China successfully conducts first test-flight of electric plane

YouTube grab

Beijing: China has successfully conducted a maiden test flight of its first electric plane earlier this week, which experts hailed as a major step in the development of the domestic aviation industry.

With the successful test flight of the two-seater aircraft, the researchers hope to launch a four-seater version of the plane in the near future.

"We believe there's a big demand for that type of electric plane, which can carry a bigger load on longer flights,” China Daily quoted Zou Haining, deputy head of the Liaoning General Aviation Academy, as saying on Friday.

He said the future electric plane in China would transport both people and goods with the improvement of the technology.

The academy had conducted the test flight, which lasted for two hours, on Wednesday in Faku county.

Zou said it demonstrated China's leading role in the industry.

China's electric plane project started in 2012, led by Yang Fengtian, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

The team took several years to design the light aircraft.

The aircraft is equipped with a parachute which can bring both pilot and plane down safely in the event of an emergency, the report said.