Chapter 102: 101, Flying Across China, Aerial View Of Half The Republic Of China’s Territory
Republic of China year 21, December 27.
Fang Wen piloted the Shrike Hao into the air.
Beginning a long-distance flight of over ten thousand kilometers, completely different from routine flights.
This was an unknown journey, something only pilots with a spirit of adventure and great talent could challenge.
For this, Fang Wen had done a lot of preparation work, learning about the exploits of predecessors in early long-distance flight explorations.
Ten years ago, that is, in 1923, Oakley Kelly and Lieutenant Macready took off from Hempstead on Long Island, flew across the American Continent, and finally landed in San Diego, California.
This was the first human transcontinental flight without stops.
Range 4500 kilometers.
In 1927, Lindbergh piloted the “Spirit of St. Louis” airplane, took off from New York, flew continuously for 33 and a half hours without landing midway, from New York to Paris, completing the first transatlantic flight.
Range 5800 kilometers.
After that, crossing the Atlantic became a challenge that adventurers were enthusiastic about.
But the flight path from China to Europe had never been developed by anyone.
Only during the War of Resistance, the Hump Route had this line.
Fang Wen now wanted to pioneer this flight path before the War of Resistance.
Brushing away his thoughts, he seriously piloted the Shrike Hao.
The flight from Shanghai to Wuhan was very easy.
The airplane crossed Taihu Lake, passed through Suzhou—Huzhou, over Xuancheng, then to Tongling on the Yangtze River bank, which was half the journey.
Fang Wen took out the map, used mechanical perception to judge the position, marked it on the map, to serve as information for future flight path design.
Next, the airplane flew over a mountainous area with not very high terrain.
This was one of the rare mountainous areas in the Hubei region.
After flying for about forty minutes, the airplane passed through the mountains and arrived over the Hubei Great Plain.
There were mountains here too, but they were at most a few hundred meters high.
Flying further ahead would reach Wuhan.
From high altitude, Wuhan was not a single piece, but composed of three areas.
Namely Wuchang, Hankou, Hanyang.
In 1927, they were merged here, giving rise to the saying of Wuhan’s three towns.
Wuchang was south of the Yangtze River, Hankou and Hanyang north of the Yangtze River.
Fang Wen could understand the name Hankou, it was just the outlet of the Han River, but Hanyang, he didn’t understand at first, later he learned that “yang” means north of the river, that is, north of the Han River, meaning the north bank of the Yangtze River.
Fang Wen piloted the Shrike Hao circling above Hankou.
After circling for a while, he saw Wangjiadun Airport.
Not very big, just one runway.
He turned on the radio device and called the ground.
“Shrike Hao calling airport, Shrike Hao calling airport, respond if you hear.”
After calling three times continuously, the ground responded.
“Ground control tower received, runway currently available for landing.”
“Received, Shrike Hao will land immediately, over.”
Fang Wen put down the microphone, controlled the airplane to adjust direction, and smoothly landed on the empty airport runway.
Once the airplane was parked, an officer came over.
Fang Wen got off the airplane, shook hands with the other, and they talked.
“Hello Fang Wen, I’ve heard of you for a long time, better to see you in person, indeed a young hero.”
“Can’t call me young, I’m married.” Fang Wen replied.
A bit awkward, the officer quickly changed the topic.
“Ah, starting a family and career is good too, by the way, is this the American P-26 fighter jet?”
At transfer airports during landing, introducing the airplane on behalf of Boeing Company was Fang Wen’s only duty on this flight, and also the condition for obtaining various helps from Boeing Company.
But for his own people, Fang Wen wouldn’t hold back.
He very straightforwardly stated his feelings.
“Mine is P-26B, performance is okay, it has a 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun mounted in the nose, air-cooled design, 500 rounds per minute, can load normal rounds and armor-piercing rounds, firepower is sufficient.”
The officer nodded, expecting Fang Wen to continue.
Fang Wen pointed to the wing.
“The wing uses lower wing design, and support wires connect the upper and lower wing to the fuselage, I think this design will soon be eliminated, future wings won’t use external steel wires for fixation.”
“Is that so? I’ll note it down.”
The officer took out a notebook and seriously wrote down what Fang Wen said.
Fang Wen continued: “P-26 and its series models all use Pratt & Whitney Company’s air-cooled engine, performance-wise stable and reliable, I’ve flown 600 hours, no major issues.”
The officer nodded, long-duration flight was the best test.
But next, Fang Wen pointed out places where he wasn’t optimistic about the P-26.
“Although the P-26 series fighter jet has an advantage in speed, as the first batch of monoplanes, it may be replaced by other airline company products. Additionally, for higher maneuverability and speed, its fuselage is thin and small, I heard the US Army calls it ‘toy gun’ as a nickname.”
The officer stopped writing, speculating on the nickname’s origin: “Americans don’t like small airplanes?”
“Probably, overall, this airplane’s performance can cope with current Japanese Army fighter jets, but attack and operation require a lot of training to compensate.”
Fang Wen summarized.
The officer nodded and finished recording seriously, then warmly invited Fang Wen to dinner, also calling a few airport people to accompany.
At the wine table, everyone chatted idly, toasted each other, relations cordial.
After drinking, words flowed, the officer complained: “This kind of airplane is about the same size as the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Type 3 carrier-based aircraft, low payload capacity, can’t do long range, besides flexibility and speed, what else.”
Fang Wen nodded: “So it’s equipped to the US Army, not the Navy, okay for medium-short range combat.”
“I heard from above, planning to buy ten first to see.” The officer suddenly realized he misspoke, quickly changed to light topics.
Half an hour later, he took Fang Wen to the airport dormitory, arranged a room for him to stay one night.
After the other left.
Fang Wen then untied the canvas bag he brought down from the airplane, took out the new hand-cranked telegraph machine from inside.
This telegraph machine was bought from an intelligence dealer, espionage-specific equipment, size about the same as the original hand-cranked telegraph machine.
Besides hand-cranked power generation, it could also use dry batteries to provide electric energy.
Dry batteries were more stable than hand-cranked generation, Fang Wen took out a box of ‘Yongbei’ brand flashlight batteries, loaded into the battery compartment.
Then checked the time, 7:30 pm.
He adjusted the frequency and sent telegram.
“Have arrived at Hankou.”
This was the agreement with Neil, for domestic flight routes 3 stops, report to Neil by telegram upon arrival at each.
Twenty minutes after sending, radio waves feedback on the same frequency.
“Chongqing, Kunming sides confirmed.”
Their communication was simple and direct, no nonsense.
But besides communicating with Neil, Fang Wen also had to report safety to home.
He waited until 8:30, adjusted new frequency and sent telegram.
Same: “Have arrived at Hankou.”
This was telegram to Taishan Airlines, recipient Shopkeeper Liu, he had been a telegraph operator for two months, a skilled worker.
Ten minutes later, radio waves feedback.
“Received, hope careful flight, landing at foreign airports also be cautious. Also, Yue Jinping brought news, your sixth sister arrested, I’m sending people to inquire, will report tomorrow.”
Fang Wen was stunned, how just after he left Shanghai, this happened.
But since he had already departed, impossible to go back, he replied with a telegram.
“Don’t tell my parents yet, just say sixth sister came to play with me.”
Telegram conversation ended, Fang Wen thought his wife Kuang Mingzhu was steady, his brothers capable, should be able to handle it.
Thus, he lay on the bed fully clothed, emptied his body and fell asleep.
The next morning, knocking woke Fang Wen.
He got up and opened the door, it was an orderly: “Mister, the officer asked me to take you for breakfast.”
He put his things into the canvas bundle bag and followed the orderly to the airport canteen.
After breakfast, Fang Wen asked: “Can takeoff now?”
“I don’t know, gotta ask the officer, you wanna leave now?”
Fang Wen nodded: “Yes.”
“Then wait, I’ll go ask right now.”
The orderly ran off.
After a while, he brought back the officer from last night.
“Leaving already.” The officer said warmly.
“Time is tight, next two stops to fly in one day.” Fang Wen replied.
“Alright, I’ll arrange right now, you board, radio contact.”
Fang Wen shook hands with him and left, boarded the Shrike Hao in the standby area, turned on the radio device.
Half an hour later, voice from radio.
“Shrike Hao attention, you may takeoff, enter runway area.”
“Received.”
Fang Wen started the Shrike Hao, entered the runway, airport staff ahead waved signal flags, airplane accelerated and took off.
Back in the sky, Fang Wen adjusted position and flew toward Chongqing.
Airplane skimmed over Hubei Great Plain, flying along Han River.
Left Han River at Xiantao, arrived at another city Jingzhou along Yangtze River bank.
After that, plain terrain turned to mountains.
Airplane flew in a straight line until back to Yangtze River section.
There, the city built against mountains, Chongqing.
Also the confluence of Jialing River and Yangtze River.
Fang Wen suddenly discovered Chongqing was somewhat similar to Wuhan, both water cities at two rivers confluence.
And Chongqing at this time was already very prosperous.
Where was the airport?
Fang Wen soon spotted the sandbar island on Yangtze River: Guangyang Island.
Guangyang Island not big, located mid-river, splitting Yangtze in two.
Airport on it easy to recognize.
Fang Wen turned on radio device and called.
“Calling airport command, Shrike Hao requests landing.”
Sichuan accent from radio device.
“Got it, you come down.”
Then Fang Wen landed at the sandbar airport.
Here, he wouldn’t overnight, but refuel midway and repair, depart for Kunming in the afternoon.
After airport staff refueled the airplane, an officer came to inquire.
Heavy Sichuan accent.
“You’re Fang Wen, the one who bombed Japanese warship?”
“Yes, the whole operation not just me, I just took the credit for bombing.” Fang Wen said humbly.
“No polite talk, I’ve flown too, bombing from sky to hit target not easy. Come, let’s have a drink.”
The officer warmly invited.
Fang Wen politely refused drinking.
“Can’t drink, leaving in the afternoon.”
“Then eat some food, I’ll bring a group of young soldiers to hear you tell the story of bombing warship.”
Then, he pulled Fang Wen to the airport barracks, ordered soldiers to bring a table of food, ate while listening to Fang Wen recount air combat stories from the January 28th Incident.
These things were novelties for Southwest Region people, soldiers sat around, listening curiously.
Time reached 1 pm, Fang Wen checked his watch.
“Gotta go, thanks for the hospitality.”
Fang Wen stood and bid farewell.
The officer didn’t pull this time: “Good, you’re flying ten thousand kilometers to Europe, I won’t delay you.”
He waved hand, took a bundle from soldier’s hand, handed to Fang Wen.
“Not anything valuable, just our Chongqing specialties, don’t mind.”
Fang Wen wanted to refuse, but heard it was just specialties, and the other insistent, had to accept.
He boarded the airplane, bid farewell to officer and soldiers, flew back into the sky.
In the air, Fang Wen opened the bundle.
Inside all food, wrapped in oiled paper, perfect to pass flight time.
He looked at the writing on packaging paper, strange flavor peanuts, and peach slices.
One spicy flavor, one sweet flavor, quite thoughtful, at least one to taste.
Took a Hechuan peach slice to eat, Fang Wen continued serious piloting.
Flight from Chongqing to Kunming, all mountains.
No obvious landmarks like big rivers, the mountains below all looked similar.
This similar to flying in South Asia, Fang Wen had to use other ways to ensure flight path no mistake.
He began long time in mechanical perception state.
After months absorbing four-faced golden Buddha, now mechanical perception duration and consumption greatly improved, not like before, after one high-intensity flight combat, exhausted to collapse.
But after this time continuous absorption, four-faced golden Buddha could no longer provide energy to enhance mechanical perception ability, to continue improving, had to find treasures similar to four-faced Buddha.
Half hour air journey later, Shrike Hao passed large mountains, terrain gradually rising.
That was Yun-Gui Plateau, China’s second largest plateau after Tibetan Plateau.
Flying over plateau, most dangerous was oxygen content.
Fighter jets of this era still open cockpit, even more need attention.
Fang Wen although no hypoxia reaction, still took corresponding precautions.
He pulled open storage compartment on left, took out a device to wear over mouth.
That was diving equipment of this era, first generation scuba gear.
Scuba gear connected to compressed air bottle, inside stored oxygen-rich air from low altitude areas.
If hypoxia occurred, open compressed bottle to supplement oxygen.
Of course, just precaution, until Kunming, Fang Wen had no altitude reaction.
By now, time already 4 pm.
Sun already starting to set, evening glow reflecting.
He must quickly land at Kunming Wujia Ba Airport.
Airplane circled over Kunming observing.
Urban area southwest two sides each had a lake.
South one was Fuxian Lake, west one was Dianchi Lake.
Area above Dianchi Lake had an airport.
Precisely Wujia Ba Airport.
Fang Wen turned on radio device, called ground.
After response, landed in airport.
Here, controlled by another warlord faction in Southwest.
Per flight plan, Fang Wen still had to give airplane introduction to officer sent by Long Yun of Yunnan.
Once done, domestic itinerary complete.
