Chinese people like everything big: big airplanes, big cars, big... ahem, I can’t say more.
So Leader Jing actually liked the propeller plane in front of him, so he asked curiously:
"Comrade Sanqi, can this plane be used as a civilian airliner?"
Although China was poor in the 1950s and 1960s, there were civil aviation flights in the country.
For example, in 1950, two routes were opened in China: Tianjin-BJ-Hankou-Guangzhou and Tianjin-BJ-Hankou-Chongqing.
Of course, flights are not available every day. Generally, reservations are made in advance, and then the date of flight can be confirmed after enough people are gathered.
Those who can take a plane must be at the regimental level or above.
Don’t think that flying on a plane is something very noble. In the 1960s, the aircraft that carried out civil aviation missions in China was called "BJ No. 1".
This aircraft is a light transport aircraft designed and trial-produced by the Capital University of Aeronautics. It is also the first light passenger aircraft in China. It uses two Soviet-made IA-14R piston engines, has a lower monoplane wing, a crew of 2, and can carry 8 passengers.
It was completed by hand by more than 1,000 teachers and students from Beihang University within 100 days.
The courage is commendable, but most people would not dare to take it. At least the leaders would not take this plane. Instead, they would use the Il-14 or Soviet-made Li-2 aircraft as special planes.
Lin Sanqi quickly ran over, lowered the ladder to the rear door of the Xinzhou aircraft, and made a gesture of invitation:
"Come on, leaders, take a look at this plane and you will know how advanced it is."
The Xian MA aircraft was not that advanced at all! But in the 1960s, it was the most advanced passenger aircraft in China.
Leader Jing took the lead, followed by Liu Xingchang and others, and a group of officers got into the cabin of the Xinzhou aircraft. Then there was a burst of emotion:
"Wow, this plane is so big."
"Yeah, let me count, there are so many seats, it seems there are a total of 60 seats."
"Let me sit for a while. Mm, this seat is very comfortable."
Yang Shufeng, like a monkey, had a more professional vision. He immediately ran into the cab first and exclaimed in amazement:
"Advanced, very advanced. Comrade Sanqi, what country's aircraft is this?"
Lin Sanqi thought, what if I told you this was produced by Xi'an Aircraft Manufacturing Company? No one would believe it. These days, even Xi'an Aircraft Manufacturing Company itself doesn't believe it.
"Comrade Shufeng, please don't ask what country this plane is from, but you can rest assured that this plane has been domestically modified. Look, many buttons and instruments are displayed in Chinese."
Leader Jing and others entered the cab to join in the fun:
"Comrade Sanqi, can this plane fly now?"
Lin Sanqi nodded. "It can fly, it can fly. The fuel is all refueled. It flew here yesterday. Leader, do you want to try it?"
Leader Jing has already shown great interest:
"Just give it a try. Hurry up and fly around. There's no one within a thousand square kilometers now. Just fly towards Qiqihar."
Liu Xingchang suddenly asked:
"Comrade Sanqi, can this plane be bought in one go for the capital?"
Lin Sanqi didn't understand the concept of geography, so he asked Yang Shufeng next to him:
"Comrade Shufeng, how far is it from here to the capital as the crow flies?"
Yang Shufeng replied: "If you take a train around the same distance, it's about 2,000 kilometers, but if you fly in a straight line, it's about 1,200 kilometers."
Lin Sanqi thought that the maximum range of the Xian MA60 was 2,450 kilometers (full fuel), so 1,200 kilometers was more than enough.
"Report to Liu Xingchang, we can fly to the capital immediately, but I don't know the way."
There was no GPS navigation in the 1960s, so domestic aircraft had to be equipped with an experienced navigator who relied on ground landmarks and maps to find the way.
The plane cannot fly too high, and the pilot and navigator must keep their eyes on the ground and search for landmarks.
Some signs are easy to recognize, such as towers, railways, rivers, etc. But some signs are not clear, such as text signs.
Sometimes pilots and navigators use aviation maps to find their way. The difference between aviation maps and ordinary maps is that aviation maps have many ground landmarks that can be identified from the air marked on them.
This early navigation method was called visual navigation.
If there is bad weather, it will be a disaster. Even the most experienced pilots and navigators will fail. Dai Yunong encountered such a disaster when he hit Daishan.
Yang Shufeng and a group of air force officers burst into laughter:
"Comrade Sanqi, don't worry. There are at least 10 people on the plane who can serve as navigators. If you need an assistant, we can all serve as co-pilots. How about flying one?"
Lin Sanqi thought that in a few decades, people would have to test drive cars before buying them, let alone airplanes.
"Okay, then we'll fly one. But first, I have some advice. I'm not very experienced. I'm only good at flying and taking off and landing. If there's an emergency, I'll need everyone's help."
The Air Force officers all patted their chests and said, "No problem!"
At this time, Liu Xingchang asked again:
"Comrade Sanqi, how many hours does it take to fly to the capital?"
Lin Sanqi checked his watch and replied, "If nothing goes wrong, we'll arrive in about three hours."
"So fast?"
Everyone was stunned, because at that time, the speed of domestic passenger planes would not exceed 300 kilometers per hour.
Lin Sanqi also laughed and said, "That's right. We just happened to go to the capital for lunch. After lunch, we will come back and test the power of the fighter jet."
At this time, Leader Jing spoke:
"The capital is too far away. Let's fly later. Let's try flying to Qiqihar first. It's 400 kilometers away. Should we get there in an hour?"
Lin Sanqi patted his chest and said, "No problem. Destination: Qiqihar. Dear passengers, hold on tight."
Everyone sat down in their seats with great interest. Lin Sanqi served as the captain and Yang Shufeng as the co-pilot.
Lin Sanqi briefly explained the buttons to Yang Shufeng and other air force officers, and then took out several operating manuals and distributed them to everyone.
An experienced pilot can fly any aircraft without any problem as long as he follows the steps in the operating manual.
After Lin Sanqi slid the Xinzhou plane to the end of the runway, the propeller started to rotate rapidly, and the plane accelerated and took off.
Lin Sanqi is a skilled pilot after all, and his speed is faster than that of Concorde 4+4, so the plane's takeoff was not very smooth, which caused everyone in the cabin to exclaim.
After the plane stabilized, Lin Sanqi activated the autopilot function and prepared to play the role of flight attendant, pouring tea for the leaders, which caused Yang Shufeng and others to exclaim:
"Comrade Sanqi, why did you leave your position? Please stop scaring people, okay?"
Lin Sanqi thought for a moment and sat back down.
"Comrade Shufeng, are we flying east now?"
"Yes, fly east."
"That's good, as long as we don't fly west and don't reach Wunduerhan."
Everyone was puzzled. As everyone knew, Wudaerhan was the territory of neighboring Mongolia. Were they afraid of having their plane shot down by the enemy if they flew there?
"Don't worry, I've turned on the autopilot mode. This plane has a good thing about it, it can fly on its own in the air.
If you really encounter an emergency, you can also activate Category II blind landing, which means you can land automatically, so safety is not a big issue."
The automatic driving system was unheard of in 1962, and everyone in the Air Force was stunned when they heard about it.
Leader Jing laughed out loud after hearing this. The more advanced the plane was, the happier he was, because it meant we could disassemble the plane for research.
If we can learn and produce this autonomous driving technology, including the airborne radar system, it will make a huge contribution to the development of domestic aerospace technology.
An hour later, the Xianfeng aircraft landed safely at Qiqihar Airport.
After Lin Sanqi turned off the engine, he asked:
"Leader Jing, Liu Xingchang, how is it? Are you satisfied with this Xianzhou aircraft?"
In fact, Lin Sanqi was thinking that if he was not satisfied with this aerial tractor, then it would be all over, as he would have to receive more than 30 more in the future.
Liu Xingchang slapped his thigh excitedly:
"Satisfied, very satisfied. I've never ridden in such a smooth plane. It's perfect for a leader's plane, not to mention being polite. Comrade Lin Sanqi, we're very eager to get hold of this large aircraft."
It is difficult to go from luxury to simplicity, but it is very easy to go from simplicity to luxury. Without any comparison, the Xian MA aircraft is definitely the best aircraft that China can buy.
At this time, Yang Shufeng rushed to the street:
"Comrade Sanqi, let's return home quickly. I still want to try out the fighter plane. Also, can I be the pilot on our return trip?"
Lin Sanqi thought, you have been flying for half your life and you are a veteran pilot, while I have only been flying for a month, there is no way we can compare.
"Okay, then you'll be the pilot when we get back. And Xiao Zhang, you'll be the co-pilot, and I'll be your backup captain."
A young lieutenant colonel stood up excitedly when he heard this:
"Okay, Minister Lin, just wait and see." (End of this chapter)
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