting continuation of weapons testing."
Vice Minister Zhao took a deep breath and grabbed the microphone: "Mighty Dragon-10, are you...are you alright?"
"Everything is normal. The aircraft's performance exceeded expectations; the battle just now was merely a warm-up."
"Just a warm-up..." The people in the command center smiled wryly. Shooting down four enemy planes in three minutes, and you call that a warm-up?
"Okay...okay," said Vice Minister Zhao. "Continue the testing as planned."
"receive."
The "Dragon-10" flew back to the firing range. The subsequent weapons tests went so smoothly that it was almost numbingly easy—air-to-ground missiles accurately hit floating targets, precision-guided bombs turned simulated buildings into ruins, and machine gun fire riddled the target drones with holes.
The test was completed an hour later.
"Dragon-10, you may return to base," the control tower ordered.
"receive."
The silver-gray plane changed direction and flew towards the base.
Inside the cockpit, Lin Zhe looked at the various data on the instrument panel, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.
In his past life, he could only design these pieces of equipment and imagine their power on the battlefield. In this life, he personally drives them, tests them, and uses them to defend the country.
This feeling is great.
The plane landed on the runway, taxied, and came to a stop.
The canopy opened, Lin Zhe took off his helmet, and walked down the gangway.
At the hangar entrance, a crowd gathered. Vice Minister Zhao was the first to rush over, patting Lin Zhe forcefully on the shoulder: "Good! Excellent! Comrade Lin Zhe, you've done a great service to the country today!"
Lin Zhe saluted: "Reporting to the commander, mission accomplished. The Mighty Dragon-10's performance met all standards, and some even exceeded expectations."
"It's more than just meeting the target!" Vice Minister Zhao exclaimed excitedly. "Do you know what you just shot down? Four F/A-18s! The mainstay fighter jets of the US Navy! And it was one against four, a complete victory!"
A round of enthusiastic applause erupted around him. Engineers, officers, ground crew—everyone looked at Lin Zhe with admiration.
This 25-year-old not only designed this groundbreaking aircraft, but also piloted it himself, accomplishing an impossible mission.
Lin Zhe calmly accepted the applause, but a new plan was already in his mind.
"Dragon-10" is just the beginning. In his mind, there are many more advanced technologies and more powerful equipment.
In this life, he will make the Dragon Kingdom's military strength stand at the top of the world.
Today is just the first step.
In the distance, four fighter jets that had come to provide support had just landed. The pilots jumped out of their planes and looked at the silver-gray "Dragon-10" with eyes filled with awe and longing.
They knew that from this day forward, the skies over the Dragon Kingdom would be different.
And all of this stemmed from that young man standing calmly in front of the fuselage.
Lin Zhe looked at the "Dragon-10" under the setting sun and a slight smile appeared on his lips.