Beijing:
With Beijing confirming that its first aircraft carrier has begun sea trials, there has never been more enthusiasm for the giant vessels among the Chinese population.
Competitors on the outskirts of Beijing took part in a three-day contest, over the weekend, to try to land radio controlled drones on a mock up of an aircraft carrier.
More than 40 drones took part in the competition which was organised by the aviation institute of a university in Northwestern China.
One drone designer showed off his aircraft which was able to both take off and land vertically. He claimed the innovative design could be used in many different contexts.
"It can be used in both military and civil areas. For military, it can be widely used in areas without a runaway, such as boat-based or vehicle-based reconnaissance by individual soldiers. In civil ways, it can be used for natural resource exploring and geological survey and so on," said designer, Sun Zhenghu.
Organisers said the aim of the competition was to promote creativity and innovation in drone technology and to raise awareness of aviation among the general population.
China began the sea trial of a 1000-foot aircraft carrier in August. The refurbished vessel, a former Soviet Union warship, was towed from Ukraine in 1998.
Beijing recently announced that its military spending rose to 91.5 billion US dollars last year, the second highest in the world after the United States.