Chapter 12

Seeing off Zhou Tianzuo, Fan Tianlei gave a wry smile and said to He Zhijun:

Did you see? This kid, compared to before, is like a different person; he now knows to push any problem directly onto us!

He Zhijun also laughed: "Isn't that good? Didn't you tell me before that truly capable soldiers are all troublemakers?"

Fan Tianlei helplessly waved his hand: "Brigade Commander, can I take that back? But this is fine; we originally positioned Liu Xiaotian as the heart of the Red Blood Cell Group, so quick reaction is good."

I just didn't expect that this kid's first move, shifting from dull to 'cunning,' would be used on us.

He Zhijun picked up his tea cup, blew away the leaves on the surface, took a "zzzul" sip: "Even uncarved jade needs fine carving, let alone this bunch of rebellious youths still in their adolescent phase? Take it slow; tomorrow let them first feel the atmosphere of our Wolf Fang Special Forces Brigade."

Notify Chi Hao: tomorrow's parachute drop zone is Zero Zone; all personnel fully equipped, upon landing immediately start a long-distance trek, and have them walk back to me!

Upon hearing He Zhijun's words, Fan Tianlei's face suddenly changed.

Zero Zone...

That's the place that, whenever he looks at the map, makes his heart shrink.

It is four hundred kilometers from the garrison, located at the jungle border.

Danger is secondary.

The key is, He Weidong sacrificed himself in Zero Zone!

"Brigade Commander..." Fan Tianlei wanted to dissuade, but just as he opened his mouth, He Zhijun cut him off:

"Lao Fan, ten years have passed; we must face it, right?"

Fan Tianlei took a deep breath, solemnly said: "Brigade Commander, tomorrow I will lead the team!"

He Zhijun laughed: "No need; let those kids go themselves, with Chi Hao following, it'll be fine."

Rest assured, according to intelligence, Xiezi's gang hasn't appeared there for over two years, so nothing will happen.

Besides, the drop zone is within our territory, nothing to worry about."

Fan Tianlei was somewhat hesitant, but since He Zhijun said so, he couldn't insist, only able to nod in agreement.

The next morning, twenty-four trainees came to the parachute training field after breakfast, preparing to conduct the parachute graduation evaluation that couldn't be held the previous day.

What caught everyone's eye was the CH···47 transport helicopter on the tarmac with its engines already running.

Liu Xiaotian had seen this in military magazines in his former world: an American-made craft nicknamed the "flying carriage," a longitudinal twin-engine, twin-rotor, all-weather multi-role medium/heavy transport helicopter.

Fully equipped Chi Hao was already waiting there; as the troops disembarked, Chi Hao pointed to a warehouse a hundred meters away and ordered in a low voice:

"Your gear is inside; you have five minutes to prepare, board in five minutes, take off in seven minutes; anyone failing to board on time will be deemed unqualified!"

"Yes!" they replied in unison, immediately sprinting toward the warehouse a hundred meters away.

Chi Hao had set five minutes, but when the last soldier returned to the assembly point, only four minutes had passed.

Clearly, these twenty-four soldiers are indeed elite troops handpicked.

Liu Xiaotian was the third to return; from afar he saw Zhou Tianzuo appearing beside Chi Hao—no need to guess, it was surely aimed at him.

Before, after training here for so long, we never saw this master sergeant come to the training ground once; why is he suddenly interested in training?

Indeed, as Liu Xiaotian approached, Zhou Tianzuo went up to him, smiling and wrinkling his face with several creases:

"Liu Gong, quick, come with me to check this guy out!"

Liu Xiaotian knew that what Zhou Tianzuo referred to was the CH···47 currently roaring and awaiting takeoff.

Helpless, facing the master sergeant's enthusiasm, he could only follow along.

As for looking, there's no need.

Since seeing the CH···47 dubbed the "flying carriage," the relevant data had already appeared in his mind.

However, in this world, this aircraft's "homeland" has nothing to do with the "Mei" (American) label; it belongs to a state called the United Alliance.

After following Zhou Tianzuo forward a few dozen meters, Zhou Tianzuo suddenly stopped, turned, and said to Liu Xiaotian: "Liu Gong, in your view, how is this big guy's performance? What are its pros and cons?"

Liu Xiaotian gave a pretentious up-and-down look, then spoke solemnly: "I won't go into the helicopter's features and related data; I'll just talk about this one."

It adopts a front-and-rear longitudinal layout with counter-rotating rotors, also called tandem twin rotors.

It has some special advantages: the tandem twin rotors' front and rear rotors are mounted on the raised "castle" tops, but the rear "castle" is higher than the front, causing the front and rear rotors to overlap horizontally, allowing overall length to be reduced.

Since both front and rear rotors produce lift, theoretically the rotor diameter of a tandem twin rotor can be reduced by 30% compared to a single-rotor layout, further aiding compactness. The helicopter's rotor provides not only lift but also thrust. In forward flight, the rotor increases the blade axis' forward angle relative to the horizontal plane via flapping hinges, generating lift while producing forward thrust.

However, tandem twin rotors have an additional method to increase the forward tilt angle: increase the output of the rear rotor, boosting overall forward tilt. This capability makes tandem twin rotors prone to transitioning quickly into high-speed forward flight during emergency takeoff, useful for swiftly departing the landing zone under enemy ground fire.

Conversely, tandem twin rotors can, in hover, let the tail lightly "rest" on a narrow but raised high point—such as a mountain peak, rooftop balcony, or small boat deck—facilitating rapid personnel entry/exit via the rear door while the front fuselage remains hovering.

This is difficult for single-rotor helicopters. The brief difference in output between the front and rear rotors can also be used to quickly change the aircraft's heading, greatly enhancing maneuverability and control in gusts.

"Master Sergeant Zhou, do I need to continue speaking?"

Zhou Tianzuo's eyes widened round, staring incredulously at Liu Xiaotian, unable to speak for a moment.

This helicopter, he too had never seen before.

However, in this world its name is not CH···47 but DF···51.

This transport helicopter is still making its first appearance in the Wolf Fang Special Forces Brigade, and even in the entire military region it has only appeared three times.

Even he, this "national treasure"-level mechanic, has never seen it; how could this new recruit named Liu Xiaotian know it inside out?

It's a pity Liu Xiaotian didn't give him a chance to ask more questions; he smiled, pointed to the comrades already lined up behind ready to board, raised his hand in a salute, then turned and ran toward the formation.

In the roar of the engine and rotors, Zhou Tianzuo stared fixedly at Liu Xiaotian's back, a deep regret flickering in his eyes, murmuring:

"What talent! What a pity, what a pity we can't keep him; otherwise I could rest easy taking off this uniform..."

(End of chapter)