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Prosperity Brought by Adjustment and Reorganization

The Aviation industry suffered very much at the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s as a grave consequence of the "Great Leap Forward". The breach of contracts by the Soviet Union and three years of natural disasters had added to the difficulties of the aviation industry on its road of development.

In winter 1960, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council decided to implement policy of " Adjustment, Consolidation, Replenishment and Improvement" and, a series of policies and measures were worked out. To implement the above mentioned four words policy and to act in the spirit of the three level cadres' meeting of the defence industry and to centre the work on improving product quality, an enterprise reorganization in aviation industry was carried out. But the problem of the over extended "battle line" of aviation industry caused by the "Great Leap Forward" was not solved; arrangement of trial production and batch production was far beyond the practical possibility; and capital construction projects were still too many to handle.

In July and August 1961, a defence industry working meeting was held in Beidaihe presided over by He Long, Nie Rongzhen and Luo Ruiqing. The meeting was concentrated on the discussion of implementing the four words policy comprehensively and shortening production construction lines. Premier Zhou Enlai delivered a speech at the meeting, pointing out that the policy of current plan-adjustment was to "withdraw completely from some projects; allow for unforeseen circumstances; focus on adjustment and fight battles of annihilation." Aviation industry was also requested to compress its "battle line" and the plan must be worked out on the basis of the minimum possibility in order to carry out thorough adjustment, project consolidation and to advance steadily. Adjustment of aviation industry was discussed at special meetings presided over by Luo Ruiqing.

It was decided that aviation industry should concentrate on the production of spare parts with some development of new aircraft within two to three years to solve the problem of low rate of operations of the Air Force due to the lack of spare parts. New aircraft work was focused on quality improvement of J-6 and Z-5 and the type approval production of Primary Trainer CJ-6. The work on other more than ten types of new aircraft were either slowed down or stopped; working line of missile development was also shortened; capital construction within two years was only to ensure two aircraft factories and two engine factories in Chengdu and Xi'an and the reconditioning of several electrical and instrumentation factories in Lanzhou, all other large and middle size projects were stopped or slowed down. As for the design of aircraft, it was stressed to respect science and to go step by step. The design could only be started on the basis of the information and technology of the MiG-21. In this way the correct relationship was developed between development of new aircraft, batch production of aircraft and manufacture of spare parts and between aircraft and missiles. This drastic measure of withdrawing completely helped aviation industry truely return to the road of development.

The country was suffering economical difficulties then. In 1961, the newly appointed Minister of Defence Industry Ministry, Sun Zhiyuan, during the period of implementing Beidaihe Meeting, did painstaking ideological work, he wrote articles himself, introducing experience of hard working of Yumen oil workers and asking people in defence industry to learn from their spirit of working hard without wasting time, to actively plunge into work centered on ensuring quality of products. He also had many heart-to-heart talks with enterprise leading cadres, hence those cadres were relieved of their ideological pressure and their creativeness was motivated. The masses were united, working day and night and leaders shared weal and woe with workers. A new picture appeared in aviation industry.

All factories and military products were strictly checked according to requirement of quality first and quality standard details were worked out during the adjustment of quality activity. Technical documentation, raw materials, finished parts, equipment, tools and fixtures were checked page by page and piece by piece; sections, workshops and factories were checked and approved one by one according to standard. Principle of detail analysis with each different product and seeking truth from fact were insisted during the standardization activity.

As for those aircraft trial manufactured not according to original drawings and documents and with severe problems, complete set of original drawings and documents were reproduced, complete set of good quality tools and fixtures and master parts were manufactured and trial production was reorganized. A transition method was allowed to be used to ensure the quality of the aircraft getting better with each batch. Those aircraft that could not be delivered due to partial quality problems were overhauled according to the best quality requirement. All those measures ensured the development of quality adjustment on the right road. At the same time, all factories earnestly implement " State Industrial Enterprise Management Regulations (draft)" , i.e. "Seventy Rules of Industry" promulgated by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China; responsibility system of leaders at all levels and all regulations were strictly practiced; enterprise management was systematically restored and adjusted through out China.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council showed great concern to the adjustment and reorganization of the aviation industry and encouragement and guidance were rendered. When the Shenyang Aero Engine Factory and the Tianjin Aero Electrical Factory won the first battle of reaching the standard of good quality in May 1962, the Defence Industry Commission of the Military Commission of CCCPC circulated a notice of commendation, and bonuses were awarded. Premier Zhou Enlai, with numerous state affairs to handle every day, paid a visit to the Shenyang Aircraft Factory in June 1962, called a meeting with leading cadres of aviation factories in Shenyang area, focused on the discussions of "linkup" between old and new aircraft and the supply of indigenous raw materials in China; cadres were encouraged to learn techniques. Premier Zhou later paid three visits to the Harbin Aircraft Factory in 1962, 1963 and 1966 respectively. He asked about the quality of Z-5 helicopter, and discussed with cadres and workers. He told the factory to "make best use of time", "make a good showing" and "feel proud and elated"; to manufacture more helicopters to support national construction and friendly countries.

The Z-5 and J-6 aircraft passed state certification successively in September and December 1963 respectively, successfully reached the standard of good quality, hence batch produced. Aircraft and engine newly manufactured were fitted with best quality parts in China and 352 airborne equipment were all of good quality. Technical cruxes like buffeting with the MiG-19 prototype and vibration with Mi-4 helicopter respectively were also tackled one after the another, which reflected the capability of China's aviation industry of manufacturing more complicated aircraft independently. In December that year the Military Commission of CCCPC sent a telegram of congratulations regarding the high standard of quality of these two aircraft, saying: " This is a symbol showing that China's aviation industry is turning for the better all-round."

The high standard of quality also accelerated the coordinated development of the complete aircraft as well as spare parts. From 1961 to 1963, aviation industry produced more than ten thousand items with 85.8 million pieces of spare parts for 15 types of aircraft and 13 types of engines, and 778 units of spare engines, which changed the situation that the Air Force and the Navy air force stopped flying and overhauling due to lack of spare parts in a certain period of time. Some spare parts originally supplied from abroad were now supplied by domestic sources.

When the activity of letting product reach high quality standard was organized, engineering quality of capital construction was rechecked with great efforts as well. All bad quality projects were repaired and strengthened and, constructions of two sets of aircraft and engine factories in Chengdu and Xi'an and two airborne equipment factories in Lanzhou were all finished and production started by the end of 1963. At the same time, some factories which were urgently needed to fill the blanks in a complete production system were newly built or expanded, concentrating on the expansion and reconditioning of old factories plus the taking over of several local civil factories to ensure development and production of missiles and aircraft. The newly increased assets in 1963 was 106% of that year's plan, creating the best investment effect of aviation industry since 1958.

The negative influence caused by the "Great Leap Forward" in aviation industry was basically eliminated through adjustment and reorganization from 1961 to 1963. Production and management of aviation industry were on the right direction; quality of product and capital construction was being improved; economic situation was turning for the better and the whole industry began to make profit.