Country taxis to next frontier of air travel

Aviation Industry Corp of China, the nation's leading aircraft supplier, has designed and built two models of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOL, and is working on their flight tests, according to a senior AVIC expert.

Wu Ximing, a senior rotorcraft researcher and chief technologist at the State-owned aviation conglomerate, told China Daily in an exclusive interview that testing of the two models — AR-E300 and AR-E3000 — is underway at the China Helicopter Research and Development Institute in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, which built the prototypes for both.

"Research and development of the AR-E300 started in the spring of 2023 and progressed smoothly. In September that year, we unveiled the model at the 6th China Helicopter Exposition in Tianjin. In the summer of 2024, we conducted its first flight test in Jingdezhen," Wu said.

"Design work for the AR-E3000, a larger configuration, was launched in the second half of 2024, and it also moved fast. The model was first unveiled to the public at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, in November. A prototype will have its maiden flight around the end of this year," he added.

Engineers at the Jingdezhen institute will continue to carry out more tests involving the two models, optimize some subsystems according to the tests' results, and work with civil aviation authorities to arrange the timetables for airworthiness certificate applications, according to the senior researcher.

"We hope that they can obtain the type and production certificates within two to three years, but it depends largely on the certification process," he said.

Wu, who is also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body, made the remarks on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, which concluded in Beijing on Monday.

Low-altitude economy

The eVTOL aircraft models are part of the aviation conglomerate's hardware portfolio designed for China's low-altitude economy, Wu said.

The low-altitude economy has been a common term in the lexicon of China's economic planners for several years. Though there has yet to be an official definition, economists have generally agreed that it refers to a spectrum of business activities occurring within low-altitude airspace, commonly defined as airspace up to 1,000 meters above ground.

It involves manned and unmanned civilian aircraft activities, such as passenger transportation, air tourism and cargo delivery, and also covers related hardware manufacturing, maintenance and integrated services.

According to a report from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China's low-altitude economy reached 506 billion yuan ($70 billion) in 2023, marking an increase of 33.8 percent year-on-year. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has projected the sector's market scale to hit 1.5 trillion yuan by 2025 and further expand to 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035.

Wu said the eVTOL aircraft feature advantages such as simplified structures, low maintenance costs, zero emissions and reduced noise.

"Such vehicles are driving growth in industries such as new electric motors, batteries, advanced materials and telecommunications. Their deployment is expected to stimulate the construction of integrated transit networks, create new business scenarios and give new momentum to public consumption," he said.

According to the aviation conglomerate, the AR-E300 has a maximum takeoff weight of 400 kilograms, a maximum carrying capacity of 120 kg, and can fly 30 kilometers when fully loaded.

The model has been designed for urban transportation, aerial sightseeing and cargo delivery. It is equipped with low-noise and low-vibration rotors, high-safety flight control, a lightweight full-composite body structure, and high-performance batteries and motors.

The AR-E3000 has a maximum takeoff weight of 2.6 metric tons, a maximum carrying capacity of 450 kg, and can fly 200 km when fully loaded. It can serve personnel and cargo transportation purposes and is also suitable for medical rescue missions.