scoonts.theminotaur-第29节

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takes　were　on　top　of　the　plane；　behind　the　cockpit；　which　seated　two　crewmen　in　tandem。
　The　senior　vice　president；　a　tall　woman　in　her　late　forties　whom　Wilson　had　said　rose　from　the　accounting　department　to　her　present　position　on　sheer　raw　talent；　led　the　group　toward　the　machine　and　explained　major　features　to　Jake。　〃The　aircraft's　shape　is　optimized　to　reduce　the　aircraft's　Radar　Cross　Section。　We've　used　radar…absorbent　materials　in　all　the　leading　and　trailing　edges…　laminated　layers　of　glass　fiber　and　plastic　with　carbon　coating。。。〃
　〃Uh…huh；〃　said　Jake　Grafton。
　〃For　low　frequencies　that　put　the　plane　into　the　Rayleigh　region；　we've　tried　to　lower　the　overall　electromagnetic　susceptibility。。。　carbon…epoxy　laminate　for　wing　skin；　coatings　of　multilayer　absorbers…mainly　Schiff　base　salts　and　honeyb　posites。　The　goal　was　to　reduce　resonant　microwave　frequency　scattering；　magnetic　waves　and　even　surface　waves　before　they　escape　from　the　edges。〃
　〃I　see；〃　he　lied。　The　canopy　was　open　and　the　boarding　ladder　down；　so　Jake　climbed　up　and　peered　into　the　forward　cockpit。　The　control　stick　was　a　small　vertical　handle　on　the　right　side　of　the　cockpit。　Two　power　levers　were　installed　on　the　left　console。　The　forward　panel　contained　two　Multifunction　Displays；　MFDs；　arranged　on　either　side　of　the　control　panel　for　a　Heads…Up　Display；　a　HUD；　which　sat　on　top　of　the　forward　panel　so　as　he　flew　the　pilot　could　look　straight　ahead　through　the　tilted　glass。　Under　the　HUD　control　panel　was　another　screen；　similar　to　the　MFDs；　but　without　the　frame　of　buttons　that　circled　the　upper　two。　All　of　the　screens　looked　like　eleven…inch　color　television　screens　with　the　power　off：　they　were　larger　than　the　five…inch　displays　to　which　Jake　was　accustomed。　But　the　weirdest　thing…there　were　no　engine　instruments。　Oh；　the　panel　had　a　conventional　gear　lever；　a　standby　gyro　and　even　a　G　meter；　but　of　engine　instruments　there　were　none。
　〃Go　ahead。　Climb　in　and　sit　down；〃　the　woman　urged。　Jake　glanced　again　at　her　name　tag。　Adele　DeCrescentis。
　〃Okay。〃　As　he　arranged　himself　in　the　pilot's　seat；　Ms。　DeCrescentis　mounted　the　ladder。　〃Where's　the　ashtray？〃　he　asked。
　〃Captain；　I　don't　think…〃
　〃Sorry。　Just　kidding。〃　The　look　on　her　face　implied　that　levity　was　inappropriate。　Here　in　the　high…tech　cathedral；　Jake　thought。　Or　the　new…car　showroom。
　Down　below；　the　entourage　was　making　small　talk　among　themselves　and　casting　many　glances　at　the　cockpit　and　vice　president　DeCrescentis；　who　probably　didn't　look　very　vice　presidential　perched　on　the　boarding　ladder。　〃What's　going　to　happen　to　engine　airflow　in　high…angle…of…attack　maneuvers？〃
　〃That　was　one　of　the　trade…offs；〃　said　DeCrescentis；　shifting　her　weight　gingerly。　Even　the　medium　heels　she　was　wearing　must　be　mighty　unfortable　on　the　rungs　of　that　ladder。　〃Each　intake　has　a　flap　that　is　raised　hydraulically　to　funnel　more　air　into　the　intake　when　the　FCC…Flight　Control　puter…senses　an　increase　in　G　or　angle　of　attack　which　correlates　with　a　decrease　in　pressor　inlet　pressure；　but　those　flaps　can　only　do　so　much。　The　concept　is　angle…of…attack…limited；　so　it　made　sense　to　design　to　a　five…G　limit。　That　enabled　us　to　lighten　the　airframe　and　increase　the　use　of　honeyb　posites；　which　made　it　even　more　stealthy。　And　we　achieved　better　fuel　economy。〃
　〃I　bet　spins　will　be　exciting。〃
　〃The　engines　will　pressor…stall　in　an　upright　spin　and　have　to　be　shut　down；　but　they　can　be　restarted　once　a　normal　angle　of　attack　is　achieved。　Inverted　spins　shouldn't　be　a　problem。〃
　〃Hmmm。〃　Jake　moved　the　control　handle　experimentally。　It　looked　like　the　joystick　for　a　puter　game。　〃Fly　by　wire？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃Ms。　DeCrescentis；　I　appreciate　all　you　folks　taking　the　time　this　morning　to　show　me　this　plane；　but　what　say　I　sort　of　look　it　over　with　my　staff？　They've　been　involved　in　this　project　for　quite　a　while　and　no　doubt　can　answer　any　questions　I　know　enough　to　ask。〃
　〃I　suppose；〃　she　said　reluctantly；　glancing　again　at　the　crowd　below。　She　maneuvered　her　way　down　the　ladder　and　two　men　below　reached　up　to　help　her　to　the　floor。
　Fritsche　scrambled　up　and　seated　himself　on　the　cockpit　coaming。　mander　Rob　Knight；　the　project　coordinator；　came　up　behind　him　and　stood　on　the　ladder。　〃What　d'ya　think？〃　Dr。　Fritsche　asked。
　〃Pretty　stealthy；　I　guess。〃
　〃About　the　same　RCS　as　a　bird。〃
　〃How　big　a　bird？〃
　〃You　aren't　impressed；　are　you？〃
　Jake　Grafton　took　his　time　answering。　He　examined　the　panels　on　each　side　of　the　seat；　then　fingered　the　switches　experimentally。　〃You　guys　tell　me　if　I'm　wrong：　what　we　have　here　is　one　of　the　air　force　stealth…fighter　prototypes；　a　version　the　blue…sky　boys　decided　not　to　buy。　It's　subsonic；　shoots　only　smart　weapons；　has　limited　maneuverability　and　carries　a　nonstealthy　belly　tank　for　training　purposes　that　can't　be　carried　in　bat。　bat　radius　unrefueled　is　about　six　hundred　nautical　miles。　Now；　that　is。　To　make　this　plane　carrier…suitable　it　needs　a　beefed…up　structure；　tail…hook　and　folding　wings；　all　of　which　will　add　at　least　a　thousand　pounds　of　weight…probably　fifteen　hundred　pounds…and　cost　us　speed　and　range。　This　killing　machine　will　lighten　Uncle　Sugar's　wallet　to　the　tune　of　about　sixty…two　million　bucks　a　pop。　If；　and　only　if；　it　can　be　acquired　on　the　most　economic…the　optimum…production　schedule。　Is　that　right？〃
　〃Well；　the　cost　factors　are　a　lot　more　plicated　than　you've　indicated；　but　your　summary　is　fair。〃
　〃Due　to　the　likelihood　that　the　five…G　limit　will　be　routinely　exceeded　by　fleet　aircrews　in　training　situations；　the　design　needs　further　modification　to　prevent　pressor　stalls。　That　involves　more　structural　strengthening；　puter…operated　secondary　intakes；　loss　of　some　stealthiness。　That　will　cost　an　additional。。？〃
　〃Five　million　a　plane；　assuming　an　optimum　production　schedule。　Ten　million　more　per　plane　if　we　buy　new　engines。〃
　〃Five　million　a　plane；〃　Jake　continued。　〃And　if　we　don't　buy　that　mod；　we'll　have　the　pressor…stall　problem　that　plagued　the　F…14　the　first　ten　years　of　its　life；　which　will　mean　a　higher　attrition　rate　than　we　would　experience　otherwise。〃　Attrition　meant　crashes；　planes　lost　in　training　accidents。　〃Yet　to　go　the　new…engine　route　will　take　ten　years　because　the　engines　don't　even　exist；　all　we　have　is　an　engineers'　proposal　saying　they　could　build　them　sooner　or　later　for　about　so　many　dollars　apiece；　subject　to　all　the　usual　caveats　about　buy　rates；　research；　inflation；　etc。〃
　〃Hiram　Duquesne　likes　this　plane。〃
　〃Ah　yes。　Senator　Duquesne。　Another　great　American。〃
　〃We　didn't　get　the　senior　vice　president　this　morning　because　she　tikes　your　nose；〃　Knight　shot　back。　〃Consolidated　has　about　two　hundred　million　dollars　of　their　own　funds　tied　up　in　this　prototype。　They　employ　twenty　thousand　people。　Consolidated　is　big　business。　They've　bet　their　pany　on　getting　a　stealth　contract。〃
　〃Yeah。　Stock　options　and　bonuses　and　pany　cars　for　the　executives；　jobs　for　the　little　people；　and　votes　for　the　big　people　in　Washington。　I　got　the　picture。〃
　〃Don't　be　so　damned　cynical；〃　Rob　Knight　said。　〃Listen；　Jake；　it　may　well　e　down　to　buying　this　plane　to　replace　the　A…6　or　doing　without。　Ludlow　and　Royce　Caplinger　have　to　be　goddamn　sure　they　have　the　votes　in　Congress　before　they　go　up　to　Capitol　Hill　with　their　hats　in　their　hands。〃
　〃That's　their　problem；　not　mine。　I'm　just　a　worn…out；　washed…up　attack　pilot。　I　didn't　understand　two　words　that　DeCrescentis　woman　said。〃　He　twiddled　some　knobs。　〃I　didn't　ask　for　this　job；〃　he　roared。　〃I'm　not　going　to　be　responsible　for　whether　twenty　thousand　people　keep　their　jobs！　Don't　lay　that　crap　on　me！〃
　Knight　retreated　down　the　ladder。　Fritsche　followed；　his　face　averted。　Jake　sat　alone　in　the　cockpit。　He　tried　to　imagine　how　this　plane　would　feel　to　fly。　With　his　right　arm　in　the　rest　and　his　hand　on　the　stick　and　his　left　curved　over　the　throttles；　he　thought　about　how　it　would　feel　to　look　through　the　HUD　at　a　Soviet　ship。　This　plane　had　to　be　able　to　take　on　Soviet　ships　in　the　Med　and　the　Indian　Ocean　and　the　Arctic　in　winter。　But　it　also　had　to　be　able　to　fight　in　brushfire　wars　in　places　like　Lebanon　and　North　Africa；　Afghanistan；　Iran；　Korea；　Vietnam。　Maybe　China。　Could　it？　With　million…dollar　missiles　and　a　five…G　restriction？
　When　he　had　recovered　his　temper；　he　motioned　to　Knight　and　Fritsche；　who　ascended　the　ladder　again。　〃What　would　Sam　Dodgers'　gizmo　do　for　this　plane？〃
　〃Lower　the　RCS　from　a　bird　to　a　June　bug。〃　Fritsche　frowned。　〃It's　so　stealthy　now　that　making　it　more　so　wouldn't　be　cost…effective；　at　least　not　in　the　lifetime　of　this　machine。　That's　just　my　opinion；　of　course。〃
　〃On　the　other　hand；〃　Knight　said；　〃this　plane　wouldn't　be　junk　if　Dodgers'　suppressor　can't　be　made　to　work　in　a　real　airplane。　Dodgers　knows　the　reflective　characteristics　of　that　tabernacle　wall　precisely　when　viewed　from　the　old　outhouse　by　one　radar。　Protecting　a　shape　as　plex　as　an　aircraft　from　numerous　transmitters　and　God　knows　how　many　receivers　situated　in　ail　three　dimensions…that's　another　thing　altogether。〃
　〃Tell　me　what　all　this　stuff　is；〃　Jake　said。　〃This　doesn't　look　like　any　cockpit　I　ever　saw。〃
　〃Both　prototypes　have　exactly　the　sa