Chapter 50: Researching Passenger Aircraft
National Revolutionary Army Aviation Administration,
On this day, the high-level aviation management here had never dreamed,
that they could actually obtain two new-style airplanes from Songhu Hongqiao Aviation Factory, the bomber Tebol-1, and the I-5 fighter jet,
especially the I-5 fighter jet, which was a new-style Soviet Aircraft that only appeared in 1930,
so facing these two new-style Soviet Aircraft,
all the aviation management high-level were shocked, they were dumbfounded, wondering if they had seen it wrong?
What kind of aircraft manufacturing factory is Songhu Hongqiao Aviation Factory?
Who among them didn’t know the details?
It was just a self-made airplane factory that imitates “outdated goods”,
the Air Force and Aviation School had no intention of purchasing their self-made domestic airplanes that were “outdated goods”.
It was also because of this that this aircraft factory had recently fallen into a state of being unsustainable due to no sales outlet for its products.
But now it suddenly had money and technology to imitate and produce the latest Soviet fighter jet and bomber.
This was the reason why these aviation management high-level were shocked and confused.
“Hiss! Your Hongqiao Aviation Factory, what is this situation?”
“Why could you suddenly imitate and produce such new-style Soviet Aircraft? And even send two over to us?”
“Didn’t you say recently that you were very poor, had fallen into economic crisis, and were about to go bankrupt?”
So after the shock,
Republic of China Aviation Administration Director Huang Bing suddenly became very curious and pressed new Factory Director Fan Zhifei of Songhu Hongqiao Aviation Factory, who had personally brought people to deliver the new-style airplanes, for answers.
“This is just from obtaining an investment from a rich person, as for the technology, it’s not our technology, we purchased the parts and engine of these two new-style airplanes through connections, and thereby imitated and assembled them!”
“As for donating to your Aviation Administration, that is the intention of the person who donated the money for the airplanes, if Director Huang, you want to thank someone, then go thank him!”
Facing the curious pressing questions from Aviation Administration Director Huang Bing,
new Factory Director Fan Zhifei also responded according to the lines instructed by Zhou Wenhua.
“What, you actually had such good luck, encountering someone so rich and with connections?”
“Who is he? Why would he donate such new-style airplanes to us for no reason?”
Hearing this, Aviation Administration Director Huang Bing was shocked again, widened his eyes, and pressed for an answer.
“Zhou Family’s new successor Zhou Wenhua!”
“He hopes our domestic air force can have some new-style airplanes to defend the country, so he spent quite a bit of money to commission our Songhu Hongqiao Aviation Factory to assemble and imitate them, and send them over to you!”
“This is a good businessman with strong patriotic heart!”
New Factory Director Fan Zhifei said frankly.
“What! It’s him!”
Hearing this, Aviation Administration Director Huang Bing immediately exclaimed.
Zhou Wenhua was the one who recently stirred up the Shanghai automotive industry chain, but such a person actually sent such a big gift to their Aviation Administration,
so Aviation Administration Director Huang Bing was at a loss for words for a moment,
before this, he had not been optimistic about Zhou Wenhua’s actions in the automotive industry chain, even badmouthed him behind his back, but now the other party repaid grievance with kindness and sent two new-style airplanes that they wanted to purchase but couldn’t.
“Alright! I know, I will immediately report this matter to Chairman Chang and those high-level first, and I will also personally call their Zhou Family today to thank Zhou Wenhua!”
“You also thank him for me!”
But after coming back to his senses,
Aviation Administration Director Huang Bing also decisively replied to new Factory Director Fan Zhifei.
New Factory Director Fan Zhifei nodded lightly, said nothing more, and assisted the other party in transporting the two delivered new-style airplanes into the airport like treasures, waiting for the high-level from the Air Force side to come for acceptance.
And at this time, Zhou Wenhua,
was researching the civil small airplanes and large passenger aircraft used by airline companies of this period,
because domestic civil aviation had already opened in 1920, at that time the civil air route was from BJ to Tianjin route,
and the Jinan route opened the next year,
by 1929 the Shanghai to capital Nanjing route was also opened, in which year China National Aviation Corporation was formally established,
however, all relied on United States capital and airplanes to open, and when important matters needed to be resolved, everything was handed over to the American side for decision.
Civil aviation of this period was completely a “new industry”, in a domestic with zero aircraft industry, wanting to develop civil aviation industry required complete dependence on foreigner merchants for investment,
otherwise domestically there was no technology and aircraft factory that could research and develop passenger transport aircraft, even repairing airplanes and building a standard passenger aircraft airport was a big problem,
so in the Republic of China period with few airports, the main business of so-called civil aviation was air mail transport or transport goods.
As for wanting to board passenger aircraft like in later generations to fly to other places, it was completely something only noble families or rich people could enjoy, the top flight attendant service,
airplane tickets were so expensive that great writer Zhou Shuren clicked his tongue in ridicule, saying even if he spent 100,000 silver dollars, he didn’t know if he could board once or not.
So at that time, most passengers of passenger aircraft were foreigners,
as for flight attendants of this time, they already existed,
just not as many as in later generations,
because Republic of China period flight attendant recruitment conditions were also very strict, not only young and beautiful, but height at least 1.60 meters and over 40 kilograms, and also required to master national language, English, and be able to read and write,
so in this era with few literate people,
it was completely extremely strict recruitment requirements.
And the reason Zhou Wenhua wanted to research these foreigner passenger aircraft was to see if he could enter this passenger aircraft transport industry, to facilitate saving more people fleeing after the Anti-Japanese War breaks out in the future.
As well as transporting supplies and so on.
Of course this was just his personal idea, as for whether to implement it, he was still considering,
The first airline company German Zeppelin Airship Share Company, using Zeppelin airships.
United States’ earliest transport commercial route was established on January 1, 1914, earliest airline companies include Braniff International Airways, Pan American Airways, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Trans World Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and Eastern Air Lines, etc.
Specially designed passenger aircraft appeared in 1919. Britain manufactured the earliest DH-16 single-engine 4-seat passenger aircraft.
In 1919 France modified the “Goliath” biplane bomber into civil aviation passenger aircraft, which could carry 16 passengers.
However until the 1920s, most airline companies took transporting mail bags as main business operation.
By 1935, the DC-3 passenger aircraft researched and developed by Douglas Company, its flight speed and range changed the air transport industry from the 1930s to early 1940s.
Unfortunately current Zhou Wenhua did not have the manufacturing technology and materials needed for the DC-3 passenger aircraft researched by Douglas Company to study and learn,
so he could only collect a large number of books about airplanes of this period to read.
All collected from those foreigner science and technology magazines to read.
