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AutoFlight's eVTOL Has Got What It Takes to Be an Air Taxi and There's Footage to Prove It

China-based startup AutoFlight is really serious about conquering the sky with its air taxis. And to show us it means business, the company just announced that its Prosperity I Proof of Concept has just accomplished transitioning from vertical to horizontal flight and it’s got it all on camera.
AutoFlight eVTOL Air Taxi 7 photos
Photo: AutoFlight/Twitter
AutoFlight air taxiAutoFlight air taxiProsperity I test flightAutoFlight air taxiAutoFlight air taxiProsperity I test flight
AutoFlight is headquartered in Shanghai but is working on expanding globally. It recently revealed that it expects to obtain EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) certification for its aircraft by 2025, with the certification program being scheduled to start this year.

The company’s first eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) air taxi, Prosperity I, will be tested and further perfected in Germany, at the recently established research & development center at the Augsburg airport. In addition, further locations for test and demonstration flights will be established across Europe.

As for the Prosperity I air taxi, it is described by AutoFlight as a new category of aircraft with a “lift and cruise” configuration. This design approach is supposed to combine a superior range and safety with low technical complexity, resulting in a simple, clean, quiet, and affordable flying machine.

Prosperity I accomplished its maiden flight last October. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,500 kg (3,300 lb.), a capacity of four people (three passengers and the pilot), and it boasts an impressive range of up to 250 km (155 miles) on a charge. AutoFlight says it will have a maximum cruising speed of 200 kph (124 mph).

To prove the reliability of its eVTOL aircraft, the Chinese manufacturer recently shared footage of the Prosperity I transitioning from vertical to horizontal flight, stopping its front propellers to allow the rear ones to begin driving it forward.

For now, AutoFlight has just released the “trailer” of the test flight but it will release the full video in early February.

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About the author: Cristina Mircea
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Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
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