novelaction Chapter 609 Homemade solutions? As long as they work!
Chapter 609 Homemade solutions? As long as they work!
A single shout of "Good!" spread like wildfire, making the air at the base scorch. The nerves, which had been tense due to enemy planes circling over Beijing, were now infused with burning fighting spirit.
What! You're saying the older generation thinks this project is good?
"You want us to shoot that darting guy down?"
The fragmented instructions acted like a fuse, igniting the fighting spirit in everyone. Even when Xiao Jiang was jumping up and down, talking about a woodworking workshop, the soldiers couldn't be bothered to refute him.
What's wrong with a workshop? Just tell me if our transition section is welded well or not!
The pilot flying this Tu-4 didn't have time to continue discussing handling issues with Jiang Xia. As soon as the enlarged horizontal stabilizer was installed, he hurriedly jumped into the cockpit to familiarize himself with the controls.
Hmph, it's just a bigger tail and a few more ventral fins! Since the designer says it'll work, then we'll make it fly beautifully!
What, you're saying it can't be tested on the ground?
Who cares? The more focused I am on the gestures, the more confident I feel.
Having experienced the snow removal capabilities of the "snow blower," Pang Guoxing received verbal instructions from his superiors. He was thinking of coming over to help Jiang Xiazhen establish order, but upon seeing the scene before him, he shrugged and went about his own business.
With everything so lively and bustling, there was no need for him to speak. The old man's simple "good" was the perfect backdrop for the little idiot.
"Huh? It's good to be motivated, but is this kind of training even useful?"
Jiang Xia pulled Pang Guoxing aside and pointed to the six people still busy in the cockpit.
Yes, that's right, six. Now, to fly this big Tu-4, a full-strength flight crew consists of six people: two pilots, a navigator, a communications officer, a mechanic, and a bombardier.
Of course, apart from the two pilots who were not allowed to move, the rest of the crew were also responsible for using the aircraft cannons.
“If others are useless, then they are certainly useful. Don’t you see how long they’ve been flying?” Seeing Jiang Xia’s confusion, Pang Guoxing pulled him closer on tiptoe.
"The one giving the password is the navigator..."
Then I heard the navigator holding a hardcover notebook say:
"Weather advisor's report! Northwest wind force 6, cloud height 500 meters, anti-aircraft smoke clouds in the target area!"
"Understood, adjust the altitude..."
The navigator suddenly slapped his knee: "Attention! Enemy aircraft on the starboard side, two!"
The captain immediately ducked, as if dodging a non-existent machine gun: "Altitude 2500 maintained! Heading 095! Mechanic report engine status..."
"Right engine oil pressure has plummeted, and engine speed is drifting!" The mechanic's Adam's apple bobbed. "Request a reduction in thrust to 85%!"
"Understood! Pilot, push the lever and dive into the clouds!"
The captain clenched his fist, his arm muscles causing his blue cotton coat to crease violently: "Push the nose down three degrees! Watch the airspeed indicator—once it goes over 300, it won't pull back!" He slammed his left foot on the rudder, and the rest of the crew tensed up as well, the entire aircraft seemingly shaking violently in everyone's imagination.
The tense atmosphere made Jiang Xia unconsciously clench Pang Guoxing's sleeve.
But that wasn't all. The simulation continued in the cockpit, but this time it was the bombardier giving the orders: "Enemy plane, open fire! Tracer rounds grazed the tail! Take cover! Take cover! Give me an angle of attack, there are no firing windows!"
"Shut up! There are no windows, can't you find a turret you can see? Except for the co-pilot, all of you go to the turret!"
"Yes!"
"Thump thump thump..." Several people stomped their feet, imitating the way they rushed towards the turret, and only reported back after a while.
"Shoot down one, force another to retreat!"
"Alright! Navigator, check the bombing route..."
The navigator crouched down and crawled into a small space under the cockpit, which was the navigator's position on the Tu-4.
It's called the navigator's position, but it's actually just the big, round glass dome on the nose of the Tu-4. Imagine an airplane flying in the sky, and you're lying on the thin glass dome, observing ground landmarks through a telescope-like instrument.
Those who lack mental fortitude simply cannot handle this!
As the navigator peered into the bombardment sight, he also pulled a small abacus out of his pocket.
After a series of crackling sounds,
"Aimed at target location! Headwind correction 2 mils - Mechanic, open the ammunition compartment!"
"Door malfunction! Hydraulic gauges are at zero!"
"Change to manual crank! Crank it thirty times! Prepare for visual bombing!"
……
That's amazing! Who would have thought that these prodigies, lacking fuel, would train using such rudimentary methods?
You really only get one cockpit at the start, and everything depends on your imagination?
Yes, that's exactly it. In essence, it's the same as pilot training in later generations, although later pilots were lucky enough to have simulators available.
And, just between you and me, the descriptions above are all true. Until 64, every bombardier on a H-5 bomber carried a small abacus.
Don't call this method "outdated" or "tacky"; let me tell you a real-life example.
During a border airdrop mission in 1967, a crew escaped danger by blindly flying following the "chalk trail" from memory, despite all their instruments being destroyed.
Jiang Xia wanted to continue watching, but Pang Guoxing pulled her away.
"Hey, let me take another look!"
"Huh? There are already instructions from above. Shouldn't you, this workaholic, be keeping an eye on the project's progress? You weren't like this back in the Northeast..."
"Hey, nobody used them back then! I'm only just realizing now, all the elites must have been gathered here by your unit!"
Jiang Xia shook his head and pointed to the fuselage that was still sparking.
"If you threw this group of ground crew into the factory, one of them might be a bit short of level eight, but they'd easily be level six on average. The modification plan has already been given, we're just waiting for the radar institute to produce the results. There's no need for me to personally get involved!"
Hearing Jiang Xia's praise, Pang Guoxing raised his eyebrows happily: "That's right, our place is not only a bridgehead, but also a place to preserve the flame of revolution..."
Pang Guoxing stopped talking halfway through his sentence, and Jiang Xia fell silent.
"Hey, if you have some free time, could you be a few 'maids' for me? Without some trump cards, the base just doesn't feel as formidable..."
"(⊙o⊙)... Don't tell me they even have rocket fuel here?"
"Hmm! Otherwise, why would it be called a base..."
……
However, Pang Guoxing's wish was ultimately not fulfilled.
because……
The "temporary palace" that Battalion Commander Yue had been longing for has arrived!
Also arriving was Mr. Yuanjiu, whom we hadn't seen in a long time.
Oh, that's not all. Just after I greeted Teacher Yuanjiu, Senior Brother Yungui poked his head out of the tall front window of the "palace".
"Haha, junior brother! We've re-integrated the digital radio circuitry you worked on. I heard you have a big project! Count us in!"
"Wow! Senior Brother Yungui, that was fast! Did you get the blueprints and haven't slept since?"
Senior Brother Yungui stretched: "Hehehe, a thousand rivers and mountains are nothing! This is nothing, it's just replacing your dog-shit soldering and flying wires with onboard bonding! Large-scale fabrication is still a bit lacking, but it's handmade. Hehehe..."
"But that thing you're working on behind the scenes has kept those female generals busy for a long time, and there's still no result yet, but it'll be soon!"
Jiang Xia's eyes lit up when he heard this.
"This is exactly what we've been waiting for! With this, Battalion Commander Yue, if you don't shoot down a few more Flying Mice, you'll be letting down those heroines who sacrificed so much!"
"Very useful?" Battalion Commander Yue trembled with excitement.
Throughout all of the preceding events, Battalion Commander Yue hadn't heard a single word of praise from this kid.
Even this silly kid says this thing is useful, so it must be incredibly amazing!
My heart pounded with excitement, my hands trembled.
"Little Jiang, I want it! I want it!"