# Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute

Architect of the Skies: China Mourns Gu Songfen, the 'Father' of Its Independent Jet Era

Gu Songfen, the preeminent aerodynamicist behind China’s J-8 fighter jet series and a dual academician, has died at 96. His career was instrumental in transitioning the Chinese aviation industry from Soviet-era imitation to independent, domestic design and innovation.