Chapter 228: 227 Building Airplanes, Standardized Production Process, Taishan Airlines’ First Annual Meeting
Cloud Crane Seaplane followed the flight path they came from, passing through the Yangtze River, Wujiang River, Dianchi Lake, Lancang River and several other water systems for transfer, and returned to Yangon.
Fang Wen controlled the airplane to land at Yangon Port. Workers arranged by the port caught the cable on the airplane and pulled the airplane up from the water entry ramp with force.
Then, under the traction of a car, the airplane drove to the airport.
Because the ground was not very flat, and the land wheels of the seaplane were small, the airplane shook.
Fang Wen turned his head and said to Zhang Yunfei guarding the cockpit door: “Tell everyone we’ve arrived.”
This time returning to Yangon, Fang Wen left six Special Action Team members to continue recruitment work, and brought Zhang Yunfei back. Zhang Yunfei was not talkative and steady in doing things, a good assistant.
“Everyone get up, we’ve arrived.” Zhang Yunfei shouted in the airplane.
In the crowded cabin, people stood up one after another.
29 Republic of China university students were full of anticipation for everything they were about to face.
The airplane was stored in the hangar and parked. Fang Wen came out of the cockpit, went to the back, and opened the tail hatch.
The students carried their luggage out of the airplane and followed Fang Wen outside the hangar.
The glaring sunlight made them involuntarily raise their hands to shield their foreheads.
“It’s so hot here!”
“It’s muggy.”
Everyone discussed in low voices.
Fang Wen said: “This is Yangon, the southern port city of British Burma. The aircraft manufacturing plant is also built here.”
A student raised his hand high: “General Manager, why build the factory here?”
“I’ll take you out to see, talk while walking.”
Then, Fang Wen had the students mark their luggage with names, put it in the cars that came to pick them up, and then the group walked out of the airport toward the industrial park.
While walking, Fang Wen spoke.
“The Imperial Japanese Navy now controls our Chinese seas. You know the Japanese don’t like me. Building a factory in China can’t transport supplies by sea route. Here is on the west side of the Indochina Peninsula, in the Indian Ocean domain controlled by the British Navy. I can obtain various resources from here.”
At this point, Fang Wen pointed to the large chimney smoking on the right hand side.
“See that? That’s Taishan Oil Refinery. Oil produced in Myanmar and oil from the Middle East are transported here to produce fuel, lubricating oil, asphalt and other chemical products. The fuel Taishan Airlines will use in the future will be supplied by ourselves.”
The students couldn’t help applauding. This was affirmation of Taishan Airlines’ success in industry.
Then, Fang Wen led the students into the industrial park.
The industrial park was divided into inner and outer areas by a wall. The inner courtyard was the bullet processing plant, and the outer courtyard was the aircraft manufacturing plant.
Fang Wen directly led the students into the aircraft manufacturing plant and introduced the situation in the plant.
“This is where everyone will work in the future. Everyone knows that our China is currently in ruins without industrial foundation. Therefore, the aircraft manufacturing plant has no parts production workshop of its own. All supplies are procured from Europe and the United States. What we need to do is to perform secondary processing on these components and assemble them into Water Cloud series seaplanes.”
Hearing this from Fang Wen, some students felt disappointed.
Fang Wen quickly added: “This is only temporary. We must start well. Only with a Chinese airplane brand will there be continuous updates and iterations. We must develop our own technology in this process. The ultimate goal is to produce airplanes truly originally made by us.”
The students nodded. It made sense. Without foundation, it can be created, but without starting, nothing can be done.
Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant started operation.
With equipment, venue, parts to be assembled, assembly blueprints, and 29 university engineering students, the first step was personnel division.
These engineering university students were smart people selected from 400 million compatriots. They had good theoretical foundation knowledge and certain hands-on ability, but needed to master aircraft manufacturing knowledge.
The 29 people were divided into different positions.
Mechanical engineering position, aviation electronic circuit engineering position, quality control inspection position.
After the first step of division was completed, next they mainly studied.
Following Fang Wen and five French aircraft engineers, they learned the entire process of aircraft manufacturing.
Fang Wen and the five French engineers led the manufacturing of the Water Cloud series airplane.
Starting from the fuselage frame, the entire aircraft fuselage frame was assembled from a large number of components and aluminum alloy materials.
This could not be done casually. The entire aircraft fuselage frame was divided into twenty parts, from nose to tail. Each part was an independent production process. After completing each process, it needed strict measurement and inspection. Only after passing could the next process continue.
That is to say, the measurement data after production must match the design blueprints, with error not exceeding 1%.
This was a rigid rule without computers and overall precision measuring instruments. Only this way could ensure no problems after the aircraft fuselage frame was manufactured.
This rigorous work attitude gradually influenced the learning students, and they also required themselves in the same way.
When the aircraft fuselage frame was made to one-third, Fang Wen began to consciously let the students complete tasks independently.
These students assigned to different positions worked very cautiously without the master’s participation.
But as time passed, their own engineering talents emerged, making the construction period gradually accelerate to normal speed.
Then, students recruited from southern universities joined the aircraft manufacturing plant one after another. These newcomers also followed the same training and on-the-job internship mode, gradually entering working condition.
Finally, under the joint efforts of the students, Fang Wen, and the French engineers, the fuselage frame of the first commercial Water Cloud series seaplane was completed.
Completing the fuselage frame was the first step. Next, wings, skin, engine, propeller, internal circuitry, electronic equipment, oil pipes, landing gear, float, fuselage lower watertight space, tail fin, etc., had to be installed on this frame.
All this, if just gone through once without any summary, would become empiricism manufacturing.
Fang Wen did not want that. Equipment made purely by experience might have slight differences in every airplane of the same series, inconvenient for aircraft manufacturing efficiency and later repair.
He remembered that in the future China, this problem was encountered during development. Two different factories, same product but parts not interchangeable.
This situation continued until standardization was fully implemented later, gradually avoided.
Fang Wen did not want his aircraft manufacturing plant to become like that. He preferred to be strict from the beginning and standardize everything.
For this, while leading the airplane manufacturing, he recorded the entire process steps in standardization.
That is to say, everything was done according to blueprints and standards.
For example.
A blueprint, from step one at such position to the last step at such point, had strict processes.
Every screw, every plate material, was marked with special numbers.
These special numbers represented their order in the process, neither ahead nor delayed.
In this way, when the first commercial Water Cloud series seaplane was made, Fang Wen also made the standardized production process chart for Water Cloud series seaplane.
This one-meter-high production process blueprint was the top secret file of Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant. With it, same model airplane could be made by purchasing the same equipment components.
Fang Wen handed over this batch of blueprint information to Zhang Yunfei for safekeeping. Any employee borrowing part of the blueprints must register in detail.
And used this standardized production process in the subsequent production of the second commercial airplane.
The smart engineering students recruited from the four major Republic of China universities, plus the standardized production process, produced an effect greater than 1+1=2.
Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant’s Water Cloud series seaplane started at one per month. Later, after everyone proficiently mastered the standardized process, more detailed division began. University engineer students actively divided into five work groups: front aircraft, rear aircraft, internal, electronic circuit, engine propeller. Efficiency improved again, directly reaching two per month high efficiency.
Of course, this was just the beginning, still some distance from the high efficiency of international aircraft manufacturing.
Take Boeing in the United States for comparison.
Boeing there had American Airlines order 60 Boeing 247 at a high price of 3.5 million US dollars, agreed to deliver within one year.
That is, monthly output of 5 airplanes.
That was more precise aircraft structure. Compared, Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant had many roads ahead.
Republic of China year 24, January end of 1935.
4 Water Cloud series airplanes lined up overall on the sea surface at Yangon Port.
This was the first batch of airplanes produced by the aircraft manufacturing plant in over two months, passed inspection, ready for delivery.
The young engineers of the aircraft manufacturing plant all came to the port to wait.
They not only came to bid farewell to the airplanes leaving the factory, but also to take this batch of airplanes home for New Year.
In three more days, it would be Lunar New Year’s Eve, and they would go home to reunite with family.
On the other side, four Taishan Airlines pilots were talking with Fang Wen.
“What are your thoughts on flying these seaplanes during this time?” Fang Wen asked.
“It’s simple. This airplane is easy to handle, takeoff and landing not difficult.” A pilot replied.
Other pilots agreed, mostly the same feeling.
This was affirmation of the Water Cloud series airplane. Water Cloud series seaplane sought stability in simplicity. Fang Wen was very satisfied.
This seaplane with 2 tons payload, 10 passengers, 1500 km range, 310 km cruising speed, had reached the best performance in the current seaplane field.
He continued to instruct the pilots to strictly abide by flight discipline and not deviate from the route.
One hour later, takeoff time arrived. The four pilots and 29 student engineers registered and flew toward Jinghong in Yunnan.
The next day after they flew away, Taishan Airlines’ international flight landed at Yangon Airport.
On the airplane were Fang Wen’s small circle members, Special Action Team people, and those from Xiangxi Airport who signed confidentiality agreements and could not go home.
They planned to spend New Year together in Yangon this year.
So many people gathered at Yangon Industrial Park. Also spending New Year together were employees from Yangon Airport, chemical plant, bullet factory.
Added up, quite a few.
To let so many people have a good New Year, the whole company busily procured various utensils.
Red paper, colored flags, firecrackers, gifts, wine banquet all to prepare.
Under everyone’s joint effort, in 2 days the industrial park was decorated with lights and colors, becoming the place with most festive atmosphere in this area.
On Lunar New Year’s Eve, everyone gathered, set up dozens of tables.
Shao Sishen and William went on stage to host.
Shao Sishen first said: “Everyone, this is Taishan Airlines’ first collective annual meeting. Preparation may be inadequate, hope everyone be understanding.”
William in pure Chinese acted as foil: “What is an annual meeting?”
“I’m not too clear on this. Why not let the General Manager explain to everyone.” Shao Sishen looked at the audience.
Amid applause, Fang Wen sitting right below the stage went on stage.
He took the microphone: “The so-called annual meeting is a gathering held once a year. Our company due to some special circumstances, everyone still gathered to celebrate New Year, also counts as a grand event for the Taishan Airlines big family. Here, I hope everyone eat well, drink well, play well.”
William interrupted: “General Manager, our flying club is opened in the royal palace. Heard the scenery there is picturesque. Can future annual meetings be held there?”
“Sure. Next year’s annual meeting, we’ll hold it in the royal palace. Not only annual meetings change places every year, I have another idea. Outstanding workers selected by the company each year will also enjoy opportunity to travel abroad. Alright, big New Year’s, I won’t say more. Next, play as you wish.”
After Fang Wen finished, he returned the microphone to Shao Sishen, went off stage on his own. Laughter and cheers resumed on stage.
Sitting back in his seat, Fang Wen watched the performances made by employees themselves with his wife.
In this era, no TV, couldn’t copy. The programs they made were rough, but no repetition, participants very enthusiastic.
The propellant workers recruited from Liuyang presented their locally popular Huagu Opera.
This folk opera had cheerful lyrics, content about a man and a woman in love.
A group of Liuyang workers loved listening, applauded one after another. Workers from other places also accepted this program, scene very lively.
Next were workers poached from Jinling Arsenal.
They provided Yue Opera program.
Yue Opera was different from Huagu Opera. Huagu Opera was popular, singing about ordinary people’s love.
Yue Opera tended toward performing stories of talented scholars and beauties.
Singing style also much softer, more like female voice.
After one song of The Story of the Western Wing, reactions below varied.
Then was the performance by Gan Army security team. These brave men from Han-Miao junction area didn’t play singing.
They performed climbing knife mountain and passing fire path programs.
Seeing bare feet stepping on sharp blades, and running over ten-meter-long charcoal fire path, Kuang Mingzhu was scared and leaned close to Fang Wen.
“Will they get injured?” Kuang Mingzhu asked concernedly.
Fang Wen didn’t know either, looked at Shunzi.
Shunzi explained: “I asked. This has technique. Seems stepping on blade, but angle wrong, won’t cut. Fire path also, heard they used some methods, no problem.”
This explanation made everyone no longer worry about the performance.
Later, French engineers from the airplane plant and American engineers from the oil refinery also went on stage separately with exotic programs.
Plus individually signed-up performances, time passed bit by bit. Unknowingly, it reached New Year’s Eve time.
Suddenly, Yangon’s Chinese merchants and Taishan Airlines’ own fireworks all lit up, sky full of blooming fireworks.
Everyone watched the beautiful fireworks, immersed in this moment’s beauty.
New Year’s Eve night passed.
The real annual meeting was about to begin.
Fang Wen and his small circle people came to the back courtyard of the industrial park.
To hear everyone’s year-end report.
Company overseas and domestic business showed growth rate reversal.
The originally rapidly developing domestic aviation and air distribution business stopped last year.
At the same time, the international flights operated last year were thriving.
