Aircraft explore Beidou applications in training

Aviation Industry Corp of China, the country's leading aircraft manufacturer, has delivered four CJ-6 basic trainer aircraft to the Jiangxi Provincial Center of Beidou Data, according to the State-owned conglomerate.

The Beijing-headquartered aviation giant said it delivered two CJ-6s to the Jiangxi center in May and two others in June, completing a procurement contract signed with the center in December.

The trainer planes are being used to explore the application of services from China's Beidou Navigation Satellite System in flight training and are based at Yaohu Airport in Nanchang, Jiangxi's provincial capital, AVIC said.

The deliveries marked the completion of the second order for the civilian variant of CJ-6 since it was put on the market in September 2021.

Its first order was inked in December 2022 when Jiangxi Aviation Vocational and Technical College in Nanchang bought two of the CJ-6 civilian variant.

Designed and built by the Nanchang Aircraft Factory, now AVIC's Hongdu Aviation Industry Group, the two-seat CJ-6 is known for its important role in the training of entry-level aviators for the People's Liberation Army.

The plane features an original Chinese design. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1.42 metric tons and is powered by a piston engine consuming aviation gasoline. The aircraft has a maximum speed of 297 kilometers per hour, a flight range of 690 km and an operational ceiling of 6.25 km.

The model made its maiden flight in August 1958 and entered mass production in 1961.

Over the past several decades, all of the military's flight students have started their flying careers in a CJ-6.

With a service life of 63 years, it is now the longest-serving aircraft in the Chinese military.

More than 3,000 CJ-6 aircraft have been delivered to the Chinese armed forces as well as those of more than 10 foreign countries, including Albania, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Tanzania and Sri Lanka. The aircraft has accumulated about 10 million flight hours, according to AVIC.

In February 2019, the CJ-6 obtained its civil aviation type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

In May last year, its civilian variant received its airworthiness certificate, clearing it for civilian use.

Beidou is China's largest civilian satellite system and one of four global navigation networks, along with the United States' GPS, Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo.

Since 2000, 62 Beidou satellites have been lifted on 46 rockets. There are currently nearly 50 Beidou satellites in active service.

In July 2020, the system was declared complete and began providing full-scale global services.