"We've done our research and found that this new model of your aircraft is perfect for flying at high altitudes. After entering the lounge and taking a seat, several orderly soldiers served a few cups of hot tea, and Wu Changcheng took a sip, and then continued to introduce the situation of the troops: "Our air force believes that once this aircraft can be successfully developed, it will have a qualitative improvement in the logistics support capability of our army's plateau areas, especially in the border areas of Tibet......

Wu Changcheng then talked about the intentions of the Air Force chiefs and the thoughts of several of their review panels.

Tibetan areas, especially the border areas in the southern part of Tibet, are not only often affected by the border situation, but also have an extremely backward economic level.

As a result, there is a constant shortage of supplies for the border guards stationed here all year round, and it is difficult to ensure the livelihood of the local residents.

In the summer, it is better, relying on mules, horses and livestock along the winding mountain roads to transport some salt, grain, medicine and other supplies from the hinterland of Tibetan areas.

However, in winter, the mountains were covered with heavy snowfall, and several counties in the southern region were completely cut off from the hinterland of Tibetan areas.

It doesn't matter if you're afraid of natural disasters, you're afraid of natural disasters, not to mention, you're on the border, and natural disasters happen from time to time, and cutting off land transportation at this time is equivalent to cutting off the passage of life.

As a result, air transport has shouldered the important task of maintaining the connection between the southern region and opening up the life channel.

However, it is precisely this problem that has plagued China for a long time, and there is no other reason, it is really impossible to find an aircraft in China that can fly over the mountains at an altitude of 7,000 meters above sea level and accurately land in the southern part of Tibet.

Therefore, since the 60s, China has always been a deterrent and deterrent left over from the foreign self-defense and counterattack wars of that year, but it is really powerless against natural disasters.

It was not until the introduction of the S-70 "Black Hawk" helicopter from the United States in the 80s that it had the ability to deliver winter supplies to the southern Tibetan region for the first time.

However, having it does not mean that it can completely solve the problem, and the first S-70 "Black Hawk" helicopter introduced is only 24 in total, and there is a shortage in quantity.

Secondly, although the S-70 "Black Hawk" helicopter can fly on the plateau, it is based on a powerful turboshaft engine, but the rest of the supporting facilities do not have this condition, the most typical is that the S-70 "Black Hawk" helicopter oxygen supply and warmth facilities are very lacking, so that the pilots of the S-70 "Black Hawk" helicopter have to wear thick aviation suits, with oxygen masks to fly over the high-altitude mountains of more than 7,000 meters again and again, and travel between the southern part of Tibet and the hinterland of Tibet.

Finally, no matter how strong the S-70 "Black Hawk" helicopter is, it is still a helicopter after all, not to mention its short range, and it is not strong in resisting turbulence in high-altitude mountainous areas.

During the mission, they also took great risks, and even had an accident in which the plane crashed and the person died the year before last, causing great losses.

All of this makes the Air Force urgently need a fixed-wing, low-cost, multi-purpose small transport aircraft that can carry a certain amount of cargo, has a certain long-distance flight capability, has a practical altitude of more than 8,000 meters and has the basic performance of flying over high altitude and mountainous areas, and can take off and land freely on a simple runway of several hundred meters.

As the main type of supply and transportation to the southern Tibetan area.

If these requirements are placed inland, the old Yun 5 can be easily completed, but once on the plateau, these indicators are not generally harsh.

It is important to know that meeting these conditions at the same time is not a simple matter of increasing the engine horsepower, and if it were so simple, the Hump route of the Allied forces during World War II would not be called a death transport line by the pilots.

This is because the Himalayas are not only high in altitude, but also have extremely complex internal turbulence, and one person may be caught up in it if he is not careful.

If there is no efficient and fast de-icing system, the aircraft will immediately fall down like an ice lump.

In addition, the low temperature and hypoxia in high altitude areas, how to solve the basic oxygen supply and temperature control is also a problem.

Of course, there is also a strong adaptability of short-distance take-off and landing, the hinterland of Tibet is good to say, the terrain in southern Tibet is complex, and the lack of materials, at most can level a sand and gravel flat land hundreds of meters long, this is still in summer.

In winter, the mountains are covered with heavy snowfall, and it is difficult to find even such flat land, so you can only take off and land on the snowfield.

This requires the aircraft to be extremely adaptable.

Such a difficult index, not to mention that it is difficult to achieve in China, is that it is difficult to find a suitable one in the world, either it has the ability to take off and land short, and the carrying capacity and practical ceiling are not up to standard, or the flight altitude can easily exceed 10,000 meters, but the take-off and landing distance must be at least about 1,000 meters.

All in all, there is nothing that can meet the requirements of the Air Force.

Just when the Air Force was preparing to wait another two years to see if there were any suitable aircraft to carry out this task in the 90s, Wu Changcheng, Ding Laixiang, and others submitted the basic information of the improved Y-5 to the Air Force.

Several air force chiefs saw that this was not what they wanted all these years, with a load of 1.8 tons, a maximum flight range of 1,500 kilometers, and a practical ceiling of 7,500 meters.

The most important thing is that the improved Y-5 pioneered the application of key technologies for altitude flight, such as rapid de-icing of the wing surface, pressurized chamber and air circulation.

What's even better is that this aircraft has inherited the excellent performance of the Laoyun 5 short take-off and landing, which is enough to take off and land on the complex terrain in the southern part of Tibet.

Of course, although the improved Y-5 is very satisfactory to the Air Force chiefs in terms of basic performance, some details still make them feel a little unsatisfactory, first of all, the practical ceiling, 7500 meters is not low, but if you know that many of the mountains in the southern part of Tibet are more than 7,000 meters above sea level, this practical ceiling is a bit pediatric, so it is best to be able to do more than 8,000 meters, so as not to fly on the tip of the mountain.

If it can be increased to more than 2,200 kilometers, it will be possible to fly directly from the capital of the Tibetan area to Metuo in the south of the Tibetan area, and easily take off and return to the capital of the Tibetan area without refueling.

"If these two points can be achieved, then the troops can reduce the input of military stations along the southern Tibetan area, and can directly take off from the capital of the Tibetan area to provide support to the southern Tibetan area. ”

Saying that, Wu Changcheng looked at Zhuang Jianye on the opposite side: "For this reason, the Air Force is ready to allocate transfer funds to assist your Tengfei Corporation in further improving and researching the Y-6, if everything meets the requirements of the Air Force, I dare not guarantee more, I don't think the scale of procurement of forty planes is still not a problem." ”

The models have been renamed, the funds are also very happy, and the most critical thing is that even the purchase volume is not shy about it, what can Zhuang Jianye say, he simply patted his chest and said awe-inspiringly: "Please rest assured, the leaders of the Air Force, on behalf of the Tengfei Aviation Manufacturing Corporation, I will make a statement to ensure that the development of the Y-6 will be completed in accordance with the requirements of the Air Force with quality and quantity." ”