Building Shanghai | Journey to the Sky: Exploring Shanghai's Aerospace Industry
  • 2023-11-18
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Building Global Shanghai

2023


Building Shanghai | Journey to the Sky: Exploring Shanghai's Aerospace Industry


Editor's Note:

This research aims to analyze in-depth the design, manufacturing, and operation of the C919 aircraft, highlighting the role of global cooperation in China's aviation industry advancement. The development of the C919 symbolizes the combination of technological innovation and international collaboration, reflecting China's rise in the global aviation field. Through this study, students can deepen their understanding of technology, broaden their international perspectives, foster national sentiment, promote patriotism education, and provide momentum for China's aerospace education. This research not only focuses on the C919 project itself but also aims to inspire the younger generation's enthusiasm for science and build a bridge between knowledge and dreams for them.

On November 14th, the aerospace group went on their first visit. After getting off the subway station, they walked about one kilometer to the south and arrived at the Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). Guided by two staff members, the students entered the interior of COMAC. The mission of COMAC is to make China's large aircraft soar in the blue sky, with a vision to provide customers with safer, more economical, comfortable, and environmentally friendly commercial aircraft. The entrepreneurial spirit of developing large aircraft is to build a strong aviation nation, adhere to the "Four Long-Term" strategy, and never give up. Upon entering the main building, the first thing that caught their attention was an important instruction from General Secretary Xi Jinping: "Let the large aircraft take to the sky." This seemingly ordinary sentence inspires every aerospace professional. The students browsed the introductions of three types of aircraft: ARJ21, C919, and C929, and had the privilege of seeing the actual appearance of the aircraft. In the lobby designed like a mock-up hangar, the one-to-one real-size noses of these three aircraft were arranged side by side. Although the visit lasted only an hour, the students gained a profound understanding of these three domestically developed aircraft.


On November 15th, the students visited the Shanghai Aerospace Enthusiast’s Center. Upon entering the park, several military aircraft models were arranged in parallel on the square. Passing by the models, they entered the main building. First, the students went to the second floor to watch a science educational film about the C919 aircraft. In the film, the author vividly and interestingly depicted the aircraft from the perspective of a young passenger taking their first flight. For example, the name "C919" comes from the fact that it is a civilian aircraft developed by COMAC. Moreover, "9" represents longevity, while "19" indicates that the maximum passenger capacity of the C919 is 190 seats. Finally, the students visited models of fighter jets, commercial aircraft, and rockets on the square, and had the opportunity to enter the interiors of some commercial aircraft. The interiors of some aircraft still retained traces of the era, such as fabric curtains, seats, and pillows. It was easy to see that both the materials used in the interior and the coatings and materials used on the exterior of these new aircraft designs were more novel and reasonable.

On November 16th, the aviation group had their final outing by visiting the Hunzhi Bookstore. The Hunzhi Bookstore is located in the center of Shanghai. Although it is called a bookstore, it has developed into an entire industry chain. The first thing that catches the eye is the Hunzhi Coffee Shop and the neatly arranged sofa tables and chairs. Next to the coffee shop are various airplane models and the C919 experience cabin. The staff introduced that among the models covering an entire wall, there are actually only two domestically developed commercial aircraft. This made the students sigh with emotion, realizing that the road to building large aircraft is long and full of obstacles, but a sense of mission arises. After visiting the bookstore, the students entered the Hunzhi Theater to attend a lecture. The lecture was about the C919 and covered almost all the information about it, from the significance of its name to various component installations. After listening to the lecture, the students lined up to enter the C919 simulator cockpit and experience real aircraft piloting.

The few days of visits made the students understand the challenges of aircraft manufacturing. Although there are currently very few domestically developed large aircraft, as long as the right path is taken, the original intention is not forgotten, and the mission is remembered, there will undoubtedly be more domestically produced large aircraft taking off into the blue sky.


文 | Thompson Shen(G12) Winnie Zheng(G12)

审核 | Wu Xu

翻译 | Lexie Liu(G11)

排版 | Jang