Chapter Thirty-Four: The Soul of the Air Force

  On August 24, it was drizzling, and the crowd escorted six coffins to Nan Mountain. Deep in the foothills of Nan Mountain, not far from Chiang Kai-shek's Huangshan Villa, the Air Force Cemetery is located here. Since 1938, many fallen airmen have been buried here, including Liang Tiancheng, the last of the "Four Great Kings" of the Chinese Air Force who died in battle over Fuling. Nan Mountain has always been a place of good feng shui, and the Military Commission gave the Air Force Cemetery a very high status, and other fallen soldiers with higher military ranks could not enter the Air Force Cemetery, which was a privilege given to the Air Force.

  He Juncai was the first to come to the Air Force Tomb, because all those who died in the 8.20 air battle were his direct subordinates. He Juncai vaguely remembered that the Air Force Tomb was near the Nan Shan Botanical Garden, and later generations had searched for this tomb deep in the bamboo forest. Compared to later generations, the current Air Force Tomb is more solemn. It's hard to imagine that due to various reasons, these tombs of soldiers who sacrificed themselves in the anti-Japanese war and defended the Chongqing sky suffered three major destructions. The tombstones and tomb covers were used to build highways, and bamboo was planted in the tomb, and the lush bamboo forest later was nurtured by the blood and flesh of the martyrs.

  The Chinese Air Force fought bravely despite being outnumbered, defending the great rear and fearlessly fighting the enemy with their lives. Every time they took to the skies, they had to engage in fierce battles with enemy planes five times or more. In each battle, at least two-thirds of the planes in each squadron were hit by enemy fire. The airmen "went up into the sky with a determination to die". From the Songhu battlefield to the skies above Wuhan, from the Lanzhou base to the blue skies of Chongqing, the weak and small Chinese Air Force was strong enough to command respect. The air force badge on Madame Chiang's chest was a testament, as were the graves of the airmen under the green pines and white clouds of Nanshan.

  Lin Huiyin said in her poem mourning her brother Lin Heng, "Brother, I don't have the language of this era to mourn your death. It is the era's requirement of you, simple and plain, you gave it. This cold and simple heroic spirit is the poetry of this era. This silent glory is yours." However, this glory did not illuminate later generations! In a certain twisted period, this sacred cemetery was destroyed in an instant under the poisonous influence, most of the loyal bones were gone without a trace, the tombstones turned to dust with the distorted history, leaving only a hill overgrown with weeds. Every year, some descendants of air force martyrs would come here secretly and carefully to pay their respects to their deceased loved ones. When they faced the desolate scene, their sorrow was beyond words. Looking back, our pilots shocked the Japanese with their fearless spirit, even the enemy Japanese left behind many tombstones for the Chinese Air Force. But we, the people saved by the Chinese Air Force with their lives, have forgotten them indifferently. What a sadness and helplessness!

  He Juncai secretly vowed that the same tragedy could not happen again in this space, and he would do his best to prevent China from taking a detour and brothers from being estranged.

  Thoughts returned to the present, and the small raindrops hitting the branches of the cypress trees added a sense of solemnity to today's memorial service. Air Force Commander-in-Chief Zhou Zhiyou personally escorted the coffins of Yang Mengqing, Huang Gangquan, Yu Bafeng, Situ Jian, Lei Tingzhi, and Cao Fei up the mountain. The Military Commission had prepared the best coffins for them, covered with national flags. Those who followed included not only air force officers and relatives of the deceased but also many ordinary people who came spontaneously to bid farewell to the heroes of the air force.

  "Today, we bid farewell to our comrades and brothers who sacrificed their lives for the war of resistance. History will forever remember them!" After the ceremony, Zhou Zhiyou delivered a brief eulogy. But this was not enough, He Juncai had already set up a condolence fund within the 4th Flying Group, where officers at all levels took out part of their allowances to comfort the families of the deceased, so as not to let the martyrs shed blood and tears again. After the Air Force Headquarters learned about this, they elevated this fund to the entire air force level, which later helped many air force families who had lost their main source of income to get through the difficult times during the war.

  At the end of the ceremony, the six coffins were placed in pre-dug graves, the national flags were folded neatly and handed over to the bereaved families, and the ceremonial officer fired a gun salute to bid farewell to the deceased.

  He Juncai walked up to a middle-aged man and stretched out his hand. He had already recognized the person as Liang Sicheng, the son of Liang Qichao, and also the husband of Lin Huiyin, the author of "Mourning for My Third Brother". Today, he was attending the funeral as Huang Zuqiang's "honorary parent", and because he feared that Lin Huiyin could not accept the loss of her loved one, he had secretly rushed to Chongqing to attend the funeral without telling Lin Huiyin.

  "Mr. Liang, these are the relics of Captain Huang Shaokun (posthumously recognized), this is the First Class Revival Honor Medal awarded to him."

  "Alas, Huang Zuquan has died as he should. I recall that it was through his violin playing that my wife and I got to know these lovely and respectable pilots; the scene is still vivid in my mind. Who would have thought that just two years later, so many young lives would be lost for their country?" Liang Sicheng was a scholar and educator, but at this moment he was like other family members with tears in his eyes.

  "Mr. Liang, rest assured that our Chinese Air Force will definitely drive the Japanese invaders out!" He Juncai vowed to the many relatives present.

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  After bidding farewell to the six heroes in the morning, He Juncai arrived at Taiping City Airport in Chengdu by plane in the afternoon. The Fifth Squadron was stationed here. He Juncai had a brief conversation with the squadron leader, Huang Xinrui, a returned overseas Chinese, and then observed their ongoing Zero fighter confrontation drill. Except for one of the captured Zero fighters given to the Soviet Union as a gift, one sealed (He Juncai prepared to give to the United States), two given to the Aviation Research Institute for research, and two still needing maintenance, the remaining four were secretly allocated to the four squadrons of the Fourth Flying Regiment for targeted drills. Through the drill, the feasibility of the tactics previously formulated was verified. Next time we encounter Zero, we will no longer be panicked. It is completely feasible to confront the high-performance Japanese aircraft with quantity and overall.

  In addition, the other captured aircraft, except for the 18 Type 96 carrier-based fighters of the two squadrons, were assigned to other flying regiments by the combat command department headed by Mao Bangchu. All transport planes were assigned to the 1st Land Warfare Brigade, and the remaining planes were supplemented to the 4th Flying Regiment. As a result, each squadron of the 4th Flying Regiment increased its number of Japanese-made reconnaissance planes and liaison aircraft. The 4th Flying Regiment also added a bomber squadron equipped with 36 Type 96 land-based attack aircraft, with Xu Huan-sheng, a famous bomber pilot, as the squadron leader. The replenishment of mechanical equipment, fuel, and ammunition made the 4th Flying Regiment even stronger.

  He Juncai watched the deputy squadron leader Wang Hanxun drive a Zero fighter plane to simulate the Japanese army's attack. Wang Hanxun indeed had a good hand and quickly mastered the skills of the Zero aircraft, plus he participated in the 8.20 air battle and was familiar with the Japanese tail-biting tactics, so he quickly "shot down" several lone I-16 fighter planes. It seems that it really takes some time for Chinese pilots to adapt to the fierce Zero. In fact, He Juncai still wanted to see Wang Hanxun because Wang's girlfriend Zheng Pinru was the prototype of "Lust, Caution". In 1939, Zheng Pinru was ordered to get close to and assassinate the big traitor Ding Mocun in Shanghai, but unfortunately, she failed and was captured and killed.

  However, today is not the time, he needs to rush to the Aviation Research Institute in Chengdu. Two Zero fighters have already been transported there, and Huang Guangrui, the Minister of Equipment Department, is waiting for He Junci there. He Junci still holds the title of Deputy Minister of Equipment Department, and now that the superior has summoned him, and there are no major battles recently, so he decided to come to Chengdu to discuss the direction of the follow-up development of air force equipment.

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  On July 7, 1939, the "Aviation Committee Aviation Research Institute" was established at No. 63 Binjiang Street in Chengdu. After the reorganization of the air force, Zhou Zhiyou expanded the aviation research institute into an aviation research academy on the suggestion of He Junci, with a focus on domesticating aircraft equipment and designing and manufacturing aircraft domestically. Huang Guangrui, the Minister of Equipment, personally served as the president to show importance, while Wang Zhuo, the former supervisor of the Sino-American joint venture Hangzhou Central Aircraft Manufacturing Factory and a famous aircraft designer, served as the vice president in charge of actual work. He Junci has now arrived at this temporary temple office building of the research institute. Today, not only are the main personnel of the Aviation Research Institute present, but also the factory directors of various aircraft manufacturing plants have attended the meeting.

  "Hey, old brother, you're really a busy person, it's not easy to invite you out once." Huang Guangrui started complaining as soon as they met.

  "Huang, I'm not coming over anymore. How was it? Did you receive the gift yesterday?" As mentioned earlier, He Juncai had an inexplicable good impression of this elder brother who didn't want to fight internally.

  "This gift is really heavy, I didn't expect the 4th Flying Brigade to achieve such a remarkable feat. The new Japanese fighter plane was captured as soon as it appeared, haha." This matter had already been spread throughout the country, but Huang Guangrui did not expect that in such a tense battle situation, the 4th Flying Brigade could still generously give two Zero fighters to their equipment department for research. "We have disassembled and analyzed one of the Zero fighter planes, with some brief analysis conclusions, hoping to be helpful to you."

  "First of all, its air-cooled engine is very powerful, estimated to be around 1000 horsepower, which will make it very fast and agile. The fully enclosed retractable landing gear and bubble canopy give it a more streamlined shape and better aerodynamics. Additionally, it's made entirely of metal, with good solidity, using a type of aluminum alloy material. However, the downside is that in order to reduce weight, armor was sacrificed, making the fuel tank prone to catching fire when hit, especially since the aluminum alloy can create a thermite effect, causing the burning fighter to be uncontrollable." Huang Guangrui said. "So, using armor-piercing incendiary bombs should yield very good results."

  "We also measured its wing load, and found it to be very large. With the lightweight body, the entire Zero fighter is like a big kite. Its gliding performance should be good, able to maintain altitude with just a little bit of pull, which might also be the secret to its ultra-long range."

  "That's great, with this information, we can develop targeted strategies." He Junci said happily, actually he already knew these things, but the fact that the Aviation Research Institute could analyze them also showed their strength. "How about our own aircraft design and manufacturing plan?" He Junci wanted to see how the materials and equipment department had absorbed the things they handed over to Huang Guangrui at the floating base.

  "The Aeronautical Research Institute has made a preliminary analysis and feels that the several aircraft designs you provided have their own advantages in terms of aerodynamic shape, but there is controversy over whether to use air-cooled or liquid-cooled engines," said Huang Guangrui. "Air-cooled engines are currently the mainstream, as they have a simple structure and make full use of airflow characteristics to cool the engine. The disadvantages are that the engine head is larger, and the heat sink and air contact increase drag, which affects visibility and is not conducive to weapon deployment."

  "Currently, liquid-cooled engines are more popular in Europe, and the Spitfire and Hurricane used liquid-cooled engines. The advantages are that they have a small volume, which allows for greater design flexibility. The disadvantages are that the structure is complex, if the radiator is hit, the engine will quickly stall. In addition, in cold regions, liquid-cooled engines can encounter problems."

  "Why not design and manufacture both at the same time?" He Juncai knew that later generations of American aircraft were formally designed and manufactured with multiple models simultaneously. "Whether air-cooled or liquid-cooled piston engines are not the direction of the future, these engine structures are too complex, maintenance is troublesome, and lifespan is relatively short. When I was abroad, I learned that some countries were already developing turbojet engines, which have higher material requirements but also higher efficiency and simpler structure. Our J-1 fighter jet has tried using a turboprop engine, this point should be clear to you."

  "We have analyzed the materials you provided. Turboprop and turboshaft engines may be designed and manufactured at present, but turbojet engines are beyond the capability of current metal materials." replied Wang Zhuo, deputy director of the Aeronautical Research Institute.

  "Abroad, titanium is used to solve this problem. This metal has a high melting point and the alloy of titanium can meet the requirements of jet engines. And in this place," He Juncai pointed to Panzhihua in Sichuan Province, "it's said that there are large amounts of titanium associated with iron ore."

  "My opinion is that we should currently research and design both piston engines and jet engines simultaneously. We should have multiple aviation design institutes and aircraft manufacturers like the United States, and use liquid-cooled engines for fighter jets which can be directly upgraded to turboprop engines in the future. In a few years, turbine engines will become mainstream, and turbojet engines will make our fighter jets fly even faster, exceeding the speed of sound. Turboprop engines can be used on civilian and large transport aircraft, while turboshaft engines can be used on relatively slower ground attack aircraft and bombers. Additionally, turboprop and turboshaft engines can also be combined into a turboduct engine for better performance." He Juncai introduced the future trend.

  "This would require a lot of resources. Now that the country is weak, I don't know if it can design and manufacture multiple aircraft at the same time." Huang Guangrui raised his doubts.

  "Huang department head can rest assured, the Military Commission is now very focused on the air force and future investment will increase. The main task now is to do a good job in designing aircraft models, there are many successful experiences that can be referenced, engines can initially introduce foreign engines for equipment and imitation, and then develop them."

  "In addition, during the design process, we should achieve systematization, componentization and standardization. For example, the weapon system should be universal and not tightly coupled together. For instance, weapons can be standardized through the use of pods, so that each aircraft type does not need to be redesigned repeatedly, which can reduce workload and also alleviate the burden on logistics. Even the cockpit for pilots can be designed as a whole and then installed in various types of aircraft. We are different from Western countries, their arms dealers are private, making it difficult to unify and standardize, we are state-owned, so we should achieve this point, besides, we start from scratch, more should learn from their experience and lessons."

  After some discussion, Huang Guangyu and He Junci, the two leaders of the Equipment Department, decided on the development route for future air force equipment:

  The Aeronautical Research Institute is mainly responsible for basic research, with the Equipment Department being in charge of research on chemical engineering, electrical engineering, instrumentation, metal materials, and ordnance. In particular, research on aluminum alloys and titanium alloys is a key area of focus. The Science and Technology Department is responsible for research on aerodynamics, structures, aircraft design, and engines. The Aeronautical Research Institute provides large wind tunnels for testing aircraft bodies, while the Floating Air Base has several small computers equipped with CAD and simulation software that are available for shared use, greatly shortening the time required for design and testing.

  The second aircraft manufacturing plant relocated to Nan Chuan will be responsible for copying the Japanese Zero fighter, in addition to physical objects, He Juncai also provided drawings. Moreover, He Juncai also handed over the design drawings and materials of the upgraded version of the Zero, the heavy-duty Zero - A7M "Reppu" to the factory director Zhu Lin. This fighter will make up for the lack of defensive shortcomings of the Zero, belonging to a heavy fighter.

  The first aircraft manufacturing plant relocated to Kunming and its branch in Guizhou will develop new equipment air-cooled engine fighter. He Juncai chose the F8F Bearcat fighter, which was officially produced in the United States in 1944. When he handed over the drawings to the factory director Zhu Jiaran, this graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Aeronautical Engineering Department was immediately attracted by the beautiful three-view drawing of this aircraft.

  The newly built one is located in the third aircraft manufacturing plant in Chengdu, and He Junci hopes that they will design and test the limit of piston engines - P51 Mustang fighter. This fighter uses a liquid-cooled engine, and He Junci's idea is to replace the liquid-cooled piston engine with a turbo-propeller engine a few years later, just like the J-1 equipped by the 11th Airborne Base. Of course, propeller-driven fighters will be replaced by jet fighters after a period of time.

  The Zhongmei Cooperation Central Aircraft Manufacturing Factory, due to secrecy, did not undertake the development of new aircraft, but instead transferred all repair tasks originally undertaken by various aircraft manufacturing plants.

  The engine manufacturing plant to be relocated in Datong will be divided into two new plants, one for the design and manufacture of air-cooled piston engines and the other for the design and manufacture of liquid-cooled piston engines. The design of turbojet engines is temporarily carried out directly by the Aviation Research Institute.

  Leshan's parachute manufacturing plant will design and manufacture new rapid parachutes for the Marine Corps' 1st Brigade.

  Other electronics, ordnance and standard equipment plants are also planned. Given the current state of the Chinese Air Force, the focus in the short term will be on air defense fighters and fighter-bombers. Transport, medium bombers and heavy bombers would be considered later for production at new factories (which were later established as the 4th and 5th Aircraft Manufacturing Factories in Guilin and Lanzhou).

  By then, China's aviation industry had entered a new stage, from purchasing, imitating and repairing to researching, designing and manufacturing on its own. The five aircraft manufacturers and two engine manufacturers as well as peripheral factories played an important role in the war of resistance against Japan and made great contributions to World War II.

  After the war, these factories were gradually privatized and became several of the world's major aircraft designers and manufacturers, earning China a huge amount of foreign exchange.

  The little girl hurt her right foot, so I'm updating a bit late, sorry!

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