Giant 10-person ‘flying taxi’ passes first flight test in China
A Chinese company has successfully flown a 5-ton (4,536-kilogram) electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) plane in a new feat for electric planes. Its builders at Fengfei Aviation claim it is the largest eVTOL never perform a test flight.
During the test flight, the V5000 aircraft took off in VTOL mode, switched to fixed-wing mode for a short flight, and then returned to VTOL mode to land safely. VTOL vehicles mimic helicopters, allowing them to take off and land on helipads or other smaller spaces without requiring supporting infrastructure, such as runways used by fixed-wing aircraft.
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There are several variants of the plane: A purely electric version can reach 155 miles (250 kilometers) and a hybrid alternative can fly 932 miles (1,500 km), company representatives said in a statement. statement published on LinkedIn.
The V5000 is also available in two variants, depending on the cargo it is intended to carry. The passenger version, evocatively nicknamed “Sky Dragon”, can carry up to 10 passengers. Fengfei’s English brand AutoFlight has developed an alternative version called the V5000 Matrix, capable of carrying around one tonne (907 kg) of cargo.
Take flight
Both versions are built around a 39-inch (20 meter) wide compound wing, supported by a three-surface aerodynamic layout and 20 lift motors. The inclusion of 20 motors in the design provides redundancy in case some fail.
Several companies have begun exploring eVTOLs for commercial taxi services, such as Joby Aviation, which signed an exclusive six-year deal to operate air taxis in Dubai, and EHang’s unmanned EH216-S, approved for low-altitude commercial tourist flights in China.
Although these vehicles are primarily in the four- to six-passenger commuter range, they tend to be significantly lighter than the V5000. Most of them are designed for short-distance urban trips, while the V5000 demonstrates the possibility of longer regional transport. Some, like Joby and Archer, are backed by major airlines (Delta in Joby’s case, United in Archer’s case), giving them an advantage toward FAA certification.
No specific certification timeline for the V5000 Sky Dragon/Matrix following its test has been publicly announced, although the company’s smaller V2000CG (2-ton cargo eVTOL) already holds key certifications in China for airworthiness and health and safety.
Fengfei – specifically AutoFlight – is also benefiting from a major investment from leading battery developer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), which is said to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
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