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uld be coordinated with the telemetry data； giving her impressions of the feel of the plane。
〃Seems responsive and sensitive in all axes；〃 she said。 〃Engine response is good； automatic systems functioning as advertised； dot a hundred feet a minute more climb than I expected。 Fuel flow fifty pounds per hour high。 Oil pressure in the green； exhaust gas temps are a hundred high。 I like it。 A nice plane。〃
She leveled the plane at Plight Level 240 at 。72 Mach； 420 knots true。 Toad checked the range and depression angles of the radar and IR sensors； and ran checks on the inertial and puter。
Thirty minutes later； after hitting three navigation checkpoints； Rita dropped the nose two degrees and began a power…on descent back toward Tonopah。 She leveled at 5；000 feet at 550 knots and raced toward the field。 Smoke Judy was a hundred feet away on the right side； immobile in relation to the stealth bird。
In the backseat Toad ran an attack。 His target was the hangar that had housed the plane。 The system gave Rita steering and time and distance to go to a laser…guided bomb release。 Everything worked as advertised。 No weapon was released because the plane carried none； but a tone sounded on the radio and was captured on all the tapes； and it ceased abruptly at the weapons…release point； interrupted by the electronic pulse to the empty bomb rack cunningly faired into the airplane's belly。
After three attacks at different altitudes； Rita slowed the plane with speed brakes and dropped the gear and flaps。 She entered the landing pattern。
Two fleet Landing Signal Officers that Jake had borrowed from Miramar…they had flown the F…14 to Tonopah…stood on the end of the runway in a portable radio…equipped trailer that a truck had delivered。 They had spent the last three days painting the outline of a carrier deck on the air force's main runway and rigging a portable Optical Landing System…OLS…which the truck had also delivered。 Now they watched Rita make simulated carrier approaches flying the ball； the 〃meatball；〃 on the OLS。 Jake Grafton stood beside them。
〃Paddles has you；〃 the senior man told Rita as she passed the ninety…degree position。 One other LSO wrote while the first watched the approach with the radiotelephone transceiver held to his ear and dictated his ments。
〃On speed； little lined up left； little too much power。。。〃 The plane swept past and its wheels whacked into the runway； right on the line that marked the target touchdown point。 The nose wheel smacked down and the engines roared and Rita flew it off the runway。 The LSO shouted to his writer； 〃The pass。〃
Jake Grafton stared at the plane in the pattern。 It just looks weird； he told himself。 The lifting fuselage and invisible intakes and the canards and the black color； it didn't look like a real airplane。 Then he knew。 It looked like a model。 It looked like one of those plastic planes he had glued together and held at arm's length and marveled at。
〃You're carrying too much power in the groove；〃 the LSO told Rita after the second pass。
〃I'm just floating down with the power way back；〃 she replied。 〃And we're hearing a little rumble。 Maybe incipient pressor stall。 I'll use the boards next time around。〃
The Consolidated engineers had thought the speed brakes would be unnecessary in the pattern。 Yet with the intakes on top of the plane； behind the cockpit； maybe the air reaching them was too turbulent when the plane was all cocked up in the landing configuration。 Jake Grafton began to chew on his lower lip。 The air force doesn't land planes like this； he reminded himself。 They wouldn't have tried these maneuvers when they flew the plane。
With the boards out the plane approached at a slightly higher nose attitude； its engine noise louder。 The speed brakes allowed…required…Rita to e in with a higher power setting。 〃This feels better；〃 she mented。 〃But I'm still hearing that rumble。 Little more pronounced now； if anything。〃
〃Looks better；〃 the junior LSO told Jake。 〃I think the boards give her more control。〃
〃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