On February 5th, Chinese electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) manufacturer AutoFlight officially unveiled the V5000 Matrix, the world's first 5-ton-class eVTOL independently developed by the company, and completed its transition flight at AutoFlight's Bailian Lake Low-Altitude Base. This marks AutoFlight as the world's first and currently the only enterprise to successfully achieve transition flight of a 5-ton-class eVTOL, setting a Chinese benchmark for the "heavyweight" upgrade toward 10-passenger capacity and ton-scale payloads in the global eVTOL industry.
The all-electric version of the Matrix offers a maximum range of 250 kilometers, while the hybrid variant can reach up to 1,500 kilometers. The passenger model accommodates 10 people, and the cargo variant can transport goods at the ton scale, boosting the leapfrog breakthrough of heavy-payload aircraft toward the "Heavy Aerial Platform".
Currently, the eVTOL industry is experiencing a period of rapid development. Mainstream eVTOL models typically feature takeoff weights of 1.5 to 3 tons and carry 4 to 6 passengers. The Matrix is the first eVTOL to increase the takeoff weight to the 5-ton class, enabling significantly higher payload capacity and extended range. More importantly, the 5-ton class platform can significantly reduce operating costs per available seat kilometer/ton-kilometer, making low-altitude travel and transportation more economically feasible.
During this public demonstration flight, the V5000 Matrix and V2000CG CarryAll conducted a formation flight at AutoFlight's Bailian Lake Low-Altitude Base, which also made its first public appearance as a comprehensive eVTOL base. The Matrix demonstrated the entire process from vertical take-off, forward transition to fixed-wing cruise, then reverse transition, and finally smooth landing, reflecting AutoFlight's deep expertise in core technology areas such as aerodynamic safety and stabilization, high-power electric propulsion, and highly reliable flight control.
eVTOL起飞重量突破5吨级，纪录来自这家中国低空企业
2月5日，峰飞航空科技自主研发的全球首款5吨级eVTOL（电动垂直起降飞行器）V5000天际龙正式亮相，并在峰飞航空白莲湖低空基地完成转换飞行。这标志着峰飞航空成为全球首家、也是目前唯一成功实现5吨级eVTOL转换飞行的企业，为全球eVTOL行业10座载人和吨级载重的“重量级”提升提供了来自中国的示范。
天际龙纯电版最大航程250公里，混动版最大航程可达1500公里。客运版可搭载10人，货运版可实现吨级货物运输，助推大载重航空器向"重型空中平台"的跨越式突破。
目前，eVTOL产业正处于快速发展期，目前主流产品集中在1.5-3吨起飞重量、载客4-6人的规模。天际龙首次将eVTOL的起飞重量提升至5吨级，有望带来更大的载重和更远的航程。更为重要的是，5吨级平台可大幅摊薄“座公里/吨公里”运营成本，使低空出行和运输落地更具经济可行性。
此次公开演示飞行，V5000天际龙与V2000CG凯瑞鸥在峰飞航空白莲湖低空基地进行编队飞行，也是该基地作为eVTOL综合基地首次公开亮相。天际龙演示了从垂直起飞、正向转换到固定翼巡航，再进行反向转换，最后平稳降落的全过程，体现出峰飞航空在气动安全稳定、高功率电推进、高可靠飞控等核心技术领域的深厚积累。
文 | 记者 严锦程
图 | 图源峰飞航空
译｜郑书悦
审｜肖凯欣
