Aerodynamics Expert Gu Songfen Dies at 96, Chief Designer of J-8 Fighter Jet
Quick Look
- Gu Songfen, chief designer of China's J-8 fighter jet family and an aerodynamics expert, has died at 96.
- He was a key figure in China's aviation development and received numerous prestigious awards for his contributions.
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Why It Matters
Gu Songfen was an aerodynamics expert and the chief designer of China's J-8 fighter jet family, the first home-grown supersonic fighter jet designed to counter US high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. He was an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
Aerodynamics expert Gu Songfen has died at 96. He was the chief designer of China’s J-8 fighter jet family – the first home-grown supersonic fighter jet to counter US high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.
Gu was an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering as well as a researcher at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). He died in Beijing on Sunday night, according to a statement from AVIC. A farewell ceremony is scheduled for Saturday in Beijing.
“He established China’s fighter development system and made monumental contributions to the generational upgrading of aviation weaponry.”
Gu won many awards, including the 2020 State Pre-eminent Science and Technology Award – China’s most prestigious science award with a cash prize comparable to the Nobel Prize. He was also named a National Outstanding Science and Technology Research Worker and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from AVIC, according to the statement.
