Posted on 03/14/2007 5:26:44 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
Hong Kong: Chinese State media announced this week that the country's aviation industry is working at producing its own large aircraft by the year 2020. According to the Xinhua news agency, the blueprint for the large aircraft project will be completed by 2010.According to State aviation authorities the aircraft being developed would have a capacity to carry more than 100 tons and would have military as well as civilian cargo and passenger versions.
The country is currently in the midst of a major expansion of its air network, and analysts say that it is in China's interest to ensure that the bulk of the spending in this sector stays at home. According to industry observers, the country is expected to spend hundreds of billions of dollars by 2025 in the purchase of about 2,230 planes.
It is currently carrying out a five-year plan that will see the purchase of 500 jets and the construction of 48 airports. The Chinese market is estimated to grow to be the world's second largest after the US by 2030. According to trade figures, passenger numbers have risen by 105% to 138 million a year since 2000. The combined fleet of the country's air companies has also risen to 863 planes from 527.
The production of large aircraft would put China into an exclusive club along with the US, Russia and four other European countries. Boeing and Airbus currently dominate the industry. Airbus signed an agreement last year to produce its mid-size A320 in China.
Both companies have increasingly sourced aircraft components from Chinese state-owned companies and this has by now provided them with the technological foundation to design and produce large aircraft.
According to State authorities, the country was also developing a small regional jet, the ARJ-21, whichwas expected to begin commercial operation by 2009.
Along with the large aircraft project, China's new five-year economic planning programme also includes a moon landing by 2012.
If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.
I dont know - the percentage of bad commercial paper in China must be up around 35% by now and TANSTAAFL.
Keep me updated on this. /s
Certainly they can steal airplane designs in less than 3 years. What's the hold-up? Translating it from French too hard?
Will 700 million Chinese be still living in homes with dirt floors and no sanitation?
We'll see how their cars turn out first. Oh, and their trip to the moon.
That's a lot of carbon credits they'll be wanting.
Incredulous Joe's Incredible Carbon Offsets are now on sale.
"Don't be stupid, buy your fictional indulgence from me!"
That's my new tagline.
Oh well, the Chinese can still bury us under plastic lawn furniture. (Sarc)
Gotta give the Chinese credit for having a rational mega-comprehensive development plan, in this and many, many other areas.
I could never understand why it was named Airbus. Who would want to fly in a bus? Traveling by bus is not the most comfortable way to go.
Because "airliner", "Boeing", "McDonnell-Douglas" and "Lockheed" were already taken.
They can't get compatible CAD software... But neither can the French!
That's a pretty ominous picture. LOL
In contrast, that is quite sporty for such a heavy aircraft. LOL
Boy, Wal-Mart is certainly getting ambitious!
Don't assume the Chinese can't leapfrog past autos into jumbo jets, with a little help from their friends. All they need is to get Loral et al to keep donating through the next two Clinton terms.
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