A Shenzhen hobbyist's dream will come true next month when he launches the city's first flight of a non-remote-controlled airship.

The 16-horsepower, 14-meter-long, 4.8-meter-tall aircraft has been designed by Wang Jiayin, 22, a long-term model airplane lover, the Daily Sunshine reported Tuesday. What differentiates Wang's airship from traditional ones is the use of GPS (global positioning system). The GPS will enable the model to follow a scheduled flying route without being controlled by a remote, said Wang.

The GPS is provided by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Most model airplanes use remote controls, which limit them to a certain flying distance.

Wang said he was granted permission for the trial flight from Shenzhen air authorities two months ago. But he said the exact time for the test flight is yet to be decided.

A former table tennis player in Henan Province, Wang came to live in Shenzhen with his parents in 2002 after he retired from the provincial table tennis team. He became interested in model airplanes and spent most of his leisure time building them.

He learned that airships are generally more stable and easier to control than airplanes after one of his model planes crashed. Wang shifted to airships and has since been trying to design and assemble his own model.

Editor: Donald