Ambitious air taxi developer AutoFlight added another aerial first to its collection of exploits this week with the announcement it had staged a flight of three different prototypes of its Prosperity I electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in coordinated formation.
AutoFlight said the trio of its eVTOLs performed “a world first formation flight” by battery-powered next-generation aircraft currently under development by advanced air mobility companies for air taxi services. The firm conducted the demonstration outside Shanghai, and used three iterations of the proof-of-concept test versions of its Prosperity I aircraft.
For an emerging sector in which arguably most startups have yet to produce a physical aircraft – much less test-fly one – getting three iterations of a plane aloft in tandem is quite an exploit (indeed, according to AutoFlight, unprecedented).
The synchronized automated sortie by the AutoFlight eVTOLs was organized with each of the craft assuming a differing flight plan, and coming together into formation for most of those.
The three generations of the Prosperity I air taxi flew in proximity at altitudes of 80, 100, and 120 meters respectively, covering distances of 28, 91, and 120 kilometers, and remaining airborne for 12, 35, and 42 minutes each.
A main objective of the feat was to showcase what the company says is its rapid prototype design, and manufacturing capabilities. But it also sought to add an additional milestone to its list, following the world record set last February when one of its prototypes flew 250.3 kilometers on a single battery charge.
Read more: AutoFlight’s Prosperity I air taxi sets new eVTOL distance record
AutoFlight says it plans on launching a production of a version of the eVTOL later this year, which will serve as the basis for an initial cargo model of Prosperity I. That will be further developed toward the final iteration as a passenger air taxi designed to meet the operational and safety standards of regulators in the world’s main transportation markets.
“We aim to complement urban and regional means of transport for all people by building very safe, quiet, and affordable air taxis,” said Autoflight CEO and key investor Tian Yu.
Operating from the dual headquarters in Shanghai and Ausberg, Germany – the first its initial offices and production center; the second its research and testing facility – AutoFlight has brought its eVTOL along quickly since the first full transition test flight of the air taxi in January 2022.
Mark Henning, the head of the company’s European unit, called the synchronized demonstration additional proof of its drive to take Prosperity I through certification and into service within the next few years.
“The formation flight is a testament to our commitment towards making aerial transport safe, sustainable, and accessible” he commented.
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