The F8F Panda fighter is the most advanced fighter equipped by the Liantai Flying Corps. Compared with the F6F Hellcat and P47 Thunder previously equipped, the Panda has faster flight speed, climb speed and more stable low-altitude hovering performance.
Of course, the Panda fighter is not without its shortcomings. One of the biggest complaints from pilots is that this aircraft does not have air conditioning.
In the past, it was fine when we were in Shanxi, at least the weather in Shanxi was not too hot, but problems started to arise when we arrived in tropical areas like Myanmar.
When pilots fly at low altitudes, the temperature in the cockpit often reaches 60 degrees Celsius. For this reason, pilots often complain that when they go out to patrol in such weather, they might not find the enemy and they themselves suffer from heat stroke first.
Qu Wentai felt like this now. At this time, he was flying an F8F Panda fighter jet painted in dark green camouflage at a low altitude of 500 meters.
The red scorching sun hung in the sky, and the scorching sunlight heated the cockpit. The original orange flight suit had turned into deep yellow at this moment, because the flight suit was completely soaked with sweat.
Although the fan in front of me is still blowing wildly, the wind blowing out of the fan is still very hot.
At this time, Qu Wentai really wanted to push open the sealed hatch cover so that the outside wind could blow in, but his reason told him that if he didn't do this, at the current speed of the plane, the oncoming strong wind would definitely hit him first.
Time will lift him away, even if he wears a safety belt.
He first set the plane to autopilot, then picked up the two-liter water bottle in the storage box on the left, unscrewed the lid and drank a large amount of cold boiled water. The cold and salty cold boiled water flowed down the esophagus and into the stomach.
, bringing a bit of coolness to the originally hot body.
Then he took out a piece of black chocolate and put it into his mouth. The bitter yet sweet chocolate made him feel more energetic.
Cold drinks and chocolate are considered standard for pilots. Don't think that pilots just sit in the cockpit and flip the joystick or press a few switches.
In fact, pilots are a very physically demanding branch of the military, which consumes a lot of physical energy. Therefore, every time a pilot performs a mission, he will carry a certain amount of chocolate and cold drinks mixed with salt to replenish the lost salt and physical strength.
Some people may ask, what should a pilot do if he drinks too much and needs to pee? After all, it was still twenty years before the invention of diapers.
The answer is that each pilot is equipped with a special urinary catheter, a plastic hose with a funnel-like head, which means that the pilot can urinate while flying the plane.
Of course, the disadvantage of peeing like this is that the experience is quite bad when you are at high altitude.
Some pilots once encountered something embarrassing when the bird peeed while flying at high altitude and the bird was frozen in the catheter.
However, these are trivial matters compared to the tasks to be performed. Now Qu Wentai's team is patrolling around Tonggu. Their mission is to detect the movements of the Japanese ground troops and ensure the safety of the sky above Tonggu to prevent Japanese aircraft.
sneak attack.
This kind of task is not only boring, but also extremely hard. Each cruise lasts from two to three hours to five or six hours at most. This is a great test for the pilots, both mentally and physically.
After replenishing his strength, Qu Wentai had just turned his gaze back to the jungle below when suddenly the urgent voice of the squad leader, Captain Ma Zhanxiang, came from the earphones.
"Attention, Falcon Team, a Japanese plane has been found... a Japanese plane has been found, the target... is at an altitude of 3,000 meters on the left front, the number is unknown, everyone must seize the altitude immediately."
"clear!"
Qu Wentai didn't hesitate at all. He pushed the throttle all the way with his left hand, and pulled the joystick with his right hand. At the same time, he stepped on the rudder with both feet. The speed of the entire aircraft instantly reached 600 kilometers per hour, like a sharp arrow.
Usually it pierces the sky.
Around him, the other five pilots in the team were also doing the same action.
"Everyone pay attention to the climbing speed and turning radius, and pay attention to overloading." While climbing, team leader Ma Zhanxiang tirelessly reminded the team members in the headset.
Compared with the originally equipped "Hellcat" fighter, the Panda fighter is 20% lighter and more than 5 feet in length, and has an increased flight speed of 50 miles per hour and a 30% climb rate.
The smaller size and lighter weight greatly improve the performance of this aircraft.
However, the increased flexibility of the aircraft also brings other troubles, that is, due to the lighter external structure, when the overload of the Panda fighter exceeds 9G, the wing tips will break.
Therefore, when all pilots fly the Panda fighter, the instructors will repeatedly remind them to control the maximum overload at 7.5G, otherwise the wingtips will be in danger of breaking.
The six war eagles, which were like sharp arrows, quickly rushed to an altitude of 4,000 meters. When they leveled the plane and looked down, they found a group of black aircraft flying towards Tonggu.
At the same time, the Japanese fleet on the opposite side also discovered them, and soon six Zero fighters broke away from the formation and rushed towards them menacingly.
Seeing this situation, Ma Zhanxiang smiled scornfully, "Everyone, pay attention, one per person, and get rid of those flies as soon as possible."
"clear!"
The pilots who received the order immediately dispersed and outflanked it from the left and right wings in groups of two.
The reason why they are so bold is entirely due to their confidence in the fighter planes they fly and their own flying skills, as well as their contempt for the Zero.
Wen Taigang, who was in the lead position, pushed the control stick and quickly rolled to the right, dived towards a Zero fighter in the lower left corner, and quickly locked it in the aiming frame, and then pressed the fire button with his right hand.
button.
"Dong dong dong dong..."
Accompanied by the vibration of the four 12.7mm machine guns, hundreds of bullets poured out at the same time, shrouding the Zero 300 meters away in a hail of bullets.
"boom……"
The unlucky Zero instantly turned into a ball of fire and exploded in the air. The entire plane fell into several pieces and fell towards the ground.
After finishing dealing with his opponent, Wen Taigang turned around and found that his wingman was chasing a Zero at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters.
It was obvious that the pilot of the Zero fighter was very skilled, and he could actually compete with his own wingman.
Wen Taigang didn't waste any time. He took advantage of the Zero to dodge his wingman's bullets and suddenly dived overhead. Then a string of bullets hit its nose. The Zero instantly shot straight to the ground with black smoke.
, and soon there was a billowing smoke.
"Damn it, why did you interfere? I almost killed it!" came the frustrated voice of the wingman from the headset.