Chinese aircraft manufacturer AutoFlight has publicly tested the Matrix drone, the world's first 5-ton class eVTOL designed to carry up to 10 passengers, reports flyingmag.com.

The demonstration flight included a full cycle: vertical takeoff, level cruise flight, and vertical landing. This marked the first confirmed instance of an eVTOL of this class successfully completing a full transition flight regime.

The aircraft is 17.1 meters long, with a wingspan of approximately 20 meters. The Matrix is available in two configurations: a 10-seat passenger version and a cargo version. The 13.9-cubic-meter passenger cabin can be configured as either a 10-seat business class or a 6-seat VIP configuration. The all-electric version has a range of up to 250 kilometers, while the hybrid-electric version has a range of up to 1500 kilometers.

The design is based on a system of 20 fifth-generation electric lift motors with distributed thrust, providing redundancy: if one or two engines fail, the apparatus retains the ability to continue flight.

By comparison, leading Western competitors—American Joby Aviation and Archer—are developing aircraft for four to five passengers with a range of up to 240 kilometers.

The Matrix's commercial launch date has not yet been determined. The Chinese government plans to introduce basic standards for low-altitude aviation by 2027 and over 300 regulatory documents by 2030. However, experts point out that despite the country's technological leadership in drones, limited access to domestic airspace may make foreign markets more promising for the initial phase of commercialization.