In a new feat for electric aircraft, a Chinese company has successfully flown a 5-ton (4,536 kg) electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. Manufacturer Fengfei Aviation claims this is the largest eVTOL to have completed test flights to date.
During the test flight, the V5000 aircraft took off in VTOL mode, switched to fixed-wing mode for a short flight, then returned to VTOL mode and landed safely. VTOL vehicles mimic helicopters and can take off and land on helipads or other small spaces without the need for supporting infrastructure such as runways used by fixed-wing aircraft.
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The aircraft comes in several variants, with a pure electric version reaching 155 miles (250 kilometers) and an alternative hybrid-powered version capable of flying 932 miles (1,500 kilometers), company representatives said in a statement posted on LinkedIn.
The V5000 also comes in two variants depending on the cargo you transport. The passenger version is evocatively named ‘Skydragon’ and can carry up to 10 passengers. Fengfei’s British brand AutoFlight has developed an alternative version called the V5000 Matrix, which can transport around 1 tonne (907 kg) of cargo.
To the sky
Both versions are built around a 39-inch (20-meter) wide composite wing, supported by a three-sided aerodynamic layout and 20 lift motors. Including 20 motors in the design provides redundancy in case some fail.
Several companies have begun considering eVTOLs for commercial taxi services, including Joby Aviation, which has an exclusive six-year contract to operate air taxis in Dubai, and EHang’s pilotless EH216‑S, which has been approved for commercial low-altitude tourist flights in China.
These vehicles are primarily in the 4-6 passenger city shuttle range and tend to be significantly lighter than the V5000. While most of them are designed for short distance urban hops, the V5000 shows potential for long distance regional transport. Some airlines, like Joby and Archer, are backed by major airlines (Delta Air Lines in Joby’s case and United Airlines in Archer’s case), which puts them in a favorable position for FAA certification.
Although a specific certification schedule after testing of the V5000 Skydragon/Matrix has not been made public, the company’s smaller V2000CG (2-ton cargo eVTOL) has already received key certifications in China for airworthiness as well as health and safety.
Fengfei, and AutoFlight in particular, also has the benefit of a huge investment from leading battery developer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
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