8: Replica Chinook helicopter!

After Vice Minister Zhou proposed inspecting the Changhe Factory's helicopter production line, Chief Engineer Gu led their group from the firing range to the production workshop.

Although the Changhe Factory is commonly known as the Changhe Military Factory, Changhe Aircraft Manufacturing Factory is its official name.

The helicopters produced and manufactured here support half of Longguo's commercial and military helicopter market.

Therefore, regarding helicopter manufacturing, Chief Engineer Gu was very confident in the Changhe Factory's capabilities.

In the workshop, he continuously introduced the Changhe Factory's production equipment and manufacturing situation to Vice Minister Zhou and the others.

About an hour and a half later, everyone finished their tour and walked out of the helicopter assembly workshop.

"Under circumstances where all workers are working overtime, what is the maximum number of Z-5 helicopters the Changhe Factory can manufacture in a year?"

As soon as they exited the workshop, Vice Minister Zhou eagerly asked his most pressing question.

"Our Changhe Factory can produce a maximum of 50 Z-5s a year!"

Chief Engineer Gu pondered for a moment before replying.

"Maximum capacity can only reach 50 Z-5s?"

"Too few!"

"Far from enough!"

Vice Minister Zhou's brows furrowed tightly, filled with worry.

"The 50-unit capacity still requires workers to maintain 24-hour shifts."

"After all, helicopters are heavy machinery, and we need to ensure production quality."

Chief Engineer Gu explained.

However, upon hearing this, Vice Minister Zhou's brows furrowed even deeper.

"I won't hide it from you, some time ago General Xu Liyou convened a special meeting with the commanders of the various military regions in the Southwest and our Fifth Ministry of Machinery."

"The content of the meeting was to discuss preparations for the Viet Cong War (Vietnam War) and logistical supply issues after the war breaks out."

"According to General Xu Liyou, the army has already dispatched scouts to understand the enemy situation, and ground mechanized vehicles simply cannot transport logistical supplies in the mountainous and jungle terrain of Yue Hou Country."

"So, for our troops to enter enemy territory to fight, they must carry at least 60 catties of load, including dry rations, water bottles, bedding, firearms, and ammunition."

"The load for special forces even needs to be above 80 catties."

"With so much weight, and all of it in mountainous jungles, how can the soldiers march and how can they fight?"

"After General Xu Liyou described such a combat environment, the commanders of the Southwest Military Region immediately stated that they could overcome even greater difficulties in marching and combat!"

"When they return, the military region cadres will take the lead, and all troops will train in advance with an 80-catty standard marching load to adapt to the combat environment!"

Vice Minister Zhou's face seemed to bear an unresolvable worry, and his voice was hoarse as he spoke.

The others were silent upon hearing such a situation.

After all, according to everyone's understanding, the weather in Yue Hou Country is volatile, with frequent heavy rains.

In heavy rain, a marching raincoat, once wet, would weigh nearly ten catties.

If such a heavy marching load was added, the challenge for the soldiers would truly be too great.

For the southern gate of the motherland, for the safety of the nation, the sacrifices of the army's soldiers were truly immense.

"However, while logistical supplies can be personally handled by the soldiers' training and iron will, the wounded cannot!"

"Yue Hou Country has many jungles and an extremely humid environment; wounds will surely become inflamed if the injured stay there too long."

"If injured soldiers cannot be quickly transported to the rear, then the wounded will likely find it very difficult to survive."

"Therefore, General Xu Liyou entrusted the task of transporting the wounded to our Fifth Ministry of Machinery."

"He asked us to do our utmost to produce more and more advanced helicopters to provide assurance for the transport of the wounded after the war breaks out!"

"At that time, I promised General Xu Liyou that while our soldiers are fighting the enemy with bodies of iron and wills of steel, our Fifth Ministry of Machinery must provide the fastest transport assurance for the wounded soldiers, and absolutely not allow a single soldier of the nation to die innocently due to issues with transport to the rear!"

Vice Minister Zhou recounted the cause of the matter, his tone slightly heavy.

At this moment, everyone finally understood why his mood was so heavy and worried.

With the Soviet Union's million-strong army eyeing Longguo's north, the pressure was already immense.

Even if some helicopters could be transferred from the northern military regions to the Southwest, the number would likely not be many.

Therefore, the pressure of helicopter demand for the Southwest Military Region was entirely on the Changhe Aircraft Manufacturing Factory.

Only by working overtime can they support the Southwest Military Region's operations against the Viet Cong!

"Yue Hou Country has many mountains and high-altitude regions; relying solely on old-fashioned single-rotor piston helicopters like the Z-5 won't work."

"If we produceimitation of the Soviet Union's Mi-8 helicopter, it might alleviate our immediate urgent needs to some extent."

Director Qian of the Jiangxi Provincial National Defense Production Office spoke out.

And after he finished speaking, everyone's eyes instantly lit up.

Because, indeed, as he said, the Z-5 uses a piston engine, and its performance in high-altitude and mountainous terrain is extremely poor.

Moreover, the Z-5 can carry a maximum of 11 soldiers or 1.2 tons of cargo at one time, making its carrying capacity very limited.

However, the Mi-8, as a twin-engine medium helicopter, has a carrying capacity of 4 tons.

It can transport up to 34 fully armed soldiers at one time.

The transport capacity of one Mi-8 can equal that of 3 Z-5s!

If the Changhe Factory's limited production capacity were all used to produceimitation of the Mi-8 helicopter, it would certainly solve the Southwest Military Region's pressure regarding casualty evacuation after the war breaks out.

Moreover, if 50imitation Mi-8s joined the battlefield, even issues like frontline soldiers' logistical ammunition supply could be resolved to some extent.

After thinking this, everyone simultaneously looked towards Chief Engineer Gu of the Changhe Factory.

"Theimitation Mi-8 is indeed more than three times stronger in performance than the Z-5."

"But the problem is that theimitation Mi-8 currently cannot be put into production; we still need at least a year to possibly solve the research and development issues of the Mi-8 turboshaft engine."

Chief Engineer Gu saw everyone placing their hopes on him and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"Still need a year?"

Receiving this answer, everyone was somewhat disappointed.

The Mi-8 had been introduced from Soviet Union three or four years ago, and they hadn't expected it still hadn't been successfullyimitation!

"If theimitation Mi-8 cannot be put into production, I think we can try toimitation and produce the USA' CH-47D Chinook Helicopter!"

Peng Lin, seeing everyone looking distressed, couldn't help but speak out.

The Chinook Helicopter has an effective payload of up to 11 tons, which is roughly 10 times that of the Z-5!

Even compared to Soviet Union's Mi-8, there is a nearly 3-fold difference.

If the CH-47D Chinook Helicopter could beimitation and put into production, Longguo's casualty evacuation and logistical supply transport capabilities in the self-defense counterattack against the Viet Cong would reach an incredibly terrifying level.

All soldiers would no longer need to carry 80 catties of supplies on mountain marches!

Because transport helicopters would be able to transport large quantities of various materials and equipment for every unit!

Even heavy equipment such as howitzers could be airlifted into the heartland of Yue Hou Country!

Its strategic significance is unimaginable!

"imitation and produce the USA' CH-47D Chinook Helicopter?"

"Even the Soviet Union wouldn't dare to make such a boast!"

"Besides, do you know that after your Changhe Factory disassembled a Chinook Helicopter, they couldn't even reassemble it?"

Professor Sun, who had been silent all this time, suddenly seized the opportunity and sharply questioned Peng Lin.