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！
only clue： she could feel slightly more vibration and a perceptibly greater dip of the nose as the thrust of the screaming engines pressed the nose…gear oleo。 〃Anytime you're ready；〃 Toad announced。
After dictating all the engine data onto the audio recorder wired into the ICS； Rita released the brakes。 The nose oleo rebounded and the plane rolled smartly； picking up speed。
The little thumps and bumps as the wheels crossed the expansion joints in the concrete runway came quicker and quicker。 The needle on the airspeed indicator came off the peg。 On the holographic Heads…Up Display…the HUD…functioning in this prototype； the symbology came alive。 The sound of the engines dropped in volume and pitch as the machine accelerated。
Now the weight came off the nose wheel as the stabilator and living wing controls took effect and began to exert aerodynamic force on the nose； trying to lift it from the runway。 Oh yes。 With Ac joystick held ever so lightly in her fingers； she felt the nose wheel bobble； skip lightly； then rise from the concrete as the wings gripped the air。
The master warning light illuminated…bright yellow…and beside the HUD the right engine fire warning light…brilliant blood red。
She smoothly pulled both throttles to idle； then secured the right one。 Nose held off until the main mounts were firmly planted； decelerating nicely； speed brakes and flaperon pop…up deployed； five thousand feet of concrete remaining； slowing。。。
〃Ginger aborting；〃 she broadcast on the radio。 〃Fire light； right engine； roll the truck。〃
Nose wheel firmly on the concrete； Rita applied the brakes with a firm； steady pressure。 She rolled to a stop and killed the remaining engine as she opened the canopy。 The fire truck charged toward them。
Rita pulled her helmet off。 〃Any fire？〃 she shouted at the man on the truck as the engine noise died。 Without conscious effort； her fingers danced across the panels turning off everything。
〃Not that we can see。〃
〃Let's get out anyway；〃 Rita told Toad； who had already toggled his quick…release fittings and was craning out of the rear cockpit； looking for smoke。
Standing beside the runway； perspiring profusely as the summer desert sun cooked them； Rita and Toad heard the news five minutes later from Harry Franks。 A swarm of technicians already had the engine bay doors open。 〃Electrical problem； I'm sure。 Will tow it into the hangar and check it out Nice abort；〃 he added with a nod at Rita。 〃You two want to ride back in the van？ It's air…conditioned。〃
〃Yep；〃 said Tarkington。 〃Nothing like air force hospitality。〃
They flew the plane for the first time the following day。 Rita came back from the flight with a large smile on her face。 〃Captain；〃 she told Jake Grafton as she brushed sweat…soaked hair from her forehead and eyes； 〃that's one sweet machine。 Power； handling； plenty of G available； sweet and honest。 A very nice airplane。〃
Before Harry Franks' grin could get too wide。 she started detailing problems： 〃Controls are oversensitive。 Twitchy。 Trying the ball is a real challenge。 The left generator dropped off the line twice； which was maybe a good thing； because we found the power relay works as advertised； the inertia！ stayed up and humming。 Toad got the puter running again without any problem each time。 And the rudder trim。。。〃
When Rita paused for air； Toad chimed in。 〃I'd like to go over how those fiber optic data buses work with someone； one more time。 I'm still trying to figure out how。。。〃
The routine was exactly like it had been a month before。 Telemetry； videotapes and the Flight Data Recorder info were carefully reviewed and the data piled for a later in…depth analysis。 Those problems that could be fixed were； and major problems were carefully delineated for factory study。
Jake Grafton demanded all his people quit work at 9 P。M。 He wanted them rested and back at the hangar at six each morning。 Harry Franks worked his technicians around the dock in shifts； although he himself put in eighteen…hour days and was on call at night。
Toad tried to get out of the hangar as often as possible。 The air force was using this field for stealth fighters…F…H7s…and several other low…observable prototypes； including the B…2。 Every so often if he was outside he would hear a rumble and there； before his very eyes； would be some exotic shape that seemed to defy the laws of gravity and mon sense as it cleaved the hot blue desert air。 He felt vaguely guilty； and slightly naughty。 To satisfy his idle curiosity he was seeing something that the Powers That Be…Those Who Knew…the Appointed； Anointed Keepers of the Secret…didn't think his little mind should be burdened with。 So he stood and gawked； curious and mystified； a little boy at the knothole； watching the love rites of the groping teenagers。 He would go back to work shaking his head and trot outside again； hopefully； several hours later。
He bumped into Jake Grafton on one of these excursions。 The captain stood with his hands in his pockets watching a pair of F…H7s e into the break。
〃Amazing； huh？〃 Jake said。
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃I've been flying for twenty…five years；〃 Grafton said； 〃and reading everything I could about planes for ten more。 And all this time I never even dreamed。。。〃
〃I know what you mean。 It's like science and technology have gone crazy in some kind of souped…up hothouse。 The technology is breeding； and we don't recognize the offspring。〃
〃And it's not just one technical field。 It's airframes and engines； posites and glues； fabricating techniques； puter…Assisted Design； avionics and puters and lasers and radars。 It's everything！ In five years everything I learned in a lifetime will be obsolete。〃
Or less than five years； Jake told himself glumly as the bat…winged B…2 drifted quietly overhead。 Maybe everything I know is obsolete now！
When Toad Tarkington thought about it afterwards； he remembered the sun。 It was one of those little details you notice at the time and don't think about； yet remember later。
He had seen the sun many times before in the cockpit； bright and warm and bathing everything in a brilliant； clean light； its beams darting and dancing across the cockpit as the plane turned and climbed and dived。 A clean light； bright； oh so bright； warming bodies encased in Nomex and sweating inside helmets and gloves and flying boots。 This was part of flying； and after a while you didn't notice it anymore。 Yet for a few seconds that morning he did notice it。 The memory of it stayed with him； and somehow； looking back； it seemed important。
He was deep into the mysteries of the radar and puter and how they talked to each other； acutely aware of how little time aloft he had。 The radar's picture was automatically recorded on videotape； but he muttered into the 1CS…the audio track of the tape…like a voodoo priest so he would know later just what the gain and brightness had been for each particular presentation。 He worked fast。 These flights were grotesquely short。
Rita concentrated on flying the plane； on keeping it precisely on speed and on altitude； exactly where the test profile required。 She was extraordinarily good at this type of flying。 Toad had discovered。 She had the knack。 It requ