China's homegrown manned airship completes first transfer flight

(ECNS) -- Xiangyun AS700, China's independently developed civil manned airship, landed at Shashi Airport in Jingzhou, Hubei Province after 1 hour and 46 minutes of flight on Saturday.

After a brief rest, it returned to Jingmen where it took off, completing its first transfer flight.

"The transfer flight went smoothly, showcasing excellent maneuverability," said Lin Hong, pilot for the mission.

The AS700 adopts vector control technology, capable of vertical takeoff and landing in narrow space.

Notable features include a conventional single-envelope layout, streamlined airbag shape, and single-point single-pillar non-retractable landing gear.

It has a maximum takeoff weight of 4,150 kilograms, range of 700 kilometers, and endurance of 10 hours, top speed of 100 kph, and 10-passenger capacity.

Xiangyun means auspicious clouds in Chinese. 

Compared with other types of airship, it is more maneuverable and flexible, adding to cost efficiency.

Zhou Lei, chief designer of the AS700, said the successful flight fully verified the airship's flight communication, equipment loading, and remote takeoff and landing capabilities.

It also laid the foundation for subsequent longer-distance and longer-duration flights. 

In December 2023, the Xiangyun AS700 civil manned airship officially obtained the certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. It is the nation’s first independently developed manned airship that complies with global airworthiness standards.