Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 80, page 79: The relatively modern fighter jet, p26-B, named "Shrike," makes its maiden flight.

Just like the incident at the Shanghai Shiliupu Wharf, dockworkers set up a gantry crane, removed the fixing cables from the aircraft, then tied them to the fuselage and wings, and carefully moved it onto the wooden rails to be dragged off the ship.

The unloading process for the P26-B, which weighs about 1 ton empty, was relatively easy, as the plane descended to the dock with the help of the workers.

The Fang family members, along with their entire household, were all watching from inside the port.

Afterwards, Fang's relatives and friends, as well as nearby residents, also arrived.

Some even received the news on short notice and hired a car to come from Jiaxing.

People are full of curiosity about new and interesting things.

People gathered in groups, watching the show and gossiping.

And the Fang family is at the core.

Mr. Fang has a lot of business friends and tea buddies.

The eldest and second sons of the Fang family also have their own circles of friends.

Even Sixth Sister's classmates and teachers came over to listen to her excitedly talking.

The women gathered together, but this time the main focus was on the third wife of the Fang family, who was Fang Wen's biological mother.

During the conversation, people expressed great curiosity about the plane, but the Fang family couldn't answer their questions.

Master Fang said to Fang Shouxin, "Call Fifth Brother over. Before he leaves, he should meet with the people from his hometown and take a group photo."

"Yes, sir, I'll go and fetch the third young master right away."

Fang Shouxin walked to the dock and informed Fang Wen, who was directing the workers, about the situation.

"Young Master, a lot of people have come to the Master's side. They all want to hear what you have to say about this plane. You should go and entertain them to avoid people gossiping about you behind your back."

Fang Wen nodded and said to Howard, "You'll direct them."

Howard shouted in broken Chinese, "Listen to my command, first untie the cables on the wings."

A group of workers looked at Howard in surprise, not expecting that this foreigner could speak Chinese, and it sounded quite fluent.

They were surprised, but they weren't going to turn down their wages, so they immediately got to work following Howard's instructions.

Fang Wen, on the other hand, strode towards the crowd.

Mr. Fang smiled and said, "Let my fifth son explain the questions you all have. Fifth son, tell everyone about the airplane."

Fang Wen nodded: "This aircraft was purchased from Boeing in the United States. It is the export version of the P26 model, weighing 2000 jin and capable of carrying a load of 800 jin."

A child called out, "Uncle Fang, what's its name?"

The child was quite polite. Fang Wen couldn't help but think of the mischievous boy on the plane last time. He smiled and said, "I haven't thought of a name yet. How about this, since so many people are here, why don't we all think of a name together?"

In traditional Chinese culture, naming is a very meaningful thing, and everyone is very interested in it.

So they started discussing it amongst themselves.

"I think it's about the same length and width, small and round, so let's call it tangyuan (glutinous rice ball)."

Tangtuan is the name for tangyuan in this era, and it is also a common snack in the Jiangzhe area. The name is interesting, but it doesn't fit with airplanes, so it was rejected by everyone.

"How about calling it 'Fierce Dragon'?" The eldest son of the Fang family suggested a name, but it was ignored by the old master of the Fang family because it was too common.

But he set a good precedent by naming things after birds and beasts, which suited him very well, and so various names from myths and legends came out.

How about the Pixiu number?

"White Tiger! Invincible."

When the argument reached an impasse, a thin, aged old man spoke up: "I've thought of a name."

This was a senior official from the former Qing Dynasty county school, whose seniority was astonishing, and almost no one dared to talk back to him.

Fang Wen felt a little worried. What if this person gave him an unpleasant name? How could he refuse?

The old man continued:
The Book of Songs, in the section "Bin Feng: July," says: "In July the shrike cries, in August they weave. They weave black and yellow, and my red is bright and clear, to make a robe for the prince." Here, "shrike" refers to the shrike. This bird has a harsh, slightly shrill cry, which often echoes in the forest around July. Its call is strong and powerful, like a war drum urging on the troops, prompting deep thought.

The shrike has a sharp, strong beak, somewhat resembling an eagle's, short, rounded wings, a protruding tail, strong legs, and hooked toes. It is extremely fierce and cruel, capable of preying on large insects, frogs, lizards, and even birds. Whenever it catches its prey, it impales it on a tree branch, a rather peculiar sight.

An ancient poem says, "The shrike flies at dusk, the wind blows through the tallow tree." This line describes the scene of the shrike flying among the tallow trees at dusk, a vivid and poetic image. The shrike's flight is swift and powerful, its graceful posture inspiring admiration.

This old man observes this aircraft; though small, it must be fierce in the air. Therefore, I have named it the Shrike, hoping it will live up to its name.

Fang Wen couldn't help but look back at page 26-b.

The old man was right; it did indeed have some similarities.

It's a bit odd to give such a small aircraft such a grand name; it would be more practical to call it the Shrike.

He immediately accepted the name and planned to add it when he went back to the artist to do the painting.

After chatting with the villagers for a while, I finished up the business on the plane.

Fang Wen took his leave, returned to the dock, and climbed the wooden ladder into the plane.

The aircraft's instrument panel now features some new additions.

Fang Wen had previously read the P26 aircraft's technical manual in detail and was familiar with the functions of these instruments.

Airspeed indicator: Used to display the aircraft's airspeed.

Altimeter: Indicates the aircraft's current altitude.

Vertical speedometer: Displays the aircraft's rate of ascent or descent.

Compass: Used for navigation, indicating the heading of an aircraft.

Engine instruments: including tachometer, temperature gauge, oil pressure gauge, etc., are used to monitor the engine's operating status.

Fuel gauge: Displays the remaining fuel level.

These instruments help pilots better understand the aircraft's status.

For Fang Wen, it is also a great help when flying in a non-mechanical perception state.

In addition, the aircraft's operating equipment has not changed much.

The control stick controls various flight maneuvers such as pitch and roll, the throttle lever controls engine power, and the rudder pedals control yaw.

There are also some switches.

Switches for nighttime fuselage lights, cockpit interior lights, radio switches, and engine start switches, etc.

Overall, this monoplane is technologically far more advanced than biplanes and better aligns with modern people's understanding of airplanes.

Biplanes are much simpler in comparison, but this change also increases the requirements for pilots.

Fang Wen started the engine and said to Fang Shoudao outside the plane, "Maintain order in the lower passage. I'm going to drive out."

Immediately, Fang Shouxin led the people from Fang Family Rice Shop to block off the road leading from the plane to the port, prohibiting anyone from entering.

The aircraft engines started, the propellers spun, and a roaring sound emanated as it slowly headed out of the port.

There used to be a dirt road outside the port, but it was badly damaged due to freight transport, and the road surface was full of potholes.

It was fine for vehicles, but not enough for airplanes to take off. So the Fang family paid for someone to fill in the soil and level it, repairing 500 meters of the road.

The Shrike P26-B aircraft left the port and turned onto a hard dirt road.

The plane stopped on the road, but Fang Wen did not take off immediately; instead, he waited where he was.

The Fang family came over, accompanied by a large group of relatives and friends.

They took photos in front of the plane, and Fang Wen also got off the plane and took a group photo with them.

It took an hour to finish.

As Fang Wen was about to take off, he instructed Fang Shouxin: "You and Howard come back together and bring back that container of parts."

"Young Master, please rest assured, I know what to do. Just be careful, it's your first time flying this kind of plane," Fang Shouxin reminded Fang Wen instead.

This kind of reminder is only natural; one cannot be careless with an aircraft one has never flown before.

"I'll be careful," Fang Wen replied with a smile, then climbed onto the plane and started the engine under everyone's watchful eyes.

The plane accelerated continuously, sprinting across the hard ground, and once it reached takeoff speed, it took off.

After flying to an altitude of 2000 meters, Fang Wen entered a state of mechanical perception.

Each different aircraft offers a unique experience once you get into the human-machine interface.

This P26-B truly lives up to its name, resembling a small shrike flying in the sky.

Despite its small size, it boasts remarkable improvements in all aspects.

Fang Wen estimated.

The current speed is 350 km/h, and with continued improvement, it could even approach 400 km/h.

It is almost twice as fast as the Qingyun.

This speed is so exhilarating!

It's like suddenly switching from driving a family car to a high-performance sports car.

A thought arose in me: I wanted to fly freely in the sky.

And we'll show off to the Japanese, see if they still dare to bring out their Type 3 carrier-based aircraft and embarrass themselves.

But then I remembered that the technical manual said the maximum range of the P26-B was 375 miles, or 600 kilometers.

This range is 100 kilometers less than that of the Boeing 80, which is also the price paid for high-speed flight.

With a range of 600 kilometers, it's impossible to travel back and forth over the sea, let alone perform highly maneuverable flight maneuvers.

It seems we need to go back to the airport and renovate it.

Therefore, Fang Wen suppressed his thoughts and obediently piloted the plane back to Shanghai Airport.

When the P26-B landed at Shanghai Airport, it immediately attracted the attention of airport staff.

The American pilots from China Airlines looked at the plane with envy.

Even if they return to their home countries, they might not be able to fly such good fighter jets. After all, the U.S. Army Air Forces only has a few dozen P-26A fighters, and it's not something anyone can just fly casually.

These guys didn't have a good relationship with Fang Wen before; they just went out drinking and partying all day. But now they're befriending Fang Wen and want to hitch a ride on his plane.

Of course, that wouldn't do. Fang Wen said that although we were colleagues, we weren't friends, and the plane absolutely couldn't be lent out.

When he refused the pilots, he felt a pang of sadness. In his previous life, the first car he bought after starting work was lent out as a wedding car. In less than a day, the leather inside the car was scratched, covered in cigarette butts, had a strange smell, and the doors were scratched. He was heartbroken for a long time because of this.

This time, I will not lend out my private jet indiscriminately.

After rejecting the pilots' attempts to hitch a ride on his plane, Fang Wen immediately took advantage of the Boeing 80's maintenance period to begin modifying the aircraft.

The artist who did the painting for the Qingyun last time was brought in.

Looking at the newly purchased plane, he exclaimed in surprise, "General Manager Fang, you've bought a new plane again? People usually change cars, but you've changed planes. That's quite prestigious in China."

"It's just a personal preference, Master Qingsong. This time, I'd like to draw a bird," Fang Wen replied with a smile.

"A bird? You mean draw the airplane as a bird?"

"Yes, I had someone make a picture of it. Take a look."

Fang Wen took out an illustration and handed it to the artist.

"A shrike. Tsk tsk, this bird is quite fierce; we call it the butcher bird where I'm from. Drawing an airplane in the shape of this bird is possible, but it will take some effort."

"Find a few more people, the pay is good, can you finish drawing it within two days?"

"As long as there's money, it'll definitely work. I'll go find someone right now."

The artist gathered his colleagues, divided the work into areas, and began to work using tall wooden stools and stepladders.

The next day, the aircraft's paint scheme was changed. As per Fang Wen's request, the aircraft was painted in the colors of a black, white, and brown shrike feathers, and even the fairings on the landing gear were painted in the shape of bird legs.

The words "Shrike" are written in large letters on the upper right corner of the plane.

After the artists finished painting, they covered the airplane with a cloth, saying that it could not be removed for a day, by which time the paint would be dry and solid.

Meanwhile, Fang Wen and Howard began modifying the aircraft.

There is only one modification to this new aircraft: adding external fuel tanks to give it more range.

The modification mainly involves the ammunition hanger.

Following the previous design approach, a bomb-like bomb rack was made on the auxiliary fuel tank, which was very secure when hung on the bomb rack on the belly of the aircraft.

Then, the fuel line from the auxiliary fuel tank is connected to the aircraft, and the aviation fuel inside is delivered into the piston engine through a pressurization device.

The switch for the auxiliary fuel tank booster is connected to the cab, allowing for easy switching between the main and auxiliary fuel tanks.

The most difficult part of this modification was installing the pressurized fuel delivery system inside the aircraft.

The P26-B has a complex internal structure, and the function of many parts is unknown. If misinstallation or damage occurs, it could even render the aircraft inoperable.

Howard wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

To this end, Fang Wen spent the entire night continuously running the aircraft in the hangar, using mechanical perception to fully grasp the internal structure of the aircraft, and then marked it on the internal structure diagram in the repair section of the technical manual.

These labels are much more detailed than those in the technical manual, and even include the specific functions of various components.

With these markings, the modification went much more smoothly, and new auxiliary fuel tank pressurization and shut-off/start functions were added to the complex internal structure of the aircraft.

The added auxiliary fuel tank weighs 300 kg and can hold 300 liters of fuel, which can double the aircraft's range.

After these modifications are completed, there is one day left before the Boeing 80's maintenance period ends.

Fang Wen couldn't wait to tear off the burlap covering the plane, revealing the brand-new shrike paint scheme.

Now that the main and auxiliary fuel tanks are fully loaded with aviation gasoline, the maximum range has reached 1200 kilometers, and he is preparing to go out to sea to take a look.

He was going to search for the Japanese warships that had occupied Chinese waters, and this time he would use his absolute speed and operational superiority to turn the tables on the Japanese.

Without telling anyone, Fang Wen sat in the cockpit of the Shrike, started the engine, and flew into the sky.

(End of this chapter)