Banlan Aviation Technology Company ET-C22 (prototype)

(Photo credit: Banlan Aviation Technology Company)

ET-C22 (prototype)
Banlan Aviation Technology Company
Tianjin, China
(website unknown)

Please remember, it is known that information originating from China is sometimes sparse, incomplete or inaccurate. The information we provide here is either from company news reports or online articles. We do know that China is promoting what they call the "low-altitude economy" (in the US, it's known as advanced air mobility or AAM). China's low-altitude economy includes both crewed and uncrewed passenger and air cargo electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft.

Founded in 2016, Banlan Aviation Technology Company is in the business of making passenger and air cargo electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) multicopter aircraft. The company is located in Tianjin, China. The company had a trade show booth at the Zhuhai Air Show in September 2021 in Zhuhai, China. The company has stated they have multiple patents for their aircraft and technologies.

ET-C22 air cargo eVTOL multicopter prototype aircraft
The ET-C22 is an air cargo eVTOL multicopter prototype aircraft. The aircraft is also known as the Flying Cube. The aircraft will be remotely piloted, have autopilot, use autonomous piloting or a combination of the three. The aircraft is expected to be used for air cargo deliveries in urban areas or can be used for security and surveillance purposes. The company has stated the aircraft has a stable center of gravity because the cargo hold is low. The multicopter can carry air cargo or can be outfitted with cameras and other electronic surveillance devices. In the above pictures, you can see the ET-C22 multicopter aircraft to the left of the ET-124 black passenger eVTOL multicopter aircraft.

While the cruise speed is unknown, the expected range of the aircraft is 34 km (21 m), has an anticipated flight time 30 minutes and the maximum cruise altitude has been calculated to be 3,000 m (9,843 ft). The aircraft has two tandem propellers, has two electric motors and is powered by battery packs. When in storage or being transported by a car or truck, the propellers tilt down to reduce space.

The empty weight of the aircraft is 100 kg (220 lb), has a maximum payload weight of 50 kg (110 lb) and has a maximum takeoff weight of 150 kg (331 lb). For the production aircraft, the fuselage will most likely be made from made from carbon fiber composite to give the aircraft a high strength to low weight ratio. The multicopter aircraft has fixed skid landing gear.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Passenger eVTOL multicopter prototype aircraft
• Piloting: Remote, autopilot, autonomous or a combination of the three
• Capacity: Air cargo
• Cruise speed: Unknown
• Range: 34 km (21 m)
• Flight time: 30 minutes
• Maximum cruise altitude: 3,000 m (9,843 ft)
• Empty weight: 100 kg (220 lb)
• Maximum payload weight: 50 kg (110 lb)
• Maximum takeoff weight: 150 kg (331 lb)
• Propellers: 2 propellers
• Electric motors: 2 electric motors
• Power source: Batteries
• Fuselage: Unknown (A production aircraft would probably be made from carbon fiber composite material)
• Landing gear: Fixed skid landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) uses multiple propellers or electric ducted fans, each powered by electric motors, to increase safety through redundancy. If one or more components fail, the remaining ones can still ensure a safe landing. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft providing safety through redundancy. Having multiple redundant systems on any aircraft decreases having any single point of failure.

Related aircraft:

• Banlan Aviation Technology Company ET-124 (prototype)

Resources:

• Article: China's Rising eVTOL Industry, Vertiflite, Nov/Dec 2021
• Article: A review of 100 Chinese low-altitude economy companies and 35 domestic eVTOL companies!, ChatPlas, Feb. 20, 2025