Autoflight Aviation Technology introduced the latest member of its family of autonomous eVTOL aircraft, the V400 Albatross, on September 13 at the World UAV Conference in Shenzhen, China. The Chinese company is starting with cargo-carrying unmanned aircraft for logistics operations but has already committed to developing larger eVTOL models for passenger services.
The V400 will offer a payload of 100 kg (220 pounds) and be available with all-electric propulsion, for which the maximum range will be 300 km (186 miles), rising to 1,000 km for a hybrid electric version. Shanghai-based Autoflight says that it intends to start test flying the V400 by the end of 2020 and that it has already begun taking orders for the aircraft. In addition to light freight deliveries, the company envisages the model being used for applications such as disaster relief and media support.
In this article
