Chapter 1076 Critical Design Review of F136

In fact, even in the eyes of Watson and Elinor, Hartman's introduction of Chinese technology into the core subsystem of the F136 project should be quite a tightrope operation.

Therefore, it should be done in a very cautious manner.

But the actual situation completely exceeded their expectations...

Just three days later.

The other side of the Atlantic.

Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland.

In a conference room at the Lockheed Martin headquarters, a small-scale meeting with a slightly tense atmosphere was taking place.

Sitting sullenly at the head of the conference table was John Schwartz, the technical director of the Joint Strike Fighter program.

"A few days ago, Pratt & Whitney's F135-PW-100 engine has passed the critical design review. It is expected to complete the assembly of the first production engine in September this year and start testing before the end of the year."

Schwartz finished reading the report in front of him leisurely, then raised his head and looked at several executive-level R&D personnel from General Electric and Rolls-Royce:

"Everyone, as far as the entire project is concerned, the JSF is progressing very smoothly, but the F136, which is a backup power option, has been unable to pass the third stage of critical design review..."

He did not continue.

But the meaning is very clear.

I am very dissatisfied with the current progress of F136.

"But...Mr. Schwartz, wasn't the F136 System Development and Demonstration Phase (SDD, the fourth phase in the American development process) contract originally expected to be signed before the end of 2005?"

Daniel McCormick, who is responsible for the JSF power project at General Electric, only feels a little numb.

This is completely different from what was said before.

The F136 has a series of black technologies including variable circulation, pre-deformation design, permanent magnet power generation system, etc.

If you can complete the project according to the original plan, you can already burn high incense.

Now he suddenly wants to advance the time node by two years, which is simply killing him.

Moreover, it does not comply with the previous contract content.

But Schwarz shook his head:

"I also hope that a promising project like the F136 can be continued, but the Department of Defense and the Congressional Accountability Office want to continue."

"They believe that the F136 program is too cost-effective and therefore request that further funding for replacement engines be stopped."

"Unless we can clearly achieve the new project node before October this year, it may be difficult to obtain project funding for the next 2005-2007 years."

After hearing the name of the Congressional Accountability Office, McCann frowned.

On the one hand, this department is really powerful.

And they have the power base to cut off their funding sources.

on the other hand……

We also saw the contradiction in Schwarz’s words.

The Accountability Bureau is not a department that has nothing to do every day, and it simply does not have that much energy to focus on secondary projects.

Their audit object will only be JSF itself, and will not single out the F136 or F135 engines alone.

In other words, if the JSF project was as "progressing very smoothly" as Schwartz said, the GAO would not have paid any attention to it.

A more likely scenario is that JSF itself has already had big problems at the audit level.

The kind that can't even wipe out Loma's face.

Of course, it is impossible for anyone to be responsible.

But after all, I have to do something, at least to be justified in terms of face.

The F136, which was originally used as a backup and had a high probability of becoming a gold-eating beast, became an "acceptable" victim for both parties.

Anyway, everything seems to be going well with F135 now, so it doesn't matter if we don't need F136 as a backup.

It can also save a lot of money on paper, so that the JSF project will no longer be in danger of overspending in a short period of time.

As for reaching a clear project node before October...

It’s just a nice way of saying it——

It's already May now.

In terms of the efficiency of the JSF project, the review itself will take two to three months.

In other words, they must complete all preparations for the third phase of critical design review by August at the latest...

Why don't you go to heaven?

But the problem is that the YF120 produced by General Electric in the ATF project has failed.

You know, civil aviation power does not require variable cycle technology that takes into account both supersonic and subsonic operating conditions.

Europe has no plans to develop a new generation of fighter jets in the foreseeable future.

Therefore, if the F136 collapses again, all the research and development efforts they have invested in the field of natural variable circulation will basically be in vain.

Perhaps General Electric, a big company with a big business, can bear this loss.

But McCann Mick, as the project director, absolutely couldn't.

If the F136 is gone, even if he is not unemployed, there is a high probability that he will no longer have any future.

For a moment, the air in the entire conference room almost solidified.

However, just as McCormick was preparing to argue in accordance with the agreement, Neil Brown, the JSF project manager from partner Rolls-Royce, signaled to him to calm down for the time being.

This made the former hesitate for a moment——

Brown is the project manager for JSF.

Not the program manager for the F136 engine.

The two positions at GE are not that different.

But it's completely different in Luoluo.

Because the lift fan of the F135 is also designed by Rolls-Royce.

In other words, for Brown himself, no matter what the result of JSF's power selection is, he can be on the winning side in the end.

It’s just a big win or a small win.

So the interests of the two people are actually not completely consistent.

But in the end, considering that it was not a good idea to confront Party A head-on, McCormick chose to temporarily accept Brown's suggestion, saying that he would suggest to the company to speed up the development process of the F136 and strive to complete the key design review before October.

…

After leaving Lockheed Martin and boarding the business jet back to Evendale, McCormick still couldn't hold back and spoke highly of Schwartz with fierce words from afar.

But when an explosion ends, it can only be vented.

It doesn't really help solve the problem.

But at this moment, Neil Brown took the initiative to come opposite him:

"Dan, we have to do something before October."

He said straight to the point.

At this time, McCann's mentality was about to collapse, and he no longer kept secrets:

"Don't think I don't know, Neil, even if the F136 project is suspended, you can still make a lot of money in JSF, right?"

The other party did not deny it:

"Indeed."

Brown replied:

"But we have also invested 40% of our research and development resources on the F136. It is impossible to watch this model suddenly die suddenly."

"Can……"

McCormick's words came to an abrupt halt as soon as they left his mouth.

He suddenly realized that the reason why the other party showed such a calm look was probably not, at least not just because he was stepping on two boats at the same time:

"Do you have any idea?"

"Schwartz made it very clear."

Brown turned his head and looked through the porthole at the increasingly smaller airport buildings below:

"As long as we can pass the critical design review by October, there is no chance of losing funding before 2007."

"A few days ago, the director in charge of F13 Hartmann reported to me that he had found a way to use permanent magnet power generation technology on the F136."

McCormick was delighted at first, then felt something wasn't right.

If the problem could be solved so quickly, there would be no need for Luo Luo to delay it for so long before.

So, he almost subconsciously asked:

"What can I do?"

"Don't worry about it."

Brown’s tight-lipped tone is more likely because he doesn’t fully understand:

"In short, it is expected that a specific design plan will be available soon... As for the natural variable cycle and pre-deformed blades, it is not difficult to implement at least on paper."

The so-called critical design review is somewhat similar to the design plan demonstration.

There is no need to build a real thing.

The first principle prototype will not be produced until the system development and demonstration phase.

The prototype will be even later.

McCann, who is also a veteran, felt that something must be wrong, but he couldn't pay attention to too many details in this situation, so he could only focus on the main contradiction first:

"But didn't you hear what Schwartz meant just now?"

He asked somewhat eagerly:

"The time point is obviously just an excuse. The point is probably that the Ministry of National Defense doesn't want the F136 as a backup model at all. Even if we survive this time, sooner or later we will find other reasons to kill it!"

"Of course I heard it..."

Brown shrugged indifferently:

"So, our next goal is not to actually design the F136."

"Ah?"

The McCanns were stunned.

Brown gently patted the old man on the shoulder:

"Delay time, get as many rounds of funding as possible, and then find a way to stop the loss..."