CHINA / SOCIETY
Full-scale prototype of new-energy aircraft ET480 rolls off production line
Published: Jan 12, 2021 07:52 PM

Screenshot from Sina Weibo


 
A full-scale prototype of a new-energy aircraft, the ET480, developed by the research center under the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), rolled off the production line recently, according to the Securities Times on Tuesday.
 
The plane, which was co-developed by COMAC Beijing Aircraft Technology Research Institute and a firm under State Power Investment Corporation, is aimed at future urban transportation.
 
It has a composite wing configuration and can cruise long distances. It also has the flexibility for vertical take-off and landing. In terms of energy, the aircraft uses a "fuel cell + lithium battery" electric-electric hybrid power system and it is expected that the cruising range can be about twice as long as for traditional lithium battery aircraft, the report said.
 
The carbon fiber composite materials used in the structure account for more than 90 percent and the aircraft uses 5G-based intelligent unmanned driving technology, according to the report.

Global Times