Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 27, Part 2: The Battle of Zhabei (27), Low-Altitude Flight
More than twenty planes were flying in a crisscross pattern over the area from Zhabei District to the Bund in Shanghai, with rows of bullets slicing through the sky.

This is the most tense fighting atmosphere since the January 28 Incident.

Some daring citizens risked opening their windows or going directly to their balconies to look at the sky.

Even the officers and soldiers of the 19th Route Army stationed in various parts of the city were paying close attention to this air battle.

People felt sorry when the two planes collided.

When the Japanese warplanes attacked our warplanes in three times the number, everyone held their breath.

For those who don't recognize the types of aircraft in the sky, the radio will promptly explain how to distinguish between friendly and enemy aircraft.

Then, a series of loud explosions came from across the Huangpu River. Well-informed people brought back important news: a Japanese warship had been sunk.

This was undoubtedly a victory for our air force, and people felt their pent-up frustrations were finally released, spreading the news far and wide.

Most civilians are unaware of the dire situation facing air forces in the skies.

Sixteen Japanese carrier-based Type 3 fighters attacked six K-47 fighters of the Guangdong Air Force like madmen.

They held on tightly, giving no chance to retreat.

Moreover, the tactic of three aircraft targeting one aircraft means that once locked on by the enemy, they are easily subjected to crossfire attacks, greatly increasing the probability of being hit.

At this point, there's no point in coordinating anymore. The most crucial thing is to withdraw from the war zone in time. Once we reach the rear of SH City, the enemy will have no choice but to give up the pursuit.

The radio waves transmitted the order to all the fighter jets in the air force.

"Make a tactical retreat, Fang Wen, be careful."

The second half of the sentence is that the other party paid special attention to the fact that, compared to the K-47 fighter, the Rheinland NYP-2 was less maneuverable and difficult to shake off once it was caught in a chase.

"Received, I will be careful," Fang Wen replied.

Immediately afterwards, the six K-47 fighter jets suddenly performed various tactical maneuvers, some climbing, some turning, and some descending.

The sudden tactical maneuver created some distance, turning the aerial standoff into a chase.

On Fang Wen's side, two escort wingmen attracted the attention of four pursuing aircraft, but a Type 3 fighter jet still had its eyes on him.

Clearly, the other side believed that a single fighter jet was sufficient to deal with the relatively cumbersome Rheinland NYP-2 military transport aircraft.

Fang Wen makes a judgment based on mechanical perception.

The enemy aircraft was about 2000 meters behind in a straight line, and its speed was about 240 kilometers per hour.

It is 10 percent faster than the Rheinland NYP-2's 220 km/h.

Furthermore, the Rheinland NYP-2 was less maneuverable than the Type 3 fighter. Any incorrect flight maneuver could further shorten the distance between the two sides. Once it entered the effective firing range of less than 1,000 meters, the Rheinland NYP-2 would be a sitting duck.

As for what constitutes an incorrect flight maneuver, Fang Wen has his own judgment based on mechanical perception.

The Rheinland NYP-2 has a large wingspan and a wide fuselage. When it attempts to take off, it encounters more drag, which will significantly reduce its speed, making it the most dangerous maneuver.

If you turn to the side, you might be able to create some distance in the first two seconds, but once the opponent reacts, a diagonal pursuit can still quickly shorten the pursuit range.

Without weapons to retaliate, the best course of action for the Rheinland NYP-2 is to dive and fly at extremely low altitudes.

This is also the most dangerous activity, and it tests a driver's courage and skill the most.

Fang Wen said urgently, "Hold on tight to the seat and safety rope, we're descending."

The three people in the cabin reacted differently.

Howard, who has a basic understanding of Chinese, was the fastest to secure his safety harness tightly to the seat and then grip the armrests.

The machine gunner's expression changed, and he did the same.

Pan Jiafeng reacted rather slowly and had not yet made a response.

Suddenly, the plane plummeted. Howard and the machine gunner, who were prepared, were still in their seats, but Pan Jiafeng was thrown into the air and crashed into the top of the cabin.

Fortunately, he had good motor skills and reacted quickly, managing to hold onto the safety rope tightly after landing, preventing him from being swung behind the plane. Meanwhile, in the cockpit, Fang Wen was completely focused on operating the controls.

The control stick was extended, and the aircraft plunged towards the ground at a steep angle.

This is the fastest way to get rid of the enemy. Under the combined effects of the aircraft's own weight, propulsion, and Earth's gravity, the speed instantly breaks through the limit.

In an instant, they widened the distance between themselves and the three Type 3 fighter jets behind them.

The prey, unwilling to give up its soon-to-be-captured prey, also swooped down.

Two planes, one large and one small, descended from the sky, attracting the attention of Shanghai residents.

With such a steep dive, it looked as if two planes had crashed.

As it drew closer, the plane grew larger and larger in people's eyes.

Coming!
Fang Wen was making adjustments through mechanical sensing. He could sense the operation of the aircraft's internal equipment in order to slowly pull up the fuselage to the maximum extent.

The Rheinland NYP-2 dived from 5,000 meters but pulled back at a 25-degree angle at 3000 meters.

The plane gradually straightened its fuselage along the arc, but the pursuers behind it did not have time to make adjustments and continued to dive until they pulled back to their original positions at a distance of 2000 meters.

Through repeated maneuvers, Rheinland NYP-2 managed to shake off its pursuers.

But the crisis did not end there.

Two more enemy planes came flanking from the left and right, reinforcements coming from the coastal area. If they were caught in the middle, the Rheinland NYP-2 would be in danger again.

Bullets streaked through the air, passing over Fang Wen's head; the enemy had already begun firing.

Fang Wen pushed the control lever down to turn left.

The fuselage tilted to the left and swooped down sideways.

From this angle, they just barely passed the fighter jet below.

The situation was extremely tense as the plane dove 3000 meters down with three fighter jets chasing behind it.

In order to completely shake off his opponent, Fang Wen made an even more dangerous move.

The plane continued to descend until it reached 1,500 meters, at which point it made a last-ditch pullback.

Behind the Rheinland NYP-2, the two subsequent enemy aircraft had given up the pursuit, with only the old rival still hot on its heels.

Clearly, he was furious at the repeated taunts of the Rheinland NYP-2 and vowed to destroy it over Shanghai.

But all of this was part of Fang Wen's plan.

He calmly completed the extreme pull-back maneuver, straightening the fuselage at an altitude of 600 meters and flying over SH City.

With a whooshing sound, a metal bird blocked out the rising sun as it flew by, greeted by cheers from the citizens.

The subsequent Type 3 fighter jets, however, were met with endless scorn.

Furthermore, soldiers of the 19th Route Army set up machine guns on high ground and began strafing the air.

Faced with this situation, the other side realized that it could no longer complete the pursuit and could only lift off into the sky.

Only then did Fang Wen's heart finally settle down; he was drenched in sweat without even realizing it.

Ten minutes later, the Rheinland NYP-2 flew low over SH city, with no pursuers behind it, and the air force's call came through the radio communication equipment.

"Iron Bird, please respond. Iron Bird, please respond."

"Iron bird received, has entered the safe zone," Fang Wen replied.

"That's good. Return to your respective airports and do not fly in formation."

"receive."

(End of this chapter)