Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 142, page 141: Al Capone, arms deal completed, Fang Wen's dedicated radar modified.

Fang Wen sized up the foreigner.

A dark suit, black leather shoes, and a simple tie.

His formal attire was quite ordinary, yet he didn't resemble a businessman. The indifference that inadvertently emanated from his eyes reminded Fang Wen of Chief Wang and Zhao Jiu.

The ring on her right hand has a capital letter "M" on it.

Fang Wen asked in English, "Hello, I'd like to know your identity."

The foreigner introduced himself: "On behalf of Mr. Al Capone, I extend my greetings to you. In this mysterious East, we want to establish a new market and hope that we can become long-term partners."

Al Capone? That name sounds familiar.

Fang Wen replied calmly, "I don't know Al Capone."

"I'm sorry, my communication skills are terrible. Please allow me to reintroduce myself. I come from the biggest gang in Chicago, and Al Capone is my boss. He's currently in a Chicago jail, but that doesn't stop him from directing us to expand our business globally."

Understood.

The man in front of me is a member of the Chicago Mafia.

Fang Wen also realized who Al Capone was.

The infamous Scarface Al Capone, who once dominated the future online society, was described as the most ruthless criminal of the 1920s.

It's not surprising that the Mafia deals in arms.

Fang Wen did not continue the conversation, but instead walked towards the open long wooden boxes.

There were rifles, pistols, and two different types of spherical grenades inside.

In the other open suitcase, there was a submachine gun, a disc-shaped drum magazine, and two regular magazines.

This arms display was very comprehensive.

What Fang Wen needs to do now is to select suitable pistols, rifles, and grenades. As for other military equipment procurement, Sun Debiao can follow up on that later.

The first weapon tested was a rifle: the M1891 Mosin-Nagant rifle.

With bayonets, it is 1.7 meters long.

1.3 meters without bayonet.

The gun's structure is quite simple.

Fang Wen remembered a saying: Never point a gun at your own people, and never touch the trigger before firing.

He took the gun, pointed it upwards, and examined it carefully.

Zhao Jiu, an old hand at guns, explained it skillfully.

"First, move the bolt to the left, then pull it back all the way to check if there is ammunition in the chamber and magazine."

"At this point, pulling the bolt will pull the bolt out from the rear of the receiver."

"There is a small base plate catch at the bottom of the fixed magazine. Move the catch backward and then pull down the magazine base plate."

"Finally, the bottom plate of the magazine is removed, and the follower plate and spring are compressed, which allows the internal components of the magazine to be disassembled."

Under Zhao Jiu's guidance, Fang Wen disassembled the spear.

This also allowed us to learn about the simple structure of the M1891 Mosin-Nagant rifle.

Next comes rifle maintenance.

Clean the chamber, magazine, and all components to remove dirt and grease. Wipe the gun body with a clean cloth or cotton yarn to keep it dry and clean. Inspect and clean parts such as the firing pin and springs to ensure they are functioning properly.

Subsequently, under Zhao Jiu's guidance, he reassembled the spear.

After assembling the bolt carrier, there is one more step to take.

Before ensuring the firing pin is not affected by the firing pin spring, use a maintenance tool to measure the firing pin extension.

The repair tool has two notches marked 75 and 95, corresponding to 0.75 inches and 0.95 inches respectively.

The firing pin extension should be more than 0.75 inches and less than 0.95 inches.

If the firing pin extension is insufficient, use a repair tool or a flathead screwdriver to adjust the bolt at the rear of the bolt by rotating it.

After completing these tasks, Fang Wen gained a certain understanding of the disassembly, assembly, and maintenance of this type of rifle.

To be honest, it's not complicated, or rather, it's very simple.

Next was the test firing.

He loaded the ammunition into the magazine, making sure the ammunition was neatly arranged and correctly positioned.

Close the magazine well and aim the gun.

There are two methods for aiming while standing.

It is held up with both hands, but it is unstable and the gun head is easy to shake.

Using your right arm to hold the gun and your left hand to aim provides slightly better stability.

But no matter how you aim and shoot from a standing position, it can't compare to shooting from a bunker.

The proper way to use this gun is to first find a concealed location, then quietly search for the target from a distance, and deliver a fatal blow before the target notices you.

After testing the first spear, Fang Wen did not make a decision.

Instead, he picked up the second one.

M1903 Springfield rifle.

The previous one was Soviet-made, this one is American-made.

The two weapons represent completely different design philosophies.

Soviet-made products are characterized by their ruggedness and emphasis on simplicity and practicality.

American-made products prioritize precision.

This is precisely why the M1903 Springfield rifle has so many parts. Zhao Jiu said, "Let's not disassemble this rifle. I'm afraid I won't be able to put it back together."

Fang Wen nodded, skipping the disassembly process, and began testing the gun.

After testing both types of spears, Manager Liu, Fang Shouxin, and Sun Debiao also tested their spears.

Fang Wen discussed it with them.

"I think both guns are good. What do you guys think?"

Manager Liu said, "I have no objection. As for guns, I can't say whether they are good or bad."

Fang Shouxin thought for a moment and replied, "It seems the M1903 Springfield rifle is a bit more accurate."

Sun Debiao, however, had a different opinion: "Both guns are similar, but if I had to choose, I would definitely choose the M1891 Mosin-Nagant rifle. That gun is simple, and you can fix it yourself if there are any minor problems. It's especially durable in field operations. If the M1903 Springfield rifle breaks down, it's probably more troublesome than the M1891 Mosin-Nagant rifle."

Sun Debiao's judgment from a military perspective led Fang Wen to make the decision that the Taishan Aviation Security Force would use the M1891 Mosin-Nagant rifle.

As for handguns, there's only one type.

The Luger P08 pistol is a 9mm semi-automatic pistol that was standard issue for officers in the Weimar Republic and was produced in large quantities.

Strangely, it was neglected in China, being the only German-made weapon in stock.

After testing it out, Fang Wen felt there were no problems, so he ordered the pistol.

Next, there's the infantry's required weapon belt. It has a row of ammunition pouches, each holding 15 rifle rounds.

Fang Wen felt that this thing was not quite right.

A weapon belt can't just be filled with bullets; one or two grenades are essential, along with other flexible items such as rations.

He decided to go back and have Sun Debiao find a garment factory to remake it according to this idea.

Once we got here, the only things left to try were grenades and submachine guns.

There are two types of grenades, and they look almost the same.

Zhao Jiu explained, "These are British Mills grenades. One detonates a large area. One is a No. 5, and the other is a No. 23. They were both decommissioned ten years ago and were brought here to be sold. They're great in every way, but the price is a bit high. Those who buy arms are unwilling to buy them once they hear that one grenade costs 150 rounds of ammunition."

Guns have their advantages, and grenades have theirs, especially fragmentation grenades, which are best suited for security forces to deal with invading bandits.

Fang Wen decided to test its power.

He took a rubber mat from the back seat of the car and placed it at the bottom of the small slope.

Then Zhao Jiu demonstrated.

Zhao Jiu carefully pulled the pin and quickly threw it. Ten seconds later, grenade number 5 exploded.

The effect was good; the shrapnel that had been blown away embedded itself in the rubber pad.

Then came the test on the 23rd, where this model was even more powerful.

There is also a threaded opening under the bottom cover, which is probably used to screw in a long handle to turn it into a wooden-handled grenade.

Comparatively, Fang Wen felt that No. 23 was more suitable. As long as a screw of the corresponding model was made and inserted, and a wooden handle was attached to the other end, it would be more suitable for the throwing habits of Eastern soldiers.

He chose Mills grenade number 23.

After making all those choices, only the Chicago typewriter remained.

Fang Wen picked up the thing.

In actual use, it's quite heavy.

It weighs about 5 kilograms, which is heavier than the two spears we tried before.

It is less than one meter long.

The gangster arms dealer came over and explained: "The M1921 submachine gun uses .45 caliber bullets and has two feeding systems, which can be selected from a 20-round standard magazine or a 50-round large drum magazine."

"Can the two feeding modes be switched at any time?" Fang Wen asked.

The other party shook his head: "These two feeding modes are achieved by replacing the entire feeding device. In combat, if a soldier needs to change the feeding mode, he must stop firing, remove the current feeding device (magazine or drum magazine), and then install the other feeding device."

"Give me a drum."

At Fang Wen's request, the gangster arms dealer demonstrated how to install the drum magazine into the feed port. In reality, both the magazine and the drum magazine are installed in the same feed position.

After loading the ammunition, select the firing mode using the fire selector switch: single shot or burst fire.

Fang Wen selected burst fire, then activated the safety device and aimed.

Pull the trigger.

The bullets in the drum magazine were fired as if they were free.

With a rate of fire of 800 rounds per minute, a 50-round drum magazine is emptied in less than 10 seconds.

The wooden target in front was riddled with holes, the effect was truly astonishing.

Sun Debiao sighed, "Only the rich can afford this gun. General Manager, if you equip the security team with this kind of weapon, our company will starve."

Fang Wen nodded in agreement, saying that while it was enjoyable, it was really too expensive.

Only gangsters can afford to use this; wiping out all their rivals and seizing territory is worth it.

Although he didn't want to buy it, Fang Wen was very interested in Al Capone.

His interest stemmed from the fact that he remembered the V-1710 engine that he had asked Neil to get back to the United States.

Such an important engine might be unattainable for Neil, but it might be for a Mafia figure like Al Capone.

Therefore, this relationship must be maintained.

He looked at the man and smiled, “If Mr. Al Capone wants to open up new markets in the Far East, I don’t think arms are the best way. We can have more cooperation.”

The other party seemed interested: "Mr. Fang, what do you want to say?"

“I have a big business deal to discuss with him, but not now.”

Fang Wen meant that he was willing to have more business cooperation with Al Capone, but he was unwilling to say what the specifics would be, as the man in front of him was not qualified enough.

The other party did not feel offended. "I will report this to Mr. Al Capone. I hope your big business is really big."

“It’s definitely huge.”

After inspecting the guns, Fang Wen talked with Zhao Jiu for a while and finalized the weapons they needed to purchase.

The two agreed that Zhao Jiu would act as an intermediary, responsible for transporting the goods to the airport, where the transaction would be completed and the money and goods settled.

Afterwards, everyone got on the bus and returned.

Two days later, the weapons arrived, and Fang Wen drove an F.220 at night to transport them to Xiangxi Airport.

He then returned to Shanghai and sailed the Shrike to Beiping.

After landing at Qinghe Airport in Beiping, I borrowed a senior's car and drove to Huaqing Garden, which wasn't far away.

As the car entered Tsinghua University, Fang Wen recalled his last visit and drove to the Physics Department.

He parked his car and went straight upstairs to the teachers' office.

There, the professor who had previously received Fang Wen immediately stood up to greet him.

"Isn't this General Manager Fang from Taishan Airlines? You've come all this way to inspect the radar project, haven't you?"

"Yes. How is the project progressing?" Fang Wen asked.

"Come with me, let's talk in the lab."

The professor led Fang Wen to a laboratory specifically built for the development of radar.

There, two professors were conducting an experiment with their students.

They plugged the device into a power source.

The antenna on the device began to rotate.

The students next to him listened attentively into the microphone.

"There's an echo signal."

They attempted to perform calculations based on the feedback time of the reward signals.

And determine the location.

This is a complex calculation process, and even if you apply a pre-designed formula, you can't get the result immediately.

Furthermore, the feedback time is not very accurate.

In short, there is still a long way to go before radar can achieve the same level of performance as it did during World War II.

The two professors looked embarrassed when they learned that the general manager of Taishan Airlines was coming to inspect.

And explained:

"We need to optimize the process and purchase more advanced time measurement equipment to obtain more accurate results."

They thought the sponsor would be very unhappy about this.

Unexpectedly, Fang Wen agreed immediately.

"Sure, you can submit your expenses to Manager Liu, and he will release the funds to you after approval. I'm here today to inquire about something else. Have you completed the continuous radio wave transmitting and receiving device?"

Upon hearing this, the two professors immediately launched into a long and detailed presentation of their findings.

"The transmitting and receiving devices are not difficult to make. This is our transmitter, which consists of an oscillator, an amplifier, and an antenna. The oscillator generates a periodic electrical signal, that is, an oscillating current. The amplifier amplifies the electrical signal generated by the oscillator, increasing the transmission power of the electromagnetic wave. Then the amplified electrical signal is converted into an electromagnetic wave and transmitted into space through the antenna."

"As for the signal receiver, it consists of three parts: an antenna, an amplifier, and a tuner. The antenna is used to receive electromagnetic waves propagating in space and convert them into electrical signals. The amplifier amplifies the weak electrical signals received for subsequent processing. The tuner selectively receives electromagnetic waves of specific frequencies and filters out interference signals of other frequencies."

Fang Wen understood the professors' explanations; in fact, he had been using these two devices for a long time.

It's just a telegraph machine!
But what he came to do this time wasn't a telegraph machine.

He asked, "I want a device that specifically emits radio waves at a particular frequency, continuously generating the effect of radio wave transmission. And I also need a specific frequency receiver to specifically receive the reflected echo of this signal."

The professors nodded without hesitation: "Sure."

Fang Wen continued, "I have other requirements. The specific frequency receiver must be high-powered to extend the reception range. The specific frequency radio wave transmitter must be miniaturized, preferably less than one meter in length, weighing no more than 30 kilograms, and able to be powered by a hand-cranked generator."

As he spoke, he simply drew a blueprint on the paper.

A specific frequency radio wave transmitter is like a gun, with a radar-like structure at the front, a semi-circular cross-section, which acts as an antenna.

It is connected to other equipment and a hand-cranked generator.

The professors listened attentively to Fang Wen's words and took careful notes.

What he wants can be made.

As for whether it will achieve the effect Fang Wen wanted after it is made.

Then we'd have to install it on the plane and conduct a rehearsal with Sun Debiao to see if it's effective.

(End of this chapter)