The tenth anniversary of the first flight of the J-20
On January 11, after a continuous haze, the Chengdu Plain was bathed in the rare warm winter sun.
At noon, Mr. Wang, a citizen of Chengdu, walked out of the office, looked up at the clear sky, and sighed: I really want to go to Huangtianba to see.
This aviation fan remembers that on this day 10 years ago, China's first four-generation aircraft with independent intellectual property rights, the J-20, made its first flight.
The first flight took place at the Aviation Industry Chengdu Aircraft Industry (Group) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Aviation Industry Chengfei") in Huangtianba, western suburbs of Chengdu.
On January 11, Aviation Industry Chengfei carried out several large flights.
After the flight, all the staff and the test pilots took a group photo in front of the fighter plane to commemorate the successful first flight of the J-20 plane 10 years ago.
In the past 10 years, from its first flight to its first public appearance at the Zhuhai Air Show, from Liangjian Zhurihe to equipping combat troops, from forming combat effectiveness to flying through Tiananmen Square for inspection, the J-20 aircraft has realized the development of China's aviation industry as a major power. The construction of capabilities and aviation weapons and equipment will leap from the third generation to the fourth generation.
First flight
The calendar turns to January 6, 2011.
This day was originally the first flight of the J-20, which was about to be recorded in history, but was interrupted by a discovery made by Wang Xiaobo, the mechanical unit of the flight test station.
Wang Xiaobo noticed that there was an oil leak in the right engine of the J-20 aircraft waiting for its first flight.
As soon as the news came out, everyone's hearts were suspended.
At 8 o'clock that night, the cause of the failure was determined.
Check, replace, and verify until the roar of the engine resounds at midnight.
After more than 4 hours, the fault was finally eliminated.
"Fortunately, the maintenance was found in time." Afterwards, Yang Wei, chief designer of the J-20 aircraft, sighed with emotion.
After that, Chang Yangling, the Meteorological Observatory, led the weather forecast team to analyze thousands of weather charts every day, not daring to be sloppy.
For the first flight, any change in any factor may lead to very different conclusions.
After several actual combat exercises such as forecast exercises and first flight mission changes, the weather forecasts have given accurate results.
On the night of January 7, 2011, based on the latest authoritative numerical forecast data, the Meteorological Observatory concluded that the 11th was the best flyable day.
On January 11, 2011, at the Wenjiang Airport in Huangtianba, Chengdu, the black-painted and sci-fi-like J-20 plane quietly stopped on the take-off line, and the flight crew were making final preparations.
The observatory not far away was full of people, and people watched with bated breath. The atmosphere was tense and mysterious.
At 8 o'clock in the morning, security officers in the airport area were in place.
At 9 o'clock, the flight runway was checked, and the crew was in place.
At 10 o'clock, fire trucks, emergency vehicles, ambulances, and power vehicles are in place.
At 10:30, the last aircraft status check before the flight was completed.
At 11 o'clock, 01 J-20 verification aircraft and accompanying J-10 two-seater arrived at the designated parking position.
At 11:30, the weather station reported that the haze disappeared, the sky cleared, the visibility was greater than 5 kilometers, and the weather conditions met the conditions for the first flight.
At 12:30, the first flight test pilot took the release slip from the maintenance crew and rewritten the word "first flight" in the flight test course.
At 12:48, with the first flight instruction issued by the project administrative commander, the F-20 engine made a huge roar.
The plane dragged a long tail flame, and roared past the crowd.
Speed up, speed up again, in the blink of an eye, the plane soared into the sky.
Thunderous applause erupted from the originally quiet scene.
Turning, turning at low altitude, turning again, turning at low altitude... As the flight took place, people at the scene stood up, shouting and waving to the plane in the sky.
Soon, above the airport runway, the aircraft from far and near, like a dragonfly, wiped out two white smoke rings on the runway with the rear wheels, while the front wheels were firmly pressed on the runway line at the same time and landed safely.
In an instant, there was thunderous applause. Many people shook hands, hugged, and chanted with tears in their eyes, celebrating the historic moment of China's aviation industry-China's first four-generation aircraft with independent intellectual property rights, the successful first flight.
At this moment, freeze frame at 1:11 pm on January 11, 2011.
In order to commemorate this historic moment, the aviation industry Chengfei specially erected a sculpture called "One Flying Soaring".
The sculpture design was inspired by the successful first flight of the J-20 fighter jet at 1:11 pm on January 11, 2011. The eight "1" shapes coincide with the "August One".
Develop
Since the beginning of the new century, the international situation has changed.
The fourth-generation fighter jets, featuring stealth, supersonic cruise, super maneuverability, beyond visual range air combat, integrated avionics and self-support, and many other new technologies, have become a weapon for winning in the air.
my country’s air security is also facing new threats, and it is urgent to accelerate the development of fourth-generation fighters and build a powerful air force.
In order to effectively support the construction of national defense and military, when China's third-generation fighter is still in the process of tackling tough issues, the aviation industry will think and study how to develop under the guidance of the policy of "production, development, pre-research, and exploration". China's fourth-generation fighter.
In the process of pre-research, demonstration, and rounds of iterations, the aviation industry has stepped up its efforts to determine the overall plan of the fourth-generation aircraft, put forward the process and manufacturing technology research projects, completed the design and manufacture of related functional samples, and completed the fourth generation. Machine 1:1 full-scale display prototype manufacturing.
Digital collaboration platform, 3D simulation design and assembly, embedded main weapon magazine, a series of forward-looking explorations, laid a solid foundation for subsequent development.
With the increasing maturity of technical reserves, the development of China's fourth-generation aircraft was formally approved and named the J-20 aircraft.
The development of the new machine adopts full three-dimensional digital design, manufacturing and management technology.
Compared with the two-dimensional publishing model, the fully digital three-dimensional publishing model has a completely different design platform, and there are many unexpected difficulties.
In addition, multi-professional collaborative design and parallel collaboration of design and manufacturing have also brought about the collision and running-in of working modes.
"The steep technological steps, the pressing time for publishing pictures, and the many uncertain factors are bound to be the difficulties that lie in front of us. It is these difficulties that provide a platform to reflect the value of our existence." Facing the difficulties, Yang Wei, the chief designer of the J-20, encouraged the designers in an article entitled "The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold."
Yang Wei said in the article: "I firmly believe that our team has the spirit of'knowing that there are tigers in the mountains and walking towards the tigers and mountains', and the wisdom to overcome difficulties. We will and should cherish this. This hard-won opportunity has withstood the test of the times."
In all aspects of development, leading cadres at all levels have always adhered to the front line and commanded ahead.
With the concerted efforts of everyone, in just a few months, the full digital digital-analog design of the entire body structure of the F-20 verification aircraft was completed and the drawings were officially released.
Only 7 days after the digital model was issued, the development team started the first part manufacturing, and then the verification machine body structure was fully transferred to the trial production stage.
However, large-scale new materials, large-scale structural parts, and processing requirements for stealth characteristics have brought challenges to the development of the F-20 aircraft.
Aiming at the characteristics of the fully digital design of the F-20 verification aircraft, the aviation personnel have continued to innovate and forge ahead, and have successively broken through a series of key technologies across the development line.
The key parts were successfully trial-produced once, the large components were successfully assembled once, and the engine was unsealed and started up once.
Span
The successful first flight is only the first step in the Long March.
As a major power weapon, how to enhance combat effectiveness and build a generation of famous aircraft has become a new peak for aviation people to climb.
From various aspects such as the index system, the number of embedded weapons, ergonomics, manufacturing and assembly, test flight, and support mode, the aviation industry finally came up with a set of plans that meet the needs of modern combat.
For example, it has successively completed the "system revolution", realized the best ergonomics of the cockpit, and scientifically reduced the weight by 200 kg.
Conquered the overall frame manufacturing known as the "Leap Frame", and broke the record of the "First Frame in Asia".
In accordance with the cycle of "performance requirements, development and development, evaluation and verification", we can achieve important results in testing, flight testing, and finalization in a short time.
It may be difficult for outsiders to appreciate the atmosphere in the process of designing and developing.
A photo taken in the middle of the night recorded the almost suffocating tension: dozens of people crowded in the meeting room, some standing, some sitting, and some leaning against the window, all of them looked solemn and staring. In the direction of Yang Wei.
It was 11:33 pm on December 28, 2013. In response to the problems that occurred during the engine drive that afternoon, chief designer Yang Wei, project administrative commander Li Yuhai and others listened to the work reports of relevant units on the spot to find out the reasons.
With the close coordination of hundreds of research and development units such as electronics and weapons, and the joint efforts of the entire development line, the development of the J-20 aircraft is advancing rapidly, and the performance of the aircraft in various stages has been continuously improved.
At 10:20 on November 1, 2016, at the 11th China International Aerospace Expo, two J-20 aircraft flew over Jinwan Airport in a formation.
The appearance in just one minute announced to the world the coming of a new era.
In July 2017, during the military parade celebrating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, three F-20 aircraft "much less than a second" passed over the parade platform and displayed their combat attitude before the world for the first time.
On September 28, 2017, the spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense of China announced to the outside world that the J-20 aircraft had been installed in the army, marking the Chinese Air Force's new step towards the goal of integrating air and space and combining offense and defense.
On February 9, 2018, a spokesperson for the Chinese Air Force announced that the J-20 aircraft had begun to install air force combat units, an important step towards the full formation of combat capabilities.
At the opening ceremony of Air China on November 6, 2018, the J-20 aircraft was demonstrated for the first time in a three-aircraft formation with "new paint, new formation, and new attitude"; at the closing ceremony on the 11th, the J-20 aircraft was airborne. Bouncing the cabin further demonstrates the openness and confidence of the People’s Air Force.
On October 1, 2019, the F-20 aircraft appeared in a five-plane formation at the 70th anniversary military parade of the founding of the People’s Republic of China for inspection.
In the past 10 years, every appearance of the J-20 aircraft has attracted worldwide attention.
Breaking through research and development concepts, leaping research capabilities, and innovative research methods, the J-20 aircraft was successfully developed and equipped with troops, realizing the leap from the third generation to the fourth generation of my country's aviation industry research and development capabilities and aviation weaponry.
Xu Bo Yangliu China Youth Daily·China Youth Daily reporter Wang Xinxin