Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 296: 295 Nationalist Army pilots seek advice on the Hawk III and Type 95, personally visiting Zhoujiakou Airport.

The pilot of Hawk III observed the situation at Jinan Airport with great interest.

My gaze lingered over this civilian airport, searching for the Taishan Escort Team aircraft that had become famous in the domestic aviation industry.

I heard that it's the best fighter jet in the country, and even Europe and America are only just launching their cutting-edge fighter jets.

A whooshing sound came from behind; two Il-16s had landed.

His eyes shone even brighter.

At this moment, Fang Wen walked over to welcome the Nationalist pilot.

"Hello, this is Fang Wen. I received a notification from the local military saying that an Air Force plane is going to land at our airport, but no other details were provided. Could you please tell me?"

The Nationalist pilot looked away and replied, "Lieutenant Lü Pengtao, a member of the 4th Air Group of the Nationalist Air Force and formerly of the Central Air Force at Jianqiao Airport, has been ordered to come to discuss matters related to assisting in the North China campaign."

After explaining his identity and purpose, Fang Wen greeted the air force visitor with a broad smile.

"Let's go inside and talk."

"Um, could I take a look at your fighter jets first? As a fellow soldier, I was asked by my comrades before I came here to make sure they could see them properly."

As fellow professionals, it's natural to want to see the whole picture when you see a better aircraft, which Fang Wen can understand.

He led Lü Pengtao to the military aircraft parking area on the other side of the runway.

The two planes that just landed have also entered this area.

Led by Fang Wen, Lü Pengtao looked at these latest fighter jets from around the world.

And Fang Wen explained.

After listening, Lü Pengtao couldn't help but exclaim, "Monoflots are the future—more agile and faster. With such superior performance, combined with your superb skills, it's no wonder they've achieved such results."

There was a hint of envy in Lü Pengtao's voice.

He was also very curious about how Fang Wen had obtained these planes.

Fang Wen didn't say anything about this. Some things are better left unsaid; he wouldn't publicize them himself.

However, the paint scheme on the fighter jets cannot be concealed.

The merits of several fighter planes on the Shrew, the collective shooting down of other Il-16s, and the merit insignia painted on the back of their Il-16s by Qi Baoqian and Du Jiahuai after shooting down an enemy plane individually.

These are real aerial achievements.

Unaware of the reason but with some guesses, Lü Pengtao looked at the graffiti, hesitant to speak.

At this point, the tour of the fighter jets came to an end, and Fang Wen led Lü Pengtao into the airport's temporary command center.

There, Lü Pengtao, with a serious expression, explained the situation.

"The superior's operational strategy is to establish two temporary air combat formations, the Tianjin Detachment and the Nanyuan Detachment. They are required to cover the ground forces in North China, respond to the Japanese offensive in the Pingjin area, carry out bombing raids on Japanese forces in Tianjin, Fengtai, Shanhaiguan, Jinzhou and other places, and assist the army in recapturing Pingjin."

After a pause, Lü Pengtao continued:

"We are from the Fourth Battalion, belonging to the Tianjin Detachment. Our target is the enemy forces in the Tianjin direction. We heard that your unit participated in the battle against the Japanese army, so we came to find out the situation."

Fang Wen nodded and walked towards the large table in the temporary command post.

On the table is an enlarged map of North China.

He used an airplane prop to simulate the battle that day on a map.

"At that time, my escort squadron received a request for assistance from the 29th Army and immediately organized takeoffs to intercept Japanese warplanes in Wanping and Langfang. The enemy aircraft were Type 95 fighters, and three of them were shot down by our side during the battle. The Japanese warplanes that came later began to return to base under our interception. After that, no enemy aircraft attacked, and our escort squadron's operation changed from air interception to ground harassment."

Lü Pengtao took out his notebook, took careful notes, and asked:
Why did the Japanese planes not continue to attack afterward?

"I estimate that the enemy planes that attacked at the time were from the Kwantung Army Air Force flying over the Northeast Japanese Theater. Perhaps their flight range was too long and not suitable for intense combat, so they gave up on their own initiative. But as far as I know, Tianjin is now in danger. The Japanese army has already transferred its warplanes to Tianjin for assembly. If they use Tianjin as a springboard to launch their next offensive, the frequency of air raids will be even higher, and the threat to our army will be even greater," Fang Wen replied.

"They moved the plane to Tianjin?" Lu Pengtao asked in surprise. He was unaware of this military intelligence, but the owner of a civil aviation company already knew about it.

After recording this important information, Lü Pengtao continued to ask questions.

"One of the important purposes of my visit is to ask you about your views on the comparison between the Hawk II and Hawk III fighters and the Type 95 fighter."

This is a very important question, and Fang Wen's answer will provide them with valuable combat experience.

Fang Wen pondered for a moment and replied, "The Hawk II and Hawk III appeared earlier than the Type 95. The Type 95 only entered service with the Japanese army last year. Comparing the two models, at an altitude of 3000 meters, the Type 95 can reach a speed of 400 kilometers per hour, while I heard that the Hawk III only has a speed of over 300 kilometers per hour. It is inferior to the Hawk III in this respect."

Lü Pengtao quickly added, "It's 360 kilometers per hour."

Fang Wen nodded and continued, "Although the speed difference is slight, there isn't much difference in other performance aspects. I've encountered Hawk II fighters in Thailand and fought against Type 95 fighters in North China. In my opinion, the difference between the two models isn't just about speed. I have a small suggestion; you can write it down and tell others about it when you get back."

In order to fight against the Japanese, Fang Wen shared his experience and skills in fighting biplanes without reservation.

Whether it was the Spanish Civil War or the air battles over Beiping in North China, the biplanes of the opposing forces all had the same weakness.

That's its wing.

While biplanes can increase lift by about 20% compared to monoplanes, their double-wing design also introduces greater drag.

If the aircraft changes direction or encounters a turbulent environment, the support structure between the upper and lower wings will greatly increase the aircraft's drag area, making it slower to maneuver.

This is also why future aircraft wings are getting smaller.

Therefore, the best way to deal with the Type 95 biplane is to engage in a dogfight.

In other words, instead of engaging Japanese aircraft head-on from the start, they would launch a pincer attack from the flanks and rear, making it difficult for the Japanese aircraft to respond.

This valuable practical experience is more useful than techniques, and if used properly, it will definitely bring about remarkable results.

Lu Pengtao expressed his sincere gratitude and then explained the last reason for his visit.

"I am here today to invite you to join my Tianjin detachment in operations. In future air battles, a large number of fighter jets will be deployed. With only seven fighter jets, you will not be able to face a large number of enemy aircraft. Our idea is that you, as the external support group of the Tianjin detachment, will communicate by telegram during operations and then launch attacks together."

Fang Wen was tempted by this request.

He could accept it as long as it didn't involve leading a team to the Nationalist army's airport to coordinate operations.

To this end, he confirmed, "You mean, our air force is still in Jinan, just coordinating operations?"

“Yes. If you agree, you need to come with me to discuss the specifics of the cooperation so that we can work together more effectively in the future,” Lü Pengtao replied.

Fang Wen did not answer immediately.

Instead, he explained the situation to the people at Jinan Airport.

He ordered Wu Yingzong to take full control of airport security, while the air force personnel were to maintain a combat posture and be ready to respond to any possible air attacks.

After explaining all this, Fang Wen finally agreed to go with Lü Pengtao.

He then took off in his Shrike. The two planes flew side by side in the air, and Fang Wen consciously reduced his speed so as not to overtake Lü Pengtao's Hawk III.

The plane flew southwest for 400 kilometers before entering Henan province.

Fang Wen looked at the map and realized it should be near a county in ZK City.

There is a new airport below, and the airport is very busy inside and out, with cars coming and going.

Lu Pengtao waved from inside the cabin, signaling that he would land first.

After waiting for ten minutes, Fang Wen also lowered the altitude and landed at the airport.

The plane slowed down and came to a stop, and a group of people walked over to watch the Shrike.

What kind of plane is this?

"I heard it's the latest model from the US, a monoplane."

"The future belongs to monoplanes, and we need to switch to them too."

While they were discussing, the ground crew pushed the boarding ladder over, and Fang Wen climbed down the ladder to get off the plane.

He was facing a group of unfamiliar air force officers and didn't know what to say.

Fortunately, Lü Pengtao came to the rescue.

"Please don't crowd around, everyone. Let me introduce you. This is Fang Wen, the general manager of Taishan Airlines. We are vigorously developing the aviation industry both domestically and internationally, and we also own our own airport."

This introduction made the pilots even more enthusiastic.

Someone then asked about the design and manufacturing process of the Shuiyun-1 aircraft.

Fang Wen said tactfully, "This is a bit complicated and can't be explained in a short time. Simply put, manufacturing an aircraft is a large-scale mechanical manufacturing project that requires a large number of skilled technical workers, as well as engineers who keep abreast of the project's progress and follow up continuously. It also involves various aspects of material procurement and processing. The Shuiyun-1 aircraft was manufactured as a result of the joint efforts of hundreds of technical workers and engineering teams."

His answer, however, took the pilots by surprise.

The Shuiyun-1 is actually an aircraft produced by Taishan Airlines.

They thought the parts were sourced from overseas and assembled in a factory in South Asia, just like the Hawk III, which had kits shipped from the United States and assembled in a factory in Hangzhou.

Taishan Airlines can actually build its own airplanes!
That was completely unexpected.

The pilots' conversation with Fang Wen became even more enthusiastic.

That's not good. They've been talking nonstop since they landed.

Lu Pengtao quickly came to the rescue, "The captain wants to see him. General Manager Fang is here today. You can talk to him later."

Only then did he lead Fang Wen away from the parking area beside the runway and head towards the camp.

At the camp, a flurry of activity was underway, with officers, soldiers, and workers busy unloading large quantities of supplies from trucks.

It appears that this airport has just started operating.

Fang Wen followed Lü Pengtao through the construction site-like unloading area and arrived at an office building, entering an office on the second floor.

Lu Pengtao pushed open the door and entered, reporting, "Captain Gao, General Manager Fang Wen of Taishan Airlines has arrived. He has approved your collaborative operation plan."

The young officer, who was writing at his desk, stopped writing, stood up, and warmly shook Fang Wen's hand.

"Welcome, General Manager Fang. Your squadron's achievements are widely known in the Air Force. It is an honor for our Fourth Squadron to be able to fight alongside the Taishan Escort Team."

Fang Wen's achievement of shooting down three enemy aircraft in his first battle in the North China Theater earned him recognition from his peers.

Fang Wen was impressed by this young officer's attitude.

The other party was not arrogant at all, spoke sincerely, and was a rare pragmatist in the National Army.

He inquired, "May I ask Captain Gao's name?"

"My life's ambition is aviation, so I changed my name to Zhihang (志航)."

"A good name." After exchanging pleasantries, Fang Wen began a formal conversation.

Captain Gao explained the planned coordination scheme. "Here's what I'm thinking: we'll set up a single-line telegram communication frequency. Once there's a combat plan, we'll notify you in advance, but we can't guarantee there won't be any unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, you'll need to assign a resident telegraph operator to prevent any missed or incorrect telegrams."

“That’s no problem. I have three telegraph operators on my end who can take turns on duty,” Fang Wen replied.

"That's good. Now let's talk about joint operations. Since neither of us has conducted formation training, in order to avoid confusion during operations, we will not require you to conduct mixed operations with us, but we will conduct coordinated attacks. For example, if we plan to bomb a Japanese stronghold in North China, we will require you to be responsible for bombing one of the locations on your own."

How are aerial bombs loaded?

"We need you to fly to Zhoujiakou Airport to carry out bomb loading operations. You can come in advance to complete the bomb loading in order to prepare for future air raids."

This is a good arrangement; the aerial bombs of the Taishan escort team will now have a place to go.

Fang Wen and Captain Gao discussed many details of the coordinated operation.

Both men were in charge of managing the air force and were familiar with many aspects of the situation, so they each raised some detailed questions.

Once these issues were resolved, the cooperation between the two parties was formally established.

After the conversation, Fang Wen and Captain Gao made their agreement.

By then, it was already 8 p.m.

The two then realized that they hadn't eaten yet.

Then, Captain Gao took Fang Wen to the airport cafeteria and had the chef cook a few dishes.

The two sat on a large wooden table in the cafeteria, waiting.

Fang Wen asked about the situation here: "Is this the new airport?"

Captain Gao took the opportunity to kill time while waiting for the food: "Yes. This is Shangshui County, Henan Province, and Zhoujiakou Airport. It's a military airport that was only built three years ago. It's located in the heart of the Central Plains. You can go north to North China and south to Nanjing and Shanghai. We are the first batch. The ground crew hasn't all arrived yet. It will be at least August before we are all here."

"August? What about the air support for North China during this period?" Fang Wen asked in surprise. He originally thought that the National Air Force would immediately launch air support for North China, but he did not expect that it would have to wait until August.

At that time, it is estimated that the Japanese had almost conquered many parts of North China and then moved south.

In response, Captain Gao said helplessly, "I'm not like you. The whole company is yours. You have a large business and can make your own decisions. For air combat, ground support supplies are needed. They will be transported by train, which is troublesome and will take a lot of time."

Is this the reason?
Fang Wen didn't think so; he could see that this was a result of the corruption and inefficiency of the Nationalist government.

If it were him, he could easily send out the Taishan-1 transport plane to deliver several tons of aerial bombs, making two or three trips a day.

But after he brought it up, Captain Gao was not happy. Clearly, he had no say in the matter.

But he was unwilling to waste this precious opportunity for combat. "I'll talk to the logistics department. If they agree, I'll trouble General Manager Fang to send your large transport plane to deliver ammunition and supplies."

(End of this chapter)