In science fiction films, air transportation is often desirable, while in real life, the demand for air transportation is increasing day by day due to the dramatic increase in urban populations and severe congestion on ground transportation. Recently, China's independently developed two-ton electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft has completed a test flight, which is regarded as the future"Empty ** Car Rental"a leap forward.
The size and weight of the M1, developed by an aviation technology company in Shanghai, is a testament to its grand vision: 10 meters long, 3 meters high, 15 meters wingspan and a total weight of 2 tons. This unmanned aerial vehicle is designed to have a range of 250 kilometers, a cruising speed of up to 200 kilometers per hour, and a maximum load capacity of 500 kilograms, which is enough to carry five people at once.
Similar to other types of drones such as aerial photography drones, agricultural plant protection drones, and industrial drones, the M1 can take off and land vertically without a runway, and is electrically driven, achieving low noise and zero carbon emissions.
At the end of March 2023, the first M1 aircraft officially rolled off the assembly line, the first round of flight tests began in September, and the first flight was successfully completed in October, marking a major breakthrough in the field of two-ton electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft in China.
At the 6th China International Import Expo, the representative of this future city air ** line attracted wide attention and won an order of intent.
The development of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft requires not only innovative design, but also close cooperation between the first chain and the industrial chain. The M1's ultra-light carbon fibre shell makes it incredibly easy to assemble and can be assembled by just 2 to 3 people. In the manufacturing process, carbon fiber accounts for up to 80% of the weight of the body structure, while its thickness is only 01 mm to 02 mm, which means that the wing and fuselage joints need to be hand-laid with 120 to 150 layers of carbon fiber prepreg.
In addition, the process of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft is also very different from the manufacturing process of traditional aircraft. Thousands of complex lines are scattered throughout the aircraft, and these lines are both the "blood vessels" and "nerves" of the body. While ensuring flight safety, researchers also need to lay high-complexity lines and control weight in a limited space.
The composition of the power system, including the battery, motor and electronic control, is the heart of the aircraft. The rapid development of China's new energy vehicle industry has provided a strong "Chinese heart" for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, especially in the technology accumulation and industrial foundation of batteries, motors, electronic control, etc.
As the "brain" of the aircraft, the flight control system independently developed by a company in Shanghai does not need to be controlled by professional pilots, and can even realize one person to control multiple aircraft.
At present, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft are becoming the darling of the new transportation field, which is expected to fill the gap between civil aviation and ground transportation, and build a three-dimensional transportation network in the low-altitude field above the ground and below 3,000 meters. Although China started late in this field, new products continue to emerge and application scenarios are constantly expanding.
Xu Dongsong, an associate researcher at the Civil Aviation Management College of China, pointed out that China is at the forefront of the world in both the field of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (EVTOL) and unmanned aerial vehicles. This marks that China has made remarkable progress in the field of new aircraft research and development, and is expected to occupy a more important position in the field of global new air mobility in the future.
Insights on this event: The successful test flight of China's electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft not only demonstrates the progress and innovation ability of domestic aviation science and technology, but also indicates the revolutionary change of future transportation modes. This is not only a technological breakthrough, but also an important step towards a more efficient, environmentally friendly and convenient mode of transportation. With the continuous maturity of technology and the expansion of application scenarios, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft will bring more possibilities to urban transportation and promote the innovation and development of transportation modes. At the same time, this will also promote the development of related industrial chains and add new impetus to the development of China's new transportation vehicles.
At a time when the frequent aerial shuttle vehicles shown in science fiction movies are gradually becoming a reality, the problem of urban population explosion and traffic congestion is becoming more and more obvious, and the emergence of new air vehicles has brought new hope to people. Recently, China's independently developed heavyweight electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft has completed the key flight test stage, which is widely regarded as the prototype of the future urban "air car rental".
The M1 electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft developed in Shanghai has a length of 10 meters, a height of 3 meters, a wingspan of 15 meters, and weighs 2 tons. Its driverless design, 250 km design range and 200 km/h cruising speed give it great potential for future urban mobility. And its maximum load capacity of 500 kg means that it can carry 5 people at the same time.
Similar to other types of drones, the M1 can take off and land vertically without a runway, and its electric drive is both low noise and zero carbon emissions, reflecting the concept of green and environmentally friendly future transportation.
Since the first M1 rolled off the assembly line at the end of March this year, after several months of flight tests, it successfully completed its first flight in October, marking the important progress made by China in this field. It was exhibited at the 6th China International Import Expo and not only attracted a lot of attention, but also received orders of interest, demonstrating its potential in the future market.
In the development of these aircraft, the selection of materials and the innovation of manufacturing processes have played a crucial role. The M1 is easy to assemble thanks to its lightweight carbon fibre material. The widespread use of carbon fiber not only greatly reduces the weight of the body, but also improves the strength and stability of the structure. At the same time, the complex circuit layout and precise process of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft also demonstrate China's technological maturity and innovation ability in this field.
As the heart of the aircraft, the rapid development of China's new energy vehicle industry provides strong support for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. As the "brain" of the aircraft, the self-developed flight control system is highly automated and intelligent, making the operation more convenient and safer.
The development of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft heralds a revolution in urban mobility in the future. It is not only expected to solve the problem of ground traffic congestion, but also open up a new space for urban traffic and build a three-dimensional transportation network from the ground to the low altitude. With the continuous progress of technology and the expansion of application scenarios, China's development momentum in this field is becoming increasingly strong.
This is also confirmed by the opinion of Xu Dongsong, an associate researcher at the Civil Aviation Management College of China, who pointed out that China is a global leader in both electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (EVTOL) and unmanned aerial vehicles. This is not only an affirmation of China's scientific and technological innovation capabilities, but also a clear indication of the future development direction of urban transportation.