A small aircraft on show in Shenyang of northeast China's Liaoning Province has attracted visitors from all over the country in the past days.
"It's a new model we designed for future family use," said a technician from the manufacturer, the Shenyang Aircraft Industrial Corp, at the on-going international equipment manufacturing expo held in Shenyang.
The silver white plane on show is similar to ordinary propeller-driven aircraft in shape but much smaller. Having two seats in the front and storage in the back, the aircraft is able to take two people including the pilot and store 15 to 20 kilograms of cargo.
"We set the targeted consumer as family not only because of its low price but also because of its technical simplicity," said the technician.
The price of the new aircraft is about 800,000 yuan (US$96,653), only half the price of some luxury sedans in China's market.
The 5.98 meter plane has two 8.1 meter wings and is able to fly at an altitude of 5,000 meters with a top speed of 270 kilometers per hour.
The plane can take off and land in small airfield, public airports of any size and even on highways. The instrument panel is similar to a vehicle's but seems a little more complicated.
As opposed to most aircraft which run on aviation kerosene, the new aircraft will operate on ordinary unleaded gasoline.
But the technician noted that the aircraft can only be piloted in daytime under the no-ice conditions.
"Put on some additional simple equipment, the plane can also be used in meteorological and other sectors," said the technician.
But people will still have to wait before they can buy the aircraft, said Ma Yan, deputy director in charge of the planning with the firm. Currently, China's air control system bans the sale of aircraft as ordinary transportation vehicles.
"One day, the dream of the family plane we cherished for so long will come true," said Ma. He added that in Shanghai, the leading economic powerhouse in China, the first batch of air licenses for individuals have been issued.
(Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2003)
