Chapter 246
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Chapter 246: The Legend of the Engineer
“Alright, I’ve brought solder, wires, soldering irons, and batteries. If you need anything else, just have Hark come and tell me,” mercenary leader Abik said with a joyful expression. Such skilled technicians were even more precious than gold in the impoverished and chaotic Afghanistan, and Lin Mo’s ability to repair planes and electronics thrilled everyone.
“Did you hear that, Hark? If I find out you’re slacking off, I’ll break your legs myself!” Abik shouted towards outside the cave.
“Yes, yes, chief!” Hark’s shy voice came from outside the cave, clearly filled with fear.
Since last night’s events, Abik’s temper had worsened significantly—not just from pressures from their allies but also from external threats.
As long as the electronics weren’t too severely damaged, only suffering from burned circuits and replaceable electronic components, they could be restored using the gold coin’s control capabilities and temporarily fixing things with jumper wires. This might slightly affect performance, but it was sufficient for the battles ahead.
For the gold giant dragon, the easiest and least stressful component to repair was probably the capacitors; he could synthesize Farad capacitors to replace electrolytic ones directly.
However, for Lin Mo, the biggest problem right now was the P-51 Mustang propeller fighter.
Due to the aircraft’s age, it had fairly good overall integrity, but the acrylic had completely aged and turned yellow and black. He could smash it out since he had an aviation helmet to protect him from the wind.
All the wires needed replacing; the rubber had aged and become brittle, and some instruments had malfunctioned. The gold coin could fix those, and non-metallic materials could be sourced from automobile parts for temporary replacements.
Lin Mo regretted not bringing the gold coin’s “spark”; if he had just a few standard 1-cubic-decimeter “sparks,” rebuilding any electronic communication devices would be a breeze.
The most troublesome part was the three 12.7mm Browning machine guns on each wing—powerful weapons, but also significant problems. There were hardly any bullets left; he could probably toss the remaining few. If they couldn’t find any Browning M2 HB ammunition chains discarded by the U.S. military in Afghanistan, they would have to rely on the gold coin to make some metal links for the ammunition belts.
He hoped the Pashtuns could find more 12.7mm caliber bullets; otherwise, they would have to consider replacing the machine guns.
The aircraft needed even more resources. Lin Mo checked everything, then took off his watch and quickly scanned the plane, making a list of what was needed, checking the items brought by Abik and village chief Mude Zariyev. He compared the materials and marked what needed to be supplemented while noting substitutes. That alone filled several sheets of A4 paper.
There was no way around it; this old horse had been in the stable for too long, and waking it up would require substantial effort.
Also, they needed a few buckets of paint to cover the peeling and cracked surfaces. Otherwise, if it flew out like that, people would think they had time-traveled back to World War II.
Hark, the Pashtun young man, immediately grabbed the list Lin Mo gave him, jumped on his motorcycle, and zoomed off to gather materials.
In contrast, Abik’s task of repairing communication equipment was relatively easier. He took a screwdriver and began disassembling various devices, laying them out on several tables pushed together.
While the gold giant dragon didn’t have the “spark,” it still had some basic functions, like the multimeter. He first cleaned and repaired the circuit boards, then assessed the damage to the electronic components. He either reduced their functionality or completely disassembled them for spare parts, muttering to himself as he worked with various forms appearing in Lin Mo’s hands.
With so many old devices around, the gold giant dragon felt this was pure manual labor with nothing fresh to work with.
In comparison to the influence of the Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb, more advanced equipment was more severely affected due to their high integration and reliance on numerous low-voltage, low-power devices, which made them highly susceptible to electromagnetic interference. Powerful electromagnetic pulses directly induced strong currents on the circuits, burning out semiconductors and melting connections.
By contrast, older devices with certain electromagnetic protective capabilities fared better, such as those using filters, metal shielding, protective integrated circuits, or even old vacuum tube devices.
For example, the bulky Motorola satellite phone that the Pashtun migration teams carried had not only separated its antenna and batteries but also had a thick metal casing designed for outdoor use, safeguarding it from lightning strikes.
The cave had already been cleaned, with camping lights placed in various corners for easy access. Outside, solar panels provided a continuous power supply to the cave, lighting up four 24W energy-saving lamps hung from the ceiling. It must be noted that some of these Pashtuns had good electrical skills.
A thin curtain hung at the cave entrance, supported by nails and wire, guarding against any ill-intentions from outside. Four or five armed Pashtuns took up position in temporary mud shelters, vigilantly guarding the area as if facing a powerful enemy, preventing anyone from getting close.
After clearing the stones, others began planning a runway about two hundred meters away. A flat strip about 400 meters long would suffice; they just needed some gravel to outline a straight line. It was sufficient for the runway shape to be visible from the air, while some freshly cut grass could serve as an excellent buffer.
Inside the cave, Lin Mo worked alone as per his request because some repair tasks were best done out of sight.
The repairs for the communication equipment progressed quickly, with nearly half of the devices completed. Lin Mo even made a dozen small relays.
He sourced some old chips, used existing circuit boards, assembled ROM packages for burning into EPROMs, sealed them well with labels to prevent UV damage to the data inside. With the core components finished, he added a signal amplification system, yielding 80 watts of communication power.
With a combination of batteries, wind turbines, or solar panels, they achieved communication and data transmission over a 30-kilometer radius. If paired with directional antennas to concentrate signal energy, the range could extend even further.
This combination of old and new technologies formed a completed set of equipment, though it could not withstand an Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb. The devices needed to be stored in metal boxes with proper cooling fans to maintain functionality. This resulted in the relay devices appearing in various sizes and odd shapes, but they were usable at least.
For small walkie-talkies, slightly increasing their power allowed them to adapt to the mountainous terrain. Specifically, several walkie-talkies designated for reconnaissance personnel had their power boosted to 6 watts, ensuring immediate communication range.
As for any concerns about electromagnetic radiation and its safety for humans, he could disregard that; they were already on the brink of danger.
Lin Mo felt proud of his work. After studying technology from this world for so long, he could finally produce something that resembled an actual working device.
After arranging the communication equipment, Hark rushed in, his entire body filled with items, nearly unable to take a step.
Under Abik’s command, the young Pashtun personally carried the supplies for Lin Mo, displaying his commitment and not daring to delegate to others.
Lin Mo carefully led Hark out of the cave, handing him the repaired communication equipment while also highlighting the relays and their usage instructions. If used properly, these relays could cover a good portion of the valley, significantly enhancing the Pashtuns’ communication and command capabilities.
“This old clunker is not easy to fix.”
The first problem encountered by the P-51 Mustang was that its tires had completely aged. Despite being stored in a closed environment, the long lack of air had deformed the aged tires. Lin Mo could only replace them with large solid rubber tires from a push cart. After sharpening their fit, they might affect the lifespan of the landing gear, but handling one or two landings wouldn’t be an issue.
He replaced all the wires; the rubber had completely degraded and crumbled into pieces upon touch, which made direct replacements easy.
The aging acrylic instrument covers were indecipherable. Lin Mo had no choice but to smash them, enabling clear visibility.
Upon opening the engine, the dry climate meant there was no rust, just a little carbon buildup, which was manageable; he replaced the seals. Many automotive parts could be applied, and while there wasn’t any coolant, he could use automotive coolant as a substitute.
It seemed the Pashtuns truly had Allah watching over them; otherwise, how could there be so many intricate coincidences?
An Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb fell right into their hands, serving as protection for the Pashtuns while simultaneously disrupting the communications of the bandits they aimed to confront.
The internal traitors conspiring with the external enemies coincidentally got caught when they learned that the enemy coalition was approaching. Yet, a fighter jet awaited its pilot and mechanic, fully capable of fulfilling its role.
During the repairs, the migration teams had completely exhausted their resources to procure vehicles as primary transport. These automobile supplies significantly aided the aircraft repairs.
Almost every challenge had an established solution waiting; what seemed insurmountable unfolded remarkably smoothly.
