The AeroHT X2 electric multicopter completed its first demonstration flight with passengers on board in the skies of the Chinese capital, near Beijing Capital Airport. The proliferation of this type of project in China is booming; it remains to be seen how well Chinese infrastructure is prepared for the transition to commercial operation of this type of vehicle.
In April, AeroHT announced it would accept orders starting in the fourth quarter of this year. The company received permission to conduct flight tests of the X2 model at the end of January last year, and prototype demonstrations were also held in Dubai as early as 2022. AeroHT, which began developing electric aircraft in 2013, has research centers in Shenzhen and Shanghai, in addition to its headquarters in Guangzhou.
Since 2021, Chinese authorities have been promoting the development of regulations and infrastructure for the operation of aircraft at altitudes below 3,000 meters. Since this spring, this area of activity has been included by the Chinese government on its priority list for state aid. Twenty-six provinces in the country have developed their own plans for the development of a new generation of small aircraft, while in Beijing, the corresponding plans were not drawn up until March of this year. Three main air routes are planned to connect three districts surrounding Beijing, and will be used for both rescue services and various test flights.
The X2 is a fifth-generation autonomous eVTOL multicopter with seating for two passengers and enough room for luggage. The aircraft has a high-visibility cockpit for passengers to enjoy excellent views. The aircraft features a two-way 4G/5G communication system. The X2 has eight propellers, eight battery-powered electric motors, a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph), and a flight time of 35 minutes. The fuselage is a carbon-fiber composite fuselage with an aircraft-grade aluminum structure, has a fixed-slide landing gear, and was specifically manufactured for advanced air mobility.
The aircraft is designed to be the size of a car so it fits easily into a garage, driveway, or standard parking space. Four small wheeled carts can be placed under the sliding landing gear to easily move the aircraft while on the ground. Safety features include distributed electric propulsion (DEP), multiple redundant systems, spherical environment sensing, autonomous return and landing, ground monitoring, real-time video, an omnidirectional camera, and an emergency ballistic parachute.
