Text/Hang Xiao Zhi
In the blink of an eye, another solar calendar year is about to pass, and Hangzhi will review this year's major events in the sky as usual today. 2021
Some of the models we were expecting to see didn't seem to arrive as promised. But even so, China's aviation industry has brought us exciting news at some point in time! Today, readers will follow Hangzhi to look back at this year's domestic and foreign aviation events TOP10.
Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant's crash findings are announced
NO. 10
On January 26, 2020, local time, a number of US media reported that countless basketball-loving boy idols and NBA retired star Kobe Bryant died in a plane crash in California. His 13-year-old daughter Gianna was also killed in the accident.
Crash scene.
On February 9, 2021 local time, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced the results of the investigation into the crash of basketball superstar Kobe Bryant.
Ara Zobayan, a 50-year-old pilot, made a bad decision to fly into the clouds before the crash, creating a "spatial disorientation" and getting lost in the fog. Investigators said Zobayan flew according to visual flying rules and did so despite being "prohibited by law" from flying into the clouds.
Goodbye, Liuting; hello, Jiaodong!
NO. 09
At 19:52 on the evening of August 11, Shandong Airlines flight SC4674 from Shanghai Hongqiao arrived at Liuting Airport, the last plane to land at Liuting Airport. As the memory of countless Qingdao people, Liuting Airport has perfectly fulfilled its mission and officially closed in the early morning of August 12. One last look at the night at Liuting Airport.
Once a landmark of the city Photo: Person
Although Liuting is the memory of a generation, for better development, Jiaodong Airport was born! Jiaodong Airport, located in Jiaodong City, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, is the first airport in Shandong with the highest level 4F in civil aviation.
Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport (drone photo taken on August 11) Photo by Li Ziheng, Xinhua News Agency
Compared with Liuting Airport, the size of the terminal and flight area of Jiaodong Airport has been more than 4 times larger. Jiaodong Airport, the future can be expected!
Rush to Henan! Pterodactyl erects "communication base station for air flight"
NO. 08
In July 2021, under the fierce attack of heavy rain, communications were interrupted in many villages in Mihe Town, Gongyi City, Henan Province, and the masses collectively cut off the Internet and could not communicate with the outside world. At this time, the Pterodactyl-2H UAV acted as a communication relay, moving the function of the part of the ground base station that had been destroyed and could not work to the sky, setting up the communication network in the sky, and achieving a long and stable continuous movement signal coverage of about 50 square kilometers! In addition, it is also possible to accurately take videos or pictures of the disaster area, because the real-time situation in the disaster area needs to be transmitted outwards to provide first-hand information for the disaster relief command.
Is it China's first catapult carrier-based aircraft?
NO. 07
Aviation industry Shenfei official WeChat account released an article on the 14th "Year-end attack thank you for your courage to move forward!" One of the photos shows a J-15 carrier-based fighter jet belonging to the Chinese Navy being towed by a tractor. The outside world has interpreted important information from it - the J-15 carrier-based fighter appearing in the photo is obviously different from the previous model, "it is likely to have a catapult capability, and it is China's latest carrier-based fighter developed for the 003 aircraft carrier synchronously", which will greatly enhance the strike capability of Chinese aircraft carriers.
Singapore's "Lianhe Zaobao" said on the 17th that many features of the aircraft are obviously different from the conventional J-15. The biggest improvement in appearance is the wingtip pylon, which was upgraded from the original inverted L-shape to a one-line type.
The Eurasia Times said that because the tractor blocked the front landing gear of the J-15, it was impossible to tell whether it was strengthened to accommodate the operation of the catapult. However, analysts say that considering that the PLA's 003 aircraft carrier will be equipped with electromagnetic catapults, this improved J-15 fighter should have the ability to catapult and take off.
Britain's Jane's defence website put it more bluntly: "This is China's first carrier-based fighter that can catapult from an aircraft carrier."
Transported 20 oils to the Taiwan Strait
NO. 06
On November 28, PLA combat aircraft routinely patrolled the so-called "southwest airspace" in Taiwan, including the Y-20. This is a tanker modified from the Y-20 and its debut in the Taiwan Strait.
Infographic
The United News Network said that the Y-20 and 2 J-16 fighters crossed the Bashi Strait together, suspected of practicing aerial refueling tactics. The area of this cruise is mainly over the southwest of Taiwan Island and the southeast of Taiwan Island, of which the Y-20 tankers left the Bashi Strait with the formation and reached the southeast of Taiwan Island, and the formation included fighters with air fuel absorption capabilities, including the J-16 and J-10 fighters.
According to The China Times Electronic News, the oil-carrying 20 model began to fly in 2019 and began intensive testing, including the J-20, which was at least 5 in service as of November this year, making it the largest military aircraft on the mainland at present.
"They have appeared one after another, all for the Taiwan Strait"
NO. 05
Taiwan's Lianhe Pao said on November 1 that the Platon Army dispatched Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft into Taiwan's "air defense identification zone" for two consecutive days. On October 31, the People's Liberation Army dispatched eight fixed-wing military aircraft to "circumnavigate Taiwan," one of which was a Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft that sailed out of the Bashi Strait to reach the outer seas of eastern Taiwan, and was covered by six J-16 fighter jets, and there were also air police-500 early warning aircraft on the southern edge of the "air defense identification zone" to provide intelligence support.
The PLA's Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft around Taiwan
As for why the Platon Army has made successive moves, the outside world believes that this is obviously related to the continuous provocations between the United States and Taiwan. Just after the leader of the Taiwan authorities confirmed that "the United States has troops stationed in Taiwan," which caused an uproar, the media on the island also disclosed on November 1 that in the future, the US military's "special operations cooperation group" will also be "stationed in Taiwan to assist in training." These moves by the US and Taiwan sides to provoke the mainland's bottom line have made the situation in the Taiwan Strait the most concerned topic recently.
Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao said that at the Zhuhai Airshow that ended in early October, China launched a number of eye-catching combat equipment such as the J-16D electronic warfare aircraft. Less than a month after the end of the air show, China has several new aerospace vehicles that have attracted the attention of international public opinion. These include: J-20 two-seat stealth fighter, J-35 stealth carrier-based fighter, Air Police-600 carrier-based early warning aircraft, and the more mysterious "Global Gliding Missile".
"These three new aircraft are not generalists, and once equipped with the Chinese Air Force and Navy, they will greatly enhance the combat effectiveness of the Platon Army."
China successfully carried out land-based mid-stage anti-missile interception technology tests
NO. 04
On February 4, 2021, China conducted a land-based mid-section anti-missile interception technology test in china, and the test achieved its intended purpose. The test was defensive and did not target any country.
It is reported that at present, only China, the United States and Japan in the world have conducted similar mid-range anti-missile interception tests. Anti-missile interception technology is divided into land-based, sea-based and space-based according to the launch site, which refers to the launch of anti-missile systems from land, sea and sky respectively. According to the timing of the interception, it can be divided into three categories: "booster" defense system, "terminal" defense system, and "middle segment" defense system. The characteristics of the mid-section interception are that the missile flight is relatively stable, and the speed of one segment is lower, which is suitable for interception.
This is the fifth time the Chinese military has publicly announced that China has conducted ground-based anti-missile technology tests, four times occurring on January 11, 2010, January 27, 2013, July 23, 2014 and February 6, 2018.
The J-20 two-seat version was unveiled and replaced with a domestic engine
NO. 03
2021 is the tenth birthday of the J-20, and at the same time, this year we have also ushered in several good news of "Weilong". In recent years, the J-20 has witnessed the rapid development of China's aviation industry and air force combat effectiveness from research and development, trial training, to the formation of combat effectiveness by armored combat units, and then to actual combat training and spreading wings in the sea and airspace.
In the official promotional video released by the aviation industry, a flashing CG picture has attracted widespread attention from the outside world, and the 4 J-20s in the picture have adopted a longitudinal two-seat layout.
In addition, on September 28, at a press conference held by the Chinese Air Force and the Chinese Aviation Industry at the China Air Show, Shen Jinke, spokesman for the Chinese Air Force, said that the J-20 fighter has now used domestic engines.
The J-20 is equipped with a domestic engine. Chen Xiao/Photo
On September 28, Yang Wei, chief division of the J-20, said that the "20 series" is more than three types. When asked when the next "20" will come, he also said "Versailles": "Our military fans are terrible, everyone can come true!" ”
Xiaobian looks forward to it with you.
The bead exhibition returned, and there were many heavy weapons in the sky
NO. 02
In 2021, the 13th Zhuhai Airshow, which was postponed for one year due to the epidemic, successfully returned. Although there are few exhibitors, it is still exciting. The Chinese Air Force J-20 fighter jet was reissued with a domestic turbofan engine; the J-16D electronic warfare fighter was exhibited for the first time; the domestic large amphibious aircraft AG600 publicly demonstrated water projection in the air for the first time, which can drop 9 tons of water at a time; and COMAC's first business jet, CBJ, which was developed on the basis of the ARJ21 regional airliner, also appeared at the air show.
J-16D. Image source: CCTV Military
At the Space Pavilion, the Aerospace Science and Technology Group demonstrated the progress made by China in the field of space exploration in recent years, bringing the "Zhurong" Mars rover 1:1 model, the "Chang'e" 5 lunar probe model, and the "Long March" series of rocket family models. In the China National Space Administration exhibition area, there is also the "Chang'e" 5 return capsule returning from the moon, as well as precious lunar soil samples.
The centenary celebration of the founding of the party, the aviation formation presented
NO. 01
On the morning of July 1, 2021, a conference was held in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. The 6 types of 71 military aircraft independently developed by China's aviation industry formed four air echelons, guarded the party flag, hung celebratory slogans, and flew over Tiananmen Square with the wind.
: Air flag protection echelon, aerial "digital" echelon, fighter echelon, trainer echelon. The air flag protection echelon composed of straight 8 and straight 10 escorted the party flag and hung up a celebratory slogan to lead the team over Tiananmen Square, followed by the air "digital" echelon, 29 straight 10 and straight 19 formed the word "100", symbolizing the CPC's journey through a hundred years, 10 J-10 aircraft formed the word "71", to the great Communist Party of China's centennial birthday to pay the highest respect and express the most affectionate blessings.
Yue Shuhua/Photo
In 2021, the aviation industry has not completely eased from the impact of the epidemic. We still hope that in 2022, the wish will come true, China's aviation industry will rise to a higher level, and more civilian aircraft and military aircraft will be "put on duty" again and travel to the blue sky.