It didn't take much time and effort for Ho to convince several airlines. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 info Compared to the new regional airliner that is uncertain in a few years, the MD-82 is a benefit close at hand.

Whether or not the promises that have been verbally acknowledged are carried out can be determined by the actual power contrast between Xifei and He Wenzhi five years later. For a large airline, of course, the aviation department needs to be careful, but not everything has to be taken seriously.

If the West Flight can really come up with a new 100-seat regional airliner after five years, the civil aviation part of the Ministry of Aviation Industry will definitely usher in a major reshuffle.

At that time, it is very doubtful whether He Wenzhi, who is now clearly opposed to Xifei, can still sit in the position of vice minister.

On the other hand, if Shangfei really competes to digest and absorb the technology of the MD-82, He Wenzhi and Shangfei will definitely soar into the sky in the aviation engineering department, and Xifei may not even be able to complete the new regional airliner plan, let alone ask airlines to procure.

When everything is still uncertain, it is naturally very refreshing for major airlines to write this kind of blank check.

This kind of powerless restraint is naturally a sight to be seen through by people who know the situation in China, but He Wenzhi's target was not originally these "insiders" who knew the situation.

Just after the airlines began to make it clear that they were not optimistic about the new regional airliner plan of Xifei and did not support it in principle, some public opinion in the industry also quickly began to ferment.

In the winter of the last year of the 80s, the two general managers of Grumman and MBB in Greater China, braved the biting cold wind and goose-feather snow in the north to ride in an old van determined to see the production workshop environment of Xifei with their own eyes.

The two of them could be regarded as a surprise attack this time, and only contacted Wu Daguan, the dean of the Aviation Development Research Institute of the New Academy of Sciences, at the last moment.

The three of them first flew to Xi'an by plane, and then stopped a van taxi soliciting customers on the side of the road, seemingly making up their minds to give Xifei a "surprise".

"It's ...... Old Wu, why are you here like this, say it in advance, we can also send a car to pick you up!"

Outside the gate of the Xifei factory, there was a communication room that notified the people inside to come out and confirm. At first, he was a little suspicious when he heard that it was Wu Daguan's name, but Russell determined the identity of the other party the moment he saw the figure from afar.

Russell just wanted to wave his hand, but he saw two obvious foreigners next to him coldly, and quickly stopped.

"Old Wu, who are these two?"

After all, Xifei is also shouldering the task of military aircraft production, and the awareness of safety and confidentiality is still very sufficient.

Russell, as the vice president in charge of external liaison in Xifei, must be even more careful in foreign affairs discipline.

"Let me introduce you. ”

Wu nodded his head, pointed to the person next to him and said, "This is the general manager of the Greater China region of Grumman and the general manager of the Chinese office of MBB in Germany. ”

Although both are white, they are also nominally general managers. But from the names and the expressions and temperaments of the two, you can easily distinguish their identities.

Grumman has a large number of businesses and interests in China in recent years, and has established a branch structure in Greater China early. As the general manager of the U.S. side based in China, Wall's position within Grumman is very close to a senior position.

MBB, on the other hand, only has a simple office in China, and there is not much important cooperation in business. Manstein has a German name, which puts him in a subconscious position as a weaker player in front of Wall.

This is not only the gap between the wealth class of the two, but also as a West German, it seems that he is naturally a head short of the people of his father's country.

Manstein stood behind Wall and finally shook hands with an enthusiastic Russell. The greeting was greeted in fluent English, which gave Manstein more confidence in the aircraft manufacturing companies in the Chinese mainland city.

"Mr. Wall, Mr. Manstein, I am sorry that I did not fulfill the friendship of the landlords. Russell walked out of the communication room, and immediately after making a phone call, he asked the doorman to open the door and welcome Wu Daguan and the three in.

"We have taken the liberty of coming here and causing you trouble. ”

Wall wore a black woolen trench coat, and his gestures exuded a confident demeanor: "I have always been in contact with Mr. Wu through the respected Mr. Wu before, and this time I came with Mr. Manstein, hoping to advance our cooperation to the next stage as soon as possible." Compared with the data and words on paper, we believe in our own eyes. ”

"Of course, our production workshop can be open to our partners at any time. ”

Russell nodded, not showing the slightest expression of displeasure at Wall's distrust. Dealing with the inspection of superiors is like drinking water and eating for Chinese companies.

"So can we go to your assembly workshop now?" Wall said straight to the point: "I have visited Xifei's production workshop, and Mr. Manstein and I have some information that we would like to verify with Xifei. ”

"That's right, in addition to the production of civil aircraft, we also have a considerable number of military production projects. Many of the production halls are not easily open to foreigners, and if Mr. Wall agrees, I can ask you to visit the workshop where Xifei cooperates with Airbus in the production of aerospace products. ”

"Oh, and Airbus has business with Xifei as well?" Wall looked very interested in this, and quickly asked.

Russell nodded and said with a smile: "We have been cooperating with Airbus for a long time, not only Airbus, but also Boeing, Alitalia and Air Canada in the United States are our partners. In fact, we have been undertaking international aviation product subcontracting for almost ten years. ”

"Oh, that's exciting news. Wall raised his eyebrows: "Although Grumman and Boeing can be said to be mortal enemies, we can't help but admit that this is a great business." ”

"And a company that can work with a great company must also be a great company. ”

"On behalf of all my colleagues at Xifei, I would like to thank Mr. Wall for his compliment. Russell smiled reservedly and nodded.

As he said, Xifei has actually completed the path to international development since the early eighties. As an OEM and supplier, its partners can be said to be all over the world. In the European aviation industry, especially with Airbus, the relationship is quite good.

The manufacturing of structural parts of many Airbus passenger aircraft is completed by Xifei. The past ten years of OEM experience have also made Xifei a rare enterprise with an international vision in China's aviation industry.

In the entire Chinese aviation manufacturing industry, only Xifei and Chengfei can achieve the strategic goal of going global.

Therefore, for Wall and Manstein, although Xifei attaches great importance to it, it will never reach the level of gaffe. In the words of a famous saying, that is, "I have seen a lot of international aviation manufacturing companies, the Boeing in the United States, and the Airbus in Europe, and I have a lot of fun talking and laughing with them!"

Russell usually dealt more with Europeans, but that didn't stop him from maintaining his poise in front of Wall.

The main production of the workshop for Airbus is the separator and rib of the aircraft, which can be said to be the top priority in the structural parts of the aircraft as the main source of the strength of the aircraft fuselage.

As soon as the connoisseur makes a move, he will know if there is one. Wall's appointment as Grumman's general manager in China is obviously not for nothing.

In the midst of Russell's introduction, he stood behind a worker who was operating a machine tool.

"This machine tool is now processing the rib stiffener in the middle of the wing of the A320, which is very difficult to process, and the metal removal rate has reached 84.4%, which has difficulties such as complex structural shape, many cavities, and thin wall thickness. After obtaining the information from Airbus, we proposed a new structural optimization scheme through finite element analysis and 3D CAD simulation. According to this plan, the cost of Airbus machining this part can be reduced by 45%, and the processing difficulty is reduced but the performance of the workpiece is increased, which has been well received by Airbus. ”

Before Russell's words fell, Wall nodded unconsciously. Compared with the stiffeners of his own aircraft, he has to admit that the product structure of Xifei is simpler and the processing process is easier. Although the two represent different application environments and technical directions, the fact that Xifei's products can be used by Airbus shows that it does have its own advantages in technology, rather than empty words.

Leaving the station, Wall looked elsewhere in the workshop. The management level of Xifei's workshop is also not weaker than its technical level, and the project management method is very advanced, and there is no problem of dirty, messy and poor problems that are common in Chinese enterprises at this time.

In the clean and tidy workshop, the workers are skillfully carrying out their work. The semi-finished products and materials are sorted and stacked in an orderly manner, and the management personnel personally participate in the front-line labor, and the workers have a very strong communication atmosphere.

This is a very good flexible manufacturing production line, each worker not only completes their own work, but also knows the role of their work in the whole production line. With the support of a high level of work motivation, everyone is quite concerned about the problems encountered in production.

The post-Fordist industrial aesthetic made Wall feel as if he was back in time at his New York production line at Grumman.

"I must admit that Xifei is an aircraft manufacturer with international standards. Coming out of the workshop, Wall exhaled a long breath and smiled heartily: "Although you still lack advanced production equipment, the design ability of aircraft and the production capacity of workers, CNC equipment and processing methods are lagging behind the international level. But these difficulties, while daunting, are by no means insurmountable. ”