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Chinese Aviation History - Setting Up the Chinese Aeronautical Establishment

Scientific research is the base and precursor of the development of modern aviation industry and also a decisive constituent part in establishing an independent system of aviation industry. In order to respond to Chairman Mao Zhedong's call for marching towards science in the mid-1950s, aviation industry began to set up scientific research institutes with the support of Minister Zhao Erlu. But construction scale at that time was fairly small, mainly aimed at solving science and technical problems incured during trial production. The situation of scientific research and design lagging behind production and development was revealed gradually with the passing time. Fully relying on China's own efforts to solve problems of development and manufacture was required after the foreign aid was stopped in 1960. Therefore, strengthening construction of scientific organizations became even more important, under which situation the CAE was set up and, its construction could be divided into three stages from the beginning of the 1960s to the 1970s:

The Military Commission of CCCPC, on December 27, 1960, issued "Circular of setting up three establishments of aeronautics, naval vessels and military electronics" , pointing out: to assemble associated scientific research forces, to speed up development of scientific technical research work of China's national defence and to strengthen the power of armed forces, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China approved on December 20, 1960 the setting up of an Aeronautical Establishment, a Naval Vessel Establishment and an Electronics Establishment by relevant scientific research organizations of the Defence Industry and Machine Building Industry.

To implement the Circular of the Military Commission and the decision of the Central Committee, starting from January 1961, aeronautical scientific research organizations were adjusted, and the Ministry of Defence's Sixth Establishment ( the Chinese Aeronautical Establishment) was set up with Tang Yanjie as President, Wang Zhengqian political commissar, Han Gusan, Wang Li, Xu Lixing and Cao Danhui Vice Presidents. The Establishment was consisted of 7,600 people, from 11 organizations of the Bureau of Aviation Industry, the Air Force, the Harbin Military Engineering Academy and the headquarters of No.22 Army Garrison Division, among them were 6,961 people and 4,498 units of equipment from aviation industry.

The following scientific research institutes were subordinate to the Establishment: institutes of aeronautical material, aeronautical manufacturing technology, aeronautical science and technology information, flight, flight automatic control, aeronautical weapons and accessories etc; the Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute, Aero Engine Design Institute and Aerodynamics Institute; Shanghai Aeronautical Measuring Equipment factory, and other product design organizations set up in factories, metrology institute set up at later stage, aeronautical precision machinery institute and aeronautical standardization institute, all of which formed the initial scientific research capability.

Not long after the setting up of the Aeronautical Establishment, the CCCPC promulgated in June 1961 "Proposals of 14 rules for the present work of natural scientific research institutes ( draft )" (simplified as "14 rules" ). Premier Zhou Enlai later made a " Report on the issue of intellectuals" at the national scientific & technical work meeting and on the Forum of children drama writing. The national drama, opera and Premier said that most intellectuals were a part of the working class. According to that spirit, they were part of the work of adjustment and reorganization to eliminate chaos and turmoil due to the "Great Leap Forward". Intellectuals in all scientific research units had their "caps removed" i.e. their caps of "Bourgeois intellectuals" removed, and they were crowned by the announcement that they were a part of the labouring people.

They were encouraged to have different schools and opinions in free discussion and free competition; military ranks, technical and professional titles were awarded to them according to regulations and rules. At the same time, it was pointed out that "to serve science and technology" and "to serve scientific research workers" were the concrete reflection of serving the people, and best efforts were made to create better conditions of work and study for scientific research personnel. All those measures made most intellectuals feel warm and hence initiated their creativeness of achieving good results in their scientific research.

According to requirements of the 14 rules, the Establishment defined the objective, task, equipment and personnel for each institute (or factory), formulated a complete set of regulations of science and technology, working procedures of science and development, new product trial production regulations and temporary regulations of aeronautical institutes and clearly specified that scientific research work was the centre of all work in the Establishment and institutes, no less than five sixth of the working time in a week should be guaranteed for scientific research work and the political work and logistics should ensure the smooth progress of R&D.

Guiding thought and working policy of research and design work were corrected during this time by the Establishment regarding the unpractical requirements of aircraft design incured in the "Great Leap Forward". Premier Zhou Enlai, in June 1962, pointed out at the cadres meeting of defense industry in North-east China: "research in the most advanced branches of science should be performed in order and advanced step by step." Chief of the General Staff Luo Ruiqing also instructed: "A thorough study of the MiG-21 aircraft will not waste time, it will help the Sixth Establishment ( i.e. CAE) achieve good results earlier instead. The general policy and the only way of the development for the Establishment's scientific research work is to design aircraft through copy manufacturing." The Establishment carefully organized the " study"

Reverse designs of key products were done during copy manufacturing, which trained technical personnel, improved design skill and accelerated the design progress of new aircraft. After three years efforts, fairly regular scientific research working procedures were set up in each aeronautical scientific research organization and all kinds of research and professional work began to advance onto the right track by the end of 1963.