205: Targeting opponents

Furthermore, this new type of air intake can support the installation of larger radar, allowing it to lock onto enemy aircraft from approximately 30 to 40 kilometers away.”

These technical details might have been complex for ordinary group members, but upon hearing the data that could significantly enhance detection range, the entire class instantly became lively.

In the mid to late 1990s, beyond-visual-range combat became one of the goals pursued by Air Forces of various countries, and such a breakthrough was undoubtedly exciting.

“If this improved version of the j-7 is equipped with our air-to-air missiles, its combat power can almost rival the F-16,” one group member said excitedly.

“Indeed, aside from a slightly inferior range, it is excellent in other aspects,” another added.

“Forget the range, if we had enough of these planes at the beginning of the year, those two foreign aircraft carriers wouldn't dare to be so arrogant!” As soon as this was said, it immediately resonated with those around.

Although China Aviation Industry was still in a rapid development stage, the j-7 series fighter jets remained a reliable cornerstone.

Now, through clever research and improvement, it had been revitalized, becoming a hot topic of discussion.

From performance to potential practical application, everyone was eagerly discussing the future possibilities of this improved j-7.

As the class presentation concluded, not only the group members in the back but even the few judging Professors began to seriously consider whether the development of this improved version was truly feasible in practice.

“Little Xu, your research is already outstanding,” Professor Li Guang said approvingly. “Then, may I ask, what challenges did you encounter during the manufacturing process?”

Such praise for a study that focused solely on aerodynamic research undoubtedly reached a very high evaluation.

Xu Ning seemed to have anticipated this question long ago.

“Thank you, Professor Li. Actually, in the initial stages, we carefully considered these issues. We found that about 60% of the parts between the new and old versions can be directly interchanged; the technical specifications of the newly added parts also did not exceed the existing level.

The only thing to note is that due to the introduction of a heavier radar system, we needed to use a small amount of lightweight composite materials to adjust the fuselage balance, which only accounts for about 2% of the overall material.”

The use of a small amount of composite material was not new to the domestic aviation industry, having been successfully practiced on several previous aircraft models.

Therefore, Xu Ning’s answer was almost equivalent to saying there were no other significant obstacles, but he chose a more humble way of expressing it out of politeness.

At this time, another Professor, Liu Yuanbo, suggested, “Perhaps we can try making a small-scale model and then send it to Mianyang for wind tunnel testing?”

Although this was said softly, it was enough to capture everyone's attention.

After all, being able to enter a national-level research facility for testing meant that the project had extremely high potential.

For a project by a third-year group member, such treatment was rare. The gradually subsiding murmurs rose again, and everyone's focus shifted to this young researcher.

However, in a corner of the research lab, Huang Hongzhang's face was exceptionally grim. The seaplane concept proposed by his team had been completely forgotten by everyone at this moment. A pang of bitterness first welled up in his heart, followed by intense reluctance.

Huang Hongzhang had always found it strange that even developing a seaplane required referencing the United States' development manuals, and fighter jet development was much more complex.

Without guidance from experienced experts, how could it be done in an orderly manner?

Suddenly, he remembered overhearing Old Wei's conversation with his family, mentioning a military factory.

“It all makes sense,” Huang Hongzhang exclaimed excitedly, slapping the table. Fortunately, the lab was noisy, and no one noticed.

“Chang Ge, what’s wrong?” A group member beside him noticed his abnormality.

“Hmph, they went too far,” Huang Hongzhang sneered. “If it were just a single research proposal, perhaps it could be called a burst of inspiration.

But they even considered manufacturing details and even materials science. This is definitely not something four group members can achieve; it’s more like the work of a professional research institution. Moreover, Old Wei mentioned a military factory.”

“You mean… their proposal?” Another group member immediately understood.

“But if that's the case, why is the group leader Xu Ning?” Liu Ran, who lived with the two, asked.

“It's simply to avoid making Old Wei too conspicuous,” Huang Hongzhang said confidently. “After all, as long as the project gets a high score, everyone in the group benefits and can leave a deep impression on the Professor.”

Thinking of this, Huang Hongzhang felt a mix of emotions. If Xu Ning's group hadn't appeared, his work would have been the sole focus. At this moment, Xu Ning had just finished his presentation.

According to convention, the Professors still needed to carefully review each research report, as many projects' final products were not satisfactory, and scoring was mainly based on the research process.

However, for Xu Ning's team, getting the highest score was almost a certainty.

Given the lively atmosphere, Liu Yuanbo decided to arrange a break first, allowing everyone to adjust before continuing. Xu Ning, who had just stepped off the stage, was immediately surrounded by several friends.

“Xu Ning, there really are experts among the people,” the class monitor, a young man from the Ma Baizu ethnic group, said with a smile.

“At that time, I didn't understand anything. If I had really gone, I'm afraid I would have been a burden,” Xu Ning replied humbly, drawing laughter.

“You are the kind of person we call a ‘study god,’ but don’t forget to treat us!” Another friend patted Xu Ning's shoulder and joked, “It looks like a perfect score for this course is guaranteed, and securing a spot for postgraduate study should also be stable, right?”

The words “exemption from entrance exams for postgraduate study” made Huang Hongzhang’s heart skip a beat.

The opportunity to directly pursue a master's or doctoral degree without taking exams had only officially become a system ten years prior, stipulating that the quota for each major should not exceed 5% of the total number of students.

For the Aircraft Engineering Department, this meant that only three or four lucky individuals could get such an opportunity each year, so the competition was extremely fierce.

And this was exactly the goal Huang Hongzhang had dreamed of.

Although his grades were among the best, the group members competing with him, such as Xu Ning, were also very strong. What happened today would undoubtedly give Xu Ning a significant advantage in the interview.

“I absolutely cannot let him succeed,” Huang Hongzhang clenched his fists, deciding to take action. He planned to report some potential irregularities in Xu Ning's team to Professor Liu Yuanbo.

Just then, Liu Yuanbo walked out of the research lab holding a cup.

Huang Hongzhang took a deep breath and, accompanied by a companion, followed him. He knew that a simple anonymous report might not be taken seriously; directly exposing them would appear overly targeted at a competitor.

Therefore, he decided to adopt a more subtle approach to achieve his goal, even if he couldn't directly affect the other party's score, he wanted to ensure he left a deep impression on the judging panel.

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