Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 228 Building Aircraft: Standardized Production Processes, Taishan Airlines' First Annual Meeting

The Yunhe seaplane returned to Yangon via the same route it had taken, passing through the Yangtze River, Wujiang River, Dianchi Lake, and Lancang River.

Fang Wen controlled the plane to land at Yangon Port. The port workers caught the cables on the plane and pulled it up from the water ramp.

The plane was then towed to the airport.

Because the ground was uneven and the seaplane's land wheels were small, the plane experienced turbulence.

Fang Wen turned to Zhang Yunfei, who was guarding the driver's side door, and said, "Tell everyone we've arrived."

On this trip back to Yangon, Fang Wen left behind the task of recruiting six members for the special operations team, and brought Zhang Yunfei back with him. Zhang Yunfei was a man of few words but steady in his work, making him a good assistant.

"Everyone get up, we've arrived," Zhang Yunfei shouted from inside the plane.

Inside the crowded cabin, people stood up one after another.

The 29 university students from the Republic of China era were full of anticipation for what was to come.

The plane was parked and put into position. Fang Wen got out of the cockpit, went to the back, and opened the tail door.

The students carried their luggage out of the plane and followed Fang Wen to the outside of the hangar.

The glaring sunlight made them instinctively reach out to shield their foreheads.

“It’s so hot in here!”

"It's muggy."

The group discussed in hushed tones.

Fang Wendao said, "This is Yangon, a port city in southern British Burma, where the aircraft manufacturing plant was also located."

A student raised his hand and asked, "General Manager, why did you build the factory here?"

"I'll take you out to see the world, and we'll talk as we walk."

Fang Wen then instructed the students to label their luggage with their names and put it in the car that had come to pick them up. The group then walked out of the airport and headed towards the industrial park.

Fang Wen talked as he walked.

"The Japanese Navy now controls our Chinese waters. As you know, the Japanese don't like me. They can't transport supplies by sea to build factories in China. This area is located on the western side of the Indochina Peninsula, in the Indian Ocean, and is controlled by the British Navy. I can obtain all kinds of resources from here."

At this point, Fang Wen pointed to the large chimney that was emitting smoke on his right.

"See that? That's the Taishan Oil Refinery. Oil from Myanmar and the Middle East is transported here to produce fuel, lubricants, asphalt, and various other chemical products. Taishan Airlines will supply its own fuel in the future."

The students couldn't help but applaud, a testament to Taishan Airlines' success in the real economy.

Afterwards, Fang Wen led the students into the industrial park.

The industrial park is divided into two parts by a wall: the inner yard is a bullet processing plant, and the outer yard is an aircraft manufacturing plant.

Fang Wen led the students directly into the aircraft manufacturing plant and introduced the plant's operations.

"This is where you will work in the future. As you all know, China is currently in dire need of development and lacks an industrial base. Therefore, the aircraft manufacturing plant does not have its own parts production workshop, and all materials are purchased from Europe and the United States. What we need to do is to reprocess these parts and assemble them into the Shuiyun series of seaplanes."

Hearing Fang Wen say this, some students couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Fang Wen quickly added, "This is only a temporary situation. We must make a good start. Only with the Huaxia aircraft brand can we continuously upgrade and replace our aircraft. We must use this process to develop our own technology, and the ultimate goal is to produce our own truly original aircraft."

The students nodded in agreement. That made sense. You can create without a foundation, but you can't do anything without starting.

Construction begins on the Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant.

With the equipment, space, parts to be assembled, assembly drawings, and 29 engineering students from the university, the first step was to divide the work among the personnel.

These engineering students are bright individuals selected from among 4 million compatriots. They possess a solid theoretical foundation and certain practical skills, but they need to master the knowledge of aircraft manufacturing.

The 29 people were divided into different positions.

Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Electronic Circuit Engineering, Quality Control Inspector.

After the first step of assigning tasks was completed, their next main task was to learn.

He followed Fang Wen and five French aircraft engineers to learn about the entire aircraft manufacturing process.

Fang Wen and five French engineers led a team to manufacture the Shuiyun series of aircraft.

Starting with the fuselage frame, the entire aircraft fuselage is assembled from a large number of parts and aluminum alloy materials.

This cannot be done casually. The entire aircraft fuselage frame is divided into twenty parts, from the nose to the tail. Each part is manufactured independently. After each process is completed, it needs to undergo rigorous measurement and testing before the next process can proceed.

In other words, the measurement data after production must match the design drawings, and the error cannot exceed 1%.

This is a strict requirement in the absence of computers and comprehensive precision measuring instruments; only in this way can we ensure that no problems arise after the aircraft fuselage frame is manufactured.

This rigorous work ethic gradually influenced the students, who in turn held themselves to the same standards.

When the aircraft fuselage frame was one-third complete, Fang Wen began to consciously let the students complete the assignments independently.

These students, assigned to different positions, worked very cautiously without the guidance of their mentors.

However, as time went on, their engineering talents came into play, allowing the project to gradually accelerate back to a normal pace.

Subsequently, more and more students recruited by Southern University joined the aircraft manufacturing plant. These newcomers also gradually entered the working state following the same training and on-the-job internship model.

Finally, with the joint efforts of the students and Fang Wen and the French engineer, the fuselage frame of the first commercial Seacloud series seaplane was completed.

The first step is to complete the fuselage frame. Next, the wings, skin, engines, propellers, internal circuitry, electronic equipment, fuel lines, landing gear, floats, the watertight space under the fuselage, tail fins, and so on will be installed on this frame.
If all of this is simply done without any summary, it becomes a product of empiricism.

Fang Wen didn't want that. Equipment manufactured entirely based on experience would likely result in slight differences between each aircraft in the same series, which would be inconvenient for aircraft manufacturing efficiency and later maintenance.

He recalled that China had encountered a similar problem during its development: two different factories could not use each other's parts to produce the same product.

This situation persisted until standardization was fully implemented, at which point it was gradually avoided.

Fang Wen didn't want his aircraft manufacturing plant to become like that; he preferred to be strict from the beginning and standardize everything.

To this end, he led the aircraft manufacturing process while simultaneously standardizing and recording the steps involved.

In other words, everything was done according to the blueprints and standards.

such as.

A drawing has a strict process, from the first step at a certain position to the last step at a certain position.

Every screw and every piece of material is marked with a unique number.

These special numbers represent their position in the process; they cannot be ahead of schedule or behind schedule.

Thus, after the first Shuiyun series commercial seaplane was produced, Fang Wen also created a standardized production process diagram for Shuiyun series seaplanes.

This meter-high production process diagram is a top-secret document from Taishan Aircraft Factory. With it, the same aircraft can be made by purchasing the same equipment and parts.

Fang Wen entrusted Zhang Yunfei with the safekeeping of these drawings and documents, and any employee who borrows any of the drawings must make a detailed record.

This standardized production process was then used in the production of the second commercial aircraft.

The brilliant engineering students recruited by the four major universities in the Republic of China, combined with standardized production processes, produced a result greater than the sum of its parts.

Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant's Shuiyun series seaplanes initially produced one per month. Later, after everyone mastered the standardized process, they began a more detailed division of labor. University student engineers took the initiative to divide into five working groups: front engine, rear engine, internal components, electronic circuits, and engine propellers. This further improved efficiency, directly achieving a high efficiency of two per month.

Of course, this is just the beginning, and it's still far from achieving the high efficiency of the international aircraft manufacturing industry. Let's take Boeing in the US as an example.

American Airlines has placed an order for 60 Boeing 247s at a high price of $3.5 million, with a commitment to complete delivery within one year.

That is, 5 aircraft produced per month.

That's a much more sophisticated aircraft structure; compared to that, Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant still has a long way to go.

It was the end of January 1935, the 24th year of the Republic of China.

Four Watercloud aircraft were lined up on the sea surface of Yangon Harbor.

This is the first batch of aircraft produced by the aircraft manufacturing plant over a period of more than two months. It has passed inspection and is ready to leave the factory.

The young engineers from the aircraft manufacturing plant all came to the port to wait.

They weren't just saying goodbye to the planes as they rolled off the production line; they were also going to take these planes home for the Chinese New Year.

In three days, it will be Lunar New Year's Eve, and they will be going home to reunite with their families.

Meanwhile, four pilots from Taishan Airlines were talking to Fang Wen.

"What are your thoughts on flying these seaplanes for so long?" Fang Wen asked.

"It's simple. This kind of plane is easy to learn, and landing and takeoff are not difficult," one pilot replied.

Other pilots echoed this sentiment, mostly sharing the same feeling.

This is an affirmation of the Shuiyun series of seaplanes. The Shuiyun series of seaplanes is inherently simple yet stable, and Fang Wen is very satisfied.

This seaplane, with a payload of 2 tons, a passenger capacity of 10, a range of 1500 kilometers, and a cruising speed of 310 kilometers per hour, has achieved the best performance in the current seaplane field.

He continued to instruct the pilots to strictly adhere to flight regulations and not to deviate from the course.

An hour later, it was time for takeoff. The four pilots and 29 student engineers registered and flew towards Jinghong, Yunnan.

The day after they flew away, a Thai Airways international flight landed at Yangon Airport.

The plane carried members of Fang Wen's inner circle, members of the special operations team, and people who had signed confidentiality agreements at Xiangxi Airport and were not allowed to go home.

They plan to spend Chinese New Year together in Yangon this year.

So many people gathered at the Yangon Industrial Park, including employees from Yangon Airport, the chemical plant, and the bullet factory, to celebrate the Lunar New Year together.

That adds up to quite a lot.

To ensure that so many people could have a good New Year, the entire company worked together to purchase all sorts of supplies.

Red lettering, colorful flags, firecrackers, gifts, and a banquet all need to be prepared.

Thanks to everyone's joint efforts, the industrial park was brightly decorated in just two days, becoming the most festive place in the area.

On New Year's Eve, everyone gathered together and dozens of tables were set up.

Shao Sichen and William took the stage to host.

Shao Sishen began by saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first time that Taishan Airlines has held a group annual meeting. We hope you will forgive us for our lack of preparation."

William, speaking fluent Mandarin, countered with a joke: "What's an annual meeting?"

"I'm not really sure about that. Why don't you let the general manager explain it to everyone?" Shao Sichen looked at the audience.

Amid applause, Fang Wen, who was sitting directly below the stage, went on stage.

He took the microphone and said, "The so-called annual meeting refers to a gathering held once a year. Due to some special circumstances, our company is still able to get together to celebrate the New Year, which can be considered a grand event for the Taishan Airlines family. Here, I hope everyone eats well, drinks well, and has a good time."

William interjected, "General Manager, our flying club is located in the palace. I've heard it's a picturesque place. Could we hold our annual meeting there in the future?"

“Sure, we’ll hold next year’s annual meeting at the palace. Not only should we change the venue every year, I also have another idea: the outstanding employees selected by the company each year should also have the opportunity to travel abroad. Okay, it’s the New Year, so I won’t say any more. Now, have fun as you please.”

After Fang Wen finished speaking, he handed the microphone back to Shao Sishen and stepped down from the stage. Laughter and cheers returned to the stage.

After returning to their seats, Fang Wen and his wife watched the performance put on by their employees.

These days, without television and without being able to copy others, the programs people make are rather rough, but they don't repeat themselves, and the participants are very enthusiastic.

The packers recruited from Liuyang performed a local folk opera called Huagu Opera.

This type of folk opera features cheerful lyrics and tells the story of a man and a woman's love.

A group of workers from Liuyang enjoyed listening to the performance and applauded enthusiastically. Workers from other places also seemed to appreciate this kind of show, creating a lively atmosphere.

Next came the workers poached from the Jinling Arsenal.

The program they provided was Yue Opera.

Yue Opera and Huagu Opera are different. Huagu Opera is popular and sings about the love and affection of ordinary people.

Yue Opera tends to perform stories of talented scholars and beautiful women.

Her singing style is also much gentler, more like a female voice.

After the song "The Romance of the Western Chamber" was finished, the audience reacted in various ways.

Next came the performance by the Ganjun security team. These brave men from the Han-Miao region didn't just sing.

They performed acts of climbing mountains of knives and walking on fire.

When she saw him walking barefoot on sharp blades and running across a ten-meter-long path of burning charcoal, Kuang Mingzhu was so frightened that she clung tightly to Fang Wen.

"Won't they get hurt?" Kuang Mingzhu asked with concern.

Fang Wen didn't know either, and looked at Shunzi.

Shunzi explained, "I asked around, and it's a technique. It looks like you're stepping on a blade, but the angle is wrong, so you won't get cut. There's also a fire path. I've heard they used some tricks, so it's fine."

This explanation put everyone at ease, relieving their worries about the performance.

Later, French engineers from the aircraft factory and American engineers from the oil refinery also took to the stage to present programs with exotic styles.

With the addition of individual performances, time passed little by little, and before we knew it, it was New Year's Eve.

Instantly, fireworks were lit by Chinese businessmen in Yangon and by Taishan Airlines itself, filling the sky with blooming fireworks.

Everyone watched the beautiful fireworks, immersed in the beauty of the moment.

New Year's Eve has passed.

The real annual meeting is about to begin.

Fang Wen and his small circle of friends arrived at the backyard of the industrial park.

Listen to everyone's year-end reports.

The company's overseas and domestic businesses have seen a shift in growth rates.

The domestic aviation air distribution business, which had been developing rapidly, came to a standstill last year.

Meanwhile, international flights that operated last year are thriving.

(End of this chapter)