Picture of Gu Songfen Photo: Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China

Gu Songfen, a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC), an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), a renowned aircraft aerodynamicist in China, and a research fellow of the science and technology committee of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), passed away at 21:11 on May 31, 2026, in Beijing due to illness despite medical treatment at the age of 96, according to an obituary released on Monday by the Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute of the AVIC.

Gu was born in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, in February 1930. He joined the CPC in March 1981 and began his career in August 1951. He held key positions including director of the Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute, deputy director and senior advisor of the science and technology committee of AVIC, and vice president and honorary president of the Chinese Aeronautical Establishment. He was elected an academician of the CAS (then referred to as member of the division) in 1991 and an academician of the CAE in 1994.

Throughout his life, Gu remained deeply committed to advancing China's aviation science and technology.

Gu innovatively designed aerodynamic configurations for multiple aircraft types and established the aerodynamic design system for China's aircraft industry. Gu led the development of the J-8 and J-8II supersonic fighters, marking a milestone as China's first independently developed fighter jets. Gu also established China's fighter development system, making monumental contributions to the generational leap in aviation weapon systems.

Closely attuned to national strategic security, he provided critical decision-making support for China's large passenger aircraft program. Loyal to the CPC and devoted to his work, he mentored a large number of leading aircraft design talents, rendering outstanding service to the development of China's aviation industry.

Gu received numerous prestigious awards and honors, including the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award, the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award (Special-Class, First-Class and Second-Class), the He Liang He Li Ji Jin Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress, the National May 1 Labor Medal, the National Role Model Worker, and the "Touching China's 2021 Person of the Year", among many others.

Global Times