Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Pursuing the dream of the blue sky to the future - the domestic large aircraft C919 ignites the "new engine" of development
Xinhua News Agency reporters Zhou Yuan, Wang Yuhao, Jia Yuankun
After half a century of exploration and more than ten years of struggle, the Chinese's "big aircraft dream" has finally become a reality in the new era - the mainland has completed the research and development, manufacturing, certification and operation of the C919 jet trunk airliner developed by the mainland for the first time in accordance with international airworthiness standards and with independent intellectual property rights.
"The big aircraft business must be done well!" General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that we should make greater breakthroughs in tackling key core technologies, accelerate large-scale and serialized development, and solidly promote the construction of a manufacturing power.
Thousands of miles in the sky, the domestic large aircraft C919 is taking off in the wind, striving to draw a new voyage of high-quality development.
Never give up, and finally realize the "big plane dream"
During the past National Day holiday, 10 C919 aircraft were integrated into the busy route network, shuttling through popular cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Xi'an.
On the flight from Shanghai to Xi'an operated by C919, Zhao Keliang, deputy chief designer of the C919 model, although he has been on board many times, he still can't hide his excitement after entering the cabin, "After so many difficulties and twists and turns, the dream of a large aircraft for several generations has finally come true in the hands of our generation!" ”
The development of large passenger aircraft is known as "a pearl of modern manufacturing industry". In the seventies and eighties of the last century, the Y-10, which carried the original "big plane dream" of the Chinese people, went to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau seven times to look at the mountains and rivers, and finally stopped flying for various reasons.
After repeated setbacks, pack up and set off again. In 2007, the large aircraft project was approved, and in 2008, COMAC was established, and the development of domestic large passenger aircraft entered a new stage.
From project approval to operation, C919 embodies the perseverance of countless aviation people.
The R&D team raced against time and implemented the "611" and "724" working modes, that is, working 6 days a week, 11 hours a day; During the critical period, work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. "We have a good foundation for manufacturing capacity, talent and technical reserves, and we have full support from all sides. We only have one goal, which is to build big planes. Zhao Keliang said.
The technical difficulty of the C919 project, the complexity of organization and coordination, and the number of verification projects are beyond imagination. Since the establishment of the project, more than 20 provinces, more than 1,000 enterprises and institutions, and more than 300,000 people have participated in the development of large aircraft, promoting the development of large aircraft to achieve historic breakthroughs.
In November 2015, the final assembly line was completed; Successfully made its first flight in May 2017; In September 2022, it was awarded the type certificate; The world's first aircraft was delivered in December 2022; The first commercial flight was completed in May 2023......
Independent innovation drives industrial transformation and upgrading
Walking into the C919 assembly plant, C919 aircraft are being assembled. Large fuselage parts, cockpit cabin equipment, landing gear...... Millions of components are consolidated and brought together here.
"C919 design and manufacturing covers almost all industrial categories, which can represent a new height of Chinese manufacturing." According to Zhao Keliang, according to the actual situation to formulate practical goals, C919 adheres to Chinese design, system integration, and global bidding, and has formed a technical route of independent development, international cooperation, and international standards.
Focus on independent research and development, and strengthen key technology research——
The fly-by-wire flight control law is like the "brain" of an airplane. "It's a whole new field, and you have to start from scratch." Ouyang Yifang, deputy director of the Institute of Aircraft Architecture Integration Engineering Technology of COMAC Shanghai Flight Institute, recalled that in the lack of reference materials, they simulated and calculated again and again, and kept testing and verifying. After 10 years of fighting, the domestic aircraft finally has a "Chinese brain".
Through the design and development of C919, Continental has overcome more than 100 major technical difficulties, driven group breakthroughs in new technologies, new materials and new processes, and promoted the development of fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, computational mathematics and other fields.
From products to platforms, drive the transformation and upgrading of the industrial chain——
Shanghai Lingang, the large aircraft industrial park has begun to take shape, forming a civil aviation industry layout integrating design, manufacturing, flight test and support, attracting global suppliers to settle here.
Domestic large aircraft are becoming a "new engine" for industrial development. At present, there are more than 1,000 global orders for C919 aircraft. Some institutions predict that C919 is expected to bring trillions of yuan in market size to industrial chain enterprises and drive the industrial chain and supply chain to a new level.
Fly into the future and enter a new phase of operation
At noon on September 19, China Southern Airlines flight CZ3539 printed with the words "C919" took off from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport and flew to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.
Mr. Chen, a passenger, came to experience the inaugural flight of China Southern Airlines C919, and was deeply impressed by the spacious seats, ample charging ports, and low noise, "I am very comfortable and proud, and I have one more choice for future travel." ”
The flight also marked the start of commercial operation of the C919 of China's three major airlines, Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, marking a new stage in the large-scale operation of the C919.
"Good airplanes are built and flyed." Hu Yongqing, deputy general manager of COMAC Customer Service Company, said that in order to ensure the smooth introduction and subsequent smooth operation of C919 aircraft, COMAC has worked closely with airlines to fully promote aircraft selection, production supervision, personnel training, operation support and other work.
Nowadays, the efficiency of C919 market operation is improving, and the support capabilities of various civil aviation units continue to increase. Up to now, 10 C919 aircraft have been delivered, 8 routes have been opened, 6 cities have been navigated, and more than 10,000 hours of safe flight have been carried safely, carrying nearly 600,000 passengers.
On the same day as the inaugural flight of China Southern Airlines' C919, a C919 aircraft landed smoothly at Gonggar Airport in Lhasa, Tibet, thousands of miles away. "This is the first time that the C919 aircraft has flown to Lhasa, and we have carried out a number of R&D test flights here, which has laid the foundation for the subsequent operation needs of high-altitude routes and high-prototype research and development." Yan Zikun, assistant to the chief engineer of the C919 aircraft, said.
Flew abroad for the first time and appeared at the Singapore Airshow; Completed the first cross-border commercial charter flight; Completed the first commercial flight of refueling SAF...... The C919 aircraft is constantly expanding the "boundaries of flight" and opening up new markets.
Source: Xinhuanet
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