2 new VTOL aircraft being developed

Engineers at the Aviation Industry Corp of China are working on at least two new types of new-energy aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capability, hoping to meet demand for such craft in the market.

Feng Weichao, a senior designer at the China Helicopter Research and Development Institute, an AVIC subsidiary, said in Tianjin on Friday that engineers at his institute have built an unmanned prototype of the AR-E3000 electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and conducted the prototype's maiden flight in July.

"The test flight took place in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, and lasted about five minutes. We checked the model's performance in terms of hovering and flying forward and backward," he said, adding that more test flights are planned to examine its overall capability.

The AR-E3000 has advantages such as low carbon emission, adaptability to plateau environment, good operational economy and versatility, and a high safety level. It can meet the needs of air transportation, aerial sightseeing, and emergency response in urban regions. It can also be used for point-to-point delivery in plateaus, islands and other remote areas, Feng told China Daily on the sidelines of the 7th China Helicopter Exposition that opened in Tianjin on Thursday.

According to information published by the institute, the AR-E3000 has a maximum takeoff weight of 2.3 metric tons, a carrying capacity of 450 kilograms, and a top speed of 280 kilometers per hour.

The craft is able to operate for one hour and can fly 200 km when fully loaded.

Another unmanned type, which has yet to be given a name, is still in the midst of design work and will have a larger body.

The new model will be propelled by six electric motors and powered by a hybrid power pack. It will be specifically suitable for operations in plateaus, especially transport tasks.

The drone can carry 600 kg of payloads and fly about 600 km, and will have a maximum cruise speed of 380 km per hour.

"Compared with conventional helicopters, electric or hybrid-power tiltrotor aircraft is less susceptible to high altitudes' impact on engine performance thanks to the use of electric batteries," Feng explained.

He noted that in the future, along with the improvement of batteries and engines, the new aircraft will have big potential in civilian and military fields.

"Currently, both of their prototypes are unmanned. We can develop manned variants if there are market demands. In addition, we can enlarge their size and give them bigger capacity based on users' requirement," the designer said.