The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

Chapter 633: Nanyang United States National Aircraft Technology Research Institute and AH-1G Cobra

The battle continues on the Ryukyu Islands, in the jungles of Sumatra, and beside the oil wells in Borneo.

However, in the heart of the South Pacific United States, deep in a valley that would never be marked on any map, another force that would determine the shape of future wars was quietly brewing.

The name of this place is "National Aircraft Technology Research Institute of the Nanyang United States", code-named Institute 404, which sounds like an ordinary academic institution.

But in fact, this is one of the two cutting-edge equipment incubators established by Zhang Chi, alongside the "Southeast Asian United States Special Tactical Vehicle Joint Research and Development Center" which specializes in land combat vehicles.

Above them is a more mysterious and more powerful "Dawn" organization.

That is, it is the highest-level scientific research facility in Nanyang that Zhang Chi fabricated, and it is used as a "sleight of hand" to cover up the various industrial production lines and equipment produced by the system that surpass the current technological level.

Today, in the core area of ​​401 Institute, inside a huge, heavily guarded hangar.

In the center of the hangar, an aircraft with a smooth shape, sharp lines, and painted in an unfamiliar gray-green camouflage pattern was parked there quietly.

It did not have traditional large fixed wings. The huge rotor blades on its head drooped slightly, the nose was sharp like a beak, and the fuselage was narrow and compact. It was completely different from all known aircraft in the world at that time, and exuded a cold sci-fi feeling from the future.

It was what Zhang Chi had exchanged from the "War Thunder System" that only he had access to, spending a whopping 370000 Silver Lions, equivalent to 8.8 tons of silver, which was equivalent to nearly $200,000 based on the silver price.

White Hawk helicopter tech tree, starting with the AH-1G HueyCobra attack helicopter at rank V.

This amount of money is naturally very expensive at the moment.

But the value it brings cannot be measured in money.

Standing in front of it were a dozen aviation researchers led by a middle-aged man.

The leader is named Zhu Jiaren, 45 years old. He has an elegant face, but his eyes are full of the sharpness and perseverance unique to senior engineers.

He graduated from Soochow High School 20 years ago and traveled across the ocean to study in White Eagle. Twenty-six years later, he obtained a degree from the Department of Aeronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a top talent with real abilities.

After graduation, he worked in several White Eagle aircraft manufacturing plants, including Hughes in Chicago and Detroit, and accumulated rich practical experience.

When the Anti-Japanese War broke out, he returned to China with great enthusiasm and was transferred to the Chuncheng No. 1 Aircraft Manufacturing Plant as the factory director. He presided over the development of the "Yanqu Zero" fighter, trying to hold up the sky for the weak motherland.

Last year (44 years), he felt that the potential of propeller planes was reaching its limit and began to turn his attention to the more forward-looking field of helicopters.

However, the difficult domestic environment, especially the White Party's hopeless corruption and inefficiency, made it difficult for him to realize his ambitions.

This year, at the call of Boss Chen who went north, he, like many other technical experts who also had ideals and were unwilling to sink, resolutely went south to this new land full of vitality and hope.

At this moment, Zhu Jiaren looked up at the steel creation codenamed "Huey Cobra", his lips trembling slightly, and after a while he murmured:

"This... this is simply a creation from outer space... these lines, this layout... it's completely different from those pipe racks and aerial tractors we made before." (Picture)

The first generation of helicopters during World War II were quite simple, like plumbers' work.

The team members behind him were all stunned and talked about it.

"This design... is for drag reduction?"

"Look at that cockpit, it's a tandem layout."

"This skinning process... this riveting technology..."

Zhang Chi stood aside, looking at the shocked expressions on the faces of these country's most valuable talents, and felt satisfied.

He walked forward, patted the cold skin of the machine, and began to introduce:

"Guys, this is one of our future directions. The AH-1G HueyCobra, a specialized attack helicopter."

The design concept of this steel beast code-named "Huey Cobra" did not come out of thin air.

In another time and space trajectory that Zhang Chi knew, about twenty years later, far away in the tropical jungle of Annan, the White Eagle Army, which claimed to be the best in the world, was being tormented by the elusive guerrillas.

At that time, they were in urgent need of an aerial platform that could closely support ground troops and effectively suppress sporadic firepower.

In desperation, they had to temporarily install machine guns and rocket pods on the UH-1 "Huey" general-purpose helicopters to make up the number.

This kind of "magically modified" stuff has weak firepower, almost no armor, and its flight performance is greatly reduced due to external weapons. It is like a "flying coffin" or "air target" in the sky above the battlefield, causing heavy losses.

The desperate White Eagle Army quickly launched a tender, urgently needing a professional armed helicopter designed for killing.

In the end, Bell's Model 209 proposal stood out.

Afterwards, in 65, the prototype made its first flight; in 67, the AH-1G "HueyCobra" officially entered service, marking the first specially designed attack helicopter in human warfare history.

What appeared before Zhu Jiaren and others at this moment was this legendary fighter plane.

Its design is extremely clever and fully embodies the philosophy of pragmatism. It makes extensive use of mature components of the battlefield-tested UH-1 "Huey", such as the engine and main transmission system, which greatly reduces R&D risks and logistical pressure.

But its aerodynamic layout was revolutionary.

The entire fuselage is designed to be slender and low, and the sharp nose is like the kiss of a venomous snake, which reduces resistance and greatly minimizes the area affected by bullets.

The most notable feature is the tandem two-seat cockpit.

The pilot sits at the upper back with a good view; the gunner/co-pilot sits at the lower front, focusing on operating the weapon.

This layout not only reduces the frontal projection, but also gives it a streamlined beauty similar to that of a fighter jet. Compared with the experimental helicopters of 45 that seemed to be pieced together with boiler steel plates and scaffolding, it is simply a sci-fi creation that transcends the times.

The result was that it was faster, more maneuverable, and less vulnerable to being hit than its bulkier Huey brother.

In the imagined dense jungle canopy of Annan, it seemed like a deadly and agile "cobra" rather than a bloated "air tractor".

"Maximum speed, 277 kilometers per hour. Climb rate, 8.2 meters per second. Service ceiling, nearly 3500 meters."

Every piece of data reported by Zhang Chi made Zhu Jiaren and others' eyes jump - this performance crushes all the helicopters currently being tested.

"It weighs less than three tons empty, but packs a formidable punch. Its nose can be fitted with two 7.62mm M134 electric miniguns with a high rate of fire, like a metallic storm."

The short wings on both sides can be mounted with four 19-barrel rocket launchers, which have a devastating effect on soft ground targets and lightly armored targets.