Chen Yijian, the chief designer behind China’s JH-7 fighter-bomber and a respected academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, passed away on Monday in Xi’an, Shaanxi province. He was 96 years old.
Born in June 1930 in Fuzhou, Fujian province, Chen's early life was shaped by the turbulence of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression from 1931 to 1945. During the war, he and his family relocated to Nanping county to escape Japanese bombing raids, often seeking refuge in the mountains due to the absence of air-raid shelters.
After completing high school in 1948, Chen pursued aeronautical engineering at Xiamen University, driven by a determination to contribute to China’s aviation capabilities. His studies were later transferred to Tsinghua University in Beijing as part of a nationwide reorganization of university programs. After graduating in 1952, Chen began his career at the State-run No 122 Factory in Harbin (now Harbin Aircraft Industry under the Aviation Industry Corp of China), where he gained practical experience repairing aircraft damaged during the Korean War.
In 1956, Chen joined China’s first aircraft design office, which later became the Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute in Liaoning province. He was involved in developing several early Chinese aircraft, including the JJ-1, the CJ-6 trainer, and the Q-5 attack aircraft. By 1961, Chen had been promoted to head of fuselage design at the institute.
Chen transferred to the Xi’an Aircraft Design and Research Institute in 1964, focusing on the Y-7 transport aircraft and modifications of bomber models. In the mid-1970s, he led efforts to develop a next-generation tactical bomber, resulting in the government-approved H-7 project in 1977. By 1982, Chen was appointed chief designer of the aircraft—later renamed the JH-7 “Flying Leopard” fighter-bomber.
Facing a lack of prototype references and operating under significant pressure, Chen chose to align the JH-7’s design with international standards, a significant departure from previous practices. Demonstrating adaptability, he taught himself to develop early aircraft design software, enabling the JH-7 to become one of China’s first planes to utilize computer-aided design.
The aircraft’s maiden flight occurred in December 1988, followed by an extensive flight-test phase spanning more than a decade and encompassing over 1,600 test flights. The JH-7 received official design certification in August 1998. One year later, it was awarded the top-grade prize in China’s national science and technology advancement awards, coinciding with Chen’s election as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
After retiring from direct design work, Chen continued contributing to the field of aeronautics as a professor and research advisor, participating in studies related to China’s efforts to develop large domestic aircraft. His career left a lasting impact on China’s military aviation development.