XPENG AEROHT's ‘Land Aircraft Carrier’ flying car enters airworthiness certification phase

Beijing (Gasgoo)- On March 25, XPENG AEROHT, the urban air mobility company affiliated with XPeng Inc., officially announced that the application for the Type Certificate (TC) of its "Land Aircraft Carrier" flying car's airframe (codenamed: X3-F) had recently been accepted by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) South Central Regional Administration, indicating that the model is poised to enter the airworthiness certification phase.

"Land Aircraft Carrier"; photo credit: XPENG AEROHT

The TC mentioned is an approval of the design of civil aviation products, issued by the CAAC based on the Civil Aviation Products and Parts Certification Requirements, (CCAR-21). XPENG AEROHT stated that the acceptance of this TC application signifies the regulatory authority's recognition of its comprehensive capabilities and project feasibility.

The "Land Aircraft Carrier" flying car by XPENG AEROHT consists of two parts: the "land module" and the "flying module," which can automatically detach and recombine. The land module can fully enclose the flying module and operate on the ground.

The TC application accepted this time pertains to the flying module, making it the first domestically developed manned electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft targeting individual users. It features a distributed electric drive system, meets single-point failure safety requirements, offers manual and automatic driving modes, and boasts a panoramic two-seater cabin with a 270° view.

Previously at the CES 2024, XPENG AEROHT revealed plans for the split-type flying car to accept orders by the end of 2024, with deliveries expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2025.