Domestic civilian airship receives major certification

Vessel expected to meet demand in sightseeing tours, cargo transport

The multipurpose AS700 civilian airship model recently received a major certification from the government, moving it closer to mass production, according to State-owned conglomerate Aviation Industry Corp of China, the nation's leading aircraft maker.

The company said in a statement on Tuesday that the Civil Aviation Administration of China issued the type certificate to the AS700 on Dec 13, making the type the first manned airship in China to be domestically developed and certified.

Designed and built by the Special Aircraft Research Institute, an AVIC subsidiary in Jingmen, Hubei province, the airship's research and development started in August 2018, with the main aim of meeting tourist demand for sightseeing air tours.

Propelled by piston engines, the airship has a maximum takeoff weight of 4.15 metric tons and a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour. The craft is able to carry one pilot and nine tourists and is capable of flying 700 kilometers and staying in the air for up to 10 hours.

"After receiving the type certificate, we will cooperate with the airship's first users to develop a set of standard procedures for its business operations. And we will also work together to get the production certificate as soon as possible," Zhao Xiajun, deputy director of the institute, said on Wednesday.

"So far, we have signed several contracts for the first mass-produced AS700s," he said.

There are three prototypes: the first was built as an unmanned platform for technology demonstration and had completed all of its assigned test flights, the second and third are crewed and tasked with making test flights for certification procedures, said Du Wei, a senior engineer at the Jingmen institute and project manager of the AS700.

There will be plenty of space inside the aircraft, which will allow it to have cooking facilities and a washroom. It can also be equipped with high-end appliances or be modified into a luxury vehicle to meet various kinds of market needs, according to designers.

With a comfortable flight experience, good economy and high safety, airships are a good choice for aerial tourism and cargo transportation to remote areas, Du said.

"Besides its potential in tourism, the AS700 will also be suitable for a wide range of civilian operations such as mineral prospecting, marine surveillance, police patrols, cargo transport and emergency rescue," the manager said.