China’s electric hot air balloon completed its scientific research trip AS700D

On February 21, the AS700D manned, electric-powered hot air balloon performed its first scientific research flight near Jingmen, Hubei, marking a significant milestone in China’s low-altitude aviation business.

Aerospace Corporation of China (AVIC)

The AS700D is an all-electric airship developed and constructed by the Aerospace Industry Corporation of China’s (AVIC) Special Aircraft Research Institute.

The AS700D is based on the approved AS700 “Xiangyun” manned airship and has undergone a comprehensive electrification update. It replaces the standard flying engine and fuel system with a modern lithium battery drive system, propeller system, thrust guiding system, and cooling system. The airship has a maximum flight speed of 80 kilometers per hour, can reach an altitude of 3,100 meters, and can hold up to ten passengers.

After the AS700D is operational, it can be utilized for a variety of purposes, including low-altitude tourism, aerial advertising, urban security, aerial exploration, and emergency rescue.

The whole power source for the AS700D balloon comes from lithium batteries

Zhu Lei, the principal designer of the manned balloon AS700, told Chinese media that the AS700D is totally powered by lithium batteries. This improvement enables it to achieve near-zero emissions and reduced flight noise. He emphasized that the balloon is excellent for aerial photography, security monitoring, traffic management, and communication signal relay in particular places such as nature reserves and ecologically sensitive areas with stricter noise and emission limits.

According to the China Aerospace Industry Corporation, the successful maiden flight not only validated the technical and fundamental development of the AS700D electric airship, but also lay the groundwork for future electric airship development and application. This is a significant milestone for AVIC as it expands its green aircraft vehicle development roadmap.

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