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Beijing (AFP) Jun 21, 2005 China is preparing the mass production of a third-generation jet fighter training plane and could roll out up to 10 of the JL-9 Mountain Eagles next year, state press reported Tuesday. The plane would be manufactured by the Guizhou Aviation Industry Group, but it was still unclear if the Chinese airforce had signed contracts to buy the trainer, the China Daily reported. A model of the aircraft made its maiden flight in December 2003, with reports at that time saying mass production would begin in 2005. The plane, whose NATO-designation is FTC-2000, is expected to train fighter pilots flying third-generation craft like the Russian Sukhoi Su-27s and Su-30s, the most advanced fighters in China's air force. The planes can also be fitted as fighter aircraft and sold to developing markets, the report said. "Our goal is to see to it that a number of the new trainers go to the military in 2006," Zhang Shangdao, vice president of the Guizhou manufacturer, was quoted as saying. "Since it is both a fighter and trainer, some small countries, lacking a large fleet of fighter planes, could use the Mountain Eagle to train their fighter pilots in peace time, arming it for use as a fighter in war time." The Guizhou factory, which is part of the China Aviation Industry Corp I, has manufactured some 1,100 planes for the Chinese military since it was set up in 1964. The JL-9 is powered by a domestically-made WP-13 turbojet engine, can reach a maximum speed of Mach 1.6 (1.6 times the speed of sound) and can carry two pilots. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Aerospace News at SpaceMart.com
Northrop Grumman To Provide New Air Data Inertial Reference Units To Lufthansa
Woodland Hills CA (SPX) Jan 12, 2006Lufthansa will be one of the first commercial air carriers worldwide to benefit from the latest air data inertial reference units from Northrop Grumman. Inertial reference units provide aircrews with essential aircraft operational data such as aircraft position, velocities, attitude, altitude, air speed and many other parameters. |
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