11 years ago today, the J-20 made its first successful flight! So this is what the first flight time means...

Inside Aviation Industry Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, there is a sculpture called "Soaring into the Sky", which is filled with eight "1" shapes like swords, knives, and axes.

This peculiarly shaped sculpture was built to commemorate the special moment at 1:11 p.m. on January 11, 2011, when my country's independently developed fifth-generation fighter jet, the J-20, made its successful maiden flight.

From then on, the battle between "Eight Master" and "Raptor" became a thing of the past, and the mighty dragon was born, the sky is high and the sea is vast.

The J-20 is a medium- and long-range, heavy-duty fifth-generation stealth fighter independently developed by the aviation industry. It has excellent medium- and long-range air combat capabilities and good ground and sea precision strike capabilities.

Eleven years ago today, at 12:30 noon, the test pilot took the release sheet from the maintenance staff and solemnly wrote the words "first flight" on the test flight subject.

After inspecting the plane, he boarded the plane with steady steps. At 12:48, with the first flight order issued by the project's chief administrative commander, the engine instantly emitted a huge roar. The plane dragged a long tail flame and whizzed past countless eyes at the scene. Accelerating, accelerating again, in the blink of an eye, it was like a flash of lightning, with a whistle, soaring into the sky. The originally quiet scene broke out into thunderous applause. Turn, low-altitude pass, turn again, low-altitude pass... As the flight progressed, everyone stood up, shouting and waving to the plane in the sky.

On this day, China's aviation industry ushered in a historic moment - China's first fourth-generation aircraft with independent intellectual property rights, the J-20, successfully completed its maiden flight!

Coincidentally, this maiden flight took place just a few hours after then-US Secretary of Defense Gates visited China. The successful maiden flight of the J-20 left a fresh impression on Gates, who later admitted that the United States had underestimated China's ability to develop a new generation of fighter jets.

Of course, after the first flight, there will be more complicated and arduous work waiting for aviation personnel and scientists to form combat effectiveness. As a major weapon of a great country, how to enhance combat effectiveness and create a first-generation famous aircraft has become the primary goal of aviation personnel to climb to the top.

Analyze and analyze again, innovate and innovate again, demonstrate and demonstrate again, and iterate and iterate again. From the indicator system, the number of embedded weapons, ergonomics, manufacturing and assembly, test flight, support mode and other aspects, aviation personnel finally came up with a scientific, systematic, and targeted scientific plan that meets the needs of modern combat. With the spirit of self-rebirth, they have completed the "system revolution", achieved the best ergonomics of the cockpit, and scientifically reduced the weight by 200 kilograms; by establishing a pure software verification environment, they completed the test workload that originally required three months in just ten days; they conquered the overall frame manufacturing known as the "leap frame", breaking the record of "Asia's first frame" again; according to the "performance requirements, development and research, evaluation and verification" cycle promotion idea, the test, test flight, and finalization work have achieved important results in a short period of time.

Time has given the answer. With the close coordination of hundreds of research and development units in and outside the electronics and weapons industries, and the joint efforts of the entire research and development line, the development of the J-20 has been rapidly promoted with everyone working together, and the performance of the aircraft has been continuously improved at each stage.

At 10:20 am on November 1, 2016, at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, two J-20 aircraft flew over Jinwan Airport in formation. Their one-minute appearance announced to the world the advent of a new era.

Since then, the J-20 has participated in the military parade celebrating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. On July 1, 2021, the largest formation of 15 aircraft appeared for the first time at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

Image provided by Aviation Industry Corporation of China

J-20 approaches the field | Photo provided by China Aviation Industry Corporation

Over the past 11 years, the J-20 has used its vigorous flying path to make the Chinese people more ambitious, more resolute, and more confident!

Today, we pay tribute to the countless people who have silently contributed behind the country’s heavy weapons!

Comprehensive sources: Xinhuanet, Science and Technology Daily, Global Times, China Aviation Industry Corporation Limited, etc.