New light-sport aircraft gets civil aviation certificate in China

KUNMING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- CHINA's civil aviation administration has issued an inspection certificate for a new light-sport aircraft model DLE DL-2L, developed by a private tech firm in southwest CHINA's Yunnan Province.

The DLEngine Technology Co. Ltd. said the administration's quality inspection approval would pave the way for a pending production certificate by the end of the year to start mass production of the model.

With a maximum load of 600 kg, the aircraft boasts a cruising speed of 213 kph and a maximum flight range of 1,500 km.

The company started to develop the aircraft in 2013 with an investment of 20 million yuan (3 million U.S. dollars). It owns the full proprietary rights of the aircraft.

The light-sport aircraft is expected to have broad market potential for commercial and private use, such as flight training, aerial display, air tours and aerial traffic patrols.