With accurate data, 24-hour continuous operation monitoring, balanced thrust output and balanced fuel consumption, Dongchen Aviation's three new engines completely reassured Boeing. Boeing's chief engineer submitted a test report and officially approved the hoisting test flight of these three engines.
Raymond took Zhang Wenhao to discuss the test flight route with a group of Boeing test flight technicians. Paul, the technical director of Boeing test flight, believed that the test flight should be carried out step by step, first conducting ground taxiing tests, and then taking off and landing tests. During the route test, multiple routes were also formulated. From 100 kilometers to 20,000 kilometers, the entire process is estimated to take at least 20 days to complete.
Zhang Wenhao, however, believed that this method was too inefficient and said: "Conduct the ground taxiing test and take-off and landing test in one day, and then start preparing for the ultra-long-distance test."
"Super long range?" Paul was a little unsure and said: "Route tests usually increase the range step by step. We want the crew to thoroughly understand and familiarize themselves with the various performance of the engine and conduct data analysis on multiple test flights. Only when we draw the correct conclusion can we carry out ultra-long-distance test flights."
Zhang Wenhao waved his hand and said: "Dongchen had already done all the ground tests before the engine was shipped here. Now you have confirmed that the engine's data performance is stable. There is no need to delay it for such a long time. After hoisting, the taxiing and take-off and landing tests can be carried out so that the technicians can grasp the changes in the engine thrust and the speed of the thrust increase. I am joining forces with Boeing for the test flight this time to conduct an ultra-long-distance test. If possible, I hope to have three The aircraft are undergoing global flight tests at the same time. The range of your 777, 787, and 747 is basically about 15,000-17,000 kilometers. Using Dongchen engines, the range can be guaranteed to be more than 20,000 kilometers or even more than 23,000 kilometers, with a stop in the middle to replenish fuel. Two takeoffs and landings are enough to complete a round-the-world trip.¡±
"this"
Paul looked at Raymond helplessly. In his heart, Zhang Wenhao's idea was definitely very alternative and bold. It was completely contrary to his background as an industry insider who strictly followed the rules. However, he also understood in his heart that Dong Wenhao's idea was completely different and bold. Chen is Boeing's biggest development driver now. He definitely cannot confront Zhang Wenhao and can only seek Raymond's opinion.
Raymond waved his hand casually at this time and said: "Just follow Mr. Zhang's wishes. Dongchen's manufacturing technology and level are among the best in the world, and the engine parameters have also been verified by us. I think it is a good idea to do Global There is no problem with flying. Even if we fly the entire equator, it is only 40,000 kilometers. If the route is more deflected, the longest route will not exceed 42,000 kilometers. One stop and landing in the middle to replenish fuel is definitely enough. You can formulate a more suitable route. Route, let¡¯s conduct ground taxiing test and take-off and landing test tomorrow.¡±
Paul had no choice but to nod his head and said, "Then let's study the route."
As he spoke, he said: "Actually, there is nothing worth studying in depth about the route. Judging from our current route resources, the most suitable route is to fly from Seattle to Hawaii, then turn to Guam, and then fly from Guam to New Delhi, India. This Because this route must meet the requirements of ETOPS, the actual flight distance of the entire route is about 21,000 kilometers, and then from New Delhi to South Africa without landing and then diverting and flying back to Seattle, the entire route is about 20,000-21,000 kilometers."
Raymond nodded immediately and said, "Yes, this is just right. What do you mean, Mr. Zhang?"
Zhang Wenhao roughly simulated the entire route in his mind, then nodded and said: "I have no objection. You can negotiate with New Delhi, including all overseas routes during the period, and apply as soon as possible."
Raymond smiled and said: "No airline has it easier than Boeing to apply for a route. From Seattle to Guam, there is no need to apply for this flight. We only need to submit a route plan to the US Aviation Administration. South Africa returns to Seattle." The same is true for the routes, and for other routes, we can apply within two days.¡±
Zhang Wenhao nodded and said: "Then we will complete the hoisting tonight and start the ground taxiing test and take-off and landing test tomorrow."
Testing an engine is much simpler than testing a new aircraft. The 777, 787, and 747 provided by Boeing are all new aircraft in perfect condition. They have already obtained airworthiness certificates around the world. The aircraft themselves are very reliable. In this case, as long as As long as the engine's thrust and stability are sufficient, the entire test flight route can be completed.
At this time, Boeing already had a large number of media stationed there. After Zhang Wenhao and Raymond and other Boeing personnel formulated the test flight plan, Dongchen's technicians began to station in the hangar overnight and completed the hoisting of the engine in the hangar. The media I also received news about the test flight from Boeing staff. The specific plan is very simple. Ground tests and take-off and landing tests will be conducted tomorrow. As long as there are no problems in the middle, Boeing will work with Dongchen on the new engine the day after tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.?A round-the-world flight test, and the entire route of the round-the-world flight is about 42,000 kilometers, with only one stop in New Delhi, and it takes off immediately after filling up with fuel. Each aircraft is equipped with four crews, flying in shifts, and the stop time is not expected More than two hours.
This time, Dongchen is going to highlight the advantages of Dongchen engine in extending the maximum range in one step, and use the test flight of ultra-long routes to tell the global civil aviation of the great significance of Dongchen engine to future international aviation, especially transoceanic aviation, and to Not every airline buys a lot of aircraft with a maximum range of more than 15,000 kilometers for long-distance flights. Most of their wide-body aircraft or large aircraft have a range of about 11,000 kilometers. Some of them have a range of about 11,000 kilometers. Or even lower. When airlines fly long-distance routes, they don¡¯t have many planes on hand that can fly there at once, so most flights have to make stops. This time, if Dongchen¡¯s test flight is successful, This means that in the future, all wide-body aircraft and large aircraft will no longer need to stop for fuel replenishment when flying long-distance routes.
Moreover, Dongchen's engine has better stability. The total flight time of a round-the-world flight is about 60-70 hours, and Dongchen's engine is fully capable of such high-intensity flight, allowing airlines to maximize the utilization of the aircraft. Can be further improved.
In one night, Dongchen's technicians had installed different types of Dongchen engines on three aircraft. Boeing 777 and 747 hoisted Dongchen DC2-2, and 787 hoisted DC3-1. The weather was good, and the sky in Seattle was clear the next day. , the weather conditions can be said to be tailor-made for flying. The three aircraft were pushed out of the hangar at seven o'clock in the morning. The engines were all printed with the eye-catching Dongchen logo, which was dazzling under the early morning sunlight.
The three aircraft started to start their engines after they were pushed out of their respective hangars. Even if the three aircraft's engines started at the same time, the noise of the engines was not too harsh. Almost all the media's cameras were focused on the aircraft. Dongchen engines, for them, these three models of Boeing are basically considered dead, and now, the whole world is paying attention to the Dongchen engines hoisted under the wings of the aircraft.
The process of the ground test was very simple. The engine was started, the aircraft taxied, turned, and then started reverse thrust. Basically, each of them performed some basic actions within their own scope. The media originally wanted to have some highlights, but after waiting for a full two hours, these The planes were still repeating the same actions, which greatly disappointed the media. When they finally saw the three planes starting to line up at the end of the runway, they all cheered up again, waiting to see the three planes starting from The majestic sight of taking off from the runway.
However, the actual situation disappointed them again.
The pilots of these planes did not receive takeoff instructions from the tower. They just taxied from the hangar to the runway, and then lined up and turned back from the runway.
There were boos in the media area, and many people began to complain loudly to Boeing staff. They came here at around five o'clock in the morning to prepare, and now, Boeing and Dongchen are showing us this?
¡°And Boeing¡¯s staff had nothing to do about it, and everything had to follow the instructions of the flight test center.
At this time, the captain driving the 787 called the tower and said: "Command center, the B787 has applied for takeoff and landing tests. All engine indicators are normal and the takeoff conditions are met."
At this time, Paul, the person in charge of the test flight, said: "We cannot enter the take-off and landing procedures yet, please continue the taxiing test."
Zhang Wenhao said at this time: "Let him go on the track!"
Paul exclaimed and asked: "Go on the track now?"
Zhang Wenhao nodded and said: "Come on, if we keep gliding so boringly, the reporters will probably have to leave the team early and go back for lunch."
Paul nodded helplessly and said, "Okay."
With that said, he turned on the communicator and said to the 787 pilot: "B787, please taxi to runway 34L and prepare to take off. The wind direction is 060 and the wind speed is 2 knots."
The pilot immediately replied: "Take off from runway 34L, wind direction 060, wind speed 2 knots, understood."
At this time, looking from the tower, the 787 had begun to turn around and re-enter the runway. The media reporters thought that they would be fooled again this time. They all still looked listless, and after the 787 stopped at the end of the runway , the rotation sound of the two engines suddenly became much louder.
"It's coming!" The reporter who reacted quickly exclaimed: "The engine thrust is turned on, it's about to take off!"
A large group of reporters immediately cheered up and prepared their cameras. They saw the 787 gradually accelerating and getting faster and faster. Then, the plane lightly raised its nose and took off smoothly.
This is the scene that reporters have always wanted to see, and Paul simply did not stop doing anything. First, he ordered the B787 to rise to three thousand feet.It circled at a high altitude, and then ordered the 777 to enter the runway and prepare to take off, so that the 747 could also prepare to enter the runway and take off after the 777.
Zhang Wenhao saw the media reporters in the distance instantly felt like they were getting blood. He was moved in his heart and said to Raymond beside him: "Raymond, go and inform the reporters and invite them to participate in our global test. Anyway, we will To simulate a fully loaded weighting for an aircraft, it would be better to bring these reporters on board and use them to achieve weighting.¡±
Raymond asked in surprise: "Invite them to board the plane for a test flight?"
"Yes." Zhang Wenhao nodded and said: "Go and tell them that, except for our test flight personnel, all available positions can be provided to media reporters. Each media is limited to sending a maximum of three people to participate. Once registration is full, end."
"Okay." Raymond agreed and said with a smile: "I think the media will rush to participate, but it is quite troublesome to take them with them. The long-distance flight will take at least three days, and meals must be prepared for them. This means that you need to hire at least six cabin service teams from the airline."
Zhang Wenhao smiled and said: "Contact United Airlines and ask them to prepare six cabin service groups. Three will board the plane in Seattle and three will wait in New Delhi. When replenishing fuel, they can replace the crew and replenish meals. It should be It¡¯s too late.¡±
"OK!"
Although they have already received the news that Dongchen and Boeing will join forces to conduct a global ultra-long-distance test flight, media reporters have never expected Dongchen and Boeing to allow them to board the aircraft. After all, test flights are a very rigorous matter, and usually at the beginning Media reporters will not be given the opportunity to directly participate, but for Zhang Wenhao, the media has always been Dongchen¡¯s free publicity tool. Bring them on this test flight. Once the plane lands in Seattle, it is estimated that there will be a stir around the world. The overwhelming follow-up coverage is a good thing for Dongchen, why not do it?
The response from media reporters was also very enthusiastic. Almost all the media signed up. After counting, Boeing staff found that there were more than 1,000 people who signed up, which far exceeded the number of seats that could be provided this time. After all, with the addition of A large number of testers, changing crews, and flight attendants have already occupied a considerable number of positions. The three aircraft can only provide more than 700 positions to the media.
Raymond had to screen reporters. In order to prevent the media from having too many opinions, he did not reduce the number of media outlets. Instead, he reduced the number of people each media could send from three to two.
Boeing's efficiency in applying for routes was also very high. In the afternoon of that day, Boeing had applied for all the routes, and all the backup airports in case of emergency were finalized. Therefore, Zhang Wenhao directly set the test flight time on the second day. At two o'clock that afternoon, Seattle time, all three planes will take off within ten minutes, and then use the same route to fly around the world at the same time.
Dongchen's efficiency is so fast. If it were placed on the previous three giants, I'm afraid it would be labeled as irresponsible. The test flight of the aircraft is very rigorous. It will conduct a cross-ocean test flight as soon as it comes up. In case anything goes wrong in the middle Disclosure and negligence or any immaturity in design may lead to catastrophe. However, for Dongchen, this company has been using super-first-class products to build its own unparalleled credibility. Therefore, for Dongchen, this The test flight was so efficient that it even seemed a bit hasty. There was almost no critical voice from around the world. Even the media couldn¡¯t wait to witness Dongchen¡¯s largest test flight plan. Once Dongchen completed this test flight, then Dongchen would Chen will undoubtedly become the sole monopoly in the entire civil aviation engine field.
Zhang Wenhao himself will also board the B747 aircraft for this test flight and participate in the entire test flight process. The upper cabin of the 747 will not be open to any media. At that time, Zhang Wenhao and Raymond will be sitting here at the same time. The world's largest enterprise and the world's largest aircraft The CEOs of manufacturing companies are so confident about this B747 equipped with Dongchen engine. What else do media reporters have to worry about?
The next morning, United Airlines' carefully selected flight attendants rushed to Boeing's test flight site to prepare. All meals in the air were provided by United Airlines for free. They even took care of all the work after the plane landed in New Delhi, including fuel. It can be said that United Airlines also provided full assistance to this test flight such as refilling, flight attendant changes, meal additions, etc. After all, they are now Dongchen's largest airline customer in the United States and the airline with the largest revenue from Dongchen in the United States. , like Boeing, they regard Dongchen as their most important partner. Moreover, if Dongchen succeeds in this test flight and obtains the U.S. airworthiness certificate, United Airlines will have the opportunity to obtain Dongchen as soon as possible. By then, they will have stronger competitiveness and profit margins on international routes.?.
All the media were very unanimous. They sent a two-person interview team, each consisting of a reporter and a cameraman. At 12 o'clock at noon, the media reporters began to queue up for security inspection and boarded different boards in different orders. On the plane, Zhang Wenhao and Raymond were still waiting in the office. The crew had set a check-in time for them at 13 o'clock, so that they could avoid media reporters and not be affected by the noisy environment. People and other important members can directly board the top cabin of the 747. At that time, the top cabin will be closed from the inside and will not be open to any outsiders.
At 13:00 sharp, Zhang Wenhao, Raymond and a group of Boeing technicians boarded the Boeing 747 aircraft. After everyone boarded the plane, the captain began to trim the current load in the aircraft cabin, and the maintenance workers on the ground also After filling the cargo hold with cargo for counterweight, this time, the three planes will take off almost fully loaded and fly directly to New Delhi, the capital of India.
In the cabin, Zhang Wenhao asked Raymond: "Are the people from Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce here today?"
"No." Raymond shrugged his shoulders and said, "Those people have all gone back and they have not stayed."
Zhang Wenhao asked in surprise: "What? Aren't they waiting to see first-hand news? Why are they leaving?"
Raymond smiled and said: "They have mastered the general parameters of the Dongchen engine. Now, they are probably going back to study countermeasures." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to subscribe to (this site), Rewards and your support are my biggest motivation.)