138: Chapter 138 Carrier-based Aircraft Systems

Thinking of this, Chu Ge no longer had the heart to sleep. He pulled up the data for the aerospace carrier and began an all-nighter. After flipping through it for a long time, his attention finally settled on the carrier-based aircraft system.

This subsystem was the last important part of the remaining unfinished sections. With a thought, Chu Ge clicked into it and began to read it carefully.

The aerospace carrier was equipped with two types of carrier-based aircraft: one was a drone, and the other was a manned aircraft. Chu Ge looked at the design blueprints; they were basically derived from the same platform. The manned version simply separated some integrated systems for human operation, and the modules were all universal.

Converting a drone into a manned aircraft only required adding a few module groups, making it highly versatile.

The total number of carrier-based aircraft was 480: 300 drones and 180 manned aircraft.

The hangars were located in the rear half of the aerospace carrier, divided into three hangars arranged top to bottom. Each hangar stored approximately 160 aircraft. There were no open-air ones; the aircraft were usually inside the hangars. When deploying, the aerospace carrier's hangar doors would open, and the aircraft would be launched directly by catapults.

The doors for each hangar level were designed to be on both sides, distributed along the sides of the aerospace carrier, with a direct passage in the middle.

Thanks to the excellent flight capabilities of the carrier-based aircraft, the electromagnetic catapults were installed very densely. Each hangar had 10 catapults, and 160 aircraft were evenly distributed in fixed slots around the 10 catapults. When launching, a mechanical transmission module would transport the aircraft from the slots to the launch position, and then they would be launched by the catapults.

Each electromagnetic catapult track had two launch positions and two sets of catapults, allowing aircraft to be launched to either side nearby.

After getting a general idea, Chu Ge turned his gaze to the design blueprints of the individual carrier-based aircraft.

The aerospace carrier's aircraft had three engines: one main engine located at the tail, and two auxiliary engines located on the wings on either side of the airframe's center point.

The shape of the carrier-based aircraft was very different from current aircraft. The entire airframe was highly integrated into a single whole. The cockpit was located slightly forward at the nose, and then the airframe curved along the nose slope to one-quarter of the total width before protruding forward again.

The airframe and wings were integrated, forming a regular rhombic shape that looked like the head of a cobra.

Looking from above the nose, the edge of the front half of the aircraft was shaped like a "W," with the nose just slightly protruding as the middle part.

The rear half was like the bottom part of a rhombus, tapering toward the main engine on the central axis. Looking from above the main engine, the edge was also a "W" shape, except that this "W" tapered inward more sharply on both sides.

The horizontal line from the main airframe to the engine nozzle disappeared, only extending two small tail fins along the outside of the airframe, as if stretching out two arms to embrace the main engine. It was precisely these two small tail fins that formed the two sides of the "W" shape—two inwardly curved sides.

The main engine provided primary thrust via a nuclear fusion engine, while the auxiliary engines on both sides of the wings mainly provided vertical lift. This made the carrier-based aircraft very agile, allowing it to hover like a helicopter or perform rapid vertical takeoffs and landings.

The more Chu Ge looked, the more excited he became. This carrier-based aircraft didn't even need to be installed on an aerospace carrier; even if it were thrown onto current aircraft carriers, it would be a crushing presence.

Chu Ge then looked at the crew configuration for the manned carrier-based aircraft: one pilot, one navigator, and one weapons officer. Each aircraft had three crew members.

The pilot's seat was located in the nose to maintain a good field of view, and the other two positions were placed behind the pilot, one on the left and one on the right.

This was a bit different from what he had imagined. For a combat platform with such high integration, it seemed like one or two people should have been enough.

"System Big Brother, the crew count for your manned carrier-based aircraft is a bit high. No wonder drones make up the majority. If these were all equipped as manned aircraft, the crew members alone would take up nearly half of the total personnel quota."

[The weapons officer of the reconnaissance-model carrier-based aircraft mainly operates detection equipment and provides auxiliary functions such as marking flight paths.]

[The weapons officer of the attack-model carrier-based aircraft is mainly responsible for deploying nuclear torpedoes and cluster torpedoes. You wouldn't want to throw a nuclear torpedo in the wrong direction while flustered, would you?]

"Uh, never mind, pretend I didn't ask."

Chu Ge hadn't seen the weapon configuration of the carrier-based aircraft yet. Hearing System Big Brother's explanation, these torpedoes were quite interesting; they definitely needed someone dedicated to handling them.

After finishing the general data on the manned carrier-based aircraft, Chu Ge turned back to browse the design blueprints for the drones.

Besides the massive data system, Chu Ge found its control system quite interesting; it was somewhat similar to current drone warfare.

The carrier-based drones were also controlled by drone pilots in the rear. There was a drone data hall on the level above the top hangar of the aerospace carrier.

The configuration was 50 drone pilots, with each person able to control 6 drones. Then, these 6 drones formed a combat squad.

Drone swarm tactics; Chu Ge recalled a new combat system currently under development.

"This, how can one person control 6 aircraft? Wouldn't they be flustered and overwhelmed?"

[Drones are semi-intelligent, fully automated combat platforms with voice control commands. Do you think it's like your place, where you still have to hold a joystick to control flight attitude? Lower!]

System Big Brother was asserting his presence again.

"Did I call you? I didn't ask you either! Hurry up and go watch your Doraemon! You're everywhere! Don't pry into my privacy in the future, you perverted system! Damn it, you're using English on me? If you say another word of English to me again, I'll uninstall you, believe it or not? ******"

[...]

Chu Ge instantly turned into an internet troll, ranting mindlessly for 10 minutes before stopping. This rant made System Big Brother quiet down immediately.

After venting enough, Chu Ge felt incredibly refreshed. Perhaps it was because he had been under a lot of pressure lately, so he seized the opportunity to release it.

After ranting, Chu Ge didn't look at the carrier-based aircraft system anymore. He had just finished yelling at him, and turning back to rummage through his "kids" felt a bit shameless to Chu Ge, so he simply went to sleep.

While Chu Ge was fast asleep, John Wilson was panting heavily.

Just now, in the office of his immediate superior, Rodriguez, he had been severely criticized. The Director didn't give him any face at all.

Now, he was trembling with rage.

"William, the technical department has already verified the video on YouTube. It should be real; there are no traces of post-production!"

John Wilson let out a long sigh and said dejectedly.

"BOSS, is their artificial intelligence technology already at this level? We are also researching Mecha Warriors, but we are still far from this level of combat readiness!"

"Sigh, what's done is done. Just now, the Director gave me a strict order: I am not allowed to make any operational deployments against China in the short term."

"Fortunately, we have wiped our traces clean on the Dark Web in Country G. Even if they investigate, they won't be able to find anything!"

"That may be true, but some things don't require actual evidence; intangible evidence is what's terrifying. I don't know how they will retaliate against us. I feel like I've really caused trouble this time!"

"Boss, don't say that. The Director was just angry. After some time, he will reuse you."

John Wilson nodded and didn't speak again. His mood was currently at its worst.