Photo by Yang Chaobo
"You can imagine that in the near future, you can fly to and from work, fly between cities, visit scenic spots, and explore uninhabited islands, all of which can be achieved," Wang Zhao, Joint Chief Operating Officer of Yihang Intelligence, told Chao News reporters.
On April 13th, at the 4th China International Consumer Products Expo, reporters experienced an aircraft, which is the Yihang Intelligent EH216-S unmanned manned aircraft. This aircraft is priced at 2.39 million yuan, and the feeling of sitting in the cockpit is the same as in an unmanned car. It is pure electric, without a joystick or dashboard, only two minimalist screens, and a large windshield, providing a very broad view. It is a vertical takeoff and landing, capable of flying up to 120 meters, with a maximum level flight speed of 90 km/h.
Recently, the concept of low altitude economy has continued to be hot. The eVTOL field, commonly known as "aerial vehicles", is represented by Yihang Intelligence in China.
On April 7th, the Civil Aviation Administration of China issued a production license for the Yihang Intelligent EH216-S unmanned manned aircraft system in Guangzhou. With the model certificate and standard airworthiness certificate obtained last year, EH216-S has become the world's first manned unmanned eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft to obtain the "three major airworthiness permits".
At this year's Consumer Expo, this is also the first time that EH216-S aircraft has made its debut after being approved with the "three major airworthiness certificates", attracting countless attention.
"The acquisition of the three major certificates means that we can expand production, and our main focus in the future will be on commercial operations, which will become closer to consumers and normalize flights in some areas. We want to meet the growing market demand and promote safe and reliable unmanned manned aerial vehicles to the global market," said Wang Zhao.
Photo by Yang Chaobo
At present, this product has been sold to consumers. In March, Yihang EH216-S unmanned manned aircraft were successively launched on Taobao and even entered the "Make Friends" live broadcast room, priced around 2 million yuan.
In the industry, the airworthiness certification of Yihang manned unmanned aerial vehicles is relatively advanced. Aircraft require three types of certificates from production to commercial operation, namely Type Certificate of Conformity (TC), Airworthiness Certificate (AC), and Production License (PC). Last year, Yihang EH216-S obtained the model certificate and standard airworthiness certificate. The issuance of this production license signifies that the aircraft has shifted from the design and development stage to the mass production stage, laying the foundation for comprehensive large-scale commercial operations.
At present, Yihang Intelligence has reached strategic cooperation with multiple local governments, such as Bao'an District and Luohu District in Shenzhen, Huangpu District in Guangzhou, Hefei City, Wuxi City, and overseas in the United Arab Emirates. Through these collaborations, the company has received hundreds of pre orders for EH216-S aircraft and has also established eVTOL operation points in multiple locations.