(Yicai) Feb. 6 -- The V5000 Tianjilong, the world's largest electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft developed by AutoFlight, wrapped up its first public test flight at the Chinese air taxi maker's Bailian Lake Low-Altitude base in Jiangsu province.

The hybrid aircraft, with a maximum takeoff weight of 5,700 kilograms and a range of 1,500 kilometers, completed its first public test yesterday, said Xie Jia, senior vice president of Shanghai-based AutoFlight. It comes in a passenger version that can carry 10 people, on par with business jets, and a cargo edition that can hold two AKE containers, Xie added.

EVTOL aircraft are a new type of low-altitude aircraft that are either pure electric or hybrid, capable of taking off and landing without runways. They are mainly used for urban air mobility, short-distance passenger transport, low-altitude logistics, and emergency rescue.

"The Tianjilong can carry long-distance point-to-point flights of over 1,000 km, expanding its application scenarios to intercity business travel, heavy-duty feeder logistics, large-scale emergency rescue, and more," Xie noted, adding that passenger eVTOL aircraft can be more efficient and far cheaper in point-to-point flights compared with business jets that operate between airports.

Chinese eVTOL aircraft manufacturers have rolled out several new models over the past year. However, most mainstream products have a takeoff weight of 1.5 to 3 tons and a seating capacity of four to six people, with a substantial increase in takeoff weight translating to greater payload capacity and longer flight range.

For commercial application, eVTOL aircraft must first obtain a Type Certificate, Production Certificate, and Airworthiness Certificate, while operators need to secure an Operation Certificate. Massive testing and repeated verification are required during the certification process to ensure flight safety in real-world scenarios.

AutoFlight's V2000CG CarryAll, a two-ton payload pure electric cargo aircraft, has already obtained TC, PC, and AC, but the OC application for its first customer, Chuangxing Intelligent, is still pending. Another of its models, the six-seat V2100 Shengshilong, is undergoing airworthiness certification.

"We hope the Shengshilong can complete certification this year, while the airworthiness application for the Tianjilong is expected to be submitted in the next one to two years," Xie said.

Apart from completing extensive airworthiness reviews, the cutting-edge nature of eVTOL aircraft means public and industrial acceptance will take time, which is another major challenge for their commercialization, Xie pointed out.

"Logistics transportation will likely be the first scenario to achieve a full commercial closed loop, with AutoFlight's products expected to enter this year," Xie noted, adding that logistics firms will also need to restructure their business models and adjust service networks and product offerings.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev