Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 138, 137 Slide Rail and Ammunition Loader Pad, Shunchang Machinery Factory, Modification Completed and Airdrop Test Underway.

Modifications to the F.220 have begun.

The three new bomb bays were designed to be installed in the original machine gun compartment.

Because the F.220 is a night bomber, and it was brought back to China and publicized as a transport aircraft, the aircraft machine guns, which were essentially decorative weapons, were removed long ago.

The empty machine gun compartments, located at the nose and tail of the aircraft, were perfectly suited for conversion into bomb bays.

As for how to drop the bombs...

Fang Wen has his own ideas.

He wanted to design a sliding rail system inside the cabin.

When dropping bombs, the bombs are moved horizontally from the ammunition rack onto the slide rails, and then manually pushed to three different dropping ports.

Once the bombs are delivered to the bomb bay, the release switch is pulled, and a whole deck of napalm bombs will be unleashed.

By repeating this process, the bombing operation can be completed quickly.

Therefore, the first modification required cutting open the bottom of the three machine gun compartments of the F.220 and installing mechanical bomb disposal barriers.

The second modification involved installing three rails centered on the ammunition compartment inside the aircraft, along with bomb (airdropped supplies) transport vehicles on these rails.

These two modifications were not enough with just three foreign mechanics.

They couldn't manufacture the mechanical bomb disposal barriers and manual sliding rail equipment that Fang Wen wanted, but they could complete the cutting of the aircraft's bottom and the installation of equipment.

Therefore, Fang Wen needed to find another way to manufacture these two types of equipment.

This is not as simple as repairing the Qingyun. Coppersmiths cannot solve this kind of mechanical equipment problem; we need to find more professional people to help.

Who to look for?
Shanghai had some of the earliest privately-owned machinery factories, which were pioneers in the field of mechanical technology in China during that era.

Fang Wen couldn't go himself, but he sent people to find these machinery factories to place orders.

He then sent Manager Liu on the trip.

North of the old city of Shanghai, there is a river called Suzhou Creek, which flows into the Huangpu River.

The riverbanks are dotted with ferry crossings, and many businesses operate there.

Led by Zhao Jiu, Manager Liu arrived at Chengjiadu, located on Bailinan Road.

Zhao Jiu looked around and said, "The Shunchang Machinery Factory you mentioned should be in this area. It used to be called Shunchang Stone Powder Factory, which specialized in producing machines for grinding stone powder. Later, the Ma family changed its management and transformed the stone powder factory into a machinery factory, specializing in custom-made machines for people."

Manager Liu replied, "Whether we can produce what the general manager wants, we'll know when we get there."

After walking on the street for a while, the two saw a three-story building.

The sign for Shunchang Machinery Factory hangs at the entrance.

They walked over, and the receptionist on the first floor greeted them with a smile.

"Are you two looking to buy the machine, or to place an order?"

"We're ordering the machine, but time is a bit tight. I don't know if you can make it," Manager Liu replied.

"You'll have to ask our factory manager. Please come upstairs with me."

The two went up to the second floor and were taken to the design studio.

Inside the design studio, several people were drawing blueprints. Next to them was a bookshelf filled with books, blueprints, and models, with the words "Shanghai Machine Sample Library" written on the outside.

He's clearly passionate about mechanical design.

The receptionist whispered in one of their ears.

He stopped working and came over to talk.

"Hello, gentlemen. I am the factory manager of Shunchang. You can tell me what your requirements are, and I will let you know if it is possible."

Manager Liu nodded and took out the blueprints.

The drawings were created by Boeing mechanics. Although they couldn't actually build anything from them, their drafting skills were still very professional.

After carefully examining it, Director Ma nodded and said, "The sliding rail car is simple. According to the specifications above, the width is 0.7 meters. The rail can be made of ordinary wrought iron, and the sliding rail car is also a matching set. We have these readily available. Huzhou Changxing Coal Mine ordered a batch of mine sliding rails from us, but they haven't been picked up yet. If you want them, we can modify them according to the design specifications, and then they can be used."

At this point, he picked up another drawing and pointed out the problem.

"There's a problem with the mechanical structure you designed. If it's manually operated, this design is prone to getting stuck. I think it can be modified and a return mechanism can be added."

Manager Liu looked at the telephone in the design studio: "Director Ma, this designer was come up with by my boss. Could you make a call and let my boss talk to you?"

"no problem."

After Factory Manager Ma gave his approval, Manager Liu dialed the general manager's office of Taishan Airlines.

At this moment, Fang Wen was busy in the hangar with three mechanics, sparks flying everywhere.

Unlike a year ago, welding technology has been upgraded.

The technology evolved from metal electrode arc welding to submerged arc welding using welding wire and flux.

This new technology was invented in the United States three years ago. By using flux to protect the molten pool, it greatly improves welding efficiency.

Boeing also began switching to this technology last year, and it was brought to China by two mechanics.

Amid the cacophony of welding noise, someone was shouting.

"General Manager, it's your phone."

It is spring grass.

Fang Wen handed the welding torch to Howard and got up to leave the plane.

He jogged out of the airport, crossed the street, and arrived at his office.

Pick up the phone.

"Hey."

Manager Liu's voice came through the microphone.

"General Manager, Factory Director Ma from Shunchang Machinery Factory has some suggestions for your design. You can discuss them."

"Oh. Let Factory Director Ma answer the phone."

A moment later, a different voice came through the microphone.

"Hello, I've reviewed your drawings. The slide rails are fine; we have ready-made products that can be modified for immediate use. It's just another mechanical pallet. Based on your design, I think some changes can be made to prevent jamming."

The mechanical bomb-dropping barrier was just Fang Wen's initial idea. He was not a mechanical design professional, so he naturally agreed to the other party's suggestion to modify it.

But since it can be changed, let's make it more comprehensive.

He spoke his mind.

"Director Ma, I'd like this equipment to have two functions: one for loading large objects and the other for loading small objects. This design works fine for large objects, but could you offer some suggestions for loading small objects?"

"I need to know how small the item you mentioned is, and how it will be delivered?"

"I want to launch as many oval-shaped objects as possible at once, each about 3 centimeters in diameter."

"For large-scale one-time dispensing, I think it could be designed as a mechanical snap-on system. A snap-on panel could be added to the dispensing tray, with several rows of 3-centimeter diameter snap holes installed on the panel. The dispensing could be completed by manually opening it."

Fang Wen imagined that the thing should be like the cardboard boxes used to hold eggs in the future, capable of holding dozens of napalm bombs at once. By simply pulling the latching device, a large number of napalm bombs could be released at once.

In that case, it would be better to install the napalm bomb directly on the bomb release plate. Each time, the bomb release plate could be transported from the ammunition compartment to the bomb release port via a slide rail, and then the bomb release plate could be installed directly, thus completely eliminating the tedious installation steps before the bomb is dropped.

This idea greatly piqued his interest, and he began discussing it with Factory Director Ma.

The modification of the aircraft bombing system is progressing rapidly.

The slide rails and slide rail carts were transported from the city two days later.

Three foreign mechanics welded these parts into the aircraft using electric welding.

The modification of the bomb ejection port is also somewhat different from the original.

The bomb launch port has a two-layer structure, with a protective tray at the bottom to prevent items above from falling accidentally.

When distributing supplies, place them on the protective tray and then pull the release lever.

Three seconds after the supplies are dropped, the protective tray automatically returns to its original position, ensuring the safety of the bombardier inside the aircraft. There is also a mounting slot for the napalm bomb's loading tray.

Install the ammunition tray onto the slot, and the hook device on the slot will connect with the latching device on the ammunition tray.

At that time, pulling the lever again will not only open the bottom protective tray, but also unlock the ammunition tray, releasing the 6x6 napalm bombs on the ammunition tray all at once.

Because the Xiangxi factory has not yet been built, there are currently no standard napalm bomb samples available for the production of the bomb carrier plate.

Fang Wen could only make 10 ammunition trays based on the specifications of a tin wine pot for trial use.

At the same time, a batch of tin wine jugs were purchased and filled with mud for future use.

Meanwhile, all the daily necessities that Kuang Mingzhu had purchased had arrived, weighing approximately 3 tons.

All items are cotton textiles, food, daily necessities, and insect repellent, which are easy to airdrop and will not be damaged even if there is a slight impact.

These things can't just be dropped from the sky; they must be equipped with airdrop parachutes.

To test the effectiveness of the F.220 airdrop, Fang Wen prepared a batch of supplies with parachutes and 10 trays of simulated aerial napalm bombs to begin the airdrop test.

The airdrop location was chosen to be Jiaxing, the usual spot, and the time was at night, which was perfect for testing the effectiveness of nighttime airdrops.

The personnel on the plane were arranged according to the formal nighttime strategic bombing mission.

The driver was Fang Wen, and the co-driver was Pan Jiafeng.

Six bombardiers: three bomb loading and unloading personnel, and three bombardiers assigned to the three napalm bomb pods.

This is the most efficient way.

They are: Howard, Manager Liu, Pan Jiafeng, Shao Sishen, William, and Kuang Mingzhu.

Because some staff members were unavailable, even wives joined in for this deployment test.

Even Shao Sishen, who has difficulty moving his hands and feet, and Pan Jiafeng, the co-pilot, had to participate.

Therefore, the task of being a ground inspector had to be performed by his father, who was in Jiaxing.

12pm late at night.

The airport runway lights came on.

The F.220 drove out of the hangar, accelerated, and took off into the sky.

Facing the faint starlight in the night sky, Pan Jiafeng couldn't help but feel nervous.

“Master, without you, I’m afraid I would have lost my way and ended up at sea without even knowing it. Flying at night is really too dangerous.”

Thinking about the rapid technological changes in the future, Fang Wen comforted him, saying, "Once the war ends and technology advances, the problem of nighttime flight will be solved."

"Really? When will the war end?" Pan Jiafeng longed for it, yet dared not believe that such a beautiful thing could come true. After all, China had been in chaos for decades, and now the Japanese were adding fuel to the fire.

The two then fell silent and focused on piloting the plane.

Meanwhile, the five people inside the cabin were making tense preparations.

It's not far from Shanghai Airport to the outskirts of Jiaxing; we arrived in no time.

On the outskirts of Jiaxing, in a wasteland where napalm bombs were tested.

Master Fang arrived again with his men.

This time, he didn't bring his two sons, but a group of trusted rice merchants.

Just like last time, they marked out an area 200 meters long and 100 meters wide in the wasteland and placed torches along the edges.

After checking his pocket watch and confirming the time, Master Fang gave the order.

"ignition."

Fang Wen, in a state of mechanical perception, piloted the behemoth F.220, circling in the sky.

As it continuously absorbs mysterious energy, its mechanical senses are also constantly enhanced.

From struggling as a biplane at the beginning, to completing aerial tactical maneuvers in the Shrike, and now piloting a strategic bomber.

He is making continuous progress.

Now, transformed into a gigantic night owl, he soars and overlooks the earth.

The rectangular firelight on the ground was fully visible.

He controlled the f.220 to approach, constantly adjusting the angle.

At the same time, instructions were issued.

"All bombardiers, prepare and await instructions."

Pan Jiafeng responded and quickly left the cockpit, heading into the cabin.

He, along with William and Howard, were strong and healthy, and served as rail-loading transport workers.

Kuang Mingzhu, Shao Sishen, and Manager Liu acted as bomb throwers.

For safety, the three bombardiers were also secured with safety ropes to prevent accidents.

He, William, and Howard packed the first batch of supplies, ready to go at any time.

After a while, Fang Wen issued the order.

"Prepare to drop bombs."

The three men immediately pushed the supplies on the slide rails to the three bomb chute unloaded, and then ran back to load the next batch of supplies to wait.

Kuang Mingzhu, Shao Sishen, and Manager Liu placed the supplies on the safety pallet and waited.

"Deploy".

Under Fang Wen's command, Kuang Mingzhu, Shao Sishen, and Manager Liu pulled the lever, and the safety panel opened.

Supplies with parachutes landed on the ground, and the parachutes opened in mid-air.

At the same time, strong winds rushed in from the bomb bay, forcing the three bombardiers to retreat.

But the situation quickly ended, and the safety tray returned to its original position.

The first airdrop has ended, and we need to wait for the next aircraft to arrive at the drop point before continuing.

Under Fang Wen's command, batches of supplies were repeatedly dropped, completing this airdrop experiment.

Experiments with air-dropped bombs have not yet begun.

Following the same procedure, Pan Jiafeng, William, and Howard each transported three bomb trays to the bomb release port.

Kuang Mingzhu, Shao Sishen, and Manager Liu carefully inserted the ammunition tray into the slot.

Subsequently, under Fang Wen's command to drop the bomb, they pulled the lever to activate it.

Simulated bombs poured down from the bomb rack.

This process was repeated three times, completing the bombing test.

We can return now, but we won't know the result until tomorrow.

Nothing fell from the sky anymore, and Master Fang and the rice merchants walked out of the shack.

Master Fang instructed, "Go and check where they all fell. Remember not to move them yet, just note their locations, whether they are inside or outside the circle, and approximately how far away they are."

The shop assistants and managers dispersed, carrying torches, and began the search.

They not only need to find the location, but also to count the numbers.

The larger supplies with parachutes were easy to find, but the troublesome ones were the tin wine jugs.

After the nighttime airdrop ended, it wasn't until the afternoon of the following day that people from Jiaxing were sent over.

The man was taken to the general manager's office and told Fang Wen about the situation.

"Third Young Master, we've found everything that was airdropped last night. We've drawn a map and marked it all. Take a look."

(End of this chapter)