The "Xiangyun" AS700 civil manned airship independently developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd. (AVIC) was recently issued a type certificate by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
It makes the AS700 the first of its kind with complete proprietary intellectual property rights independently developed in accordance with the CAAC airworthiness regulations on receiving a type certificate.
The AS700 project was filed in June 2018 and its development started in August. It included production of three such airships, with the first planned to be an unmanned jet for technology verification. Scientific research and test flights of the unmanned one were completed this year. The other two were manned airships and completed their maiden flights in December 2022 and September 2023.
In response to policies like promotion of supply-side reform, development of the general aviation and low-altitude tourism equipment manufacturing industries, and improvement of the emergency rescue equipment system, the AS700 airship delivered outstanding performances in green and low carbon flight and safe and economical operation.
It is expected to be used mainly in air tours, emergency rescue, anti-terrorism and stability operations, urban security and airborne geophysical prospecting.
Designed with an "X" type trapezoid tail, the single-capsule manned airship has a single-point landing gear. It has a maximum take-off weight of 4,150 kilograms, a maximum flight range of 700 kilometers, and a maximum endurance of 10 hours. It can carry as many as 10 people including the pilot.
The issuance of the AS700 airship type certificate marked improvement in the research and development capacity of China's manned airships and pushed forward transformation and upgrading of the country's aviation and equipment manufacturing industries while driving development of other industries along the industrial chain. It also encouraged development of China’s floating vehicle industry.
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
