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Chinese Aviation History - Construction of scientific research and test facilities

With the change from copy manufacture to design, a variety of test technology and test facilities for mathematical and physical simulation tests and engineering tests of various kinds were needed for new aircraft design and old aircraft improvement. Practice told people that design of advanced aircraft could not be realized without these test technology and equipment. Construction of scientific research and test conditions, therefore, became an important issue for discussion.

After the merger of MAI and CAE in 1964, Minister Sun Zhiyuan repeatedly stressed the priority for the development of aviation scientific research and that scientific research and test facilities should be constructed even if at the cost of several sets of factories. The MAI very soon decided that construction of scientific research and test facilities should be regarded as a strategic task of the development of aviation industry and that it should be planned with the highest priority during the Third Five-year Plan period. Construction of Aerodynamic Institute, Aero Engine Institute and Aircraft Structural Strength Research Institute were started in inland at the beginning of 1965 and simultaneously the construction of Flight Research Institute were speeded up.

The above four scientific research and test bases were fairly large with technical complexity. They had been undertaken as key projects. Aircraft Structural Strength Research Institute could accommodate 120 tons static test of a complete aircraft in 120 tons. Test plant of this Institute was formally delivered for use in the mid-1960s, which was replenished with test facilities, and became a fairly complete test base of aircraft static and fatigue tests. High Altitude Simulating Test Facility of Aero Engine Research Institute was a very large project, the first stage of which was finished in the late 1970s with a nation wide cooperation.

Plus engine component test rigs and equipment of various kinds, the Institute basically possessed a complete test facilities for engine research. Flight Research Institute was a comprehensive flight research and test centre and its flight research personnel had rich practical experience and good theoretical foundation. They formed a complete set of professionals through their research practices. Low speed wind tunnel, transonic wind tunnel and supersonic wind tunnel of different types and velocities were constructed in succession in inland Aerodynamics Research Institute, which formed China's Aerodynamic Test Establishment later. With wind tunnels of different types belonging to the MAI in Harbin, Shenyang, Beijing, Xi'an and Nanjing, China had then a series of wind tunnels of different sizes and velocities.

Test base of Shenyang Aero Engine Design Institute was established at that time as well. The construction of scientific research and test facilities by other research institute and design institute according to their requirements and possibilities was also flourishing. Factories and universities all set up their scientific research and process research organizations. Because of their variety of types and kinds, airborne equipment were mainly developed by design organizations in factories, where best technical forces were assembled to carry out the work.

In order to carry out the design of large aircraft, to unfold the research and application of electronic technology and computer technology in aviation industry, and to fill the gap of ejection seat a number of research and design institutes were built newly or replenished in succession during this period of time. The newly built or replenished institutes included five aircraft design institutes of helicopter, seaplane, large aircraft, fighter ( second set). and trunk airliner; the Zhuzhou Aero Engine Design Institute and four airborne equipment institutes of survival aids, airborne radar, avionics and aerial fire control and, the institute of airborne computer technology. Considering aviation industry as a whole, it had not only some institutes with application research as their main tasks but still carrying out some basic research, but also some product design institutes with development of new products as their main tasks and some basic technology research institutes of metrology, standard and information. The combination of professional research institute, design institute, factory design department and process research departments, and university scientific research institutes formed the framework of aeronautical scientific research system.