News on China's scientific and technological development.

Chinese are unpredictable sometimes on what they'll spend their money on. It doesn't seems like this will be successful for private use. But who knows. Extended range will give it a better chance.

I saw an article that Israel had what was called their aerial "Big Dog." Same purpose as DARPA's Big Dog but it flies. This could work the same way. The US Marines just rejected Big Dog because it was too noisy. I don't know if this is worse but flying has advantages over traveling on the ground.

Equation said:

Heck even main stream civilian can't afford a Tesla much less a flying drone, but at least China is making it more affordable to anyone with money to afford one.

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Seriously. Tesla is right now a Premium Car brand by there own admission. They are targeting the (mid) higher income bracket like Higher end BMW or Mercedes. This will never be able to compete with a proper car

AssassinsMace said:

Chinese are unpredictable sometimes on what they'll spend their money on. It doesn't seems like this will be successful for private use. But who knows. Extended range will give it a better chance.

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it's not just the range it's also the capacity. a single seat means it's only good for one passenger even if you got two people you still have the issue of how much they can take with them. in all round practicality a conventional aircraft out performs it. The only feature that really interesting part that has a practical application is the flight interface. That form of tablet and self flight makes a lot of sense in future commercial applications. Imagine one day hoping on a flight from New york to Hong Kong where the pilot only touches the controls in a emergency.

AssassinsMace said:

I saw an article that Israel had what was called their aerial "Big Dog." Same purpose as DARPA's Big Dog but it flies. This could work the same way. The US Marines just rejected Big Dog because it was too noisy. I don't know if this is worse but flying has advantages over traveling on the ground.

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poor comparison.
The current Big Dog and the Israeli AirMule are meant for different mission but totally different systems.
The Marines are concerned about Big dog as it would be following there Troops as they move and carrying extra supplies. the problem is the Engine that powers it is a Conventional low powered Gas engine and is very loud.Unless Boston Robotics and get a long life electric version that is a major hurdle as for infantry the needs of quiet are a must.
AirMule is intended fore remote resupply. So extra supplies can be sent to troops in the field from a FOB. As such Flight is advantageous.
Infact I would be so bold as to say that this Chinese Drone system may be better suited for a light competitor to Airmule then civil use.

TerraN_EmpirE said:

The only feature that really interesting part that has a practical application is the flight interface. That form of tablet and self flight makes a lot of sense in future commercial applications. Imagine one day hoping on a flight from New york to Hong Kong where the pilot only touches the controls in a emergency.

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Theoretically, that can be done already. In fact, Western-trained pilots use the A.P.to a greater extent than the pilots who received their training in old USSR days where it was encouraged for the pilot to do more of the flying.

Yes but the flight controls are still a cockpit. Even if the majority of the flight is on autopilot there is still a yoke/Stick and throttle and pedals. This deletes those interfaces for a tablet PC.

TerraN_EmpirE said:

Seriously. Tesla is right now a Premium Car brand by there own admission. They are targeting the (mid) higher income bracket like Higher end BMW or Mercedes. This will never be able to compete with a proper car

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Tesla is NOT a "premium" car brand like Toyota's, Chevy, GM, BMW and Mercedes. It's a gimmick toy car for rich hippies who are enamored with the Elon Musk nut hugers. It's difinitley NOT a premium brand in China that's for sure. And Elon Musk went on to get angry at his Chinese sales personnel for not doing enough to promote the sells of the over rated vehicle.

Tesla is a "Premium" car maker.
Chevrolet, Toyota and most of the big brands are entry level.
Specialized brandings like Cadillac, Lincoln and lower end BMW as well as Lexus represents mid level cars.
Premium represents the upper levels of Lexus, BMW Mercedes, Tesla and Porsche.
The super premium come in with the super cars and Rolls Royce and the like. Tesla is still a new maker as well, and though its not as cheap as a Chevy its price tag is still far more affordable than a Begatti.
And as the company grows and if Musk is Smart about it then there is the potential to make Tesla far more available and practical then a personal drone.

TerraN_EmpirE said:

Tesla is a "Premium" car maker.
Chevrolet, Toyota and most of the big brands are entry level.
Specialized brandings like Cadillac, Lincoln and lower end BMW as well as Lexus represents mid level cars.
Premium represents the upper levels of Lexus, BMW Mercedes, Tesla and Porsche.
The super premium come in with the super cars and Rolls Royce and the like. Tesla is still a new maker as well, and though its not as cheap as a Chevy its price tag is still far more affordable than a Begatti.
And as the company grows and if Musk is Smart about it then there is the potential to make Tesla far more available and practical then a personal drone.

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Musk needs the China market in order to succeed and he knows it. Since he's not, he is going back to selling to the US market with a cheaper version.

Equation said:

Musk needs the China market in order to succeed and he knows it. Since he's not, he is going back to selling to the US market with a cheaper version.

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You're overestimating PRC's market in the premium automobile industry.
Musk's vision from the start was to place a more affordable model to the market.

Musk is not following the existing car maker model, He has no dealerships. his is direct marketed also his vehicles are electric and that demands establishing infrastructure. As such the comparing his vehicles to conventional cars is a apples to Oranges debate. Yet in the end a Tesla will remain more affordable and practical than a flying sedan chair.

First step to a nuclear powered carrier.

China to Build First Marine Nuclear Power Platform

Chinese authorities have approved the construction of the country's first marine nuclear power platform.

The demonstration project is sponsored by China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, which began the R&D process in 2014.

Military analyst Shi Hong explains the technology.

"A marine nuclear power platform is a floating nuclear power plant, built on a mobile platform on the ocean. It can be very helpful for marine resource exploration, and life on small islands. It can provide energy for ocean water purification and electricity generation on islands. Such platforms can improve the quality of living on small islands tremendously."

Marine nuclear power platforms can also provide safe and reliable energy for oceanic oil exploration.

Shi Hong says beyond serving civil functions, the technology also has military applications.

"The development of such nuclear power platforms can present new opportunities for war ships. Military ships have very high standards when it comes to employing nuclear energy. These platforms can serve as basic testing grounds to further develop new equipment and technology for military use."

Two construction plans have been drawn up by the developer. One is for a power plant built on a mobile platform in the ocean. The other is for a submersible plant that can operate below the ocean surface under harsh conditions.

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