China launches airfoil database to support innovation in aviation technology

China launched an airfoil design system and database on Wednesday to provide key technical support for independent innovation in the aviation sector.

The airfoil database was built by the National Key Laboratory of Aircraft Configuration Design in northwest China’s Xi’an City, which was jointly run by the Northwestern Polytechnical University and the First Aircraft Institute of Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

The database integrates a customized airfoil profile system designed for eight types of advanced aircraft, creating China's first such database for industrial applications.

"The research and development team, consisting of members of three generations, has devoted over 30 years of efforts to build up the theoretical foundation of airfoil design and combine it with model development, thus creating a comprehensive airfoil system in China from scratch. Now China has developed over 1,000 airfoils with complete independent intellectual property rights. The release of China's airfoil system marks a breakthrough in its independent development of basic research and design development in this field, which has great historical significance," said Tang Changhong, director of the National Key Laboratory of Aircraft Configuration Design, during the launch event.

As airfoil design is the foundation of aircraft design and development, experts said that the establishment of the airfoil database provides technical support for China's general aviation and drone sectors, which will play an important supporting role in the development of the aerospace industry in China.

"The release of this set of system and database can greatly reduce the work in the early stage of the design department, thus speeding up the development process. In the future, people can look for the suitable [ airfoil design] in our system according to their performance requirements. If they have more specific requirement, they can use this system as a basis, and our supporting design software can quickly make customized airfoil to meet their requirements," said Gao Zhenghong, a professor from the School of Aeronautics of Northwestern Polytechnical University.

China launches airfoil database to support innovation in aviation technology

China launches airfoil database to support innovation in aviation technology

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will extend the two-week ceasefire with Iran that was set to expire on Wednesday night (midnight GMT Tuesday).

"Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The U.S. president said he will "extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other."

The U.S. military will continue the blockade against Iran and "remain ready and able," according to Trump.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X Tuesday that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is "an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire" and attacking Iranian merchant ships and detaining their crew members were even more serious violations.

"Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying," Araghchi wrote in his post.

Mehdi Mohammadi, an advisor to Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also said the U.S. blockade must be met with a military response, dismissing Trump's ceasefire extension announcement as "meaningless".

"Extending the ceasefire by Trump has no meaning. The losing side cannot dictate terms. Continuing the blockade is no different from bombing and must be met with a military response. Moreover, any extension of the ceasefire by Trump is certainly a way to buy time for a surprise attack. Now is the time for Iran to take the initiative," Mohammadi posted on X.

Trump extends ceasefire; Iran vows military response to naval blockade