Chapter 386: Chapter 384: Zhi-20 Helicopter
Out of curiosity, Chen Xin left his office and walked into the corridor outside. Due to the cold weather, there was a glass corridor outside this row of barracks, which allowed him to see outside while effectively blocking the cold, so Chen Xin could see what was happening without going out.
In the very center of the military camp, on a specially leveled snowy field, a gigantic black helicopter was slowly landing.
This was a large helicopter that looked somewhat round-headed yet angular, with five enormous rotors gradually coming to a halt. The helicopter was so heavy that its landing gear sunk into the snow on the ground.
Fortunately, this snowfield had been leveled beforehand, so the helicopter only sank a bit before coming to a stable stop.
Looking at this helicopter, Chen Xin couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Although he wasn’t a military enthusiast, he could still recognize the Zhi-20 helicopter, a high-profile piece of equipment in the Flame Country’s army before the disaster, largely known online for its distinctive five-rotor design.
Similar to the Federation’s famous Black Hawk helicopter, this domestically made version had only just been equipped in the Flame Country’s army at the onset of the disaster, marking it as newly advanced military equipment.
However, before the military could enjoy its new toy, a meteor shower filled the air with dust, making it difficult for any aircraft to take off.
It’s known that aircraft engines have a huge demand for intake air and do not have something like air filters. If the air contains a large amount of dust or particles, it can easily damage the aircraft engine, rendering the entire aircraft useless.
Additionally, the collapse of the weather system after the disaster caused strong winds, and the dark environment under the dust-covered sky made it dangerous to fly without satellite navigation. Not only large aircraft, but even helicopters and other small aircraft were grounded.
However, the arrival of this Zhi-20 indicated that the Flame Country seemed to have regained its airspace.
This piqued Chen Xin’s curiosity. How did this Zhi-20 solve the problem of dust and particles in the air, or had the air quality improved enough to allow aircraft to take off?
With these questions in mind, Chen Xin also noticed that something seemed to be added to the intake of this Zhi-20, but the light was dim, and he couldn’t see clearly.
While Chen Xin was still puzzled, the political commissar of the special forces walked in from outside.
"What’s the story with this helicopter? Can planes fly again now?" Chen Xin looked at the commissar, curiously asking him.
"The aircraft hasn’t resumed flights yet. This helicopter is being used for testing, mainly to test the new type of air filter installed on the plane to see if the helicopter can fly normally with the air filter installed." The commissar apparently understood the situation, and he came to find Chen Xin specifically for this issue: "Moreover, this helicopter also brought something for Comrade Chen Xin. Besides that, they hope you can check the plane’s air filter to see if there’s room for improvement."
"Something for me? What?" Chen Xin was quite surprised to hear that this helicopter was there to deliver something for him.
Although he knew he could enjoy generous treatment now, using a helicopter to deliver supplies to him wasn’t standard treatment at all!
Compared to having a whole unit of special forces for personal protection, the helicopter visibly highlighted the level of treatment Chen Xin was currently enjoying.
Regarding the aircraft air filter mentioned by the commissar, Chen Xin remembered that during a previous collaboration project with the state, there seemed to be a modification to an air filter. At the time, Chen Xin thought it was a new air filter for cars and wondered why such a large intake capacity was needed for a car air filter.
Now it seems he misunderstood its purpose; that high-capacity air filter was clearly meant for aircraft.
Chen Xin recalled that, as required, he upgraded the filtering efficiency and ventilation of that air filter and improved the material of the air filter’s core to make it more durable and even washable with water, significantly enhancing the air filter’s performance.
Since this helicopter successfully landed, it seemed that Chen Xin invisibly contributed to aircraft returning to the skies.
With this thought, a wave of excitement and enthusiasm surged through Chen Xin. Knowing that having aircraft would change many things significantly.
Take the snow disaster in Lin City, for example. If they could’ve had two helicopters like the Zhi-20 in the city back then, rescue teams wouldn’t have needed to drive over, risking their lives.
Bear in mind that a Zhi-20’s takeoff weight exceeds ten tons and can carry at least two tons of supplies or transport a squad of soldiers. Given the number of team members and supplies, the helicopter would need just a few trips to transport the entire rescue team and all supplies from the urban area to Lin City and could continuously relay medical staff and rescue supplies.
It’s far more convenient than the current cumbersome process required to transport personnel and supplies from the urban area to Lin City.
More importantly, if helicopters can resume flights, connections between different regions will regain their strength; transport of resources and information dissemination will become more efficient and swift.
Coupled with the new communications network the state is preparing to build, the government’s control over regions may be restored to pre-disaster levels, bringing the whole country back as one stronger whole.
"Let’s go take a look!" Chen Xin couldn’t contain his excitement any longer. Returning to his room, he donned his protective suit and, along with the commissar, left the barracks, stepping into the snow to the helipad.
At this moment, the engine of the Zhi-20 helicopter had completely shut down. A puff of white smoke rose from the engine casing, quickly forming a layer of frost.
However, this did not detract from the majestic and impressive appearance of the Zhi-20 helicopter; rather, it added an extraordinary aura to it.
"Are you Comrade Chen Xin? Hello, there is a consignment specifically for you; please sign for it." By the helicopter, a man in an air force pilot uniform handed a document to Chen Xin, indicating for him to sign it.
Having already heard about this from the commissar, Chen Xin naturally wasn’t surprised.
He reached out for the document, opened it, and Chen Xin’s eyebrows couldn’t help but raise: "These things are too..."