CHAPTER 1419: 1336 LONG-AWAITED AIR BATTLE

The air raid sirens have been echoing above the old Imperial Capital for the past few days, and the most mundane thing for the Dahua people of the old Imperial Capital is to look up and watch Tang Army planes circling overhead every day.

The opposition hasn’t been dropping large quantities of bombs; they only occasionally target sensitive military areas, destroying buildings not closely tied to civilian life.

For example, the telegraph bureau of the old capital, the radar station deployed on the high ground outside the city, some antenna equipment, and the supply warehouses.

Today, a long-awaited aerial combat erupted over the old capital, and the Dahua citizens of the old Imperial Capital finally got to enjoy a high-level air battle spectacle.

Initially, two Thunderbolt Attack Aircraft were hovering in the sky, closely followed by at least ten 183 Fighter Jets entering the battlefield.

The Datang Empire Air Force, which hadn’t seen the Qin Country Air Force for some time, immediately deployed the fighter jets patrolling the nearby airspace, leading to the fiercest aerial combat near the old capital.

Wang Hai was piloting his J-7 Fighter Jet in a high-altitude hover, his infrared missile had just hit its target, and the plane burned as it plummeted, disappearing into the embrace of the ground.

However, his second Combat Missile was astonishingly evaded by the opponent! For him, this was undoubtedly a new discovery.

So after regaining his altitude, he immediately began searching for that formidable rival; he did not want such a master capable of evading a Combat Missile to escape from his clutch.

Engines roared in the sky as two other J-7 Fighter Jets from the Tang Army arrived, swiftly securing advantageous positions and then firing missiles to down two of the outer 183 Fighter Jets.

Following this, Wang Hai piloted his J-7 again into the fray, locking onto the aircraft piloted by the experienced Qin Army jet fighter pilot.

Upon discovering Wang Hai, the opponent immediately began swaying, attempting to evade Wang Hai’s lock. The distance between the two planes shrank instantly, as the speed of the J-7 was not something a 183 Fighter Jet could match.

The two aircraft zipped across the sky in tandem, the Dahua civilians on the ground watched with great interest. They had long admired the Datang Empire, and the unexpectedly emerged Great Qin Empire was merely a subject of their mockery.

Other supporting characters were actively overlooked; everyone was interested in the two planes that could chase and roll each other. The 183 Fighter Jet at the front exerted every effort to shake off the pursuing J-7, while the trailing J-7 pursued steadily without firing, as if teasing its opponent.

In reality, Wang Hai was not toying with his adversary but showing the opponent utmost respect. He was accustomed to firing only at the most opportune moment, and he didn’t want to waste his wing-mounted air-to-air missiles.

His wingman followed behind him, covering the area behind Wang Hai; this chase’s protagonists became three.

Through the sights, Wang Hai saw the tail flame of the Qin Country plane; the opponent was continuously swaying but did not make any large maneuver actions.

In aerial combat, the one who makes maneuvers first often gets targeted; once caught in a maneuver from which there’s no escape, one becomes a sitting duck, soon to be shot down by the enemy.

Apparently, this Qin Country pilot had at least 1000 hours of flight experience and had seen real combat, being very cunning with rich combat experience.

But who was Wang Hai? He was the ace among aces in the elite Datang Empire, a master pilot among master pilots. He had trained over 100 pilot apprentices over the years.

Soon, Wang Hai figured out the opponent’s method; being cautious of Wang Hai’s wing-mounted air-to-air missiles, he was so apprehensive.

What was unexpected was that the improved double-delta-wing J-7, even at not-so-fast speeds, still possessed very good handling. At least it could outperform any first-generation jet fighter.

With fingers on the control stick trigger, Wang Hai calmly locked onto the opponent through his sight. At the moment when the opponent tried to sway again, he pulled the trigger.

"Tutt! Tutt! Tutt!" The cannon on the J-7 fired a string of tracer bullets, which penetrated through the opponent’s wing, continuing toward the distance.

About a second later, the wing of the 183 Fighter Jet started smoking, quickly breaking off. The plane, missing a wing section, spun down rapidly in the sky and soon crashed into the ground.

Throughout, Wang Hai did not see any pilot ejecting from the plane; he could only climb his plane, distancing himself from the crash site.

On the ground, the flames from the crashing plane exploded, sending up billowing black smoke, which would not easily cease until the jet fuel inside the plane burned out.

The 183 Fighter Jet used certain less fire-retardant materials to lose weight, and soon the entire fuselage was engulfed in flames.

The original design of the 183 Fighter Jet even included some wooden structures; these structures were replaced with aluminum alloy, improving structural strength and performance.

Unfortunately, now all this aluminum was ignited and melted, turning into a raging fire. The fire trucks from the old capital finally arrived, and the rescue ground troops nestled closer.

They extinguished the fire amidst the sirens, yet by that time the plane had burned down to just a framework, surrounded by charred black coke.

Inside the cockpit was a scorched mess, impossible to discern its original appearance anymore. However, everyone knew someone must have been seated there or once had been.

This plane didn’t crash into the residential area but landed in the outskirts of the old capital, near a farm. Nearby was a Qin Army artillery position; immediately, someone hurried to assist.

Unfortunately, the flames were too intense, making it impossible for these people to approach, having to wait for the fire trucks before doing anything.

"He didn’t eject." On the ground, a Qin Country officer shook his head, handing a cigarette to another officer beside him, saying, "We’ve been watching; nobody jumped out."

"Damn it, after being cowardly for months, suddenly they charge out and scare us all." The other officer took the cigarette, saying angrily, "Watching them get shot down doesn’t feel good; it would’ve been better had they not engaged, at least we’d have some hope, right?"

Everyone knew Qin Country’s Air Force couldn’t outperform Tang Country’s Air Force, but without seeing it firsthand, they still harbored some anticipation. Now it was clear, with so many planes taking off, all were shot down by the opponent in a 10-to-0 defeat; everyone’s hopes shattered, morale surely impacted.

"No idea who..." said the officer handing the cigarette, shaking his head, with a sigh.

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Second update will be very late; you can watch it in the morning.