News on China's scientific and technological development.

Chinese Female Taikonaut Identified


Taikonaut in space



"Chinese Female Taikonaut Identified
by Tony Quine
Onchan, UK (SPX) Nov 16, 2010


Whilst China has not given official details of when it intends to send Captain Wang or her unidentified colleague into space, several statements from leading officials (including Yang Liwei, the first Chinese in space) strongly suggest that they are aiming for the two- or three-person Shenzhou 10 mission, which is currently planned to dock with the Tiangong 1 orbital module in late 2012.

Sources in China have confirmed the identity of one of the two female Air Force pilots currently vying to become China's first woman in space.

Captain Wang Yaping, 32, a Transport Pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), and another currently unidentified colleague were selected in March, from a pool of fifteen female candidates, and joined five male jet fighter pilots to form China's second taikonaut group.

Wang had been widely identified in the Chinese media as one of five pilots from the province of Shandong included in the group of fifteen female candidates, but Chinese space officials had refused to name any of the seven new taikonauts actually chosen, even though the names of their fourteen colleagues, selected in 1996 and 1998 are widely known.

However sources in China, close to the Chinese manned space programme, have recently confirmed that Wang is now being trained at the Chinese Astronaut Training Centre, near Beijing, with another woman pilot.

Captain Wang was born in the prefecture of Yantai, in Shandong province, in April 1978. Her mother and father are farmers and she is reported to have two sisters. She is married to another PLAAF pilot, Zhao Peng, and probably has a child, as Chinese officials have previously said that only women who have already given birth would be considered for the taikonaut programme.

There are relatively few female pilots in the PLAAF, and as a result their career progress and any notable exploits are often reported in the Chinese media, and Captain Wang has featured in a number of such stories.

She is known to have joined the PLAAF as a cadet in 1997, one of 37 members of the so called '7th Generation' of female pilots, and graduated from Aviation University and flight school in 2001 with the rank of First Lieutenant.

In 2008, she was one of six female pilots who took part in relief flights after a major earthquake in Sichuan Province and later that year, she was reported to have been involved in flights related to cloud seeding and weather modification for the Olympic Games in Beijing. She has over 1,100 flying hours on her log book.

Whilst China has not given official details of when it intends to send Captain Wang or her unidentified colleague into space, several statements from leading officials (including Yang Liwei, the first Chinese in space) strongly suggest that they are aiming for the two- or three-person Shenzhou 10 mission, which is currently planned to dock with the Tiangong 1 orbital module in late 2012."

Re: Seagull 300 succeeds in maiden flight

Martian said:

[qimg]http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/6788/seagull300inflight.jpg[/qimg]
A Seagull 300 multi-functional light amphibious plane is seen during its test flight in Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei Province, on Nov. 10, 2010. The Seagull 300 plane, which is developed and manufactured by Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), succeeded in its first test flight on Wednesday. The four- or six-seat plane is designed for a variety of landing surfaces, such as water, grass, asphalt, and concrete. (Xinhua/Wang Min)

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"Seagull 300 succeeds in maiden flight
16:33, November 11, 2010

[qimg]http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/4450/seagull300landing.jpg[/qimg]
The Seagull 300 lands on the runway on Nov. 11, 2010.

China's Seagull 300 light multi-functional amphibious plane made a successful maiden flight in Shijiazhuang, capital city of north China’s Hebei Province on Nov. 11, 2010.

The Seagull 300, the first of its kind in China to have independent intellectual property rights, is developed by Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

It required only 12 months to finish the work from design to maiden flight, setting a new record in China. The success of the maiden flight means the project will switch to testing for flight navigability.

By People's Daily Online"

Click to expand...

any idea what advantages there are in having the propeller in the revere position?

Seagull 300 "pusher configuration" design advantages

bladerunner said:

any idea what advantages there are in having the propeller in the revere position?

Click to expand...

Seagull 300 pusher configuration



"Pusher configuration

Advantages

* Efficiency can be gained by mounting a propeller behind the fuselage, because it re-energizes the boundary layer developed on the body, and reduces the form drag by keeping the flow attached. However, this effect is not nearly as pronounced on a small airplane as it is on a submarine or ship, where it is quite important due to the much higher Reynolds number at which they operate.

* Wing efficiency increases due to the absence of prop-wash over any section of the wing.

* Rear thrust is somewhat less stable in flight than with a tractor configuration. This has the potential to make an aircraft more maneuverable.[citation needed]

* Especially in a single-engined pusher aircraft, the pilot's view both forward and downwards is improved because the engine and propeller do not block forward vision, and because the more rearward centre of gravity makes placement of the cockpit forward of the wings more practical. Consequently, this configuration was widely used for early combat aircraft, and remains popular today among ultralight aircraft.

* The propeller of a single-engined airplane can be placed closer to the elevators and rudder. This increases the speed of the air flowing over the control surfaces, improving pitch and yaw control at low speed, particularly during takeoff when the engine is at full power. This can be beneficial while bush flying, especially when taking off and landing on airstrips bounded by obstacles that must be avoided while the airplane is moving slowly.

* The engine is mounted behind the crew and passenger compartments, so fuel does not have to flow past personnel, any leak will vent behind the aircraft, and any engine fire will be directed behind the aircraft (however, this arrangement puts the empennage at greater risk, if there is one—but this is less of an issue if the fire occurs on, or as a consequence of, landing). Similarly, propeller failure is unlikely to directly endanger the crew.

* The cockpit is generally quieter in a pusher aircraft because both the engine and propeller are behind the crew.

* At the time when many military aircraft were pushers, the engine afforded rear protection to the pilot, and simplified the installation of gun armament."


Any more questions?

Re: Seagull 300 succeeds in maiden flight

bladerunner said:

any idea what advantages there are in having the propeller in the revere position?

Click to expand...

In this case, the advantage is that since the Seagull 300 is a single engined plane, a nose propeller wouldn't be ideal since it can get submerged in the water during take-off or landing, hence they went with the "pusher" configuration.

COMAC announces 100 C919 orders as China challenges Airbus, Boeing


A frontal view of China's COMAC C919 large-body jet.


Welcome aboard for a guided tour of the C919!


C919 cockpit includes HUD displays for the captain and co-pilot.


A closer look at the C919 cockpit instruments and controls.


The seats are spacious and comfortable.


Visual displays are available for entertainment or business.



"China throws down the gauntlet to Boeing, Airbus
David Pierson
November 17, 2010

BEIJING: China aims to reshape the global aviation industry with a home-grown airliner, a direct challenge to the supremacy of Boeing and Airbus, the world's only makers of large commercial aircraft.

The Chinese government has staked billions of dollars and national pride on the effort, with help from big US companies.

Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China has orders for 100 single-aisle C919 passenger jets from Chinese airlines and international customers. The orders were signed yesterday at the Zhuhai air show in southern China, the state-owned Comac said in a news release.

Customers included Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern, and the aircraft leasing company GE Capital Aviation Services of the US. No details were given on how many planes each customer ordered or the prices that would be paid.

The partnership with US companies will be on display this week at the air show, where a full-scale mock-up of the 156-seat C919 will be revealed. It is scheduled for production by 2016. The fuselage will carry the Comac name but inside the most crucial systems will bear the trademarks of some of the biggest names in Western aviation.

Honeywell International will supply power units, computing systems, wheels and brakes. Rockwell Collins will handle navigation systems. GE Aviation is building the avionics. Eaton Corp is involved with fuel and hydraulics. Parker Aerospace of Irvine is responsible for flight controls.

Powering the aircraft will be two fuel-efficient engines built by CFM International, a company co-owned by GE and the French conglomerate Safran.

While global supply chains are common in the aviation industry, for this project China has required foreign suppliers to set up joint ventures with Chinese companies.

By one estimate, air passenger traffic in China is projected to expand by nearly 8 per cent a year for the next 20 years. The country plans to build 70 airports by 2020.

The plane follows the 70- to 110-seat ARJ21 as the second modern commercial airliner to be developed in China, a source of huge pride for the country's economic planners, who are determined to become global players in industries such as commercial aircraft.

The ARJ21, also being built by Comac, has a backlog of about 240 firm orders and options, mostly from domestic carriers but also from GE Capital Aviation Services and Lao Airlines.

Los Angeles Times, Associated Press"

Made In Taiwan: Scientists Turn Trees Into Natural Light Source



"Made In Taiwan: Scientists Turn Trees Into Natural Light Source
Tracie McDaniel - November 16, 2010 3:15 PM


"A group of scientists in Taiwan recently discovered that placing gold nanoparticles within the leaves of trees causes them to glow." (Source: Inhabitat)

Gold nanoparticles are the key to creating bio-LEDS

Harnessing bioluminescence, a team of scientists have found a new way to light the streets of the world. Synthesizing gold nanoparticles shaped like sea urchins, Taiwanese researchers are turning trees into streetlights.

The researchers, at Academia Sinica and the National Cheng Kung University in Taipei and Tainan were looking for a non-toxic and less expensive alternative to the phosphor powder used for LED lights.

“Light emitting diode (LED) has replaced traditional light source in many display panels and street lights on the road," said Professor Shih-Hui Chang. "A lot of light emitting diode, especially white light emitting diode, uses phosphor powder to stimulate light of different wavelengths. However, phosphor powder is highly toxic and its price is expensive. As a result, Dr. Yen-Hsun Su had the idea to discover a method that is less toxic to replace phosphor powder.”

They took Bacopa caroliniana plants and diffused the leaves with gold nanoparticles. The scientists discovered that while using ultraviolet light, the gold nanoparticles produced a blue-violet fluorescence which triggered a red emission in the surrounding chlorophyll. That chlorophyll caused the leaves to exude the red glow.

The researchers believe that their creation could offer a safer alternative to traditional lighting by reducing light pollution and carbon emissions, while also whittling down the costs of electricity.

“In the future, bio-LED could be used to make roadside trees luminescent at night. This will save energy and absorb CO2 as the bio-LED luminescence will cause the chloroplast to conduct photosynthesis,” said Dr. Yen-Hsun Su.

A paper detailing the findings of the research has been published in the journal Nanoscale."

China's astonishing modernization and transformation



Shanghai Skyline: Before and After

Back in 1990—top—Shanghai looked like a lovely green city. Only twenty years later—bottom—you can film the second part of Blade Runner in it.

Shanghai has always been an important place. Located on the Yangtze river's mouth, this Chinese city was already a world commerce hub back in the 30s. But it wasn't until Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms that the city exploded. Only fifteen years later, it became the largest cargo port in the world. Twenty years later, it's the megalopolis you are seeing in this photo.

China's first inter-city light-rail line starts operation in Guangzhou


Passengers wait on the platform at Xilang station on Nov. 3, 2010. It is the terminal of the Guangzhou-Foshan metro line in Guangzhou, located in south China's Guangdong Province. The Guangzhou-Foshan line (e.g. a light-rail linking Guangzhou and Foshan) was officially inaugurated on Wednesday. The 21-kilometer line is China's first underground inter-city light-rail line that offers seamless transportation for passengers between the two cities. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)


A train, with a design-speed of 80 kilometers per hour, arrives at Xilang station. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)


A staff member assists passengers, who are boarding the train at Xilang station. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)


Passengers travel aboard a carriage on the Guangzhou-Foshan metro line on Nov. 3, 2010. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)


A staff member assists passengers, who are departing Xilang station. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)


References: and

China earns newfound respect with Mashair

During the past few years, we have seen the pictures of China's proliferating world-class infrastructure. We are now starting to see the beginning of a new era. Other countries have decided that they want to improve their economies with modern infrastructure and they're contracting with China to build their important projects.



"China earns newfound respect with Mashair
By SIRAJ WAHAB | ARAB NEWS
Published: Nov 20, 2010 00:13 Updated: Nov 20, 2010 00:46


"Made in China" is no longer a taboo label, thanks to Mashair railway. (AN photo)

MINA: Perhaps the most notable improvement of Saudi Arabia’s many projects to accommodate Haj pilgrims is the railway that shuttled tens of thousands of people around the holy sites.

As the modern, high-tech trains picked up and dropped off passengers, they created a newfound respect for Chinese-made products and Chinese-engineering prowess. Officials said the multibillion-riyal project that was started last year will about triple its capacity from present levels when completed in 2012. Nonetheless, the rail system has already alleviated vehicular traffic around Mina and made travel for many pilgrims a snap.

The Sino-Saudi relationship has been growing over the last decade as China has sought more fossil fuels to power its economic growth. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah helped realign the nation’s trade relationships with the implementation of a “Look East” policy, which has fostered imports of heavy machinery and construction equipment as well as consumer goods. China has also raised the quality of its exported goods to fight earlier perceptions that its exports were inferior to products manufactured elsewhere.

“We would go to shopping malls and ask for Made-in-Germany and Made-in-Japan stuff. We would look down upon Made-in-China stuff,” said Suleiman Al-Hatrash, a social-sciences teacher at an Abha college. “We started taking China seriously when we went to the Western countries and saw their shopping malls filled with Made-in-China goods.”

However, the state-of-the-art rail system is changing peoples’ perceptions about China almost as fast as it is whisking passengers around Mina.

“People couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw pilgrims being ferried between the holy sites of Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat,” said journalist Hadi Fakihi. “Those who rode the train were gushing about its high-tech aspects. China has overnight become a nation to respect and emulate.”

“China has won hearts with this successful project,” said Rashad Husein, vice president of the South Asian Pilgrim Establishment. “It is the first time China has executed such a massive project in the Islamic world. This will not only bring China and the Muslim world closer; this will strengthen the bond between Saudi Arabia and China.”

The technology transfers are not one way. Saudi Aramco, the Kingdom’s national oil company, has lent refining expertise and resources to oil and petrochemical projects in partnership with Chinese companies. Some less tangible things are being exported back to China as well.

Of China’s population of nearly 1.4 billion, about 23 million are Muslims. About 13,000 Chinese Muslims performed Haj this year, which included imams, doctors and government officials. Most of the Chinese railway engineers were not Muslims when they arrived in the Kingdom. A special town was set up for them beyond the jurisdiction of Makkah as the holy city is off-limits to non-Muslims. During the course of the construction of the railway, many of the Chinese engineers embraced Islam.

“That led to even greater love and respect for the Chinese,” said Ali Al-Harithy, a Saudi businessman conducting commerce with China. He said he also was impressed that the new stronger ties with China don’t seem to be disruptive to the Kingdom’s longstanding associations with the United States and Europe.

“It was America that helped the Arab states discover oil, and ever since ties between Saudi Arabia and the United States have been very close,” Al-Harithy said. “For China to create space for itself in this region is phenomenal. This Makkah Metro is world-class, and every single aspect of it was carried out in Chinese factories by Chinese technicians and engineers. It is an engineering marvel. Hats off to the Chinese.”

“‘Made in China’ is no longer a taboo label,” said Sudanese journalist Hassan Ibrahim. 'It has now earned a halo of respectability.'”

Exciting pictures of new China-built Mashair Railway in Saudi Arabia


The 6.5-billion-riyal (1.7 billion dollar), 18-kilometre (11-mile) Al-Mashair rail connects Mecca to Arafat, Muzdalifa and Mina, site of a massive tent city that houses more than one million pilgrims.


Pilgrims on Makkah Metro Mashair!


การทดสอบรถไฟ Mashair Railway ที่ซาอุเตรียมไว้บริการฮุจญาต


Trains will move at speeds between 80 and 120 km/hour.


A man stands watching the newly-opened Holy Sites metro light-rail in the western Saudi city of Mecca on November 2.


The railway will reduce the time it takes for pilgrims to move from Arafat to Muzdalifah to five minutes on the 9th of Dul Hijjah. It will also take pilgrims five minutes to move from Muzdalifah to Mina on the 10th.