BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- The 2020 National Science and Technology Awards Conference was held in Beijing on November 3. The 91-year-old Gu Was awarded the country's highest science and technology award.
Academician Gu Xuefen. Photo courtesy of Aviation Industry Group
Gu Shufen is a well-known new Chinese aircraft design master, the founder of aircraft aerodynamic design, the only academician of the Chinese aviation industry and the two academies, and the only winner of the Aviation Industry Lifetime Achievement Award for Serving the Country.
He organized and conquered a series of key aviation core technologies, presided over the establishment of China's aircraft design system, presided over the development of models that created the history of China's fighter aircraft from scratch, led and promoted the construction of China's aviation industry system, trained a large number of academicians, experts and other leading talents, and greatly supported the development of China's aviation weapons and equipment models. He presided over the aerodynamic layout design of the J-1, Chujiao-6, J-8, and J-8II aircraft, laid the cornerstone of China's aerodynamic design of subsonic aircraft and supersonic aircraft, and promoted the construction and development of China's aerodynamic research and design infrastructure.
Due to the peculiarities of the defense and aviation industries, his name was not known for a long time. Today, the country's highest science and technology award to this ninety-year-old man is not only a compliment to his seventy years of dedication to the country, but also a call on more people to learn from the spirit of scientists he showed.
Teenagers aspire
Gu Was born in 1930 in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, to a scholarly monk. His father, Gu Tinglong, was a master of traditional Chinese studies, and his brother Gu Jiegang was a famous historian. As for why he did not inherit his father's mantle, Gu Xuefen once recalled that in 1935, his father was invited to work at Yenching University, and the family moved to Beiping and lived near Yenching University. Two years later, the "July 7 Incident" broke out, and the Japanese Kou attacked North China in an all-round way.
"I remember very clearly that on July 28, when the Japanese bombed camp 29, bombers flew over our homes, and even the bombs dropped could be seen clearly." After many years, Gu Shufen still remembers that scene deeply, "The garrison of the Twenty-ninth Army is less than two kilometers away from my home, the fire and smoke generated by the explosion seem to be close at hand, and the glass window is shattered by the shock wave." ”
7-year-old Gu Shufen was determined to devote herself to the aviation industry amid the flames of war and the roar of warplanes.
In 1947, Gu Graduated from Shanghai Nanyang Model High School. He took the exams of Zhejiang University, Tsinghua University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and all three universities enrolled in aviation majors, and finally were admitted to three universities at the same time. Because his mother did not want her son to leave, he finally chose the Department of Aeronautics at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Gu Shufen in the control system laboratory. Photo courtesy of Aviation Industry Group
From Fighter 1 to Chu 6
Looking back on this life, Gu Shufen's work experience completely coincides with the development trajectory of the new Chinese aviation industry. He witnessed the 70 years of the development of aviation in New China, and also witnessed the process of Building a modern aviation industry system from scratch and from small to large.
In 1951, China took out "6 billion kilograms of millet" to build an aviation industry, and the new Chinese aviation industry had a difficult start. This year, 21-year-old Gu Shufen graduated from the Department of Aeronautical Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and was assigned to the newly established Aviation Industry Bureau, and since then she has closely linked her life with the aviation industry of New China.
Shenyang Aircraft Design Office, the first aircraft design agency in New China, was established in 1956, and Gu Shufen, as the first core member, served as the leader of the pneumatic group, and under the leadership of Pioneers such as Xu Shunshou, Huang Zhiqian, Ye Zhengda, etc., began the journey of New China's self-designed aircraft.
Aerodynamics is the soul of aircraft design. When China began aircraft design, aerodynamic design methods and means were completely blank. The first challenge Gu accepted after joining the work was the aerodynamic design of China's first jet, the J-1. He immersed himself in studying foreign materials, and finally proposed the design guidelines for aerodynamic parameters of subsonic aircraft and the calculation method of aerodynamic characteristics engineering, and completed the aerodynamic layout design of the J-1 aircraft with excellence.
Subsequently, Gu Shufen completed the aerodynamic layout design of China's first primary trainer aircraft, the Chujiao 6 aircraft, and established a subsonic aircraft aerodynamic design system. Relying on his solid theoretical foundation, he established the supersonic aircraft aerodynamic design system for the first time, and realized the closed loop of supersonic aircraft aerodynamic design, calculation, testing and test flight.
The aircraft aerodynamic design methodology he founded is still adopted by domestic aircraft design, making historic contributions to the subsequent fighter design.
Gu Shufen at work. Photo courtesy of Aviation Industry Group
From J-8 to J-8II.
In 1964, China began to develop the J-8 aircraft, which was the first high-altitude high-speed fighter designed by China itself. Gu Shufen was first responsible for the aerodynamic design of the J-8 aircraft as the deputy chief designer, and then fully presided over the development of the aircraft. He led the design department and the wind tunnel test unit to jointly tackle the problem, and for the first time in China, he created the fighter jet impact test method, which also became the basic method for determining the impact of engine jets later.
On July 5, 1969, the J-8 aircraft successfully made its first flight, which also officially announced the end of China's history of not being able to develop high-altitude high-speed fighters.
However, in later test flight tests, the J-8 aircraft experienced a strong transonic jitter when it reached a speed of 0.86 Mach. In order to solve this problem, Gu Shufen made a bold decision without her family: take the trainer plane piloted by the test pilot to the sky and observe the vibration of the plane at close range.
After figuring out the cause of the vibration, Gu Shufen proposed to use the local rectification foreskin repair method to solve the problem, and personally did the reshaping design of the rectified foreskin, he modified it with the factory worker master, and the test flight proved that this method was very effective, completely eliminating the phenomenon of transonic jitter.
In July 1985, the J-8 all-weather design was finalized, and in October of the same year, it won the special prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. This is a milestone moment for the development of China's aviation industry, which not only technically realizes the independent leap from a generation of fighters to a second-generation fighter, but also marks that the new Chinese aviation industry has since entered the historical track of independence and self-reliance.
In 1980, the J-8II aircraft was developed. Gu Shufen served as the chief designer of this model, organized and led multiple departments of the military and localities, hundreds of units to work together efficiently, and achieved the first flight of the aircraft in only four years.
The development of the J-8 series aircraft has built a relatively complete aviation industry system and promoted the development of metallurgy, chemical industry, electronics and other industries. Gu Shufen is known as the outstanding aircraft design master of New China and the first person of aircraft aerodynamic design. In 2000, the J-8II aircraft won the first prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award (Note: no special prize was set that year).
Gu Shufen (rear seat) and test pilot Lu Mingdong on the J-6 aircraft. Photo courtesy of Aviation Industry Group
The martyrs are in their twilight years and their hearts are full of excitement
In 1986, Gu Shufen left the Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute where he had worked for 30 years to work at the Aviation Industry Science and Technology Commission in Beijing, focusing his work on providing suggestions and suggestions for the construction of the aviation equipment system, the future development of key models, and the macro layout of the national defense cause. From the special establishment of large aircraft, to the pre-research of fourth-generation aircraft technology, to the exploration of the latest cutting-edge technology, he has always paid attention to the direction of China's aviation industry and has been undertaking busy research tasks.
Gu Shufen attaches great importance to talent training, and the team he led walked out of an academician of the Academy of Sciences, four academicians of the Academy of Engineering, and two model commanders. He has presided over the compilation of more than 70 aviation science and technology books, the book "Overall Design of Aircraft" edited by the editor-in-chief has become a compulsory course textbook for aircraft design majors in Chinese aviation colleges, and the "Modern Weapons and Equipment Knowledge Series - Air Force Weapons and Equipment Volumes" and "Large Aircraft Publishing Project" and other series and dozens of aviation monographs and books have also had a great impact.
Due to cancer, after two surgeries, Gu Xuefen's body was very weak, but he still insisted on going to work and studying in his back years. He said: "Understanding the progress of aviation is the joy of my old age. All I can do now is read a little book, translate a little information, and help the young people as much as possible. ”
His office in Beiyuan is still like a "forest of books", and he can always remember the location of each book and the content of each book. He is still thinking about how to build an aviation power in the new era, how to develop China's aviation industry in the future, and how to cultivate a team of professionals who can shoulder heavy responsibilities.
He is full of expectations for young people: "The development of China's aviation industry needs young talents, they are the tomorrow of the motherland. I just want to say to young people that we must have the country in our hearts, always put the country first, firmly remember history, and cherish today's life. Read more, think more, study hard, and do everything well. ”
"Looking back on my life, I can't talk about any great achievements, but I can only say that I didn't waste time and did something for the country." In an interview with reporters, Gu Shufen said so. (End)
Source: China News Network