AVIC floats idea of airships for tourists
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An artist s impression of the AS700 airship. (Photo provided to China Daily)
Aviation Industry Corp of China, the nation s major aircraft maker, is developing an airship to meet potential demand from tourists, according to a project insider.
Zhang Jinhua, a senior designer at the Special Aircraft Research Institute, an AVIC subsidiary in Jingmen, Hubei province, that designs blimps and other types of special aircraft, said engineers are finalizing the design work for the AS700 airship and expect to carry out its maiden flight in the second half of this year.
The blimp s research and development started in August 2018, aiming to meet tourist demand for sightseeing air tours, he said, adding that the project is also a result of the government s favorable policies for general aviation business and low-altitude airspace tourism.
Air-defense system ready for global sales By ZHAO LEI | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2021-03-08 08:37 Share A HQ-17AE air-defense missile is fired during a recent test. [Photo provided to China Daily]
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, the country s top missile maker, has brought a new high-mobility air-defense missile system to the international market.
Developed by the CASIC Second Academy in Beijing, China s leading manufacturer of air-defense weapons, each HQ-17AE unit consists of one six-wheeled launch vehicle, eight short-range air-defense missiles and a solid-state phased-array radar system.
It can detect and intercept multiple targets and also has good mobility, which means it is an ideal option for forward-deployed ground forces air-defense operations, the academy said.
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Geely to start making satellites By LI FUSHENG | China Daily | Updated: 2021-02-19 09:07 Share Geely employees work on an assembly line in Linhai, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group will start producing satellites by October this year to offer better positioning and navigation for the vehicles it produces and to take on Tesla owner Elon Musk in terms of satellite-based internet services.
A plant in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, has won the approval from the authorities, said its subsidiary Geely Technology in a statement on Thursday, without disclosing the investment amount. It said production is expected to commence eight months from now as the first piece of equipment has entered the plant, and up to 500 satellites could be produced a year for various commercial operations.
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