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The first Chinese designed private business plane will be ready for its maiden flight in July this year, corporate sources said recently.

Workers are currently making wings for the Xiaoying (Eaglet) 500 at the Shijiazhuang Aircraft Industry Co. Ltd in north China's Hebei Province.

The sources said that the workers had just finished building the fuselage.

Shi Jingqi, chief designer, said the plane is capable of carrying four people, and has a maximum load capacity of 560 kg. With a speed of 300 km per hour and a ceiling of 4,200 meters, the plane can easily land at or take off at small airport or even on a highway.

Jointly developed by organizations including Shijiazhuang Aircraft Industry Co. Ltd., the 603 Research Institute of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and Chinese Civil Aviation College, the plane can be used for training, business, aerial prospecting and photo-taking, or other private purposes, Shi said.

The price for the plane was set at two million yuan (about 241,000 US dollars). Though the plane is still in the process of production, the company said it has already received inquiries from a number of customers.