On the morning of February 5, 2026, at the Bailianhu Low altitude Base in Kunshan, Jiangsu, a uniquely shaped aircraft smoothly transitioned from vertical takeoff to horizontal cruising. This is the first public conversion flight of the world's first 5-ton electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, the V5000 "Skydragon," independently developed by Shanghai Fengfei Aviation Technology.

This flight completed the entire process from vertical takeoff, forward transition to fixed wing cruise, and then to smooth landing after reverse transition, marking a breakthrough for Chinese enterprises in the field of heavy eVTOL.

Doubling passenger capacity, ushering in a new era of 'air minibuses'

Compared with the current mainstream "air taxis" that carry 4-6 passengers, the Tianjilong passenger version can carry 10 people, and the freight version can achieve ton level cargo transportation. The debut of this 5-ton eVTOL officially marks the beginning of the industry's development from "air taxis" to "air minibuses".

The person in charge of Fengfei Airlines stated that the 5-ton platform can significantly dilute the operating costs of each seat, making low altitude travel and transportation more economically feasible. A larger passenger capacity means higher operational efficiency, which will accelerate eVTOL from demonstration applications to large-scale commercial operations.

Breakthrough in flight range, expand intercity application scenarios

Tianjilong offers two versions: pure electric and hybrid. The pure electric version has a maximum range of 250 kilometers and is suitable for urban internal transportation; The maximum range of the hybrid version can reach 1500 kilometers, which can meet the travel needs between urban agglomerations.

The upgrade of battery technology and exploration of hybrid solutions have expanded the application scenarios of eVTOL from within cities to intercity transportation. From Kunshan to Ningde, taking Tianjilong can shorten the travel time from 5-6 hours to less than 2 hours, greatly improving travel efficiency.

Security and authentication, accelerating commercialization process

As a manned aircraft, safety is the primary consideration. Tianjilong adopts a composite wing configuration and innovative three wing layout, equipped with 20 lift motors, providing multiple safety redundancies. Any changes require repeated experimental verification and parameter refinement during real aircraft test flights.

In 2024, Fengfei Aviation received strategic investment from CATL, and the two sides jointly built a research and development, manufacturing, and operational support system. At present, China's top eVTOL companies are orderly promoting airworthiness certification work under the guidance of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. In 2025, Fengfei Aviation's 2-ton cargo eVTOL has obtained the "Airworthiness Three Certificates", accumulating experience for the certification of larger aircraft models.

With the successful maiden flight of the Skydragon, the low altitude economy is moving from concept to reality. The larger payload capacity, longer range, and lower operating costs will promote eVTOL to become a travel choice for ordinary people as soon as possible, reshaping the future urban transportation pattern.Editor/Yang Meiling