Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 261, 260: One Day in Hancheng, Airdrop on the Frozen Songhua River, Border Fortress Trap
"General Manager Fang, I am Sang Yuzeng, manager of Hancheng Airport. I will arrange your trip to Hancheng."

Manager Sang of Hancheng Airport spoke nervously.

Managers of local seaplane airports are usually recruited from the ground because the expansion is so rapid that no one has met Fang Wen yet.

But they all knew Fang Wen, since Fang Wen's photo was on the information boards at every airport.

With the Xuanming seaplane and the notification from above, there's absolutely no mistake.

Therefore, Manager Sang was very nervous, afraid of offending the group's CEO and losing this good job.

Fang Wen smiled and said, "Don't rush, I'm here to have fun, it has nothing to do with work. Just relax and show us around Hancheng for a day."

Manager Sang relaxed slightly and introduced, "Our place, Hancheng, was originally called Longmen. During the Sui Dynasty, it was re-established as a county and renamed Hancheng after the ancient state of Han, a name that has remained to this day. The northern part of the city is the official district, where the county government office, the supervisory office, the community school, the Guandi Temple, and the City God Temple, all dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, are still standing. Would the general manager like to see them?"

Fang Wen shook his head. Although it was acting, it still had to be realistic. Those places were indeed boring. Many county towns in the Central Plains had similar places, and they didn't look much different.

Manager Sang continued, "There are some food stalls in the south of the city, but they're not exactly places to visit. However, there are two worthwhile sights outside the city: one is the Taishi Temple, 20 li south of the city, and the other is the Yellow River Dragon Gate scenic area, 60 li north of the city. Legend has it that Yu the Great became famous for 'guiding the river through Jishi' and 'carving the Dragon Gate.'"

Fang Wen thought for a moment. He had seen Longmen when the plane landed. Although there were many legends and stories about it, there was no need to travel 60 miles to see it. After all, he had things to do tonight and could not spend too much energy on it.

He made his choice: "Then let's go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

Manager Sang quickly made arrangements and got Fang Wen a black sedan as a means of transportation.

Fang Wen drove, Manager Sang was the co-driver and provided commentary, while Pan Jiafeng and the other three squeezed into the back.

Guided by Manager Sang, the car drove towards Zhichuan Town in the south of Hancheng.

The car drove on the dirt road, kicking up clouds of dust, and arrived at Zhichuan Town in about twenty minutes.

Manager Sang flattered, "General Manager's driving skills are amazing. This road is very bumpy for others, but General Manager drives it as if it were flat ground."

Fang Wen neither confirmed nor denied, but instead asked, "Where is the Temple of the Grand Historian?"

"On Hanyi Slope ahead, there is an ancient shrine dating back to the Western Jin Dynasty, dedicated to Sima Qian, the author of the Records of the Grand Historian," Manager Sang explained.

Fang Wen drove over and arrived at the foot of Han Yipo.

Cars couldn't go up there, so Fang Wen and his group got out of the car. Manager Sang stayed behind to watch the car, and the five of them found a way up.

(Republic of China Imperial Ancestral Hall)

Long stone steps, earthen slopes, and at the highest point is the Taishi Temple.

Upon reaching the top, a temple official greeted us.

"Go and worship Sima Qian. The incense is over there. Go and get it yourself. If you're willing, leave some money for incense. If you can't, just do what you can."

People were used to being poor these days, and the temple officials spoke very casually. Fang Wen smiled calmly, went over and distributed the incense to everyone, and each person offered incense to the Grand Historian.

After offering incense and leaving some money as payment, Fang Wen wandered around the temple. Apart from the inscriptions and statues, there wasn't much to see, so he decided to chat with the temple official.

"What good food is there in Hancheng?"

"Ask me?" The temple official laughed. "You've come to the right person. My ears have heard all sorts of things from the pilgrims, so I know what's best. When you come to Hancheng, you must eat mutton. The best mutton dishes are he luo noodles with mutton sauce and mutton stew."

Fang Wen checked the time; it was already 2 PM. He figured he could have a meal to kill some time before it got dark.

He bid farewell to the temple official, went down the mountain, and asked Manager Na Sang to take him to eat the best mutton stew and mutton noodles in the city.

These two kinds of food are available in every restaurant in the city, but there is no definitive answer as to which is the best.

Manager Sang simply set up a table at a time-honored restaurant next to the Zhuangyuan Mansion in the city.

This meal.

The meat is very fresh, and the mutton soup is even fresher, but it's not as fresh as seafood. The local free-range black sheep meat is mostly lean with little fat and has a mild gamey taste. When paired with spices such as pepper, it has a unique flavor.

The mutton flavor infuses the noodles, making it the perfect pairing.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Fang Wen packed some cooked mutton to take back to the plane.

At 6 p.m., the Xuanming, fully fueled, took off.

On the surface, it appears to be flying south, but in reality, it turns northeast at high altitude.

Two hours later, the northern sky was completely dark, and the Xuanming had entered Hebei Province.

There is no danger here; the entire Hebei region is safe from being discovered because there are no troops stationed there.

Next, the plane flew over Beiping in Hebei Province and arrived at the border between Liaoning Province and Chahar.

One-third of the area had been occupied by puppet troops controlled by the Japanese army.

Flying further ahead, we reached Jilin, where the temperature plummeted to zero degrees Celsius.

"Change into your winter clothes and keep warm," Fang Wen reminded Pan Jiafeng and the others via the in-flight announcement.

If you continue flying north, the temperature will get lower and lower.

He maintained his mechanical awareness, keeping a close eye on the cleaning of the aircraft.

The aircraft is currently in normal condition, the equipment is operating without problems, and the cabin temperature has not dropped, indicating that the modifications to the aircraft have been effective.

Shifting his attention away from the plane itself, Fang Wen noticed that something was amiss below.

He saw a long convoy on the ground heading northwest.

Such a large convoy, operating at night, could it be carrying out some kind of secret operation?

Fang Wen noted down the situation and continued flying, arriving safely in Heilongjiang Province.

The temperature there was several degrees below zero.

The further you fly, the lower the temperature gets.

By the time we passed through Harbin, the temperature had already dropped to below minus ten degrees Celsius.

At such low temperatures, the temperature inside the aircraft began to drop rapidly.

The cooling water circulation system surrounding the entire aircraft is malfunctioning.

In some areas, the cooling water pipes are frozen, preventing water circulation.

Without water flow, a water cooling system cannot function.

Heat buildup at one point in the engine causes the temperature to rise.

Fortunately, the air-cooling equipment was modified in advance.

Fang Wen turned on the mechanical switch and pulled it hard.

The icy structure was shaking, but he eventually managed to pull it apart.

Two air-cooled air intakes open, letting in the biting cold air, which is then heated into warm air after passing through the engine.

The two high-powered engines cooled down rapidly under air cooling.

At the same time, warm air was also poured into the cabin, making the cabin, which had already dropped to zero degrees Celsius, warm up again.

"How come it's suddenly so hot? Aren't we in Northeast China?" Du Jiahuai asked in surprise.

Pan Jiafeng explained, "This is the outside air heated by the engine; it was very cold before it was heated."

The technologically advanced aircraft once again amazed the three Red Army pilots.

At that moment, Fang Wen's broadcast came on.

"The plane is about to drop the cargo. Crew, prepare."

Pan Jiafeng and three Red Army pilots immediately went to the rear cabin and waited in front of piles of cargo.

The Xuanming has arrived in Tangyuan.

The Songhua River has frozen over due to the extreme cold.

The thick ice is even wide enough for vehicles and pedestrians to pass through.

However, it was not a place where the Xuanming aircraft could land.

The potential energy of a high-altitude descent can cause the ice surface to break. Even if the landing is successful, the smooth ice surface can easily cause the wheels to slip, resulting in a failed takeoff.

Therefore, this air transport was changed to a low-altitude airdrop.

Fang Wen issued the order: "Pan Jiafeng, open the anchor cover of the mooring compartment and fire the signal flare."

Upon receiving the order, Pan Jiafeng strode forward, opened the anchor cover of the mooring compartment, and let the cold wind blow in. He endured the cold and launched the missile downwards.

As the trigger was pulled, a signal flare, emitting a flash of light, was launched.

This is a signal flare modified from napalm. After being launched, it will continue to burn in the air, spraying light spots to attract attention.

The flashes of light in the sky successfully attracted the attention of the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces troops lying in ambush along the riverbank. The troop commander immediately gave orders.

"The aid supplies have arrived. Issue instructions immediately."

Immediately afterwards, two rows of fires were lit on both banks of the Songhua River as a guide.

Meanwhile, the anti-Japanese fighters on the riverbank also took out tools that could move on the frozen river and placed them on the ice.

That's a wooden sled that can be pulled around, making it perfect for carrying supplies.

They looked up at the sky and waited.

This was Fang Wen's first time doing an airdrop on ice.

The main problem is whether the personnel inside can adapt to the influx of strong cold air during the airdrop.

He steered the plane to align with the Songhua River and then lowered its altitude.

When the fuselage descends to an altitude of 1000 meters, the engine load increases sharply.

With powerful propellers, the propellers speed up, using kinetic energy to increase buoyancy.

The order was then issued: "Open the rear cargo door and proceed with the airdrop via the rails."

This is yet another renovation design.

A slide rail was added to the rear cabin. The supply boxes were placed on the slide rail and slid out of the airdrop door one by one. As they fell, the parachute switch was snapped, and the parachutes automatically opened in the air.

Pan Jiafeng, who had returned to the rear cabin, led three Red Army pilots to turn the winches on the left and right sides of the cabin, thus opening the airdrop door.

The wind, which was below minus ten degrees Celsius, blew into the cabin, and the four people, even though they were wearing thick winter clothes, couldn't help but feel cold.

But now is not the time to worry about whether it's cold or not; the airdrops have already begun.

Boxes of supplies fell from the slide rails, and four people were busy working behind them.

Three Red Army flight cadets placed the supply box on the slide rail, while Pan Jiafeng was responsible for hanging the thin wire connecting the parachute switch on the upper section of the steel pipe.

With everyone's joint efforts, this not-so-complicated operation continued.

The planes flew along the Songhua River, and white flowers bloomed in the air before finally falling onto the river surface.

These were all aid supplies. The Anti-Japanese Allied Army soldiers happily dragged their sleds across the river, collecting boxes of supplies and placing them on the sleds.

There are so many supplies! Box after box, covering the entire river surface.

That night, the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army was officially established, and these supplies were the greatest celebration.

Half an hour later, the airdrop ended, and all supplies were delivered.

Pan Jiafeng and three Red Army flight cadets quickly closed the drop-off port.

With the winch turning, the drop-out port closed, and the cabin finally regained its warmth.

Pan Jiafeng picked up the in-flight phone and reported, "General Manager, the airdrop is complete. Can we return now?"

Fang Wen recalled the strange Japanese convoy he had seen earlier and replied, "Don't rush, let's go to another place."

He steered the Xuanming ship in the direction of the convoy.

The convoy headed northwest.

Fang Wen flew in the same direction and soon crossed paths with it.

He continued flying along with the convoy and arrived at the convoy's destination.

Even in the dead of night, the place is still brightly lit.

In a state of mechanical perception, Fang Wen saw the scene below from a special airplane perspective.

Judging from the map, that place should be the border.

Today, the Kwantung Army is building a massive fortress.

These fortresses were clearly built to defend against the Soviet Union.

But now that we're not even at the point of full-scale war, why are we building these fortresses ahead of time just for the Japanese?

Could it be because of the time he disguised himself as a Soviet strategic bomber?!

Fang Wen was surprised and prepared to return.

At this moment, chaos erupted below, with alarms blaring and searchlights pointed at the sky.

Under the illumination of more than a dozen searchlights, a beam of light swept across the Xuanming ship, thus revealing its location.

Fang Wen's heart tightened immediately, and he controlled the plane to make a turning and climbing maneuver.

At the same time, several rows of anti-aircraft machine gun bullets shot out from the ground.

The anti-aircraft machine guns, specifically designed to counter aircraft, have a high-altitude range of over 2000 meters, forming a dense web of fire that encircles the Xuanming.

Clearly, the Japanese had taken the two nighttime bombings seriously and deployed sufficient anti-aircraft forces to these important military facilities.

Perhaps they have been waiting for this moment for a long time.

But for Fang Wen, after making a predictive flight adjustment, those bullets could no longer hit him.

Anti-aircraft machine guns are a type of attack that fires from below, intercepting aircraft flying in front and behind, but they are ineffective against climbing aircraft. Fang Wen's turning and climbing maneuver brought the Xuanming to an altitude of over 3000 meters, successfully avoiding the ambush.

After escaping the Japanese trap, Fang Wen prepared to return home.

But considering his disguise, he deliberately flew towards the Soviet Union, then circled back into the country via the border of Chahar Province.

Inside the massive border fortress, two officers were extremely dissatisfied with the operation.

"We failed. We prepared so much to deal with this mysterious Russian bomber, but it still got away."

"Yes, at such a low altitude, it was completely within our firing range, yet we still didn't hit it. Clearly, the Russian bombers are very capable."

"Don't be discouraged, it won't be able to escape next time. After all, we already have radar."

"Yes, radar is a really good thing. We wouldn't have been able to detect anything without it. There will definitely be more of these advanced devices in future wars, so we must be more prepared."

"Yes, but failure is failure, and we both have to take responsibility for it."

"Yes, report this to the military immediately."

After the airdrop in the northeast was completed, Fang Wen piloted the plane back to Yangon.

But they couldn't stay in Yangon any longer; they had to start recruiting for the elite air force.

Therefore, Fang Wen led Pan Jiafeng and three Red Army flight cadets to the Wuhan headquarters of Taishan Aviation.

Upon arriving in Wuhan, Fang Wen's first action after getting off the plane was to go directly to Shao Sishen at the training center.

Upon meeting Shao Sichen, Fang Wen spoke with him privately.

"I need to ask you to give special training to the three flight cadets I brought. They are members of the elite air force I plan to establish."

Shao Sichen asked in surprise, "Elite air force? For combat?"

“Yes, they specialize in fighting the Japanese Air Force. These three are quite capable in all aspects, but they lack basic skills. I hope you and Pan Jiafeng can help them more,” Fang Wen replied.

"No problem. It's a pity my hands and legs are useless, otherwise I would like to participate too." Shao Sichen couldn't help but sigh.

"Among your comrades in the Guangzhou Air Force, is there anyone suitable?" Fang Wen asked.

“It’s been abolished and merged into the National Air Force. They can’t recruit anyone through that route,” Shao Sishen replied.

Yes, how could a military pilot possibly join a civilian airline's fighter jet squadron?

Fang Wen's mind wandered as he pondered where he could find pilots who could be of use to him.

My alma mater, Nanyuan Aviation, has many alumni who, apart from those in administrative positions, fly commercial airliners, so there's a slight difference in their technical skills.

Forget about the Central Aviation Officers School, which was established in Jianqiao, Hangzhou three years ago.

It's difficult. Most of the pilots we can find aren't skilled enough, and those with good skills are highly sought after by various companies.

This is the current situation: China lacks pilot resources.

That's why Fang Wen started mass-producing low-speed seaplanes, which would reduce the requirements for pilots.

However, low-speed pilots alone are not enough to gain air superiority; high-speed pilots who can fight in the air are still needed to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the Japanese Air Force.

Having no clue what to do, he handed the three Red Army flight cadets over to Shao Sishen and prepared to go home.

I've been abroad for several months and haven't seen my wife in a long time. This time I'm coming back, I'm going to stay for a while longer.

(End of this chapter)