Amphibious Drone Makes First Flight
Popular Science | Eastern Arsenal
by Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer
2y ago
The U650 amphibious UAV is the size of a Predator drone or Cessna utility aircraft, but its carbon fiber construction saves weight, thus increasing its buoyancy and fuel efficiency. Weibo U650 The U650 makes its first test flight, flying off from a lake in Jiangsu, China. The U560 amphibious drone recently completed its first test flight reports Liberation Daily News, a Chinese newspaper. Flying off of a lake in Jiangsu province, the drone’s flight took 30 minutes. Drones on the Water The U650 amphibious UAV is the size of a Predator drone or Cessna utility aircraft, but its carbon fibe ..read more
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China Is Building The World’s Second Stealth Air Force
Popular Science | Eastern Arsenal
by Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer
2y ago
The eighth J-20 prototype “2017” made its maiden flight on November 24, 2015 at the Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) factory in Chengdu, China. Complete with a red carpet launch ceremony, the event was well attended by AVIC dignitaries, J-20 program personnel and government officials. After several months of preliminary flight testing, “2017” is likely to be taken by the Chine Test Flight Establishment (CTFE) to remote northern China, where it can conduct more significant testing away from prying eyes. Eight in a row “2017”‘s roll out further solidifies China’s position as the leading a ..read more
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Chinese Stealth Fighter J-20 Starts Production
Popular Science | Eastern Arsenal
by Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer
2y ago
In a Christmas gift for Chinese fighter pilots, December 25th saw the unveiling of a new J-20 fighter in fresh yellow fuselage primer on the runway of the Chengdu Aviation Corporation (CAC) factory. More notable than its paint color, however, was the numbering of the plane: “2101.” As opposed to “2018” or “2019” to follow the eighth flying prototype “2017,” “2101” suggests the plane is the first of the low rate initial production (LRIP) airframes, which signify the move away from prototype production to building fighters for actual military use. LRIP is the stage in the program where CAC will ..read more
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Giant New Supply Ship Extends China’s Reach At Sea
Popular Science | Eastern Arsenal
by Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer
2y ago
One Big Ship The bridge of the first Type 901 takes shape in the Longxue shipyard. As China’s first large, domestically built naval resupply ship, the Type 901 will replenish aircraft carrier groups on the high seas. The Chinese Navy is getting ready to accept the first in a class of fast, giant resupply ships that will refuel, resupply, and rearm its aircraft carriers and destroyers on the high seas. The Type 901 class is being built at the Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) Longxue. Thirty-one-and-a-half meters wide and over 200 meters long, the first Type 901 class supply ship will h ..read more
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How China has shaped information about the Wuhan coronavirus online
Popular Science | Eastern Arsenal
by empire
3y ago
depositphotos The Eastern Arsenal blog is written by Peter W. Singer and BluePath Labs. The outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China has caused widespread panic within China and sent shockwaves through the global community as it spread beyond China’s borders to 28 countries so far. But just as quarantine controls have been put in place to restrict the spread of the virus (which is technically called 2019-nCov), the Chinese government has taken measures to control and shape information about it online. Related: Read PopSci’s full, ongoing coverage of the virus. In a mirror of how the regime ..read more
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China’s showing off its new helicopters
Popular Science | Eastern Arsenal
by empire
3y ago
At the 4th China Helicopter Exposition, an airshow in Tianjin, the nation flaunted its latest in aviation tech. Here are the highlights: High Speed Helicopter This ultra fast helicopter by AVIC uses push propellers (possibly turboprops) and rotor blades to reach speeds of more than 250 mph. Of particular note was a high-speed aircraft with a 5.5-ton dual-rotor compound set-up. It’s got the narrow fuselage of a conventional helicopter but with two long wings, each with a three-blade rotor on top horizontally aligned turboprop engine below. While the rotor/turboprop combination may be heav ..read more
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With the D3000, China enters the robotic warship arms race
Popular Science | Eastern Arsenal
by empire
3y ago
by78 At the turn of the 20th century, the great powers competed to build the modern-day battleship. Today, a new arms race may be breaking out, this time with robotic warships. The D3000 is a 98-foot-long, stealthy robotic trimaran warship designed to operate autonomously for months. Notably, this system—which appears to be tagged for export—is being offered by the China Aerospace and Science Technology Corporation, a Chinese defense contractor whose primary strength is in missiles and other aerospace technologies. (It’s the company that’s building the T Flight, China’s answer to the ..read more
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China is betting big on electromagnetic railguns and catapults
Popular Science | Eastern Arsenal
by empire
3y ago
China has been making under-the-radar advances in railguns and other electromagnetic technologies, a move that’s particularly notable considering the U.S. Navy has just recently reduced its efforts developing this kind of technology. USN Railgun Despite previous efforts to install this multi-megawatt railgun on the USNS Trenton, shifting budget priorities in late 2017 may mean that this railgun may never be carried on a USN warship. As opposed to gunpowder, railguns use electromagnetic energy to sling out a projectile, which means there’s potential for far greater speed and range—the equivale ..read more
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China’s looking to one-up Elon Musk’s hyperloop
Popular Science | Eastern Arsenal
by empire
3y ago
No Upright Position T-Flight’s reclining seats would minimize drag by keeping the height (and hence cross section) of the capsule at a minimum. Hyperloops, the developing mode of transit that promises to zip people frictionlessly in pods and tubes, have long been associated with the innovations and dreams of billionaire Elon Musk. More recently, however, it’s captivated the imaginations of others, including, now, a Chinese aerospace giant. The China Aerospace Science and Industrial Corporation (CASIC), a well-heeled newcomer to the mass transit industry, is betting big on its supers ..read more
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China plans to launch rockets into space from massive freighters and planes
Popular Science | Eastern Arsenal
by empire
3y ago
Jilin Provincial Government Long March 11 Thanks to its solid-fueled engine, the Long March 11 can be stored for a long time in a ready-to-fire mode. China’s land-based Long March space launch rockets have been the backbone of its space program for more than 40 years. It looks like that’s about to change, as the nation is making moves to launch from aircraft and ships. Starting next year, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC) will use 10,000-ton freighters as ocean-going launchpads for its Long March 11 launch rocket. The Long March 11 can carry up to 1,100 pounds int ..read more
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