Our reporter Li Wenshan
On October 13th, the Civil Aviation Administration of China issued the EH216-S unmanned aerial vehicle system model certificate (TC) to Yihang Intelligent Equipment (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd., marking that the EH216-S model design meets the airworthiness requirements of the Civil Aviation Administration and has the safety capability for manned operation.
Yin Shijun, Chief Engineer of the Civil Aviation Administration, attended the event and delivered a speech. Yin Shijun pointed out in his speech that since accepting the EH216-S model certification project in 2021, the Civil Aviation Administration has attached great importance, coordinated resources, comprehensively carried out project review work, adhered to innovative concepts, actively explored the path and methods of unmanned aerial vehicle system certification, adhered to prudence and inclusiveness, and carried out manned unmanned aerial vehicle system certification safely and smoothly. After efforts from all parties, EH216-S has been successfully awarded the TC certificate. At present, the overall unmanned aviation industry in China is still in the cultivation stage, and the Civil Aviation Administration is planning to continue promoting the high-quality development of the unmanned aviation industry. Enterprises should handle the relationship between development and security, strictly adhere to operating standards in the subsequent operation process, continuously optimize product design while ensuring safety, and gradually expand application scenarios. Manufacturing enterprises should be good at summing up experience, forming technologies and standards that can be popularized and replicated, and simultaneously carrying out internationalization work, improving the international competitiveness and influence of China's technologies and products, maintaining the leading edge in the development of unmanned aviation, and contributing to the promotion of China's new industrialization and the realization of Chinese path to modernization.
It is understood that the EH216-S manned unmanned aerial vehicle is a product independently developed by Yihang Intelligent. It is an unmanned vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) that can achieve unmanned operation and can be applied in scenarios such as manned transportation, air tourism, air logistics, and medical emergency response. 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. At the beginning of 2021, the Civil Aviation Administration officially accepted the application and established a project review working group in April. In February 2022, the Civil Aviation Administration of China officially released the "Special Conditions for the EH216-S Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System of Yihang", providing the basis for the certification of Yihang's intelligent EH216-S unmanned aerial vehicle system model. In September of the same year, the special certification plan for Yihang EH216-S was officially approved by the Civil Aviation Administration.
In August 2023, Yihang Intelligent has completed all compliance test flights in the final stage of compliance certification and verification as planned, including the final model certification test flight reviewed by the Civil Aviation Administration. In the future, this model will undergo operational qualification certification and officially enter commercial operation after meeting relevant requirements.