Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 248-247 First-generation fuzzy radar early warning, naval machine gun bombardment, Japanese A5M96 carrier-based fighter jet
The Xuanming seaplane flies in the sky.

The passengers were still excited, looking out the window at the sea view below, some even taking pictures with their cameras.

Wu Yingzong and Zhao Wanping didn't rest either.

Each of them was responsible for one cabin. The front cabin had eight male sleeper berths, while the middle cabin had female sleeper berths. The couple were positioned in the front and middle cabins respectively.

They also have to deal with passengers asking about their current location from time to time.

Determining the aircraft's position over the sea is a crucial task. Wu Yingzong would use a sextant in the observation room in front of the cabin to locate the position, and then report it to Fang Wen via the in-flight landline.

The latitude and longitude information measured by these sextants will greatly assist Fang Wen's flight.

Inside the cockpit behind the massive wings, Fang Wen finished receiving Wu Yingzong's call and corrected the markings on the map.

We have now reached the central part of the East China Sea, with the Dongsha Islands below and Taiwan to the northeast.

Fang Wen chose to take off from Guangzhou for safety reasons, as half of the South China Sea is outside the influence of the Japanese Navy.

But the situation east of Dongsha is less certain.

After all, Taiwan has been under Japanese control ever since the Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed during the Qing Dynasty.

From 1895 to 1935, 40 years had passed; the area had been managed by the Japanese for 40 years.

It will only return to China after Japan surrenders.

Taiwan is now an important Japanese naval base, and even Pan Am's trans-Pacific routes avoid it to prevent danger.

Fang Wen is in the same boat, and may even be more likely to be attacked by the Japanese Navy.

Therefore, he chose to take a roundabout flight, turning the plane and flying south.

Meanwhile, Wu Yingzong was also making a broadcast inside the cabin.

"Passengers, to avoid harassment from the Japanese Navy, this flight has deviated from its course and entered the airspace of the U.S. Philippines. We will resume our normal route after that."

The passengers were understanding and did not react abnormally.

Fang Wen, observing the situation inside the cabin through mechanical senses, felt a little disappointed.

He didn't notice anything unusual, so he couldn't determine whether there were any Japanese spies among the passengers.

The aircraft's temporary change of course had a positive effect; the naval vessels that intercepted it from the Taiwan base did not find any trace of the Xuanming along its original route.

The Japanese Navy, of course, would not give up.

Several carrier-based aircraft formations took off and searched in different directions.

As Fang Wen flew south, he turned on an electronic device on the right side of the instrument panel that the PBY seaplane did not have.

This device is unique among all aircraft in the world, and it was used for the first time by the Xuanming.

'First-generation fuzzy radar'

It's called fuzzy radar because the research team at Tsinghua University hasn't yet figured out the radar's positioning function.

However, it can already produce an early warning effect.

Any aircraft appearing within a 300-kilometer radius will encounter radio waves and generate reflected waves, thus being detected by fuzzy radar.

Therefore, the Japanese Navy's carrier-based aircraft were detected and given an early warning before they even encountered the aircraft.

The buzzing warning sound came out, and Fang Wen immediately went into wartime mode.

He picked up the in-flight landline and told Wu Yingzong, "We may encounter Japanese naval aircraft within an hour. Enter wartime immediately."

Upon receiving the order, Wu Yingzong immediately went to the middle cabin to inform Zhao Wanping.

The two immediately took action and opened the sealed door leading to the rear cabin.

They went into the rear cabin and began dressing the aircraft machine gunners.

Bulletproof apron, heat-resistant gloves, thick woolen trousers, and windproof goggles.

These are all essential pieces of equipment; otherwise, it would be impossible to fire continuously and normally when firing 12.7mm M2 machine gun rounds.

After putting on their gear, the two men stood on either side of the mobile machine gun position and loaded the entire box of 12.7mm ammunition belts.

Then came the silent waiting.

They need to be ready to fire immediately the moment Fang Wen gives the firing order in order to ensure accuracy.

(Manual firing position for an M2 machine gun in the later stages of World War II)
The passengers inside the Xuanming were completely unaware of the situation.

The three crew members entered a state of high alert and readiness.

Wu Yingzong and Zhao Wanping held machine guns, and the landline phone beside them was turned on, waiting.

Fang Wen then entered a state of mechanical perception and became completely focused.

He is not a machine after all. Although he upgraded his superpowers by absorbing mysterious energy, his sensing range is still only 1000 meters.

But this scope is sufficient for practical application.

His task now is to give fire command once enemy aircraft appear.

Just as artillery must have a remote observer to provide firing data guidance when firing at long range.

He is now the observer, directing Wu Yingzong and Zhao Wanping to conduct pre-fire to eliminate the enemy upon encounter.

Time passed slowly, but the enemy planes still hadn't appeared, though the alarm continued to sound.

Sweat beaded on Wu Yingzong and Zhao Wanping's foreheads; their equipment was poorly breathable, and they were soaked through with sweat.

Fang Wen also maintained a high level of mechanical perception, merging with the aircraft to scan the surrounding 1000-meter range.

Two minutes later, the enemy finally appeared.

Fang Wen had never seen a Japanese Navy carrier-based aircraft like this before.

But we know its name: A5M/96 carrier-based fighter jet.

According to information purchased from the Shanghai intelligence network, this is a secret weapon of the Japanese Navy, which only began to be deployed this year.

Manufactured by Mitsubishi, this all-metal low-wing fighter jet is designed to compete with Boeing's P-26 series.

The speed even reached 430 kilometers per hour.

This speed is already the peak speed of current fighter jets.

Fang Wen, however, was not optimistic about this fighter jet.

Because its skin is too thin and its range is limited, it cannot sustain itself for long when engaging in high-altitude maneuvering operations.

However, Fang Wen is currently piloting a civilian amphibious aircraft, which cannot compare in speed and agility to this aircraft, so he can only shoot it down from a distance.

Fang Wen, completely focused, adjusted the angle of the machine gun turret at the front of the fuselage while silently calculating in his mind.

A moment later, he issued instructions via the in-flight telephone.

"Adjust the muzzle 15 degrees to the right, 30 degrees up, and fire 200 rounds in rapid succession."

Upon receiving the order, Wu Yingzong and Zhao Wanping immediately adjusted their firing positions as required.

The mobile machine gun position they controlled had its aiming crosshairs replaced with a simpler direct-fire sight. It was through this direct-fire sight that Fang Wen, in perfect harmony with the machine, directed the two men to complete the preset aiming.

A5M/96 carrier-based fighter jets flew in at high speed.

It had spotted the Xuanming, and the pilot, overjoyed, accelerated towards it, intending to fire and shoot down the civilian waterplane within effective firing range.

This idea was correct, but unfortunately his opponent was Fang Wen. The A5M/96 carrier-based fighter jet rushed in at a speed of over 400 kilometers per hour, and the opposing aircraft did not even turn to meet it from the side.

The pilot, who was thinking that he could shoot down the civilian plane if he got any closer, couldn't help but fantasize about the military reward after returning to base, as well as the commendation from the National Academy of Peers.

Available in the next second.

Two streaks of bullets shot out from the tail of the Xuanming, and another streak came from the nose.

It was too fast, and it was pre-firing; the pilots of the A5M/96 carrier-based fighter jets simply couldn't react in time.

A 50 BMG bullet traveling at 820 meters per second exceeds the speed of sound, leaving a trail (shockwave) in the air that is visible to passengers inside the aircraft.

"What is that?" The passengers, who knew nothing about military matters, looked at the scene outside in surprise.

Several people also showed strange expressions.

The next second, the bullet struck the oncoming A5M/96 carrier-based fighter jet.

50 BMG bullets, capable of tearing through armor, pierced the machine from three directions.

The pilot's memory, frozen in that beautiful fantasy, was torn to pieces along with the fuselage.

A massive fireball exploded in the air, and the attacker was reduced to dust in the East China Sea.

At that moment, the cabin announcement came on.

"Passengers should have seen the fireworks just now. That was an unregistered aircraft that was about to attack us. To ensure the safety of our passengers, we used self-defense measures. It was unlucky to run into the line of fire. The danger is now over, and the journey continues."

The passengers breathed a sigh of relief and acted as if nothing had happened.

They didn't feel the tension and danger of that moment; instead, they felt it was a memorable experience.

Except for those few.

With the aerial battle over, Fang Wen, who had made thorough preparations, resolved the danger.

The plane then flew into U.S. territory in the Philippines, where there was no longer any need to worry about threats from the Japanese.

On the other hand, Fang Wen did not let his guard down.

In mechanical perception mode, he is one with the machine, and has a clear understanding of the situation inside the aircraft.

Those who acted strangely after witnessing the aerial combat firing were all suspicious.

To ensure a smooth journey, Fang Wen controlled the plane to return to its original flight path while checking passenger information.

There were four suspicious individuals exhibiting unusual behavior.

Fang Wen first ruled out two candidates.

Those two were officers of the 19th Army. Because of the Fujian Incident, the 19th Army had fallen apart. Some officers who were unwilling to follow Chiang Kai-shek went into seclusion in the countryside, while others went to Hong Kong. These two chose to start a new life in San Francisco.

They fought against Japanese naval aircraft in Shanghai, exchanging fire with the planes using machine guns when there were no anti-aircraft weapons available.

When they saw the Type 96 carrier-based aircraft being destroyed, they felt excited and overjoyed.

What about the other two?

One was a journalist from Shanghai, and the other was a businessman from Beiping.

These two people had been investigated and found to be quite ordinary, but after this incident, Fang Wen felt that there might be something wrong with them.

To make the upcoming flight go more smoothly, Fang Wen decided to talk to two officers from the 19th Army.

During the subsequent flight, no further problems were encountered, and the Xuanming flew unimpeded over the American-occupied Philippine colony and across the Philippine Sea.

Finally, several hours later, the islands came into view over the vast Pacific Ocean.

Upon hearing the news, all the passengers gathered at the windows to watch.

There are several islands from south to north.

He maneuvered the plane to circle at high altitude, then picked up the microphone to make an in-flight announcement.

"Passengers, our journey for today has come to an end. We will be anchoring here for the night. Let me give you an overview of the area. To the south is Guam, which contains Rota, Tinian, Saipan, Medina, Anatahan, and a series of other smaller islands. Guam is controlled by the United States, while the other islands are collectively known as the Northern Mariana Islands and are controlled by Japan."

The passengers were quite surprised. How could Japan have territory in the Pacific Ocean, so far away?
Their questions were relayed to the driver's cab, and Fang Wen continued to broadcast explanations.

"In 1898, the United States and Spain went to war. Defeated Spain gave Guam to the United States as reparations, and sold the Northern Mariana Islands to Germany. Later, Germany was defeated in World War II and, unable to manage its overseas colonies, ceded them to Japan. Not only the Northern Mariana Islands, but Palau to the south was also controlled by the Japanese. Therefore, our safest landing point is only Guam. Now, everyone, please be seated, the plane is about to land."

After Fang Wen finished speaking, he turned the plane around and returned to the skies over Guam.

At that time, Guam did not have a large naval base, and the island was not prosperous.

Only a few small towns are scattered across the island.

At the northern tip of the island lies the natural harbor of Apra Harbor.

An ocean-going cargo ship was anchored there.

It was a cargo ship belonging to Taishan International.

Fang Wen then landed on the sea next to the cargo ship.

Next, several small boats were unloaded from the cargo ship and transported to the Xuanming.

Fang Wen also got out of the cockpit and announced.

"We will have a two-hour rest stop at sea. You can have a meal here or take a boat tour, but you cannot go ashore."

The reason for not allowing passengers to land on the island is to prevent them from wandering around and becoming unavailable during takeoff, which would affect the competition.

The plane then began refueling and refilling with water, and fresh food was also placed in front of the passengers.

Red rice, large crabs, and grilled fish.

Fang Wen glanced at the description on the English menu and explained it to the passengers.

"Today we are eating local Chamorro food. The red rice is cooked with sap from the annatto tree and raw rice. The other seafood is also prepared using Chamorro cooking methods. But I must warn you beforehand that food from a foreign country may cause some discomfort. If you are not used to the food or have any concerns, you can request to change to our in-flight meal."

Many passengers were interested in foreign food, and even after Fang Wen reminded them, many still wanted to try it.

However, some people were unwilling to take the risk and chose to eat the food prepared by Zhao Wanping.

Fang Wen didn't want to take any risks either. As the captain and pilot, if he got diarrhea, he would lose the flight competition.

Therefore, he asked Zhao Wanping to make a plate of fried rice with eggs, and then sat down in front of two officers from the 19th Army.

The two officers were eating instant noodles when they saw Fang Wen approaching, so they stopped eating.

"Have we met before?" Fang Wen asked.

One of the officers said, "In 23, you landed at Fuzhou Airport to transport supplies for us. I happened to be in the team that was there to meet you."

Fang Wen sighed, "From then on, there was no more 19th Route Army."

The two officers looked somber; it was clear they missed those days.

Fang Wen beckoned Wu Yingzong to give the two a cup of yellow wine, but he declined it himself.

"I'm sorry, I can't drink with you all, I still have to fly the plane."

The two officers nodded in agreement and raised their glasses, saying, "Thank you for your hospitality, General Manager Fang. Once we've established ourselves in the United States, we'll definitely invite General Manager Fang to come and visit."

Fang Wen smiled, raised a glass of water to drink with me, and then said in a low voice, "I suspect there are Japanese spies among the passengers on the plane. To ensure everyone's safe arrival in the United States, I would like to ask you two for a favor."

(End of this chapter)