Chapter 148: The Great British Air Crash!
"Xu Cang, how do you know this?" Chen Jinwu was stunned for a long time. It has been a long time since Tianjin City wanted to take over Airbus' final assembly business. Even the location of the factory has been planned, which is a location on Xijiu Road in the Comprehensive Bonded Zone of Tianjin Free Trade Pilot Zone.
Since the country started late, if it wants to learn advanced technology, many of them have to go the route of OEM first, then master the low-end technology themselves, accumulate funds, and then move on to high-end research and development.
This is true in the mobile phone industry and the aircraft industry as well.
The reason why we chose Tianjin is that it is one of the main channels for domestic aircraft to enter the country. Basically, all aircraft purchased by domestic airlines must enter the country through Tianjin. Therefore, driven by this convenience, it is naturally the most convenient place for foreign parts to be transported into the country by air to Tianjin.
It is of great significance for Tianjin to undertake the final assembly services of Airbus. It can not only accumulate relevant technical experience and talents for itself, but also solve a large number of employment problems, which is killing two birds with one stone.
This matter has been planned since Airbus entered the domestic market five years ago. It is not news in the slightly higher-level circles, but this matter has nothing to do with the circle of pilots. How did Xu Cang know about it?
Xu Cang certainly knew that the Airbus assembly plant in Tianjin would not be established until six years later, and it was estimated that it was still at the stage of being in the early stages. Chen Jinwu was a key member of AVIC, so he was naturally well-informed. Xu Cang had to confirm it, and he was not asking casually. Xu Cang never did anything without a purpose.
Xu Cang did not answer this question, but changed it to another question: "Mr. Chen, the business of the Tianjin Assembly Plant is led by AVIC, and the Civil Aviation Administration is responsible for coordinating it, right?"
"Xu Cang, can you tell me why you suddenly mentioned this?" Chen Jinwu couldn't understand why Xu Cang, a pilot, would care about the Airbus assembly plant in Tianjin. After all, this matter was not a simple civil aviation issue, but something related to governance. At least the leaders of Tianjin City took it very seriously. If there was no need, Chen Jinwu didn't want Xu Cang to get involved.
Perhaps because he didn't want Xu Cang to feel pressured, Chen Jinwu added: "You are a good kid. I don't doubt your intentions. It's just that we are all technical people, and that matter has gone beyond technical issues."
Xu Cang knew that Chen Jinwu was worried about him, but he was not doing anything reckless this time. He was planning to fleece Airbus. Last time, because of the Boeing 777 verification flight, Xu Cang almost made Boeing bald. How could he let Airbus off this time with the 9451 incident?
However, the 9451 incident is not as serious as the Boeing 777 incident. The Boeing 777 is a blockbuster product launched by Boeing to compete with the Airbus 330, and is the successor of the Boeing 767 and Boeing 787. If there is a problem with this model, Boeing will lose all its market share in the wide-body aircraft field except for the Boeing 747.
The Boeing 747 is too large, with a maximum passenger capacity of 500. The 737 has a maximum passenger capacity of less than 200. The span from 200 to 500 is too large, which is why Boeing launched the 767 with a passenger capacity of less than 300. The load capacity of the Airbus 330 is very similar to that of the 767, forming the most direct confrontation.
The 500-passenger capacity of the Boeing 747 is really too high for the masses, so the flight routes are relatively high, otherwise it will be difficult to make a profit. However, this aircraft is very useful for transporting cargo, after all, the underlying design of the 747 is actually modified from a military transport aircraft.
Therefore, except for ultra-long-distance routes between continents, aircraft with a load capacity of about 300 people are actually easier to control costs, and the market demand in this range is quite broad.
As a result, the Boeing 767 broke into pieces at the slightest touch. Without the Boeing 777 to take over, the long-distance route market between regional and intercontinental routes was really left to Airbus to roam. This was something Boeing absolutely did not want to see.
Therefore, in order to ensure that the Boeing 777 successfully passes the verification flight, Boeing has invested a huge amount of money and can exchange it for the drawings of the 737NG.
However, based on Xu Cang's understanding of this group of foreign capitalists, the fact that they could use the drawings of the 737NG as bargaining chips shows that a new generation of 737 is already in the planning, and they are confident that the 737NG will become an obsolete product in the foreseeable future.
Of course, this is just what they think. Who knows whether they think the future will be hopeful or despairing?
The 9451 incident will indeed cause Airbus considerable trouble, but after all, it is only a flight accident, not a plane crash, so the impact is smaller. Moreover, people can still accept occasional problems with an airplane, unless the same model has consecutive accidents in a short period of time.
Therefore, even if there are problems with the Airbus aircraft itself, as long as Airbus handles it well, the losses can be reduced to a tolerable level. It is for this reason that Li Rongxian tried every means to shut Xu Cang up to prevent public opinion from fermenting.
From a rational point of view, even if Xu Cang's words carry more weight as an eyewitness, after all, his influence is not influential, and the possibility of causing a huge stir is actually not great.
However, public opinion is somewhat uncontrollable. If it spreads, it will be an unbearable burden for Airbus. Based on the principle of caution, it is very safe for Airbus Li Rongxian to pay close attention to Xu Cang's attitude.
Of course, even if the matter gets out of hand, it will not shake Airbus's foundation, but will only make it very uncomfortable. Therefore, it is necessary to grasp the degree of fleecing Airbus this time, and not to fleece too much. If you fleece too much and scare people away, it will not be beautiful.
"Mr. Chen, I have some ideas that may help advance the completion of this project, so please help me find out about the current progress of the project so that I can make plans."
In fact, it is also possible to let my master Chen Xiangdong inquire about this matter. Although the Tianjin Airbus Assembly Plant project is led by AVIC, it involves civil aviation affairs after all, and the bureau must be involved. And given the importance of this project, just participating in it is definitely a major event for the bureau.
In addition, if Xu Cang remembered correctly, this kind of affairs should be the responsibility of the Development Planning Department of the General Administration. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The director of the Development Planning Department does not like that kind of low-level taste, copper smell money, so Xu Cang will give him a great gift that benefits the country and the people, and see if he is willing to accept it!
"You can push the project to completion? How is that possible!" Chen Jinwu thought of many possibilities, but he never thought that Xu Cang would say this. He said excitedly: "Xu Cang, this matter has been planned for more than four years, and there has been no progress at all. According to the information I have learned, this matter is expected to be delayed for another five or six years. Xu Cang, you don't even have to push the project to completion. As long as it is approved one day earlier, it is also a contribution."
"Five or six years?" Xu Cang calculated in his mind. That matched the time when the Tianjin Airbus Assembly Plant would be completed six years later in his memory. It seemed that Chen Jinwu's information was indeed reliable.
Xu Cang smiled and said, "Mr. Chen, I only have a rough outline for this matter, and I can't say it will definitely work. Please help me understand it, and I will do my best."
"It's okay for me to help you find out the progress of the project." Chen Jinwu said seriously: "But if this thing succeeds, Xu Cang, what reward do you want?"
"Mr. Chen, we haven't even started yet, how come we're talking about rewards?"
Chen Jinwu's tone became more serious: "Xu Cang, you are a good boy, but you also need to understand that if this project is completed, we can accumulate so much technical experience, train so many technical talents, solve so many jobs, and bring so much tax revenue. Even one day in advance is not to be underestimated. We should take what we deserve. Why should we not take a penny for the sake of the country and the people? If we do this, who will be willing to do good things for the country and the people in the future?"
The truth that Chen Jinwu said was actually discussed in the story of Zigong refusing gold in ancient times. Legend has it that there was a law in the State of Lu that if you encountered a Lu person who was enslaved in a foreign country, you could receive a reward from the state if you rescued him. However, Zigong did not refuse the reward after rescuing a Lu slave.
When Confucius learned about this, he did not praise Zigong for refusing the monetary reward. Instead, he criticized the rules, saying that the reward was wrong... Now there are few rich people but many poor people in Lu. If I take the gold, it will not harm my behavior. If I don't take the gold, I can't redeem people.
Confucius understood that a system that unilaterally emphasized personal morality was just a piece of official document. After all, people with noble moral character who did not seek rewards were a minority. Only by implementing a long-term reward mechanism could more people be encouraged to participate.
If Xu Cang does not accept the reward, later generations will feel embarrassed to accept the reward when they see that Xu Cang has refused it, which will undoubtedly dampen the enthusiasm of later generations.
In the past, Xu Cang might have wanted nothing. In any case, Xu Cang was only one step away from leaving behind relics after cremation. But some recent events made Xu Cang deeply understand the truth that good people are often bullied, and he must first arm himself to a sufficient level before he can realize his ideals.
However, even if Xu Cang had some ideas in his mind, he certainly couldn't say them out loud, otherwise it would seem too explicit.
"Mr. Chen, they say that no one should be rewarded without merit. I haven't done anything, so how can I accept an award? Wait until I get things done, and then I can slowly consider other things."
"Is that so? That's right, that's right." Chen Jinwu was very pleased when he heard Xu Cang agreed with him: "Okay, I'll ask you about the news of the Tianjin Assembly Plant later."
After finishing talking about this matter, Xu Cang wanted to hang up, but then he remembered something: "Mr. Chen, what about the funding for the new plane?"
When talking about this, Chen Jinwu was extremely worried. As soon as China announced that it would develop large aircraft, Boeing and Airbus agreed to lower their prices. At this time, the idea that it is better to buy than to make was popular in society. People were not interested in developing their own aircraft, so there was no reason to invest again.
In addition to the funds allocated by individual units and the state, a lot of capital either withdrew or reduced investment, and the domestic large aircraft industry suffered a heavy blow just after its inception.
Anyone who has participated in the research of new technologies knows that many things are born out of money. Without money, it is really difficult to move forward. Not to mention that China's foundation in the development of large civil aviation aircraft is weak, and there are too many areas to overcome. This low starting point and insufficient funds are undoubtedly worse.
Chen Jinwu didn't say much, perhaps because he didn't want to pass on this negative energy to Xu Cang. However, Xu Cang could already feel Chen Jinwu's depressed mood from just those few words.
"Mr. Chen, would it be helpful if you had a complete set of drawings of the 737NG?" Xu Cang suddenly said.
Chen Jinwu was silent for more than ten seconds, and finally asked tremblingly: "Xu Cang, what do you mean?"
Chen Jinwu obviously reacted more strongly to this than to the Airbus main assembly plant.
Xu Cang did not hide anything and told me everything: "Soon, I will participate in the extreme test of the 777. If nothing unexpected happens, after the test flight, Boeing will give me the drawings of the 737NG as a reward."
"This..." Chen Jinwu could hardly believe his ears: "Xu Cang, are you talking about the complete set of drawings, including all the details?"
Some drawings may seem quite detailed, but in fact they will contain some reservations on key parts. For example, when submitting an application for a type certificate to the local civil aviation authority, it is necessary to attach data and drawings of the relevant aircraft models.
Just for the sake of protecting business secrets, the key parts and core data of the drawings will be hidden, thus greatly reducing their value.
"Don't worry, there will be a complete set of drawings." Regarding this point, Xu Cang still has some confidence in Boeing. After all, it has some history, and they can't do something shameless.
Chen Jinwu was silent again, seemingly digesting this shocking news. After a long while, Chen Jinwu asked worriedly, "I heard that there was a problem with the 777's verification flight. I wonder if there are any defects in the aircraft itself. Will it be dangerous for you to participate in the extreme test?"
Speaking of this, Xu Cang almost laughed out loud, so he simply explained it to Chen Jinwu to prevent him from having wild thoughts: "Mr. Chen, don't worry. The previous 777 verification flight failure was caused by low-temperature fuel and crew misjudgment. The 777 is a good aircraft, I am still confident in this. Therefore, I can probably get a copy of the 737NG blueprint for free."
The Boeing 777 has been tested by the world. Apart from being expensive, it has no disadvantages. Of course, expensiveness is also its biggest disadvantage. A 777 costs nearly 1 billion yuan, which is equivalent to three or four 737s. It is really unbearable.
Because of this, if such a high-end model fails, Boeing will probably vomit three liters of blood. In fact, Boeing probably knows that there is no big problem with its 777, and it is very likely that hiring Xu Cang at a high price is just a free ride for Xu Cang, but things are unpredictable, and Boeing can't afford the risk.
"Ah, there is such a saying?" Although Chen Jinwu didn't know why Xu Cang could swear that there was no problem with the Boeing 777 itself, he still believed Xu Cang's statement out of instinct. After all, too many miracles happened to Xu Cang, so even if he was a prophet, Chen Jinwu could probably accept it.
Xu Cang smiled and said, "When I get the blueprints, I will send them to you. This will be my contribution to the development of domestically produced large aircraft."
"My friend, you have given us such a generous gift, but we have nothing to return it with." Chen Jinwu's voice was trembling.
That is a complete set of drawings of the Boeing 737NG. If Boeing had not asked Xu Cang for help, it might not have been able to get it even if they spent money. It truly embodies the essence of the top-level foreign civil airliners and can help domestic researchers avoid many detours.
"Mr. Chen, if you want to return the favor..." Xu Cang's voice was filled with longing for the future: "Then return a bright future for domestic civil aviation!"
…
Office of the Director of the Aviation Safety Department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, Hanjing.
For the matter of 9451, Li Lin, director of the Aviation Safety Department, had not closed his eyes all night. However, after working for a long time, when he was about to lean back in his chair and take a nap, he found a pair of eyes staring at him.
Chen Xiangdong, who had just returned to Hanjing from Qizhou, was seen lying at the door, staring at Li Lin with shining eyes, making Li Lin get goose bumps all over his body.
The key point is that Chen Xiangdong didn't say anything, which made Li Lin feel scared.
Finally, Li Lin couldn't stand it anymore and shouted, "I'm not a grown-up girl, why are you staring at me?"
Chen Xiangdong showed half of his head, with a confused look on his face. He originally planned to come over and tell Li Lin about the recommendation of the ICAO Commissioner, but in the end he couldn't say it.
He has been upright all his life. Although Xu Cang is his apprentice, Chen Xiangdong still feels uncomfortable with him forming gangs in private.
"Old Chen, can you stop being so shy? This is not like you." Li Lin understood Chen Xiangdong: "If you have anything to say, please say it quickly. I need to close my eyes after you finish speaking."
Chen Xiangdong hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to make an exception for his apprentice. Just as he was about to open his mouth, a man jumped in from the door. It turned out to be Sheng Gaoliang, the director of the Aircraft Airworthiness Certification Department.
As soon as Sheng Gaoliang came in, he yelled at Li Lin: "Old Li, I'm going to officially stop flying the Airbus 320! Old Wu, I need your signatures."
The old Wu that Sheng Gaoliang mentioned was Wu Yue, the director of the Flight Standards Department. If a certain aircraft model is to be grounded, the directors of the Aircraft Airworthiness Certification Department, the Flight Standards Department, and the Aviation Safety Department must sign together.
"Old Wu has gone out to do some work and will be back in half an hour." Li Lin was not surprised at the grounding of the Airbus 320. There had been a trend before, but it was only now being formalized.
"Oh, I'll wait here for a while." Director Feibiao's office was next door, and Sheng Gaoliang planned to spend some time here. But just as he stopped talking, he turned around and found Chen Xiangdong still at the door. He was startled and said speechlessly: "Old Chen, you are here and you don't say anything, are you playing tricks?"
Chen Xiangdong glared at Sheng Gaoliang: "I have been standing here the whole time, and you are blind and can't see me, and you still accuse me of playing tricks?"
"By the way, Lao Chen! Who exactly are you?" Li Lin asked.
Chen Xiangdong glanced at Sheng Gaoliang and thought it would be more convenient to discuss things alone, so he waved his hand and said, "I'll talk to you later."
"What?" Li Lin was confused by Chen Xiangdong, but he didn't care. Instead, he looked at Sheng Gaoliang who was sitting down loudly: "Old Sheng, I heard that the Airbus representative is here. You are going to announce the suspension of Airbus 320. Have you talked to the Airbus representative?"
Sheng Gaoliang snorted, looking very unhappy: "He is a thorough businessman who only wants to make a big deal out of a small matter. What can we achieve by talking to such a person? I will stop the 320 first. There will be plenty of time to talk later."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiangdong, who was still arguing with Sheng Gaoliang the last second, gave a thumbs up: "Director Sheng, tall and hard!"
Sheng Gaoliang was quite pleased with the flattery from an honest man like Chen Xiangdong: "They are doing business here, but their noses are still looking up to the sky. How can we still indulge them?"
“However, there are many domestic airlines that have Airbus fleets. If they are stopped all of a sudden, the losses will be quite large,” Li Lin said with some concern.
After all, those airlines that lost money were from his own country, and he still felt uncomfortable.
Sheng Gaoliang glared and said, "This incident was originally caused by Airbus itself. Naturally, they should bear the losses incurred by our airline."
As soon as these words came out, a voice with a slight accent came in from the door: "Director Sheng, isn't the most direct way to shorten the grounding period of the Airbus 320 as much as possible?"
Following the sound of footsteps, a tall, muscular white man walked in. This man was Leo, the full-power representative of Airbus.
Although he is white, Leo's Chinese pronunciation is OK, at least everyone in the field can hear clearly: "Director Sheng, there is definitely no problem with our Airbus aircraft. Your forced grounding of 320 is in itself a detrimental act that does not benefit others or yourself."
As he spoke, Leo looked at Li Lin and said, "Director Li, I wonder how long it will take to reach a preliminary conclusion on the 9451 incident?"
Li Lin spread his hands and said, "The plane hasn't been salvaged yet, so I can't draw any conclusions. Besides, I see that you are not concerned about the progress of the investigation, but the airworthiness certificate of the Airbus 320. This matter has little to do with our Aviation Safety Department. You have to find the Aircraft Airworthiness Certification Department, that is, Director Sheng who is sitting next to you."
As soon as Li Lin finished speaking, Sheng Gaoliang sneered and said, "Instead of making some unrealistic requests here, you should wait until the plane is salvaged and help us find out the cause of the incident as soon as possible. As long as we are sure that there is no problem with the plane, we will definitely restore the airworthiness of the Airbus 320 as soon as possible."
Leo said anxiously: "Director Sheng, I can understand that you want to stop flying the 320. But why do you also want to revoke the type approval certificate of the 320? This way, our subsequent Airbus aircraft will not be able to enter!"
Anyone who wants to export aircraft to any country must hold the local type certification for the relevant model, otherwise the new aircraft will not be able to pass customs.
This time, the Aircraft Airworthiness Certification Department will not only suspend the Airbus 320's airworthiness certificate, but also the type approval certificate. This means that the Airbus 320 ordered by domestic airlines will not be able to pass customs. If the delivery is delayed, the responsibility will be on Airbus' side.
Sheng Gaoliang rolled his eyes. "How can an aircraft with unknown hidden dangers enter our country? I still say that the premise for everything to be restored is that the Airbus 320 is confirmed to be fine. Other channels are out of the question!"
Leo's lips moved, and the word starting with F was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back. He glanced at Li Lin, then at Sheng Gaoliang, and finally left in anger.
…
At Xu Cang's house, after finishing the call with Mr. Chen, Shi Qi and his daughter did not stay for too long and left soon. Qin Xin originally wanted to leave, but thinking that Xu Cang had just been discharged from the hospital and she didn't know how to cook, she simply stayed and planned to make lunch for Xu Cang before leaving.
This warm atmosphere made Xu Cang recall the ordinary married life he had with Qin Xin in the future.
While Qin Xin was busy in the kitchen, Xu Cang was sitting on the sofa at home watching TV. Not long after he started watching, the phone rang again. Xu Cang grumbled and glanced at the caller ID. It turned out to be his master's number. He had no choice but to answer it.
So Xu Cang sat up with a somersault, picked up the phone on the coffee table and answered it: "Hello, Master, have you found out?"
"I've found out!" Chen Xiangdong said with a smile on his face on the other end of the phone. "Chengdu Airlines has a total of 37 aircraft, 28 of which are Airbus 320s, and the rest are Airbus 319s."
Xu Cang's eyes lit up: "It is true!"
Chen Xiangdong continued, "What does it mean that you are so interested in Rongcheng Airlines? Why do I always feel that you are up to something bad?"
"Master, what you said is true. I am so kind-hearted, how could I have any bad intentions?" Then Xu Cang asked, "Master, if an airline company that applied for the title of Meritorious Pilot asks the authority to revoke the title of the relevant personnel, will the authority generally approve it?"
Chen Xiangdong was a little suspicious, but he still explained: "A meritorious pilot must have an unblemished career to be awarded. If the airline finds evidence of major mistakes made by the relevant personnel, it can apply to revoke the title. No, what on earth are you thinking about?"
"Oh, I'm just asking casually." Xu Cang was still trying to fool people: "By the way, have you figured out the matter of the ICAO commissioner?"
"Well, I figured it out. Even if the authority can recommend you in the end, the last hurdle is for other regional civil aviation authorities to review you. This year, the representatives from EASA will review our CAAC. The people there are not easy to deal with, and their tempers are very strange. You have to be mentally prepared."
Just like the simulator inspection, if the inspector doesn't let you pass, there are thousands of ways to find fault with you, so if you want to ensure you pass, you need to make arrangements in advance.
But if I can’t even deal with CAAC, how can I deal with EASA?
In fact, British Airways and Air France have a lot of say in EASA. Air France can use its relationship with Airbus to smooth things over, but British Airways really has no way out.
However, when he thought of this, an . Calculating the time, the world-famous Great British Airways crash seemed to be coming. If he helped British Airways solve such a big problem, British Airways would have to do him a huge favor and let them take care of it with EASA. It seemed to be a natural thing, right?
