The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has certified the first all-electric light aircraft. It is about the RX4Ea four-person propeller vehicle that has been independently developed by the Liaoning General Aviation Research Institute of Shenyang University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
This is an advance that could be considered a very important step for the future of air mobility in the Asian country. In various regions of the world, work is already underway on electric aircraft, such as the Alia from Beta Technologies or the E9X from Elysian Aircraft, although these projects still have a long way to go (the second longer than the first).
The promising Chinese electric plane
The news has been made known this week by the Shenyang Municipal Government, which has celebrated the milestone of the locally manufactured aircraft. In this way, the RX4E now has a airworthiness certificate which will allow the manufacturer to pave the way towards serial production and subsequent marketing within the Asian giant.
To speak of the RX4E is to refer to a light aircraft with a wingspan of 13.5 meters, a length of 8.4 meters and a maximum take-off weight of 1,260 kg. At the battery level, it has a capacity of 70 kWh, which allows it to reach a maximum propulsion system power of 140 kW. You can fly for a maximum of 1.5 hours or make a trip of 300 km.
As we can see, we are faced with a proposal designed for short flights, but that opens the door to a wide range of potential uses. For example, it can be used for pilot training, training flightstourism, agriculture or emergencies. The RX4E promises to be able to land in places with limited infrastructure.
The most notable feature of this four-passenger plane is that it completely dispenses with fossil fuels, which makes it possible to avoid the emissions associated with them. Likewise, its manufacturers explain, it boasts a low noise level, low operating cost and high standards of safety and reliability.
Five years have passed since the CAAC accepted the request for the certificate of airworthiness of the plane. Now that Rhyxeon General Aircraft has it in its hands it can continue working to really get this project off the ground. The next objective? Take it beyond China’s borders to market it in more than 15 countries.
Images | Rhyxeon General Aircraft
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