Sohu reports the successful maiden flight of China’s first 100% domestically-built plane, the Little Eagle 500. The report says that the plane was developed entirely in China, uses patented technology and is intended for civilian use. The Little Eagle 500 will cost RMB 2 million or just over USD 240,000.
Elsewhere, News Weekly (Xinwen Zhoukan) uses its cover to ask the question: How far are we away from the moon? The article says that China’s space industry is 10 to 15 years behind the state of the art internationally, and a little further behind when it comes to manned space flight.
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Sohu story on Little Eagle 500
小鹰500首飞成功 号称“空中奔驰”售价200万
小鹰500是我国自发合作、自筹资金、面向通用飞机市场，按新的运行模式，使用数字化设计手段，采用当代航空先进技术联合开发研制的、具有自主知识产权的通用飞机.