The feasibility study of the Nantong Airport flight area reconstruction and expansion project was recently approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). It is reported that the project is designed to meet the needs of 4.5 million passengers, 75,000 tons of cargo and mail throughput, and 50,000 aircraft take-offs and landings by 2020. The total investment will be 5.73 billion yuan.
According to the introduction, the project will extend the runway by 1,000 meters and construct a new 1,911-meter taxiway. The existing runway and taxiway pavement will be overlaid with asphalt concrete. Corresponding renovations will also be made to auxiliary facilities such as navigational lighting, navigation systems, firefighting equipment, perimeter fencing, and patrol roads. Within the year, construction will begin on a 7,000 square meter international terminal building.
On the 3rd day, the first domestic single-engine general aviation aircraft seat and restraint system 26g dynamic load verification and spin flight test organized jointly by the First Aircraft Design Institute of AVIC, Shijiazhuang Aircraft Manufacturing Company, and AVIC Hangyu was carried out in Fan. After analysis by CAAC airworthiness certification personnel, all indicators met the relevant airworthiness requirements of the CAAC - the "first collision" of the single-engine general aviation aircraft seat and restraint system 26g dynamic load verification and spin flight test was successfully completed.
At 11:20 AM, upon the order of the commander, the model aircraft nose carrying the integral energy-absorbing seat, restraint device, and test dummy, along with the test sled, rushed out at a speed exceeding 12.8 meters/second, colliding violently with the deceleration box at the end of the track. The test dummy remained undamaged.
Shi Chang'an, Vice President of AVIC General Aircraft Corporation, who witnessed the "first collision" on-site, proudly said: "Sixty percent of fatalities among members of aircraft involved in ground impact accidents are due to the lack of safety in the seat system. The successful completion of this test is significant for the future development of general aviation aircraft in our country. It indicates that our country has reached world-advanced levels in terms of single-engine general aviation aircraft safety design, test verification, and airworthiness review capabilities. This shows that the seats developed by Hangyu Company fully meet the strict requirements for overall energy absorption during abnormal landings of aircraft. The design and validation methods of this category of products represent the current national level."
In our country, general aviation aircraft refer to small planes used for sightseeing, agricultural and forestry spraying, and flight performances. With the further opening up of domestic airspace, it is estimated that within the next 5 to 10 years, the demand for various types of general aviation aircraft in our country will be about 1,000 units. The application prospects for crash-resistant seats are very broad, and they will generate significant economic benefits.