Chinese Aviation Industry

Here's a Photo I took at Beijing Airport watching the Sunrise while waiting for my flight to Hong Kong

One thing that I noticed was that there is mobile chargers and hot water available everywhere in China be it airport or train stations or even on the high speed trains

also vending machines which sell hot noddle pots with hot water available nearby

most of the airports I visited had English and was easy to navigate

asif iqbal said:

Here's a Photo I took at Beijing Airport watching the Sunrise while waiting for my flight to Hong Kong

One thing that I noticed was that there is mobile chargers and hot water available everywhere in China be it airport or train stations or even on the high speed trains

also vending machines which sell hot noddle pots with hot water available nearby


View attachment 146806

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Chinese people believe in the health benefits of drinking warm water.

顺丰 (Shun Feng, SF), one of the largest logistics companies in China signed a deal with 翊飞航空科技 to buy one hundred ES1000 UAVs from the latter. The two companies will also collaborate on developing and improving transport UAVs in logistics.

翊飞航空科技 showcased the ES1000 in Zhuhai last year. We should have seen the third and fourth photo below.


中国低空经济在物流领域的商业化应用，再次向前迈出一大步。

3月4日，深圳顺丰泰森控股（集团）有限公司（下称“顺丰集团”）与翊飞航空科技（北京）有限公司（下称“翊飞航空”）在石家庄签订了合作协议，正式向翊飞航空首批订购100架自主研发的ES1000大型超短距起降无人运输机。这也是顺丰在吨级载重大型无人运输机领域最大的一笔订单。

协议约定，双方将聚焦ES1000展开深度协同，探索无人货运在智能航空物流全场景下的高效应用。

行业人士表示，此次合作不仅是无人货运技术商业化进程中的重要里程碑，标志着中国智慧物流体系向“支干联运，高效协同”的关键一步，更是中国尖端科技商业化落地的典型案例，为整个方兴未艾的低空经济发展注入强心剂。

强强联合，有望将物流时效提升50%以上

公开资料显示，翊飞航空科技是专注新一代航空器设计、制造、维修与培训的高科技企业。其核心产品ES1000最大起飞重量4.5吨，商载1.5吨、航程1200公里，货舱容积12立方米，巡航速度为每小时300公里，预计将在2025年7月迎来首次试飞。

由于采用涡轮混合动力与分布式电推进技术，ES1000可实现起降滑跑距离不超过100米的超短距起降，既能显著降低对传统机场的依赖，又能以低成本满足传统物流体系中高价值、强时效性货物对于载重、航程的需求，完美补齐了航空运输“干支末”体系中一直缺失的支线环节，曾在2024年11月的珠海航展中大放异彩。

特别对于部分交通不便的偏远地区，ES1000无人机在砂石、土地、草皮等非铺装道面起降的功能，使其能够轻松突破地形限制，轻松实现次日达，甚至次晨达，有望将物流时效提升50%以上。以成都市区至甘孜州德格县为例，陆运时间超过14小时，而ES1000无人机直飞仅需约2小时，缩短运输时间约12小时。

而顺丰集团作为中国及亚洲规模最大、全球第四的综合物流服务商，一直致力于构建数字化供应链生态，成为全球智慧供应链的引领者。翊飞航空ES1000的出现，恰恰补足其物流生态圈的关键一环。

未来，ES1000大型无人运输机的规模化部署，不仅有效降低航空物流成本，使物流服务价格更加亲民，让更多的企业和消费者受益，更将有力推动偏远地区医疗物资配送、电商极速达等服务的升级，加速快递物流与无人运输行业的融合发展。

通过此次合作，双方计划打造“支线大型无人机+干线大型运输机”联运应用示范，无缝衔接“支线-末端”物流网络，共同为航空物流行业带来全新的发展思路和运营模式，树立物流行业新标杆。同时，双方还将针对大型无人运输机规模化、常态化运行体系展开全方位、深层次的研究。

AVIC's VTOL concepts displayed at Zhuhai.

Zhao Chunling is pictured at a research institute of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in Shanghai, east China, March 5, 2025. Zhao Chunling, the chief designer of China's homegrown wide-body C929 aircraft at COMAC, is the first female chief designer in China's aviation industry to lead a major national aircraft program.

Zhao started her career in the aviation industry once after graduation. In 2009, she joined COMAC and played a key role in the design, development and testing of C909 and C919 aircraft. In 2023, she was appointed as the chief designer of C929 aircraft, leading her team to push the boundaries of China's commercial aircraft development.

"The positions, the roles, and the challenges changed over time, but my passion for aviation and my fearless determination have never wavered," Zhao said. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)



Zhao Chunling introduces the cabin design inside a mockup of C929 aircraft at a research institute of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in Shanghai, east China, March 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)



Zhao Chunling (2nd R) works with her colleagues inside an engineering simulator of C919 aircraft at a research institute of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in Shanghai, east China, March 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)



Zhao Chunling walk past the mockup of C919 and C929 aircraft at a research institute of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in Shanghai, east China, March 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)



Zhao Chunling (1st R) works with her colleagues at a research institute of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in Shanghai, east China, March 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)



Zhao Chunling introduces the cockpit inside a mockup of C929 aircraft at a research institute of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in Shanghai, east China, March 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)



Zhao Chunling (1st R) and her colleagues walk into an engineering simulator of C919 aircraft at a research institute of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in Shanghai, east China, March 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

More eVTOLs from the last Zhuhai Airshow.

A general (military and civil aviation) question: Chinese companies have been replacing hydraulics with electric motors in robots and automobile suspension systems and are having wonderful results, what are the chances for the same to be done for aviation?

MA700 undergoing assembly in the background. Posted by @太湖军I名.

OppositeDay said:

A general (military and civil aviation) question: Chinese companies have been replacing hydraulics with electric motors in robots and automobile suspension systems and are having wonderful results, what are the chances for the same to be done for aviation?

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Aviation is an extremely conservative industry. Outside of experimental prototypes, I think it will be a long time before something like this could be implemented at scale.

I think we might see millitary applications before civil.

lucretius said:

Aviation is an extremely conservative industry. Outside of experimental prototypes, I think it will be a long time before something like this could be implemented at scale.

I think we might see millitary applications before civil.

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Or they might do it with drones first. Anyway, if it fails nobody dies, so they can be more daring with the trials & fielding.