scoonts.theminotaur-第74章

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　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　decelerated。　When　she　was　losing　stabilator　authority；　she　lowered　the　nose　to　the　runway　and　smoothly　applied　the　brakes。
　〃Another　day；　another　dollar；〃　Toad　told　her　on　the　ICS。
　
　Removing　the　engines　from　the　airplane；　inspecting　them；　inspecting　the　intakes　and　reinstalling　the　engines　took　three　days；　mainly　because　Jake　Grafton　demanded　that　a　factory　rep　look　at　the　pressor　and　turbine　blades　with　a　horoscope；　which　had　to　be　flows　in。
　Consolidated's　chief　engineer　was　livid。　He　was　so　furious　that　he　didn't　trust　himself　to　speak；　and　turned　away　when　anyone　in　uniform　approached　him。　Adele　DeCrescentis　was　equally　outraged；　but　she　hid　it　better。　She　listened　to　Rita　and　reviewed　the　telemetry　and　videotapes　and　grunted　when　Jake　Grafton　spoke　to　her。
　The　navy　personnel　left　the　Consolidated　employees　to　their　misery。
　〃We're　wasting　our　time　flying　that　bird　again；〃　Les　Richards　and　George　Wilson　told　Jake。　〃It's　unsat　and　there　is　no　possible　fix　that　would　cure　the　problem。　The　whole　design　sucks。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　they　can't　fix　it？〃
　〃Well；　look　at　it。　At　high　angles　of　attack　the　intakes　are　blanked　off　by　the　cockpit　and　the　shape　of　the　fuselage；　that　aerodynamic　shape。　How　could　they　fix　it？〃
　〃Goddamn；　I'm　not　an　aeronautical　engineer！　How　the　hell　would　I　know？〃
　〃Well；　I　am；〃　Wilson　said；　〃and　they　can't。〃
　〃Never　say　never。　Regardless；　we're　going　to　fly　this　bird　five　times。　I　don't　want　anyone　to　say　that　we　didn't　give　Consolidated　a　fair　chance。〃
　〃We're　wasting　our　time　and　the　navy's　money。〃
　〃What's　a　few　million？〃　Jake　asked　rhetorically。　The　real　objective　was　to　get　money　for　an　acceptable　airplane　from　Congress。　So　he　was　philosophical。
　
　Toad　Tarkington　slipped　down　the　hall　to　his　wife's　room　when　he　thought　everyone　else　was　in　bed。　They　had　been　running　a　low…profile　romance　since　they　arrived　in　Tonopah。
　〃Tell　me　again；〃　Toad　said；　〃just　what　that　Consolidated　test　pilot　said　about　stalls　when　you　pumped　him。　What's　his　name？〃
　〃Stu　Vinich。　He　just　said　they　ha