On May 18, 2024, China delivered its first domestically developed new energy light sport aircraft, the RX1E-A, to a general aviation airport in Anhui Province. This milestone marks a significant advancement in the nation’s general aviation industry.
Powered by lithium batteries and constructed from carbon fiber composite material, the RX1E-A is the world’s first two-seat electric light sport aircraft to receive both a design certificate and a mass production license. The Civil Aviation Association of China (CAAC) issued the Type Certificate for the model in 2018 and the Production Certificate in 2019. Additionally, the aircraft is the first globally to obtain an airworthiness certificate under the American Society for Testing and Materials standards.
“Electric light sport aircraft have a wide range of applications,” said Zhang Feng, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) of China. “They can be used for pilot training, aerial sightseeing, short-distance commuting, and aerobatic performances.”
Produced by Rhyxeon General Aircraft, the RX1E-A boasts a maximum takeoff weight of 630 kilograms and can operate in the air for up to 2.5 hours, covering a range of 240 kilometers. As of March 2024, the company has secured 22 orders and received over 400 letters of intent for future purchases.
General Aviation in China
The Chinese government has highlighted the low-altitude economy in its 2024 work report, providing a boost to businesses in this burgeoning sector. General aviation, including small fixed-wing planes, helicopters, and drones, is expected to become a new engine for economic growth.
The size of China’s low-altitude economy was estimated at more than 500 billion yuan (approximately $70 billion) at the end of last year, according to the CAAC. This figure is projected to reach 2 trillion yuan by 2030.
“Driven by national policies and technological advancement, China’s low-altitude economy is developing rapidly,” Zhang Feng explained. “From ground to space, it is expanding economic opportunities to three dimensions, opening up infinite imagination.”
“I believe that in the coming years, the low-altitude economy will bring about unimaginable changes to the entire society, just as we could not have imagined the convenience of mobile payments over a decade ago,” he added.
Reference(s):
China delivers 1st self-developed new energy light sport aircraft
cgtn.com
