Leaving Toulouse for its delivery flight.

About to perform its first flight

This modern sculpture by Huang Yong Ping is the Bat Project IV from 2004 relating to a major diplomatic incident in 2001 when a US Navy EP-3 on a spy mission collided with a Chinese fighter in Chinese airspace. The Orion nose seen here (ex US Navy) is festooned with stuffed bats hanging inside the cockpit of a real aircraft, a reference to the bat logo on the fin of the offending aircraft. The rear 'fuselage' made from bamboo and red white and blue fabric, allusions to China and the USA, contains a poignant exhibition of the history of the sculpture

This modern sculpture by Huang Yong Ping is the Bat Project IV from 2004 relating to a major diplomatic incident when a US Navy EP-3 on a spying mission collided with a Chinese fighter in Chinese airspace. Here stuffed bats hang from the cockpit of a real aircraft, an allusion to the bat logo on the fin of the offending aircraft. Exhibited for a short time, the first time in Europe in the Nottingham Contemporary gallery, it is strange yet enthralling