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Worlds's First Forward-Developed eVTOL for Megacities Rolls Production Line
Source:China Composites Expo
2025-05-12 17:03:07
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原文:http://shenzhen.chinacompositesexpo.com/en/news-detail-92-15759.htmlOn May 8, WEFLY Aviation Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. held a grand ceremony in Suzhou to celebrate the final assembly and rollout of W280, the world's first full-size, five-seat manned eVTOL aircraft specifically designed for mega-city clusters. This milestone marks a crucial step forward in the commercialization of China's advanced air mobility (AAM) and offers a groundbreaking three-dimensional solution to the transportation challenges faced by mega-city clusters.


Tailored for major mega-city clusters such as those in the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and other mega-city clusters worldwide, the W280—WEFLY’s second-generation manned eVTOL—boasts a maximum takeoff weight of 2.8 tons, a top speed of 280 km/h, and a range of 280 km. These capabilities enable efficient commuting between core transportation hubs and central business districts (CBDs), as well as between CBDs themselves.

The aircraft features a compound-wing configuration, an all-composite structure, pure electric propulsion, and highly integrated autonomous flight control and advanced avionics systems. It can take off and land between buildings without a runway in most weather conditions. Thanks to its noise-suppression technology, the W280 maintains a cruising noise level below 50 decibels, ensuring "quiet urban air mobility."

"With high population density and complex commuting scenarios in China’s mega-city clusters, the W280 is designed to meet 'China’s needs' through forward development, focusing on cutting-edge aircraft and onboard systems to fill the gap in China’s manned eVTOL certification," WEFLY Aviation stated.

The W280 utilizes an integrated fuselage-tail composite molding process, modular design, and reusable components, reducing its bill of materials (BOM) cost by 40% compared to imported alternatives. The engineering development cost for this model is one-third of that in Europe and the U.S., while its manufacturing, assembly, and testing costs are just one-fifth.

During the ceremony, WEFLY Aviation signed in-depth airworthiness cooperation agreements with five subsidiaries of AVIC, to jointly support the W280’s airworthiness certification and commercial success. Additionally, WEFLY entered strategic partnerships with local low-altitude economy industry leaders, announcing a collaborative initiative to develop "urban low-altitude service applications."
文章来源:http://shenzhen.chinacompositesexpo.com/en/news-detail-92-15759.html