Reporter Jiang Xiaotian reported from Beijing on October 13th that the Civil Aviation Administration of China has officially issued the EH216-S unmanned manned aircraft system model certification to Yihang Intelligent Equipment (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd. (EH.US), which is also the world's first unmanned electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft model certification, indicating that unmanned manned aircraft will be expected to enter the commercial market.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China has officially issued the EH216-S unmanned manned aircraft system model certificate to Yihang Intelligent Equipment (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd. (EH.US).
Unmanned aerial vehicles are expected to be prioritized in the tourism sector
The reporter from Nandu learned on site that the EH216-S manned unmanned aerial vehicle is an unmanned vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) that can be used in scenarios such as manned transportation, air tourism, air logistics, and medical emergency response.
Xin, the chief operating official of Yihang Intelligence, stated in an interview with the media that Yihang has currently conducted low altitude tourism scene trial operations in 20 branches in 18 cities in China, which will also be a priority commercial operation point for the unmanned aerial vehicle in the future.
He said that the development of the industry depends on the improvement of infrastructure construction and the support of local governments. "As these networks and distribution points mature, our commercialization pace can gradually accelerate
According to public data, Hu Huazhi, the founder, chairman and CEO of Yihang Intelligent, announced that the two seat manned autonomous vehicle "Yihang 216" was officially unveiled at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Zhuhai Air Show) in 2018.
At the end of 2020, Yihang Intelligent submitted an application for the EH216-S manned unmanned aerial vehicle model certificate to the Civil Aviation Administration of China. At the beginning of 2021, the Civil Aviation Administration officially accepted the application and established a project review working group in April.
In August of this year, Yihang Intelligent completed all compliance test flights during the final stage of compliance certification and verification as planned, including the final model certification test flight reviewed by the Civil Aviation Administration. It is reported that the model will undergo operational qualification certification in the future, and will be officially put into commercial operation after meeting relevant requirements.
Being awarded a certificate of conformity is still the world's first, and enterprises need to prioritize both development and safety
It is worth mentioning that this time, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has issued a certificate of conformity for unmanned aerial vehicle models, which is also the world's first. Nandu reporters have noticed that globally, all manned aircraft entering the commercial market must go through the airworthiness certification process of the Aviation Regulatory Bureau, and previously, there were no airworthiness certification standards applicable to unmanned manned aircraft systems such as EH216 in various countries around the world. To this end, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has also specifically explored the introduction of certification criteria, and the experience of conducting EH216-S airworthiness certification will have important reference significance for the global aviation industry, promoting the establishment of unmanned eVTOL aircraft airworthiness certification rules, standards, and specifications.
Yin Shijun, Chief Engineer of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, stated at the event that the overall unmanned aviation industry in China is still in the cultivation stage. Enterprises need to handle the relationship between development and safety, strictly operate standards in the subsequent operation process, continuously optimize product design, and gradually expand application scenarios while ensuring safety. Manufacturing enterprises should be good at summarizing experience, forming replicable technologies and standards, and simultaneously carrying out internationalization work to enhance the international competitiveness and influence of Chinese technology and products, and continue to maintain the leading advantage in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles.