[hello]

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China unveiled its first domestically developed regional aircraft on Friday, moving a step closer to its goal of becoming an aviation giant and challenging the dominance of Boeing <BA.N> and Airbus.

The white 90-seat ARJ21-700 jet with three curved blue stripes on the fuselage, named "Xiang Feng" or "Flying Phoenix," was displayed to a crowd of government dignitaries and industry officials at the assembly plant in Shanghai where it will be produced.

"We are witnessing this unforgettable moment with extreme excitement," Lin Zuoming, general manager of state-owned manufacturer AVIC I, said in a ceremony broadcast live on state television.

"The ARJ21 makes us part of the global aviation industry," Lin said, but added: "It still faces a new journey to become successful financially."

The event was off-limits to most international and local media, except those directly controlled by the government.

AVIC I also announced 100 new orders for the Flying Phoenix from Kunpeng Airlines, a venture between China's Shenzhen Airlines Ltd and U.S.-based Mesa Air Group <MESA.O>.

That increased total orders for the jet -- due for its first test flight next spring and delivery from the third quarter of 2009 -- to more than 170, almost entirely from domestic carriers.

Kunpeng Airlines, which started domestic air service in October, currently has three 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-200 jets.

LONG-TERM BET

AVIC I, which also makes fighter planes and bombers, launched the ARJ21 project in 2000, banking on growth in China's aviation market, which will need about 2,650 new passenger jets in the next 20 years according to the latest forecast by Airbus, a unit of European aerospace group EADS <EAD.PA> <EAD.DE>.

While the regional aircraft was developed with Chinese technology, some key parts were sourced from foreign partners, including engines from General Electric <GE.N>.

The company expects its Flying Phoenix to compete with aircraft from Brazil's Embraer <ERJ.N><EMBR3.SA> and Canada's Bombardier <BBDb.TO>.

Aviation executives have said the regional jet's success could mark an initial step toward implementing a multibillion dollar project to develop large aircraft and wean China's airlines from their reliance on Boeing and Airbus.

Industry sources told Reuters earlier in the year that China's two state aircraft makers, AVIC I and AVIC II, as well as the Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defence, would be involved in developing large jets.

AVIC I and AVIC II supply components for Airbus' and Boeing's latest models, including the double-decker A380 jumbo jet and the 787 Dreamliner. AVIC II unit Hafei Aviation Industry Co <600038.SS> also makes the ERJ-145 regional craft in partnership with Brazil's Embraer.

But some analysts have expressed skepticism about the commercial prospects of a large jet designed and manufactured entirely in China, given the country's limited experience in big aircraft.

"This is a long-term bet," said a Beijing-based industry analyst. "China could compete head-to-head with Airbus and Boeing some day, but it would take at least 20 years."

(Reporting by Fang Yan; Additional reporting by Jason Subler in Beijing; Editing by Edmund Klamann)

source:reuters dec 21

 

[hello]

hopefully hafei can leverage this technology like SWEDISH SAAB auto did

 

[mememe]

I don't want to open a new thread for this, so I think I might just combine this into this thread as well, I know this has nothing to do with jet aircraft. Apologise !



JINAN -- The first bullet train designed and manufactured in China with a speed of 300 kilometers per hour rolled off the production line on Saturday morning.
The train was the latest model in the country's China Railway High-speed (CRH) Series.

"This marks that China has joined an elite world club after Japan, France and Germany to become the fourth country capable of turning out such high speed trains," said Wang Yongping, Ministry of Railways spokesman.

Previously, China's fastest self-developed trains ran at a service speed of up to 250 km per hour. Those trains, which debuted on April 18, serve the Beijing-Harbin, Beijing-Shanghai and Beijing-Guangzhou routes.

The new train, by comparison, excelled in its air tightness, driving force and smoothness of traveling, according to Wang.

The streamlined train was made of aluminum alloy, weighing about seven tons. The thinnest part of the body was only 1.5 millimeters thick.

"The train body is the lightest of its kind in the world," said Ma Yunshuang, vice director with the technical center of China Southern Locomotive and Rolling Stock Industry (Group) Corporation. "Such a design was for the sake of energy economization."

He noted the train's per capita power was 12.7 kilowatts, lower than other high-speed trains, which was normally about 15 kilowatts.

Ma said the new train, which features a bar in the dining car and double-faced LCD TV screens in the first-class cabins, was equipped with shock absorbers between carriages.

"As the train is running at a high speed, the shock absorbers are used to reduced impulsive force and sway of the train body," he said.

Sifang Locomotive, a subsidiary of China Southern Locomotive and Rolling Stock Industry (Group) Corporation, planned to deliver 10 such trains to the Ministry of Railways in March, said Jiang Jing, CEO of the company.

A train with eight carriages could seat about 600 passengers. They were expected to run on the 115-km Beijing-Tianjin route starting from August before the Beijing Olympic Games. It would reduce the journey time from the current 80 minutes to around 30 minutes.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-12/22/content_6341594.htm