2022 Beijing "Most Beautiful Science and Technology Workers" | Zhang Chi: Explore China's next -generation commercial aircraft

Author:Beijing Science and Technology Time:2022.08.15

In the selection activities organized by the Propaganda Department of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, the Beijing Science and Technology Association and other departments, 10 comrades including the professor of Tsinghua University and the academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering Jiang Yi were elected as the "most beautiful science and technology worker" in Beijing in 2022, and will be the "most beautiful in the country in 2022 in 2022 The candidate of science and technology workers recommended to the Chinese Association for Science and Technology. Let's understand the touching deeds of the most beautiful scientific and technological workers, and realize the scientist spirit of "patriotism, innovation, truthfulness, dedication, collaboration, and education" on them.

Zhang Chi, a senior engineer of the China Commercial Flying Beijing Civil Aircraft Technology Research Center, created a "Spirit" series verification machine to change the aviation dream carrier from a paper aircraft to a large aircraft in China >>

Written article/Reporter Zhao Ling Editor/Chen Yongjie

New Media Editor/Lu Bingxin

"Zhang Chi, hurry up, see how far your paper plane can fly?" Children's paper plane carried the children's longing for flight. As the paper plane flew farther and farther, the children's laughter became more Come bigger. The dream of a small paper plane has sprouted like this.

Time, Zhang Chi, the little boy of the origami aircraft, grew up. He became a pre -research chief and senior engineer of the China Commercial Flying Beijing Civil Aircraft Technology Research Center. The aircraft became a large aircraft in China. Not long ago, in the selection activities organized by the Propaganda Department of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, the Municipal Science and Technology Association and other departments, Zhang Chi was elected as the "most beautiful science and technology worker" in Beijing in 2022.

"Lingque" was born in "Dream"

From an early age, Zhang Chi is an aviation fan. He likes to sit on the field and observe the fan's wings when the dragonfly flys. When studying in the UK, his major was also related to aviation. He also obtained an airplane driving license. He claimed to be a small number of people who designed airplanes and airplanes. "

In 2011, Zhang Chi returned to China with the idea of "want to be China's own plane", joined the China Commercial Flying North Research Center, and prepared for the "exhibition". However, after a period of work, he found that there was a gap between ideal and reality. "More often is not designing aircraft, but in writing reports, making various demonstrations, and obtaining solutions through calculation and analysis. It is like Building an airplane on paper. "Zhang Chi said that the authenticity of the plan also had a question." In the future, it is not only to be seen clearly, but also to create it. "

▲ Zhang Chi's dream is to be China's own aircraft (Photo Supply/Zhang Chi)

"Since the real aircraft cannot be designed for the time being, can we reduce our concept of argumentation according to the proportion of the aircraft, and then use drone technology to test flight to explore its manipulation and stability?" Thinking about it, Zhang Chi, Zhang Chi, I posted a "hero post" on the inner network: "Are you a ashes -level aviation enthusiast? Do you want to build your own plane? If you have such an idea, join us!"

This post was quickly responded to youth of various departments. After screening, seven core members were finally left to set up a "Dream Studio" together, with the goal of using "small aircraft" to verify the cutting -edge aviation technology of "large aircraft". They named the team's self -developed shrinkage verification machine "Lingque", hoping that it could be agile and elegant, and "the sparrows are small and the internal organs are all available."

However, the start of the "Spirit" project is not smooth. Because they are involved in my spare time, in principle, they cannot occupy working hours. Therefore, Zhang Chi must use the rest time to invest in the "Spirit" project without delaying the progress of the job. Moreover, the initial funding of the project is very small, only less than 300,000 yuan. "But we are full of motivation. I firmly believe that the future is created by hard work." Zhang Ji said.

After 11 months and more than 4,500 working hours, on November 18, 2013, the "Lingque A" verification machine successfully flew for the first time. Zhang Chi recalled: "In fact, the‘ Lingqu A ’is very small, with a diameter of only 2.4 meters, but it has opened a new world."

Innovation should not be afraid of failure

In 2015, in the Inner Mongolia test site, a verification machine that had been developed by the Fantasy Studio team had taken two years of hard work and crashed after the defeat was lost. Essence They never thought about giving up, and insisted on where they fell. Two years later, the plane was made again and successfully achieved the first flight.

▲ Zhang Chi (second from the left in the front row) and Fantasy Studio member and "Lingque B" verification machine (Photo Supply/Zhang Chi)

It is "Spirit B", mainly verifying pneumatic control technology. There are many new technologies that the team wants to verify, such as unmanned driving, 3D printing, etc. The original intention of the "Lingque C" verification machine is to reduce the risk of test pilots, focus on exploring drone driving technology, and adopt conventional configuration small long sailing drones to undertake airborne system flight verification tasks.

When developing the "Lingque D" verification machine, the team used 3D printing technology. "In order to successfully print the verification machine, we overthrew the design plan 4 times." Zhang Chi said that the first difficulty faced was that there was no matching aircraft size. 3D printer, for this reason, the team has spent a lot of thoughts in the design of the model to reasonably "separate" the aircraft, and then print it. At the same time, it is repeatedly tested by repeated strength testing and continuously improving the aircraft structure.

On July 8, 2018, the first all -3D printed hybrid wing fusion (HWB) verification machine "Lingque D Verification Machine -Bellyman" successfully flew for the first time.

Subsequently, the team turned to the hydrogen fuel cell. On January 7, 2019, the "Lingque H" new energy verification aircraft successfully took the first flight at Zhengzhou Shangjie Airport, marking the new stage of the research and exploration of the Chinese Commercial Flying New Energy Aircraft Technology Research and Exploration. From "Lingque A" to "Lingqu H", behind the success of each "Lingque" model, the team has experienced countless failures. "In the process of research and development, we fell a lot of verification machines." But Zhang Chi never discouraged. In his opinion, the mission of the verification machine is to find the boundary of verification flight. "Since it is exploring the boundaries, even if the test machine is destroyed, it will leave precious experimental data. We can carefully analyze the data and try and error again. "

Zhang Chi believes that innovation is a process of trial and error. If you know that you can succeed before doing one thing, it is not an innovation. Therefore, he is very fortunate that the team has never given up. Even if he has been "criticized", he is considered a group of "playing models", and even "advised" by the old experts: "The guy should not go astray", but fortunately they insist on it. It's right. Because the "Lingque H" model has a broad research prospect for the exploration of hydrogen fuel cells, Zhang Chi is transferred to the pre -research chief of the Beijing Research Center's new energy aircraft project. The development direction of future commercial aircraft technology such as types, new energy, supersonic and intelligent, etc., and conducts the most cutting -edge exploration for China's next -generation commercial aircraft.

Airlines should be grabbed from the doll

Perhaps because he liked airlines since he was a child, Zhang Chi believed that "aviation must start from the doll." In order to inspire more children's dreams, he often participates in aviation science popularization activities, and "guest" aviation professional consultant and off -campus instructor.

In the "2050" event held in 2018 (referring to the non -profit activity of "young people reunited because of technology", it was sponsored by the Hangzhou Yunqi Technology Innovation Foundation and volunteers). The children of the Affiliated Model Agency produced a huge "paper airplane" after flying 3 laps at the venue, which attracted the amazing of the audience. Zhang Chi is the aviation professional consultant and off -campus instructor of this young team.

Zhang Chi recalled that at first the organizer was worried about safety and did not allow flight display. After multi -party communication, the organizer made a step, saying that "as long as there is no problem with the test flight of 30 times in a row, the display is allowed." So the children took the 2.4 -meter -long aircraft model aircraft to adjust the center of gravity and internal strength of the aircraft a little bit, and the turns encountered during the test of the aircraft. Only finally passed the assessment and was able to show a flight. Later, three students in the team learned aviation -related majors.

▲ Zhang Chi served as the torch of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics (Photo Supply/Zhang Chi)

"As long as you dare to think, I will find a way to create a chance to realize your dreams for you." This is Zhang Chi's promise, and he also has a small "dream". He hoped that the person who came to China to be hired in China one day could tell him: "I listened to your aviation class, and then I was interested in this direction." In 2019, his goal was achieved -he received one The resume of young people, during the interview, the young man named it to join the Dream Studio. It turned out that he took a lesson of Zhang Chi in his junior year.

In Zhang Chi's life "route", dreams occupy a major position. To build a "X aircraft" for Chinese commercial aircraft, try to fly in the future aviation operation system. This is the current research direction of Zhang Chi, and it is also a track full of unknown and difficulty, but he firmly believes that as long as he is heartbroken, as long as he feels about heart Dreams will never go forward.

Produced: Popular Science Central Kitchen