The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued the world's first type certificate for a homegrown passenger-carrying unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) on Friday, marking its airworthiness from regulators.
The type certificate for EH216-S, an unmanned electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL), demonstrates that "the model design fully complies with the CAAC's safety standards and airworthiness requirements, and that the EH216-S is qualified for conducting passenger-carrying UAV commercial operations," said its developer EHang, a Guangzhou-headquartered company leading in autonomous aerial vehicle technology.
The eVTOL, measuring 1.93 meters in height and 5.73 meters in width, has a maximum takeoff weight of 620 kilograms, which can carry two passengers with luggage. With eight foldable arms and 16 propellers, it can travel for up to 30 kilometers at a speed of as fast as 130 kilometers per hour.
The eVTOL also features green power and intelligent systems.
It is purely powered by electric energy and can be fully charged in two hours. Its multiple smart systems, including flight control systems and battery management system, as well as high-speed wireless network, enables safe and smooth flight experiences, the company said.
The aircraft can be widely applied in the fields like passenger transportation, air tour, air logistics and medical emergency response, according to the company.
EH216-S's type certificate application was accepted by the CAAC in January 2021. It published the special conditions under which the aircraft could be approved for operation in February 2022, laying the foundation for its certificate evaluation.
During the validation process, the aircraft conducted more than 40,000 test flights in different places at home and abroad, and accomplished the final tests in August.
China encourages the development of eVTOLs as part of its plan for sustainable aviation.
On Tuesday, the country's three ministries, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the CAAC, jointly released a 2023-2035 development outline on green aviation manufacturing, which plans for eVTOL pilot operation by 2025.
