Chapter 1044: Chapter 517 Perfect Test Flight!_1
"Ignite!"
"It’s moving, accelerate, more acceleration, keep accelerating!"
"Reaching critical takeoff speed..."
"Look up!"
"Up, takeoff!"
Zhai Licheng in the cockpit of the Warhawk-1 was incredibly serious and focused, as he strictly followed the procedure and carried out each operation step by step.
The speed displayed on the control panel reached the critical point for takeoff, and he immediately maneuvered the aircraft to lift its nose and ascend.
The moment the aircraft’s nose lifted, the engine let out a tremendous roar; the aircraft then swiftly soared into the sky at an angle.
"It’s up!" freewebnovel.cσ๓
Zhai Licheng took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart and continued with the takeoff operations calmly, which was to increase power and keep the aircraft ascending.
From ignition to acceleration, then to lifting the nose and taking off, he experienced a lot internally, as if a great deal of time had passed.
In reality, in the eyes of others, it had been a very short amount of time, as if they’d just realized the aircraft was ignited and then, upon turning their heads, it had already taken off.
The data monitoring staff at the command center reported the takeoff distance and time.
"Report takeoff data!"
"Total takeoff distance was 360 meters. Accelerated to 350 kilometers per hour in eleven seconds."
The others nodded at the report, knowing the theoretical performance of the Warhawk-1. They were not surprised and even thought the data was a bit conservative.
In fact, because it was the first test flight, Zhai Licheng knew he was not proficient, and was extremely cautious in his operations. He didn’t let the aircraft accelerate too quickly, meaning the fighter’s performance was not fully realized.
The Warhawk-1 possessed the highest-end international technology, capable of accelerating to 350 kilometers per hour in five and a half seconds. At its fastest, from ignition to takeoff, the time did not exceed eight seconds.
The time reported by the monitoring staff accounted for the aircraft starting to move, and then lifting its nose to takeoff, without calculating the time for engine preheating. Eleven seconds was relatively a bit long.
But still, accelerating to 350 kilometers per hour in eleven seconds gave the onlookers a sense that it was very fast. It seemed like the test flight had just started, and the aircraft had already shot up into the sky.
At that moment, the hearts of many were lifted with anticipation.
Liu Jiankun quickly confirmed the test flight procedures with the command center to ensure that it was just a takeoff and landing test, meaning the aircraft would make a circle in the air then head straight back for landing.
Only then did he pat his chest and let out a sigh of relief.
"There’s nothing to worry about!"
Zhao Yi walked over to Liu Jiankun and said indifferently, "There’s always a first time for everything. Now we’re not doing other tests, but we will have to in the future. When it’s time, the conditions may not be any better than now."
"Still, we have to wait!" freewebnoveℓ.com
Liu Jiankun said with certainty. Unlike before, he was not looking forward to anything. After the aircraft had really ascended, he indeed felt nervous, fearing any problems might arise.
That was the Warhawk-1, the most advanced fighter jet, plus a valuable pilot. Any issue would be a tremendous loss.
The aircraft made a rumbling sound in the sky but did not continue to accelerate; it quickly became a barely visible black dot. Shortly after, it turned around and prepared for its first landing.
The design of the Warhawk-1 supported high-speed landing; during descent, the wings on both sides and the rear would move to create greater resistance, reducing the speed of the aircraft.
As the pilot executed the landing operations, the aircraft would land smoothly with shock-absorbent protection.
Thanks to the automatic control system, the landing process was very smooth and stable.
Once the aircraft had completed landing, many people spontaneously broke into applause, "Success! A success on the first try! Congratulations! Congratulations!"
"It’s a miracle!"
"I really didn’t expect to see the Warhawk-1 complete a test flight so quickly. Even without looking at the data, you can tell it was a huge success!"
"Absolutely!"
"If only there was a performance test too..." That last remark turned Liu Jiankun’s face dark. He did not want to worry again, and had already decided that high-level leaders would need to be informed about the performance test and give their approval before it could proceed. It would be best if high-level leaders were present to observe. He was definitely not going to make the decision on his own.
The aircraft slowly approached.
Once it reached the designated spot, the aircraft shut down its engines and came to a stop, and the cockpit was opened again.
Zhai Licheng stood up, saluted the crowd, descended from the plane, and took off his helmet, his excitement clearly visible. A group of people welcomed him.
Liu Jiankun couldn’t help asking, "How was it? Any problems?"
"Problems? Of course!" Zhai Licheng took a deep breath, excitedly saying, "It was thrilling! Amazing! I dare say, this is the best fighter jet I’ve ever flown!"
Someone muttered softly, "Obviously, it’s the best."
"That’s not what I meant."
Zhai Licheng quickly explained, "After ignition, it felt like the acceleration was too rapid. During training, it wasn’t so apparent – it seemed like a slight push could send it straight upwards."
"And once it was really in flight, I didn’t dare control it much; I could only proceed with normal flight."
"Also, the operation is really simple. I remember during training, it felt very complex, with lots of controls to remember. But once you’re up there, it practically completes everything automatically, without needing manual operation. Like just now, landing, I only had to lightly control the stick..."
Zhai Licheng excitedly continued, while the others understood his point – the automatic control system was highly effective and greatly simplified the aircraft’s operability.