25: Chinook armed transport aircraft

Construction of the vehicle was soon completed, and a chinook armed transport helicopter appeared on the Air Command Center's apron.

The CH-47 chinook Helicopter's appearance is highly recognizable; its fuselage looks like a train carriage, and its two massive three-blade rotors are staggered front and back like open steel claws. Mounted fore and aft atop the fuselage, they give it a unique "tandem rotor" layout. This design breaks from the conventional helicopter form of a single main rotor plus a tail rotor, granting the chinook capabilities other helicopters lack. For instance, single-point hovering: using the tandem rotor structure, it can let the rear landing gear rest lightly on narrow, protruding high ground like mountain peaks, rooftop balconies, or boat decks while the front fuselage remains hovering, allowing personnel to enter and exit quickly through the rear door—something difficult for single-rotor helicopters to achieve.

Aerial reversing: when landing, the rear wheels can touch down first with the nose raised. After sliding a distance along the ground to unload cargo, it can fly backward along its original path to take off without stopping the engines, dropping cargo, or turning around.

Rapid turning: by varying the power output between the front and rear rotors, it can quickly change the aircraft's heading, greatly improving maneuverability and control in gusty winds.

Water takeoff and landing: the upper part of some models' fuselages features watertight compartments, allowing them not only to hover over water but also to submerge the lower cabin in water to deploy rubber boats and frogman units.

The fuselage is long and square, with short, powerful wings extending from both sides, featuring neatly arranged hardpoints for flexible installation of rocket pods, machine gun pods, and other weapons. The rear of the fuselage features a downward-opening clamshell door; the wide opening facilitates the rapid entry and exit of heavy equipment like vehicles and artillery. Protective armor is also added to the edges of the door, ensuring safety during loading and unloading while enhancing overall defensive performance.

The cockpit glass is slightly curved, providing the pilot with a broad field of vision. The surface of the cabin is covered with fine rivets and reinforced structures, highlighting its rugged and durable nature. The entire helicopter's shell is painted deep gray with mottled camouflage patterns, making it low-profile yet full of combat spirit.

The cockpit opened, and 3 crew members got out to salute Jiang Xin.

After returning the salute, Jiang Xin asked about the specifics of the chinook armed transport helicopter.

"Reporting, Commander. chinook armed transport helicopter dimensions: length 30.1 meters, rotor diameter 18.3 meters, height 5.7 meters. Weight: empty weight 11,148 kg, maximum takeoff weight 22,680 kg."

"Engines: 2 T55-GA-714A turboshaft engines, each with 3,529 kilowatts of power."

"Performance: maximum flight speed 278-315 km/h, service ceiling 6,100 meters, range 2,252 km, combat radius 370 km, rate of climb 7.73 m/s."

"Weapons: a spherical rotating turret under the nose, equipped with an M-5 40mm automatic high-speed grenade launcher with 50 rounds. Each short wing on the sides of the fuselage carries a 20mm cannon with 2,000 rounds; four 12.7mm heavy machine guns are installed in the firing windows on both sides of the fuselage, with 2,000 rounds each."

"The chinook armed transport helicopter can carry a maximum of 55 fully armed soldiers. If modified for medical use, it can hold 24 emergency stretchers for battlefield first aid." A second lieutenant officer methodically introduced the various performance characteristics of the chinook armed transport helicopter.

Jiang Xin listened very intently. Although this armed transport helicopter's firepower was not as good as the hind attack helicopter and it could not carry a large number of missiles or rockets, it excelled in its powerful transport and battlefield troop deployment capabilities. Having this transport helicopter could be considered to have relieved some of Jiang Xin's urgent needs.

Jiang Xin walked toward the War Factory again; at this time, three brand new tanks slowly drove out of the factory.

Leading the way was a heavy tank—the rhino tank.

The rhino tank's body is low and wide, with tough and powerful lines that give a visual impact of being indestructible. Its armor uses a new type of composite material, with a deep dark gray surface like a thick layer of plate armor, capable of effectively resisting attacks from various conventional weapons. The turret is located in the center of the hull, equipped with a 125mm Smoothbore Gun. The muzzle brake at the front of the barrel is like the fangs of a beast, exuding a chilling aura. Each side of the turret is also equipped with a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, ready to sweep away any enemies that get close. The side skirts on the hull are like the skin folds of a rhinoceros, not only increasing side protection but also effectively reducing damage from explosion fragments. Two powerful turbocharged engines are installed at the rear of the hull, providing this steel beast with immense power, allowing it to traverse various complex terrains as if they were level ground.

Behind them were two medium tanks—grizzly tanks.

The grizzly tank has a rugged appearance and smooth body lines. Its main armor combines high-strength alloy steel with composite ceramic armor, reducing the vehicle's weight while ensuring protection. The entire vehicle is rounded and streamlined, with a large frontal slope to effectively reduce the probability of being hit by enemy fire. The main gun is an 85mm Smoothbore Gun; the barrel is long and fitted with a thermal sleeve to reduce the impact of temperature changes on shooting accuracy. There is a set of smoke grenade launchers on each side, which can release smoke in emergencies to cover its own withdrawal. The tracks on both sides of the hull are wide and thick with strong grip, capable of adapting to various complex terrains. The engine compartment is located at the rear of the hull, with a reasonably designed cooling grille to ensure the efficient operation of the engine. Jiang Xin was currently sizing up these three tanks.

Nine crew members got out of the three tanks, corresponding to the Tank Commander, Gunner, and Driver of each of the three tanks.

They stood in a line and saluted Jiang Xin.

Jiang Xin immediately asked about the specific performance parameters of these two types of tanks.