Great Power Industry: You're a private company building an aircraft carrier?

Skyrizon Airlines.

The group of Russians got off the bus and looked at the group of people who came to greet them. The leader was a young woman in a business suit, who looked both youthful and mature, and could speak fluent Russian.

"Welcome, everyone, to Tianjiao Airlines." Zhao Ling warmly extended her hand. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Zhao Ling, and I'm the head of Tianjiao Airlines. You must be Mr. Boguslayev?"

Boguslayev looked at Zhao Ling with some curiosity, never expecting that such a young girl could lead such a large aero-engine company!

"I am Boguslayev. It's a pleasure to meet you. As per our agreement with President Qin, we will establish a joint venture here. Therefore, we would like to come and take a look around beforehand. Would you be so kind as to allow us a tour?"

“Of course, no problem.” Zhao Ling nodded. “Please, everyone.”

Engineers from the Progress Design Bureau also joined them, entering the factory together.

"In the beginning, this was an aircraft engine overhaul plant. In order to improve the production level of aircraft engines, we built some new factory buildings, and now we can produce several types of engines that are urgently needed in China," Zhao Ling introduced as she walked.

"Let's go to the parts factory first and take a look at the engine parts produced here."

The manufacturing of aircraft engines begins with the processing of parts, most of which are titanium alloy parts.

Inside the workshop, everything was clean and tidy, with CNC machine tools cutting away at the machines. Because the work chambers were all enclosed, not a single metal shaving could be seen.

Engine fan blades have complex shapes, and only CNC machine tools can perfectly machine them, with excellent processing efficiency!

The finished blades and bladed disks were sent to the next workshop for welding.

Welding titanium alloys requires a special argon chamber. Welders wear the same work clothes as astronauts and enter the chamber to work. They can only work for four hours a day, otherwise their physical strength will be severely depleted.

As for the East?

When they arrived at the welding workshop, they saw a robotic arm rotating inside the argon chamber, where titanium alloy blades were being welded onto the integral bladed disk.

"You actually have automated welding equipment?"

"Yes, this equipment was developed last year and is now taking on the main welding task of blades. The internal blade disks and blades are also operated by robotic arms. After completing a batch, it can be collected by simply entering the small airlock next to it. The entire welding chamber can work continuously..."

This one set of equipment alone is a hundred times more advanced than what the Russians have in China!

The two boys all opened their eyes wide, their gazes filled with envy.

"If we cooperate to establish a D-27 engine production plant, will we also have so much advanced equipment?" Boguslayev asked.

“That’s right. The joint venture factory and the production plant here need to be separated. We plan to build a new factory area next door, as well as a new residential compound for family members. In the future, a large number of Er Mao friends will come here to live permanently, and the living facilities need to be improved.”

“If we only produce one type of engine, the production line will be wasted!” Boguslayev frowned.

With such high efficiency, their annual engine production must be in the thousands, while their aircraft production capacity is definitely not that high!

"Yes, so if you're interested, we might be able to collaborate on producing other engines." Zhao Ling accepted President Qin's assignment without any nervousness, speaking casually as always.

“That’s right, there are indeed other projects! What do you want?” Boguslayev asked.

"For example, the D-18T engine."

The two men were instantly stunned.

This is a national treasure-level engine, Motor Sich's most prized possession. Can we bring it out?

However, since this engine is only compatible with the An-124 transport aircraft, and production of the transport aircraft has ceased, the engine has also been discontinued. Now, where are the orders? Where are the customers?

"This engine has advanced performance, but... there are very few potential customers for it, we're worried..."

Even though it's a joint venture, making money is the top priority. What's the point if it can't make money?

"Does your cooperation with the Antonov Design Bureau also include the An-124 transport aircraft?" a German engineer asked.

"Of course not. We think the D-18T engine is still pretty good. With some improvements, it can be used on commercial airliners."

improve?

The engineer in charge of the team from the Progress Design Bureau, Kalinichchenko, immediately had a bright idea: "How can we improve it?"

"In terms of lifespan, 1,500 hours is definitely not enough. As you can all see, our processing technology is very advanced and our materials are top-notch. Using our technology, the initial models will have a major overhaul cycle of 4,000 hours, which is exactly the annual flight time of a passenger plane. Later models will have a lifespan of 10,000 hours."

The Russian planes have always been prepared for war. Since they're shot down after only a few dozen hours in the air anyway, why bother with such a long lifespan?

The problem is that war has never broken out, and in peacetime this has become a burden. Military aircraft can tolerate it, but civilian airliners don't want to increase their costs because of it!

Many airlines' passenger planes can fly for more than ten hours a day and four thousand hours a year. Their lifespan is too short. They are either replacing engines or on their way to replacing engines.

Kalinichenko nodded: "That's right, the production technology here is very advanced, and the overhaul life of 10,000 hours should be achievable."

"Secondly, there's the thrust. The D-18T engine has high fuel consumption and low thrust. We plan to develop a large-diameter fan blade to increase the engine's thrust to over forty tons..."

"What? This is impossible!"

"That's right. To upgrade to that level, the engine diameter would have to be over three meters! Titanium alloy simply can't withstand that!"

The "two-mao" group felt that Easterners were starting to exaggerate again.

“We have more advanced materials that are not only strong enough, but also lighter and more flexible, allowing for better absorption of the impact of bird strikes,” Zhao Ling said. “As long as you can design a completely new fan blade and improve the low-pressure turbine, we can help produce this new blade.”

Even if Laiyang Group can manufacture composite material blades, it cannot determine what shape of blade to use. Only the most experienced engine engineers can design that.

At the same time, with larger fan blades, the required driving force also needs to be greater, necessitating an increase in the number and area of ​​blades on the subsequent low-pressure turbine, which requires modifications to the engine.

“This is a huge project!” Kalinichchenko exclaimed.

"Our Skyrizon Aviation has the most advanced computers available on the market. You can use computer-aided design to create your designs, and then we can manufacture them, assemble them here, and test them. What do you all think?"

Find a project that will keep the engineers at the Progress Design Bureau here! They shouldn't leave as long as they stay!

Will Er Mao agree?