Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 603 Soviet Bomber Squadron in Distress, Fang Wen Assists in Forced Landing
At the Zhaoqing Water Airport pier, Pan Jiafeng and his aviation team members saw Fang Wen off as he boarded the plane.

Pan Jiafeng found an opportunity to speak with Fang Wen alone.

He took out two letters and a small package.

“Master, these are things for Shen Shuyun and my parents, all local specialties from Zhaoqing. There are also two letters, one for Shuyun and one for my parents.”

Shen Shuyun is Pan Jiafeng's wife and the director of the semiconductor factory's office. Fang Wen officiated at their wedding.

However, for the sake of the war effort, one of them was busy with production, while the other was fighting on the front lines.

Fang Wen's heart softened involuntarily.

"Jiafeng, how about we transfer you back? We can get someone else here."

Upon hearing this, Pan Jiafeng immediately became excited: "Master, don't misunderstand, I didn't mean anything by it. I just haven't seen my family for a while and I was afraid they would miss me, so I asked you to send these things back. If that's how you see me, then I won't send them."

This apprentice is good in every other way, except for his stubborn nature. Fang Wen understood his intentions, patted him on the shoulder, and took the things.

"Alright, I'll take the stuff back to you, but remember one thing: don't be arrogant. Even the thickest armor plates can be penetrated. You're the commander, so in combat, you need to consider both coordinating with ground operations to kill the enemy and protecting yourself and your team."

"It's Master, I know."

Pan Jiafeng nodded vigorously.

The young man from Shanghai, after participating in Fang Wen's anti-Japanese leaflet airdrop operation at the age of 18, became inextricably linked with Fang Wen.

His dream was to one day fight his way back to Shanghai and reclaim the lost territories.

take off.

As the plane flew over the Nanling Mountains, Fang Wen lowered the altitude, and the layered mountains below the wings were dyed in varying shades of golden yellow by the autumn sun.

He glanced at the dashboard; the main and auxiliary fuel tanks were full, and with the spare fuel tanks in the cabin, it was enough to get him to Lanzhou.

The south is still sweltering with the heat of late summer, but the north has already turned cold.

"Gong Xiuneng, once you cross the Yellow River, take out your coat. You'll need to wear more clothes after you get off the plane."

"Alright. Commander, shall we send a telegram to Lanzhou now?" Gong Xiuneng asked.

“Okay.” Fang Wen immediately drafted a telegram: “Telegram to Lanzhou: We will arrive within the next few days. Ask them if they are ready.”

Gong Xiuneng looked down and examined the codebook he carried with him—a special frequency code used for prior communication with the Soviet Union regarding arms deals.

After a series of keystrokes, Gong Xiuneng sent the telegram.

"Commander, will something go wrong in Lanzhou?" Gong Xiuneng couldn't help but ask. This was a huge deal, and the goods were to be transported from Lanzhou to the Yan'an base area in northern Shaanxi. Just hearing that made it clear that it wouldn't be easy.

"Are you worried about the local warlords?" Fang Wen frowned; it was really hard to say.

The moment the words were spoken, the radar detection device suddenly lit up in red.

This is a warning that an aircraft has appeared in the nearby area, but the equipment cannot indicate its exact location.

Fang Wen immediately activated the mechanical sensing connection device and obtained clearer information.

Located in the northeast, judging from the signal feedback characteristics, it was not the Type 97 reconnaissance aircraft commonly used by the Japanese army, but rather resembled some kind of large bomber.

Judging from this location, Fang Wen couldn't help but wonder if it was a Japanese bomber that had taken off from Wuhan and was heading to bomb Sichuan.

But then he discovered that the aircraft following behind it had more like the signal characteristics of an Il-16.

This is strange.

Fang Wen decided to go over and take a look, since the aircraft didn't seem to belong to the Japanese army.

The plane veered off course and, a few minutes later, encountered the group of aircraft.

Upon seeing the situation, Fang Wen understood.

It was a Soviet bomber squadron, escorted by Il-16s, whose bomber models were Soviet DB-3s.

The DB-3 flying at the very front was in bad shape; it had been hit on its left side, and its engine was emitting black smoke.

Clearly, the Soviet bomber squadron was intercepted by Japanese warplanes while en route to bomb Japanese forces in Wuhan. This DB-3 was damaged and returned to base, while the other aircraft provided rear protection.

Fang Wen, who is very knowledgeable about aircraft, is assessing the other party's situation.

This twin-engine bomber can fly 3600 kilometers and has a large payload, making it one of the main long-range bombers of the Soviet Union.

The fact that it could maintain such flight despite damage to one engine demonstrates the pilot's considerable skill.

Can I go and help?
Fang Wen performed flight maneuvers from a relatively safe distance, deliberately revealing the side paint of the aircraft.

On today's battlefield, paint schemes are an important identifier for aircraft, in addition to their model number.

Japanese aircraft had red tails, while the Nationalist Air Force aircraft had olive green tails, and Soviet aid aircraft to China also used olive green tails.

The paint job on Mount Tai is light blue, and it also features a uniform mountain-shaped emblem.

Therefore, the other side recognized that it was a friend rather than an enemy, and since there was only one of them, and it was a low-speed gunship aircraft, they were not too nervous.

After identifying himself, Fang Wen piloted his aircraft closer and flew parallel to the smoking DB-3.

This position offers a clearer view of the situation on the other side.

The bullet hole below the left wing was gruesome and terrifying. The metal edges of the breach were blackened by the high temperature. Aviation gasoline mixed with gunpowder smoke dripped down the wing, leaving thin oil streaks in the air. When the wind blew, it dispersed into specks of oil mist.

"The left wing skin is torn at least half a meter, and the auxiliary fuel tank should have been punctured," Fang Wen said in a low voice.

"Is there any hope?" Gong Xiuneng asked from behind.

“Look at the engine compartment. The black smoke is coming out of the gaps in the cylinder head. It’s not that the oil line is broken; it’s just that part of it is damaged but hasn’t completely lost its function, so the propeller can still turn and maintain flight balance. I think there’s still hope,” Fang Wen replied.

Gong Xiuneng looked in the direction Fang Wen pointed and saw that several cracks on the casing of the DB-3's left engine were constantly emitting black smoke. Fortunately, there was no open flame, but the rotation speed was obviously much slower than that of the right engine, and the propeller wobbled slightly when it turned, as if it might stop at any moment.

Just then, the cockpit canopy of the DB-3 suddenly opened a crack, and a head wearing a leather flight helmet poked out, waving vigorously in Fang Wen's direction. Fang Wen squinted and saw that the person's face was smeared with blood, and there was a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his forehead.

He had seen this man before; he had dined with him when he was dealing with Ivan.

His name is Kulishenko, and he is a very skilled pilot.

Kulichenko gripped the edge of the hatch with one hand, poked his head out, pointed to the left engine behind him with the other, made a "descend" gesture, and shouted something, but the sound was blown away by the airflow, and only the words "forced landing" could be vaguely heard.

Fang Wen immediately understood the other party's intention.

He raised his hand and gave Kurushenko a "received" gesture, then responded loudly.

"Wait a moment, I can help you."

After speaking, Fang Wen immediately adjusted his flight attitude, slightly lowering his altitude to position his aircraft below the DB-3. This would allow him to more clearly observe the extent of the damage to the enemy. In addition to the left engine, the left landing gear had also been hit, and half of the gear was shaking.

Immediately, the plane ascended to a height parallel to the other cockpit, and he shouted, "The landing gear support rod is broken. When you land, you won't be able to get any leverage on the left side. Be careful."

Fang Wen's voice, due to his physical condition, was full of energy and was easy to hear even with the wind blocking it.

Kulishenko's expression immediately changed.

If the aircraft engine already has problems and the landing gear also fails, landing such a large aircraft would be extremely dangerous.

At that moment, he heard Fang Wen shout again.

"Trust me, follow my instructions, and I can land you safely."

Kulishenko stared at Fang Wen, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes before being replaced by trust.

He knew Fang Wen, China's top pilot. If he didn't trust him, who else could he trust?!

He nodded vigorously, gave Fang Wen a thumbs-up, and patted his chest to indicate that he was ready.

Seeing that the other party had agreed, Fang Wen immediately began.

He said to Gong Xiuneng, "Go and get a walkie-talkie."

"Okay." Gong Xiuneng hurriedly ran to the rear cabin and brought over a single-soldier walkie-talkie.

Fang Wen then opened the cockpit hatch latch and ordered, "You open the hatch in a bit, I'll throw it. Understand?"

"Discard?" Gong Xiuneng immediately understood and nodded vigorously: "I understand."

He handed the walkie-talkie to Fang Wen's right hand and then opened the hatch.

A sudden gust of wind rushed in, and at the same time, Fang Wen reached out of the cabin with one hand holding a walkie-talkie and threw it forcefully.

This was an extremely difficult task, but with his full effort, the walkie-talkie landed precisely in the other party's cockpit.

Holding the walkie-talkie, Kulichenko was still in a daze.

"Kurishenko, please respond. The call button is on the right. Turn it around."

Kurushenko quickly followed the instructions to find the call button and turned it.

"Fang Wen, can you hear me?"

"Listen up, Comrade Kurishenko, now follow my command! Keep the right engine at 60% power and the left engine at 30% power to stabilize the fuselage. We're flying southeast, where there's a wide river with a gentle current, suitable for an emergency landing!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the DB-3 suddenly lurched again, the black smoke from the left engine grew thicker, and the propeller's rotation became increasingly unstable.

Gong Xiuneng shouted urgently from the rear, "Commander! The engine speed on the left side is still dropping! If this continues, we won't be able to hold on to the river!"

Fang Wen's forehead was beaded with sweat, but he remained calm: "Kurishchenko! Immediately shut off the fuel supply valve on the left engine and fly using the right engine alone! Don't worry about losing balance, I'll help you calibrate your attitude!"

He knew that continuing to run the damaged left engine would only accelerate the deterioration of the problem; single-engine flight, though dangerous, was the only way to survive.

Without the slightest hesitation, Kurishenko acted swiftly.

The DB-3 instantly lost power to its left side, and the fuselage tilted sharply to the left, like a leaf torn apart by a gale.

Seeing this, Fang Wen immediately piloted the aircraft close to the underside of the DB-3's left wing, shouting, "Turn the ailerons ten degrees to the left, raise the elevator two degrees! Yes, maintain this angle!"

While giving instructions, he kept a close eye on the terrain below—a series of hills below, and if the plane lost speed and plummeted at this moment, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Fortunately, Kurishenko was a skilled pilot and, with Fang Wen's guidance, gradually stabilized the aircraft. The DB-3 slowly flew towards the river with a slightly tilted attitude.

"We'll be at the river in five minutes!"

"Start descending now, at a rate of 100 meters per minute, maintaining a speed of 220 kilometers per hour! Be careful to avoid that cloud cluster ahead; the turbulent airflow inside will affect your balance!"

Kulishenko strictly followed instructions, gradually decreasing his altitude. But just ten kilometers from the river, an unexpected incident occurred.

Suddenly, the right wing of the DB-3 was lifted up, the fuselage twisted instantly, and it looked like it was about to lose control and flip over.

Gong Xiuneng, who watched the entire emergency landing process from behind, clenched his fists in shock and even stopped breathing.

Only Fang Wen knew that this was an undercurrent in the air, a rare occurrence, which happened to be encountered at this particular time.

"Hold on! Kulichenko! Turn the rudder all the way to the right and push the elevator all the way down!" Fang Wen roared, while simultaneously maneuvering his aircraft to the right of the DB-3, using his own aircraft to alter the DB-3's aerodynamic structure.

This was an extremely risky move; a slight misstep could have resulted in a collision between the two aircraft, but at this point there was no other choice.

Curryshenko felt a strange sense of balance and immediately used it to adjust his posture.

A few seconds later, DB-3 finally returned to normal.

Fang Wen breathed a sigh of relief, but his voice remained tense: "Prepare for an emergency landing! Point the belly of the aircraft towards the center of the river, keep the fuselage level, and don't rush to push the stick! Wait until I yell 'land,' then slowly reduce the altitude!"

Kulishenko stared intently at the river, his fingers gripping the control stick tightly, his palms sweating profusely.

The DB-3's landing gear doors swayed constantly in the airflow, making a creaking sound, as if they might fall off completely at any moment.

"Very good!" Fang Wen's voice was like a stabilizing force. "Adjust the attitude, raise the left wing slightly to counteract the landing gear imbalance!"

Kurishenko followed instructions and tilted the DB-3 fuselage slightly to the right, which compensated for the lack of load-bearing capacity of the left landing gear.

The river was getting closer and closer in his field of vision.

"Ready! Drop!"

As the command was given, Kurishenko slowly pushed the stick, and the belly of the DB-3 skimmed close to the river surface.

With a muffled thud, the moment the fuselage made contact with the water, it sent up a splash several meters high. The fuselage slid across the river, leaving a long trail of water. Due to a problem with the landing gear, the left wing slightly grazed the water, leaving a white wave.

Fang Wen piloted the plane, circling overhead and keeping a close eye on the DB-3's movements—it glided across the river for about two hundred meters before gradually slowing down and finally coming to a steady stop, showing no signs of breaking apart.

"It's a success! Commander! They've landed successfully!" Gong Xiuneng's voice trembled with excitement, and his eyes reddened.

Fang Wen's heart finally settled down, and he whispered into the communicator, "Comrade Kurishenko, you did it."

At this moment, the cockpit canopy of DB-3 was pushed open, and Kurishenko and the co-pilot climbed out one after another, followed by the other crew members.

They stood on the wing and waved vigorously at Fang Wen's plane.

Kulichenko's face was full of joy at surviving the ordeal, and he gave Fang Wen a standard military salute.

Fang Wen also raised his hand in return. The autumn sun shone on the river, making it sparkle and reflect the silhouettes of the two airplanes.

Fang Wen then piloted the plane to continue flying towards Lanzhou.

(End of this chapter)