Flight testingWeFly
W280
Compound-wing, five-seat air taxi
Five-seat compound-wing eVTOL air taxi from WeFly (Qifei Aviation Technology) in Suzhou, designed for China's mega-city clusters. WeFly lists a 2,800 kg MTOW, 450 kg max payload, 70 min flight time, 220 km/h cruise, 280 km/h max speed and 280 km max range, with 12 lift and 3 push propellers and 45–50 dB cruise noise. It rolled out on 8 May 2025 and made its first flight on 14 July 2025 at Shengze Lake, Suzhou. On 1 September 2026 CAAC's East China Regional Administration accepted its type-certificate application; it is not type-certified. No price or battery capacity is published.
- Range
- 280 km (max)
(varies with speed, reserves, and how the pilot flies the mission).
- Payload
- 450 kg (max)
- Cruise
- 220 km/h
(chosen by the pilot, and traded against range and endurance).
- Top speed
- 280 km/h
- Flight time
- 70 min
(varies with the speed the pilot selects and the reserves kept for the mission).
- Price
- Not published
- MTOW
- 2,800 kg
- Seats
- 5
- Battery / fuel
- Electric (capacity not published)
- First flight
- 14 Jul 2025 — Shengze Lake, Suzhou (full-scale, uncrewed)
- Entry into service
- Not published
Full figures
- Maker
- WeFly (Qifei Aviation Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.)
- Seats
- 5
- Configuration
- compound wing, 12 lift props + 3 push props, all-composite airframe
- MTOW
- 2,800 kg (September 2026 press reports 3.18 t)
- Max payload
- 450 kg
- Flight time
- 70 min
- Cruise speed
- 220 km/h
- Max speed
- 280 km/h
- Max range
- 280 km
- Cruise altitude
- 600 m; max altitude 1,000 m AGL / 3,000 m MSL
- Noise
- 45–50 dB in cruise
- Safety
- fly-by-wire with full-envelope protection; redundant high-voltage battery packs (WeFly says it can keep flying with a pack failed)
- Milestones
- rolled out 8 May 2025; first flight 14 Jul 2025, Shengze Lake, Suzhou
- Certification
- CAAC East China accepted the TC application 1 Sep 2026; not type-certified
For
- Full-scale uncrewed first flight in July 2025
- Published specs: 5 seats, 450 kg payload, 70 min, 280 km
- CAAC has accepted the type-certificate application for review
Against
- Not type-certified — review is not approval
- First flight was uncrewed
- No price or battery capacity published