An improved version of China's new generation fighter plane,
Xiaolong/FC-1 (or Fierce Dragon), proved successful in its third
test flight Friday morning at Wenjiang Airport in Chengdu, capital
of southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The seven-minute trial flight revealed good performance,
according to experts.
The plane, the result of a cooperation program between China and
Pakistan, named as Thunder/JF-17 in Pakistan, made its first test
flight successful on Aug. 25 last year. The success was listed by
the public as one of the top ten scientific and technological
achievements of China in 2003.
China planned the development of a new generation fighter plane
in the late 1980s and a program development consortium was formed
to carry out the task. The program was officially launched in
1999and was led by China Aviation Industry Corporation I, the
leading operator of the aerospace industry in the country.
The next test-flight for the fighter plane will take place next
year to test onboard electronic device and weapons.
(Xinhua News Agency April 9, 2004)
