scoonts.theminotaur-第59部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃Six…hundred…feet…a…minute　sink　rate；〃　Rita　reported。　Once　again　the　main　mounts　smacked　in　with　puffs　of　fried　rubber　from　each　tire　as　it　rotated　up　to　speed。　The　main　oleos　pressed　and　the　nose　slapped　down；　then　she　was　adding　power　and　pulling　the　nose　right　back　up　into　the　sky。
　After　the　sixth　pass　she　pulled　the　throttles　back　to　idle　and　the　plane　stayed　on　the　deck。　The　engine　noise　was　really　subdued。
　〃Quiet　bugger；　ain't　it？〃　one　LSO　said；　grinning。　〃We'll　have　to　call　this　one　the　Burglar。　First　we　had　the　Intruder；　now　the　Burglar。〃
　〃I　think　it　ought　to　be　called　the　Penetrator；〃　the　senior　man　said。　〃'Yeah；　baby；　I'm　a　Penetrator　pilot'。〃　He　cackled　at　his　own　wit。
　When　Rita　cleared　the　runway；　Smoke　Judy　called　the　LSOs。　〃Since　you　guys　are　all　set　up；　how　about　giving　me　a　couple？〃
　〃If　you　got　the　gas；　you　get　the　pass；〃　the　LSO　radioed。
　
　The　debriefing　took　until　9　P。M。　with　an　hour　break　for　dinner。　The　telemetry　data　and　the　videotapes　were　played　and　studied。　Rita　and　Toad　were　each　carefully　debriefed　as　a　dozen　engineers　gathered　around　and　the　naval　officers　hovered　in　the　background。
　The　plane　was　then　thoroughly　inspected　by　a　team　of　structural　engineers。　The　simulated　carrier　landings　had　placed　stresses　on　the　structure　that　the　air　force　had　never　anticipated　when　it　developed　the　specifications　for　this　prototype。　No　one　expected　visible　damage；　and　there　was　none；　but　if　the　plane　were　to　be　put　into　production；　strengthening　would　inevitably　be　needed。　Just　where　and　how　much　was　the　concern；　and　the　telemetry　data　would　pinpoint　these　locations。
　And　some　minor　equipment　problems　had　surfaced。　The　Consolidated　technicians　would　work　all　night　to　fix　those　as　navy　maintenance　specialists　watched　and　took　notes。　The　intake　rumble　m　the　landing　pattern　was　the　most　serious　problem；　and　Adele　DeCrescentis　discussed　it　on　the　phone　with　the　people　at　the　Consolidated　factory　in　Burbank　for　over　an　hour。
　All　in　all；　it　had　been　a　fine　day。　Rita　and　Toad　were　still　going　a　mile　a　minute　when　Jake　loaded　them　all　into　the　vans　at　9　P。M。　for　the　two…mile　trip　to　the　VOQ；　the　Visiting　Officers'　Quarters。
　Jake　and　his　department　heads　gathered　in　his　room　that　evening。　Someone　produced　a　cold　six…pack　of　beer　and　they　each　took　a　bottle。
　〃The　day　after　tomorrow。　It'll　all　be　decided　then；〃　Les　Richards；　the　A…6　bombardier；　told　the　assembled　group。　〃Day　after　tomorrow　we　pull　some　Gs；　and　I　don't　think　we　can　live　with　a　five…G　limitation。　I　don't　think　the　navy　needs　an　attack　plane　for　a　low…level　mission　that　is　that　G…limited。　It'll　get　bounced　around　too　much　down　low；　and　if　a　fighter　ever　spots　it　or　someone　pops　an　IR　or　optically　guided　missile；　this　thing　is　dead　meat。〃
　〃What　if　they　beef　it　up？〃　someone　asked。　〃Strengthen　the　spars　and　so　on？〃
　〃Cut　performance　too　much。　More　weight。　We　don't　have　a　whole　lot　of　performance　to　begin　with。　And　what　if　the　pressors　start？〃
　〃Could　they　enlarge　the　automatic　flaps　on　the　intakes　that　raise　up　and　scoop　more　air　in　when　the　engines　need　it？〃
　〃It'd　be　turbulent　air。　We　learned　today　that　those　two　engines　like　a　diet　of　smooth；　undisturbed　air。〃
　〃Oh　no　we　didn't。〃
　So　it　went。　Jake　ran　them　all　out　at　midnight　and　collapsed　into　bed。
　The　following　day　was　spent　in　further　intensive　review　of　the　videotapes　and　telemetry　data；　and　planning　the　second　flight。
　Glitches　developed。　Under　the　usual　ground　rules　for　op…eval　fly…offs；　the　manufacturer　cleared　various　areas　of　the　flight　performance　envelope　for　the　navy　test　pilots　to　explore。　Rita　wanted　to　examine　the　slow…flight　characteristics　of　the　aircraft　before　she　proceeded　to　high…angle…of…attack/high…G　maneuvers。　Consolidated's　chief　engineer　did　not　want　her　below　200　knots　clean　and　120　knots　dirty。
　When　Jake　joined　the　conversation；　Rita　was　saying；　〃I　flew　the　plane　at　124　knots　yesterday；　three　o'clock　angle　of　attack。　Now；　is　that　1。3　times　the　stall　speed　or　isn't　it？　How　are　we　supposed　to　verify　the　stall　speed　if　we　can't　stall　it？〃
　Jake　merely　stood　and　listened。
　〃We've　told　you　what　the　stall　speed　is；〃　the　engineer　explained　patiently；　〃at　every　weight　and　every　altitude　and　every　configuration。　Those　speeds　were　established　by　experimental　test　pilots。〃
　〃Well；　I'm　an　engineering　test　pilot…all　navy　test　pilots　are　trained　to　that　standard…but　I　can't　see　how　we　can　do　a　proper　operational　evaluation　of　your　airplane　if　we　don't　explore　the　left　side　of　the　envelope。〃
　The　civilian　appealed　to　Jake。　〃Listen；　Captain。　This　is　the　only　prototype　we　have。　If　she　drills　a　deep　hole　with　it；　we　have　big　problems。　It'll　be　goddamn　hard　to　sell　an　airplane　when　all　we　have　is　the　wreckage。〃
　〃What　makes　you　think；〃　Jake　asked；　〃that　she　can't　safely　recover　from　a　stall？〃
　〃I　didn't　say　that。　You're　putting　words　into　my　mouth。〃
　〃Get　DeCrescentis　over　here。〃　The　chief　engineer　went　off　to　find　her。
　〃We　have　to　stall　that　plane；　Captain；〃　Rita　told　him。　〃If　those　rumbles　in　the　landing　pattern　yesterday　were　incipient　pressor　stalls；　we'll　get　some　real　ones　if　we　get　her　slowed　down　enough。　I　think　that's　what　Consolidated　doesn't　want　us　into。〃
　Adele　DeCrescentis　backed　her　engineer。　Jake　heard　her　out；　then　said；　〃I　don't　think　you　people　really　want　to　sell　this　plane　to　the　navy。〃
　The　vice　president　set　her　jaw。　〃We　sure　as　hell　want　it　in　one　piece　to　sell　to　somebody。〃
　〃Well；　I'll　tell　you　this。　We're　going　to　fly　that　plane　the　way　I　want　it　flown　or　we'll　stop　this　show　right　now。　The　navy　isn't　spending　ten　million　bucks　for　a　fly…off　if　all　we　can　do　is　cruise　the　damn　thing　down　the　interstate　at　fifty…five。　We're　trying　to　find　out　if　that　plane　can　be　used　to　fight　with；　Ms。　DeCrescentis；　not　profile　around　the　Paris　Air　Show。〃
　She　opened　her　mouth；　but　Jake　didn't　give　her　a　chance。　〃I　mean　it。　We'll　fly　it　my　way　or　we　won't　fly　it。　Your　choice。〃
　She　looked　about　her；　opened　her　mouth；　then　closed　it　again。　Finally　she　said；　〃I'll　have　to　think　about　it　for　a　bit。〃　She　wheeled　and　made　a　beeline　for　the　Consolidated　offices　and　the　phones；　the　chief　engineer　trailing　after　her。
　〃Maybe　you　had　better　make　a　phone　call　too；〃　Rita　suggested。
　〃Nope。〃　He　looked　at　Rita　and　grinned。　〃Captains　have　to　obey　orders；　of　course；　but　George　Ludlow　and　Royce　Caplinger　shoved　me　out　in　front　on　this　one。　They　want　me　to　make　a　remendation　and　take　the　heat；　so　they　sort　of　have　to　let　me　do　it　my　way。〃　He　shrugged。　〃Generally　speaking；　doing　it　your　way　is　not　very　good　for　your　career；　but　I've　been　to　the　mat　once　too　often　anyway。　That's　why　I　got　this　job。　Ludlow's　a　pretty　good　SECNAV。　He　understands　the　navy　and　the　people　in　it。　He　wouldn't　send　a　guy　with　a　shot　at　flag　over　to　Capitol　Hill　to　get　his　balls　cut　off；　not　if　he　had　any　other　choice。〃
　Rita　looked　dubious。
　〃Are　you　right　about　this；　Miss　Moravia？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　I　am。〃
　〃I　think　so　too。　So　that's　the　way　well　do　it。　As　long　as　I'm　in　charge。〃
　When　Adele　DeCrescentis　returned；　she　agreed　with　Jake。　Apparently　the　president　of　the　pany　could　also　read　tea　leaves。
　〃Go　find　that　Consolidated　test　pilot；〃　Jake　told　Rita　when　they　were　alone。　〃Take　him　over　to　the　club　and　buy　him　a　drink。　Find　out　everything　he　knows　about　stalling　this　invisible　airplane　off　the　record。〃
　〃Aye　aye；　sir；〃　Rita　said；　and　marched　off。
　
　Cumulus　clouds　and　rain　squalls　moving　through　the　area　from　the　west　delayed　the　second　flight　another　day；　but　when　she　finally　got　the　plane　to　altitude；　Rita　attacked　the　performance　envelope　with　vigor　while　Smoke　Judy　in　the　F…14　hung　like　glue　on　first　one　wing；　then　the　other。
　Stalls　were　first。
　They　were　almost　last。　With　the　nose　at　ten　degrees　above　the　horizon　and　the　power　at　70　percent；　she　let　the　plane　coast　into　the　first　one；　but　didn't　get　there　because　the　pitty…pat　thumping　began　in　the　intakes　and　increased　in　intensity　to　a　drumming　rat…a…tat…tat　played　by　a　drunk。　The　EOT　rose　dramatically　and　RPMs　dropped　on　both　engines。　She　could　feel　vibrations　reaching　her　through　the　seat　and　throttles　and　rudder　pedals。
　pressor　stalls！　Well；　that　mousy　little　test　pilot　for　Consolidated　hadn't　been　lying。　She　pushed　the　nose　over；　which　incidentally　worsened　the　thumping　from　behind　the　cockpit；　and　held　it　there　while　her　speed　increased　and　the　noise　finally　abated；　all　the　while　reading　the　numbers　from　the　engine　instruments　over　the　radio。
　With　the　engines　back　to　normal；　she　had　another　thought。　If　a　pilot　got　slow　and　lost　power　in　the　landing　pattern；　on　final；　this　thing　could　pancake　into　the　ground　short　of　the　runway。　Aboard　ship　the　technical　phrase　for　that　turn　of　events　was　〃ramp　strike。〃
　She　smoothly　pulled　the　nose　to　twenty　degrees　above　the　horizon　and　as　her　speed　dropped　began　feeding　in　power　until　she　had　the　throttles　forward　against　the　stops。　The　airspeed　continued　to　decay。　This　was　〃the　back　side　of　the　power　curve；〃　that　flight　regime　where　drag　increased　so　dramatically　as　the　airspeed　bled　off　that　the　engines　lacked　sufficient　power　to　accelerate　the　plane。
　The　onset　of　pressor　stall　was　instantaneous　and　dramatic；　a　violent　hammering　from　the　intakes　behind　the　cockpit　that　caused　the　whole　plane　to　quiver。　Before　she　could　recover；　the　plane　stalled。　It　broke　crisply　and　fell　straight　forward　until　the　nose　was　fifteen　degrees　below　the　horizon；　then　the　canard　authority　returned。　Still　the　engine　pressors　were　stalled；　with　EGT　going　to　the　red　lines　and　RPM　dropping　below　85　percent。
　Rita　smartly　retarded　the　throttles　to　keep　the　engines　from　overtemping。　The　pounding　continued。
　Throttles　to　idle。　EGT　above　red　line。
　She　chopped　the　throttles　to　cutoff；　securing　the　flow　of　fuel　to　the　engines。
　The　pounding　ceased。　The　cockpit　was　very　quiet。
　Toad　remarked　later　that　all　he　could　hear　as　Rita　worked　to　restart　the　engines　〃was　God　laughing。〃
　This　time　as　Rita　approached　touchdown；　she　flared　the　plane　and　pulled　the　throttles　aft。　Sure　enough；　the　pounding　of　turbulent　air　in　the　intakes　began　just　before　the　main　wheels　kissed　the　runway。　She　held　the　nose　off　and　watched　the　EGT　tapes　twitch　as　the　plane　decelerate