Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 268-267 Fang Wen witnesses the Spanish Revolution, purchases Il-16, gunship aircraft completed.
Late March 1936.

Fang Wen traveled to Barcelona International Airport on a Lufthansa Junkers G24 aircraft.

As an industry insider, Fang Wen is very interested in Spain's aviation industry.

On the plane, I chatted with the flight attendants.

After some conversation, he learned about the situation of Spain's aviation industry.

Originally, Spain had an airline called Iberia Airlines, which was later merged into the national airline during the Primo de la Villa dictatorship.

29 years later, the national airline ceased operations, and Spain lost its own civil aviation, leaving Lufthansa to handle international air services.

This shows that Spain was no longer powerful in Europe at this time, and even its development in the aviation field lagged far behind that of Britain, France and Germany.

After a flight of several hours, the plane landed at Barcelona Airport, and Fang Wen and Li Tiezhu, who was temporarily acting as bodyguards, followed the passengers off the plane.

They came out of the airport and were met by the people who were there to pick them up.

Wearing a leather jacket and dressed in a stylish manner, Kuang Anming walked over enthusiastically with his entourage.

He opened his arms, wanting to hug Fang Wen, but Fang Wen avoided him by shaking his hand.

Although they didn't end up hugging, Kwong On-ming still said warmly:
"Brother-in-law, welcome to Spain, the place where the revolution in Europe was most glorious."

Fang Wen looked at the radiant Kuang Anming and felt a surge of emotion.

In just two years, Kwong On-ming did indeed join the revolutionary wave in Europe, just as he had said.

But is this really a good thing?

The revolutions in Europe are doomed to fail. Should we try to persuade him to return home?

After all, this was his brother-in-law. If he were to die in the future Spanish Civil War, his wife and father-in-law would surely be heartbroken.

Just then, Kuang Anming introduced Fang Wen to his friends who had come with him.

They are all friends of left-wing parties.

There were members of the Socialist Unity Party of Catalonia, which is affiliated with the Communist Party of Spain, as well as members of the National Labour Confederation.

Fang Wen smiled and shook hands with the group, then got into their car and headed to the accommodation arranged by Kuang Anming.

As the car entered Barcelona, ​​the city was bustling with activity, as large crowds thronged the streets, forcing passing vehicles to stop and make way for them.

Kuang Anming excitedly explained, "This is a strike supported by the People's Front. Under the organization of the National Labour Federation, workers took to the streets to demand higher wages and holidays from capitalists."

Fang Wen nodded. Ever since workers in France were granted leave, workers all over Europe have been seeking this benefit.

But Spain was a bit different; the strike was organized by the ruling party, which made Fang Wen feel very awkward.

In his view, the ruling party is capable of carrying out legislation and institutional reforms from the top down, so why should it resort to such means to fight against capital?

It seems that this People's Front is internally chaotic and has poor governance capabilities.

That was his thought, but Kwong On Ming was very optimistic about the new government.

Kuang Anming proudly continued, “Here, following the example of the Soviet Union and China, the Socialist Agricultural Workers’ Federation launched a large-scale land-grabbing campaign in Badajoz Province. More than 60,000 agricultural workers and tenant farmers acquired their own land. The government legalized this action, and the poor finally had their own assets.”

The words of his brother-in-law and the scene in the city indicated that a Spanish-style revolutionary wave was rising.

It came with such a surging and overwhelming force.

It has even had a huge impact internationally.

But none of this affected Fang Wen. In Fang Wen’s view, the People’s Front coalition government, which had not consolidated its own position, was doing something crazy and would inevitably face a huge backlash in the future.

Those large Spanish landowners and capitalists will unite under pressure. Their potential is far greater than that of the Popular Front coalition government, and once they erupt, it will be a powerful force.

But this is not something Fang Wen can change. All the united parties of the People's Front have gone mad, and what he, an outsider, says is probably something that even Kuang Anming cannot convince.

Therefore, Fang Wen abandoned his unrealistic ideas and started his own business.

He was to meet with a Spanish military officer.

At this time, the Spanish military was in a very delicate situation. Although they nominally served the government, they maintained neutrality in everything they did.

This neutrality was seen as a form of obedience by the People's Front coalition government, which therefore refrained from interfering further.

They even handed over the first batch of Soviet-supplied aircraft directly to the Spanish military for management.

It was precisely because of this that Fang Wen had the opportunity to purchase the Il-16 fighter jet.

The call was answered quickly after it was dialed, and Spanish was heard through the receiver.

Kuang Anming translated, "Brother-in-law, he said it's the Air Force Logistics Management Office. How should I respond to him?"

“Tell them that the guests from Paris will be arriving today, and please arrange for a test flight,” Fang Wen replied.

After Kuang Anming translated the information accurately, the other party replied.

“Brother-in-law, he said everything is arranged, and you can go anytime.”

“Alright, come with me.” Fang Wen then got up and headed with Kuang Anming to the air force base outside Barcelona.

An hour later, the car arrived at the space base. The guards at the gate stopped the car and, after reporting the situation, allowed it to enter.

Fang Wen drove his car along the street next to the runway, watching the planes inside the airport.

The planes here include many old biplane fighters, clearly indicating that Spain's air force has been stagnant for a long time due to years of internal strife.

After advancing several hundred meters, a group of officers greeted them ahead, with a new monoplane fighter jet parked nearby.

That's the Il-16.

Fang Wen stopped the car and led Kuang Anming over to shake hands and exchange words with him.

With Kuang Anming's translation, the two sides completed the communication and confirmed their identities.

Fang Wen stated directly, "My stay in Europe is limited, and I hope to conduct test flights as soon as possible to understand the actual situation of the Il-16. If possible, I will purchase all three aircraft directly."

After listening to Kuang Anming's translation, the other party led Fang Wen to the fighter jet location.

The Il-16 is a single-seat fighter jet, and no one will accompany the test flight. Spanish Air Force officers may agree to the test flight, but they are unwilling to take responsibility. Therefore, they require Fang Wen to sign a voluntary declaration before the test flight can proceed.

Fang Wen readily signed the voluntary declaration and then began the test flight.

Fang Wen climbed up the boarding stairs to the driver's seat and sat down.

My first impression was that it looked very similar to the Shrike.

He started the engine, entered mechanical awareness, and became one with the aircraft.

The situation of the Il-16 is clear under mechanical perception, but to learn more, it is necessary to fly it at high altitude.

Fang Wen controlled the aircraft to take off, performing various flight maneuvers in the air to better understand the aircraft's situation.

He discovered some problems with the Il-16.

First, the Il-16 fighter jet is somewhat difficult to operate, especially during rapid climbs where it is prone to loss of control.

This is due to insufficient engine power; a 400-horsepower engine is indeed struggling.

However, it's not unsolvable. The best solution is to replace it with a high-performance engine. The 800-horsepower engine in Fang Wen's Bumblebee is a good alternative.

Secondly, the cockpit should have been designed to be enclosed, but it seems that Soviet pilots preferred to use an open cockpit for better visibility, so the aircraft in service were all open-top.

Fang Wen felt that if he were to decide on the Il-16, he would definitely want to change the cockpit to a closed design, so that the pilots could have a safer flying environment. Third, the Il-16's center of gravity is forward-positioned, with the fire control system and engine integrated at the front, and fuel and lightweight tail material at the rear.

This structure increases speed, enhances front-end defense, and reduces back-end defense to almost zero.

After two test flights, Fang Wen made his assessment of the Il-16.

This is a military fighter design with a very rugged Soviet style.

It abandoned the backend, fully strengthened the frontend, and focused entirely on offense.

This design makes it very offensive on the battlefield, and in this respect, it is comparable to Japanese fighter jets.

However, this design did not meet Fang Wen's requirements.

After all, what he wanted was a comprehensive high-speed fighter jet.

A so-called all-around high-speed warship is one that can fight, withstand attacks, has good speed, strong firepower, and high maneuverability.

The Il-16 lacks maneuverability due to insufficient power; its only advantage over Fang Wen is speed.

Therefore, Fang Wen hesitated. Should he give up the Il-16 and go to the United States to find another high-speed fighter jet?

No, that would probably be even more difficult.

Fang Wen mentally compared the three types of aircraft he had test-flown.

The MB.150 and Morana-Sonière MS406 have design flaws that cannot be corrected.

The Il-16 has no design flaws; the problem is that a combination of issues makes it look unsuitable.

But if you're willing to put in the effort to modify it, it might be even better.

Fang Wen even felt that if he could thoroughly understand the Il-16, he might be able to build his own high-speed fighter jet.

After all, the relatively rough Il-16 is easier to understand in terms of its internal structure than the refined P26.

After having this idea, Fang Wen decided to buy three Il-16 fighter jets.

The purchase of Il-16 fighter jets has been successful.

The American Taishan International Shipping Company transported three aircraft, a 20mm cannon production line, and 5000 rounds of 20mm ammunition.

The two cargo ships loaded their cargo at the ports of Barcelona and Marseille respectively, and then passed through the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean.

Fang Wen, on the other hand, returned to Myanmar ahead of schedule.

As soon as he got off the plane, Bai Zeshan, the director of the management office of Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant, came over with his men to report.

"General Manager, the bulletproof chassis modification of the Shuiyun-1 seaplane has been completed in the past two weeks. It awaits your inspection."

"Let's wait a few days until the 20mm autocannon arrives before we start testing it," Fang Wen replied.

A few days later, two cargo ships arrived at the port and unloaded three aircraft and machine gun production equipment, as well as shells and a small number of 20mm machine guns.

The testing of the bulletproof chassis also began immediately, and engineers from the aircraft manufacturing plant came to the test site to watch.

The experiment certainly wasn't about having a seaplane with a modified chassis fly into the air for a shooting test; that would be far too dangerous.

Instead, they tested the same armored chassis at different firing ranges.

The weapons involved in the firing included: 7.92mm rifles, Type 38 rifles, Type 11 6.5mm light machine guns, and Oerlikon 20mm autocannons.

After some testing, the results were obtained.

Within 1000 meters.

The 7.92mm rifle, the Type 38 rifle, and the Type 11 6.5mm light machine gun penetrated the first thin steel plate, and the bullet got stuck on the second layer of aluminum alloy.

Oerlikon's 20mm autocannon penetrated steel plates, aluminum alloys, and the aircraft's floor.

Based on the shooting test at this distance, the 20mm autocannon is extremely powerful. Not to mention aircraft armor, even tanks cannot withstand its attack at close range.

Beyond 1000 meters, up to 4500 meters.

Within this range, the power of rifles and light machine guns decreases with each additional distance, until they eventually lose their destructive power.

The lethality of a 20mm autocannon decreases at ranges above 3000 meters.

After reviewing the test results, Fang Wen concluded that the greatest threat to gunships came from anti-aircraft guns.

There's no solution to this. No matter how heavy the aircraft armor is, it can't be thicker than a tank's. If a tank can't withstand a 20mm autocannon, then don't even think about it.

There is no such thing as a foolproof war; victory always comes at a price.

(Gunship aircraft equipped with 20mm Vulcan cannon)
The bottom armor of the gunboat has been tested and is basically ready for actual combat.

Weapons for gunships and aircraft have also begun to be manufactured.

With the Oerlikon 20mm autocannon production technology license and related production equipment, Fang Wen assembled a group of skilled workers and began production at the new weapons factory.

He personally conducted trial production according to the manufacturing process of the Oerlikon 20mm autocannon. With his mechanical perception, he gained a complete understanding of the production process and taught it to the technical workers.

The Oerlikon 20mm autocannon produced had its base modified for adaptation.

The bottom is completely welded to the aircraft, and then a rotating mechanical device is installed, allowing the gunner to control the cannon to adjust up and down by 38 degrees and to sweep left and right by 150 degrees.

In addition, to protect the shooter, two steel baffles were installed at the front of the gun barrel to block bullets fired from the ground.

After the specialized dive-firing machine gun was installed, Fang Wen immediately arranged for several strong mercenaries to board the aircraft for testing.

He set up a simulated Japanese position at the test site, then took off in his plane and flew around the position with different circling radii.

During each circle of flight, the gunner would fire at the simulated Japanese positions.

Fang Wen carefully collected all the hovering flight data, as well as the corresponding hovering radius shooting data, and then performed calculations.

Different turning radii are used to calculate standard flight turning data, and at the same time, some of the corresponding shooting and aiming operations are also digitized.

Fang Wen compiled these materials into a flight manual and a shooting manual, intending to use them for the training of gunship pilots and gunners in the future.

Now, it is necessary to train a group of low-speed pilot instructors in advance. For this reason, Fang Wen sent Pan Jiafeng, Shao Sishen, and three Red Army flight cadets from Wuhan to Yangon.

After the five arrived in Yangon, Fang Wen first spoke with Shao Sishen.

"How are the three of them doing in their studies?"

“They are very hardworking. They completed the basic theoretical learning in the shortest amount of time and have now started live-fire training flights. I think the three of them are ready to officially fly commercial airliners,” Shao Sishen replied.

The fact that the three Red Army flight cadets could fly civilian aircraft indicates that they had become qualified pilots, but not fighter pilots; there is still a significant difference between the two.

Fang Wen nodded and beckoned Pan Jiafeng over: "I'll take care of the three of them. You two will open a new flight training class in Yangon, specializing in teaching low-speed flight students. Here are two gunship aircraft learning manuals. After you two have thoroughly mastered them, pass them on to them and try to train the first batch of gunship aircraft pilots."

Shao Sichen was surprised to receive the gunboat's flight manual and firing manual, while Pan Jiafeng was excited and eager to see the company's first military aircraft, the gunboat.

Fang Wen asked Bai Zeshan to take the two to the test range to see the aircraft. He then said to the three Red Army flight cadets with a serious expression, "You have laid a solid foundation. This is just the beginning. Next, the three of you will learn to fly this aircraft together with other elite flight cadets."

Following the direction he pointed, the three Red Army soldiers looked over, and one of them couldn't help but ask, "What model is this?"

“It’s an Il-16 fighter jet from the Soviet Red Army, but it’s not exactly the same. I will modify it,” Fang Wen replied.

Soviet fighter planes!

The three Red Army soldiers looked at the plane with great interest; the fighter jets from their Big Brother made them feel very close to them.

Looking at their expressions, Fang Wen thought of the Red Army. How is the Red Army doing now?
(End of this chapter)