Illegal sales of autogyros are booming in China's online communities, as manufacturers turn to streaming platforms to advertise their products, said a media report on Tuesday. 

Xie Baogang, dubbed Flying Major General on Kuaishou.com, has more than 250,000 fans on the popular live-streaming platform, after uploading more than 300 videos showcasing people flying self-assembled aircraft.

Xie showcases the autogyros he produces in an online broadcast. / Beijing news

The autogyro is a type of rotorcraft that uses a rotor in autorotation to maintain lift with an engine-powered propeller to provide thrust. While similar to a helicopter in appearance, the autogyro depends on air flowing through its rotor disc to generate rotation.

The craft that Xie develops are 2.6 meters high, weigh in at 168 kilograms and have a wing span of 8 meters. Prices range from 35,000 yuan (5,148 US dollars) to 130,000 yuan (19,123 US dollars), depending on the passenger capacity and engine power.  

He has being running this business for seven years, and is capable of producing most of the necessary parts, except for engine parts which are imported from Austria. Without any license or qualifications, Xie sells the components manufactured in his workshop located in southern Guangdong Province to clients online, and instructs them on how to assemble it themselves.

File photo of an autogyro / CFP Photo

In China, a certificate of airworthiness from the country's Civil Aviation Administration is required for manufacturing and purchases of any aircraft. Otherwise, the activity is deemed as illegal.

"Most of the buyers just want a plane for fun," Xie told Beijing News. He admits that most of his clients are not licensed pilots and are secretly conducting flights in rural areas where regulations against illegal flights are loose. 

"The aircraft is firm and solid. There will be no problem as long as you take off and land outside urban areas," he said. 

Beijing News also discovered that several other web streaming accounts on Kuaishou.com are offering similar services. 

But Zhang Qihuai, an expert on aviation law, told the newspaper that there is a blind spot for air surveillance in China given that there is no effective way to detect aircraft flying at low altitudes.