AutoFlight
AutoFlight conducted a successful group flight involving three vehicles, including the largest electric eVTOL V5000 Matrix weighing about five tons. One V5000 Matrix operated in conjunction with two V2000 series machines, demonstrating the capabilities of cross-platform communication, route coordination, flight control and safety control.
The V5000 Matrix has a length of 17.1 meters and a wingspan of 20 meters, a maximum take-off weight of 5.7 tons and will be available in two versions. The fully electric passenger version accommodates up to ten people in the business class cabin. The power reserve is 250 kilometers. In February 2026, this version performed a full—fledged transitional flight: vertical takeoff, transition to horizontal flight and return to vertical landing - a technical milestone that not all developers have overcome so far.
AutoFlight V5000
The cargo version of the V5000CGH received a hybrid-electric installation. Its 14 cubic meter compartment accommodates two standard aircraft containers with a payload of up to 1,500 kilograms. The device is capable of reaching speeds of up to 280 km / h with a range of up to 1,500 kilometers. AutoFlight has announced that this version has officially entered the airworthiness certification process.
AutoFlight V5000
The Matrix uses a Lift and Cruise scheme with a composite wing, improved compared to its predecessors. Six rows of rotors provide vertical thrust, and in cruise mode, the wings create lift. Twenty lifting motors operate in parallel: the system remains safe even with simultaneous failure of two motors. Such redundancy is critically important when there are ten people or one and a half tons of cargo on board. In the future, the Matrix will be able to be based on AutoFlight floating airports, vertical take—off and landing platforms on river or coastal barges, introduced in Shanghai in November 2025. The addition of such a large device opens up new scenarios, from disaster relief to logistics in regions with underdeveloped infrastructure.
Alexander Kozyrev
