Giant 10-person 'flying taxi' passes first flight test in China | Live Science
China's massive Sky Dragon and Matrix aircraft are suitable for up to 10 passengers, or more than one ton of cargo.
A Chinese company successfully flew a 5-ton (4,536-kilogram) electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) in a new feat for electric aircraft. Its makers at Fengfei Aviation claim it’s the largest eVTOL to ever complete a test flight.
During the test flight, the V5000 aircraft lifted off in VTOL mode, switched to fixed-wing mode for a short flight, and then transitioned back to VTOL mode to safely land. VTOL vehicles mimic helicopters, enabling them to lift off and land on helipads or in other smaller spaces without requiring supporting infrastructure, such as the runways used by fixed-wing aircraft.
The test took place Feb. 5 at Kunshan Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Test Flight Operation Base in Jiangsu Province, a site Fengfei Aviation uses for public demos and AP press flights.
There are several variants of the aircraft — a purely electric version can reach 155 miles (250 kilometers), and a hybrid-power alternative can fly for 932 miles (1,500 km), company representatives said in a statement posted to LinkedIn.
The V5000 also comes in two variants, depending on the cargo it’s intended to transport. The passenger version, evocatively dubbed the “Sky Dragon,” can haul up to 10 passengers. Fengfei’s English brand, AutoFlight, has developed an alternate version called the V5000 Matrix, which can transport around a ton (907 kg) of freight.
Taking to the skies
Both versions are built around a 39-inch (20-meter) wide compound wing, supported by a three-surface aerodynamic layout and 20 lift motors. Including 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 has signed a six‑year exclusive deal to operate air taxis in Dubai, and EHang’s pilotless EH216‑S, approved for commercial low‑altitude tourism flights in China.
Although these vehicles are primarily in the four-to-six passenger urban shuttle range — and tend to be significantly lighter than the V5000. Most of them are designed for short-range urban hops, while the V5000 demonstrates the possibility for longer regional transport. Some, like Joby and Archer, are backed by major airlines (Delta in Joby's case, United in Archer's), giving them a leg up towards FAA certification.
No specific certification timeline for the V5000 Sky Dragon/Matrix after its test has been publicly announced, though the company’s smaller V2000CG (2-ton cargo eVTOL) already holds key certifications in China for airworthiness alongside health and safety.
Fengfei — specifically AutoFlight — also has the advantage of a major investment from leading battery developer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
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