Liang Shoupan’s profile

Dare to challenge authority - the story of weapons expert Liang Shoupan

In the early 1960s, in order to assess the quality of the shooting range equipment and conduct practical training, superiors decided to use the imported P-2 missiles for Target test.

Fuel is like the explosive in a bomb, it is the food of the missile. Without qualified fuel, even if the missile is built, it will only be an empty shell. China built a chemical plant based on the drawings provided by the Soviet Union and transported a load of produced fuel to the launch base in advance. However, experts from the former Soviet Union said that China's fuel should be sent to the former Soviet Union for testing. The test results were far beyond the expectations of Chinese experts such as Liang Shoupan. Experts from the former Soviet Union said that China's fuel contains too many flammable substances, and if the rocket is launched using Chinese propellant, there is a risk of explosion. To launch a rocket, propellant from the former Soviet Union must be purchased.

It is obvious that if China does not master rocket propellant production technology, once the former Soviet experts leave, China's missile development plan will be stranded. Therefore, Chinese experts very much hope to try the fuel produced by China in this launch test. Our country negotiated with experts from the former Soviet Union through base commander Sun Jixian and suggested using Chinese propellant. If the launch fails, China will bear the responsibility. But the answer was still an arrogant shake of the head - because the missile was made by the former Soviet Union, it seemed that this was not selfless assistance. Without its own propellant, there is no way to develop China's own rocket industry. Liang Shoupan burst into action: "Our product has been tested and fully meets the standards stipulated in the data. Why can't it be used?" His words were by no means an exaggeration. He had indeed conducted strict laboratory analysis of domestic propellants. The Chinese and foreign experts present knew that this man with a Socratic forehead never spoke empty words.

These few words are no small matter. They are like a bomb, breaking the tranquility under high pressure that seems to have formed. "You should respect the opinions of experts, otherwise it will be difficult to explain if something goes wrong." A well-meaning person advised him. "The information introduced is also the opinion of experts, and it is the crystallization of more expert opinions. According to theoretical analysis, there is no problem with our fuel. If it is wrong, I am willing to accept punishment!" Liang Shoupan's sonorous answer shocked the people present. Stayed. However, experts from the former Soviet Union remained silent. But the intelligence and talent contained within that broad brow did unsettle them.

It was a sunny night after the rain. On a desolate cement road in the suburbs of Beijing, patches of stagnant water shimmered under the stars, and dewdrops dripped from the fluffy weeds on the roadside in the breeze. In the darkness, a figure was wandering.

"No!" He shook his head. "Every step of my calculations has been rigorously considered...but why?" he thought hard.

A week later, the crux of the problem was finally found. It turned out that when calculating, foreign experts mistakenly used the gaseous volume of a certain substance in the analysis data as the liquid volume. As a result, the percentage of this impurity in the liquid fuel was 1,000 times higher than the actual value. The propellant calculated in this way cannot of course be used. What is incomprehensible is that such a mistake should be made by foreign experts. I really don’t know how to explain it. Ran Shoupan was prepared to face a bigger controversy.

However, none of this is necessary. In August 1960, the foreign expert team withdrew; after repeated delays, the promised propellant was refused due to a testing accident at the propellant factory.

In the face of difficulties, Liang Shoupan was not discouraged. "I guarantee that our propellant is 100% qualified." Liang Shoupan said to Marshal Nie Rongzhen.

On September 10, 1960, the twentieth day after the withdrawal of foreign experts, our country successfully launched the P-2 ballistic missile on its own soil for the first time using domestically produced fuel. The first page in the history of my country's missile development. But this is just the beginning. Liang Shoupan knew in his heart that if we want to develop our country's rocket industry, we cannot always crawl behind others. Before the Soviet experts withdrew, Liang Shoupan and his colleagues proposed a plan to use a new type of high-energy propellant, but they were rejected by foreign experts. "This kind of thing cannot be used. We have tried it a long time ago. Although its performance is good, But it is highly toxic and accumulative.” Now, the experts have withdrawn, giving Liang Shoupan and his colleagues freedom. They decided to explore it experimentally.

"Whether this propellant can work should be determined by its toxicity and the availability of symptomatic antidote drugs. We should pay attention to the opinions of foreign experts, but we cannot always let other people's opinions tie our hands and feet like a rope. Action and No, we should make our own decision after in-depth analysis and testing.”

To this end, Liang Shoufan and experts from the Academy of Military Medical Sciences have invested in testing the toxicity mechanism of the new fuel. After more than a year of hard work, the contradiction between high performance and high toxicity has finally been resolved. The new propellant is a liquid propellant that is storable and has high thrust. It was successfully developed and laid the foundation for the practical use of missiles and the development of long-range launch vehicles. Soon, my country's first self-developed ballistic missile equipped with a new propellant took off into the sky and accurately hit its target. After watching the launch test, Marshal Nie Rongzhen excitedly said to the experts present: "Very good! Thank you for winning glory for the motherland." Thanks to overcoming high-energy propellants and a series of technical difficulties, our country has accelerated its own development of large-scale medium-sized missiles. , the process of long-range launch vehicle. But in front of the newly growing Chinese rocket experts, a new topic that has never been encountered before appears - diameter. How large is the diameter of the rocket? Don't underestimate this issue. Its size determines the internal layout of the entire launch vehicle. Liang Shoupan, who was the director of the rocket group at the time, and Sun Jiadong, director of the general office, concluded through discussion and demonstration that the diameter of the rocket would be between 2.2 and 2.40 meters.

Someone raised objections: "When we were studying abroad, the professors said that the maximum diameter of the bullet can only be 1.8 meters. If the diameter is 2.4 meters higher, even if it is fired, it will be an international joke." "If If we fail, of course people will laugh at us; but if we succeed, how can we become a joke?" Liang Shoupan retorted. "Our career cannot be based on 'what if'." Soon, Liang Shoupan was transferred from the Rockets headquarters. Of course, the debate came to an end.

That winter, the Fifth Institute held a model plan review meeting. Although the project with a diameter of 1.8 meters was a done deal, and even though he was in an absolute minority at that time, Liang Shoufan stood up without hesitation and stated his point of view again: "A projectile with a diameter of 1.8 meters will not work. It is too thin, too long, and too long. If it is soft, the parameters of the pilot will be messed up and the missile will be out of control. "The 2.4-meter missile is still suitable." In March 1962, the "Dongfeng-2" missile with a diameter of 1.8 meters failed to launch. The reasons were: first, the engine burned through; second, the low-frequency vibration of the projectile resonated with the pilot. Under the advice of experts such as Liang Shoupan, the second must-test bomb of "Dongfeng-2" was fully tested on the ground, and effective measures were taken to reduce resonance. After more than two years of hard work, at 7:00 on June 29, 1964, "Dongfeng 2" finally took off into the sky wearing a huge slogan of "Independence, Self-reliance" and flew accurately to its intended target.

Truth is proven in scientific experiments. In view of the lessons learned from "Dongfeng-1", the diameter of "Dongfeng-2" was changed to 2.4 meters, and became the final size of my country's medium- and long-range missiles.

Science is endless. Liang Shoupan's pursuit of career is also endless. In order to improve the range and speed of rockets under the current situation in our country, this first-generation rocket engine expert in China began to explore new areas.

"The centrifugal pumps of the two engines cannot be connected in parallel, otherwise they may be damaged due to mutual interference." This is what foreign experts said, and it seems to have become a generally accepted conclusion by some people. Experience should be respected, but it should be conditional. The development of science often means breakthroughs in established conclusions.

Can a new method be found so that parallel centrifugal pumps do not interfere with each other? Through in-depth analysis of existing centrifugal pump performance curves, this method was finally found by Liang Shoupan. One afternoon, according to his idea, he organized relevant personnel to connect two centrifugal pumps in parallel on the test bench. In order to explain the problem more effectively, he deliberately caused an imbalance in the flow and pressure of the two pumps before the test. The test began, and various instruments and pointers swung. People were surprised to find that as the rotation speed of the centrifugal pumps accelerated, the initial equilibrium states of the two centrifugal pumps not only did not expand, but instead decreased, and soon reached equilibrium automatically. At this time, the two centrifugal pumps have completely become a harmonious whole. This is a major breakthrough in rocket engine technology.

Anyone who knows how to add and subtract can understand that connecting two engines in parallel is equivalent to doubling the thrust, which is naturally four times that of one engine. After crossing the threshold of engine parallel connection, Liang Shoupan began to advance towards the improvement of the engine itself. He began the development of a new engine with high specific impulse, light weight and simple structure. This is a more difficult subject, so the opposition will naturally be higher. It is too far-fetched, unrealistic, China does not have the conditions, etc. The new engine is like a baby that should not have been born. It was only because of the strong-willed expert Liang Shoupan that it was saved from death. At that time, Liang Shoupan, who was the vice president of the branch, always personally organized the development of new engines and the implementation of test plans. He often stayed up all night analyzing test data and dealing with various key technical issues. Today, this kind of engine has long been born in our country, and has formed several practical models. Now, the development of this type of engine has become a hot topic in some advanced countries, and the Chinese are at the forefront of the world in research in this field.