The first private business plane designed by China was sent to be tested Saturday in preparation for its maiden flight.
The Xiaoying (Eaglet) 500 was sent by its producer, the Shijiazhuang Aircraft Industry Co. Ltd, from the capital of north China's Hebei Province to an institute in Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
The plane will be tested on its overall functions on the ground, especially the steering system, before its first flight in July this year, the producer said.
The plane can carry up to four people -- one pilot and three passengers -- with a maximum load capacity of 560 kilograms, said Shi Jingqi, its chief designer.
Capable of reaching a speed of 300 kilometers per hour and an altitude of 4,200 meters, the plane can easily land or take off at small airports and even on a highway, he added.
Priced at two million yuan (about US$241,000), the plane attracted much attention when on display at the Zhuhai Airshow in November last year.
The company said it has already received inquiries from a number of customers.
(China Daily March 24, 2003)
