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In the midst of China’s reforms to promote low-altitude economic development and accelerate technological progress, tiltrotor technology has remained a relatively minor element of the local civilian aerospace sector, primarily focused on uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, including those using tilt-propeller propulsion. However, two companies have recently revealed full-scale tiltrotor designs.
United Aircraft Group
Shenzhen-based United Aircraft Group’s Lan Ying R6000, unveiled in September with a full-scale mockup (see “China eVTOL Aircraft Round-Up,” Vertiflite, Nov/Dec 2024), signaled a shift in China, with the UAS manufacturer aiming to develop the world’s first 6-tonne (13,200-lb) tiltrotor aircraft.
The R6000 features vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities and a 2-tonne (4,400-lb) payload capacity. Its tilting rotors allow it to transition into fixed-wing mode in flight, reaching speeds of up to 550 km/h (300 kt) and offering a range of up to 4,000 km (2,160 nm).
According to the company, the R6000 features an advanced intelligent airspace command and control system, enabling fully autonomous flight with passengers onboard. Engineering teams have designed the tiltrotor to be user-friendly, requiring only short-term training for operators. Large-scale production aims to lower costs, making it more accessible for both operators and users in terms of purchase and maintenance.
Founded in 2012 under CEO Gangyin Tian, United Aircraft has chosen a conventional civil tiltrotor configuration for its R6000 aircraft (similar to the Bell V-280 Valor, with non-tilting rotors) to enhance safety, operational efficiency and compatibility in diverse environments. The company said that while tilting the entire engine nacelle might be technically less challenging, it comes with significant drawbacks. Specifically, a rotating nacelle design directs high-temperature exhaust toward the ground during takeoff and landing, which could affect side cabin door designs, complicate cargo handling operations and pose safety risks to crew and passengers during boarding and deboarding.
To avoid these issues, engineering teams opted for tilting only the rotor. The design aims to eliminate exhaust hazards, reduce side cabin door constraints, and minimize the risk of high-temperature ablation damage to maritime platforms lacking heat-resistant coatings, thereby enhancing the aircraft’s suitability for operations on standard platforms.
“Based on these considerations, we chose the ‘tilt-rotor-only’ design approach,” Tian told Vertiflite, adding that the company is currently advancing the R6000 test flight program. The maiden flight in helicopter mode is slated for completion by mid-2025, with tiltrotor-mode testing to follow later in the year.
United Aircraft’s focus on adaptable solutions aligns with its broader role serving provincial governments and industry partners across sectors like logistics, public security and law enforcement, border and coast guard operations, powerline maintenance, and the oil and gas sector. Since 2021, the company has actively deployed its UAS solutions for critical missions like out a leading role in China’s disaster management and emergency response sector.
Among its offerings are the TD550 and TD220 coaxial uncrewed helicopters, both of which are regularly used for logistics and reconnaissance missions. Each platform features a payload capacity of up to 200 kg (440 lb) and has been deployed in regions including Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei, Huangshan and Guangxi.
The company’s Q20 quadrotor — designed for urban and rural logistics, emergency response, and inspections — carries a 10-kg (22-lb) payload for 73 minutes and can operate up to four payloads simultaneously. It recently completed the first “air-to-air intermodal” transport trial, cutting a mountainous delivery time from two hours to eight minutes.
During severe flooding in Anhui’s Huangshan City last July, TD550 uncrewed helicopters restored communications for six hours via airborne base stations, while Q20 units provided real-time reconnaissance and evacuation guidance using electro-optical pods and loudspeakers.
On the agricultural front, the Q100 is designed to ease workloads by supporting spraying, sowing and aerial surveying with a 65-kg (143-lb) payload. Beyond its primary functions, the drone was repurposed at the 2024 Shenzhen Marathon, where it used a misting system to cool down runners.
Meanwhile, the T1200 tandem-rotor uncrewed helicopter, set for launch in the first half of 2025, features a 500-kg (1,100-lb) payload and is designed for emergency rescue and agricultural transport.
“In the aftermath of extreme events, where water, electricity and communication networks may be disrupted, rescue teams often face challenges to their own survival. UAS equipped with communication base stations can step in, not only ensuring their own flight capabilities but also restoring local communication networks,” Tian said. “This facilitates communication between affected individuals and rescue teams while enabling the transmission of critical information to the outside world.”
The R6000 will join United Aircraft’s existing product range — which also includes rotor blades, composite materials and onboard equipment — as a key enhancement to its emergency response capabilities. According to Tian, when equipped with search-and-rescue and medical systems, the tiltrotor can transport two to four injured individuals alongside up to four medical personnel, enabling rapid crisis response and efficient patient transfers.
Though the road ahead is long, Tian said the company’s foundational aerospace experience underpins its approach to overcoming engineering hurdles. He described the aircraft not just as a technological achievement, but also as a reflection of the company’s pursuit of innovation, crediting the team’s hard work and dedication in bringing the project to fruition. “The tiltrotor configuration’s inherent complexity brings numerous challenges to the development process. United Aircraft started as a flight control technology pioneer, granting us a firstmover advantage in this field. Most of our technical experts have strong theoretical foundations and extensive engineering experience, with backgrounds in leading aerospace research institutes.”
Meanwhile, the T1200 tandem-rotor uncrewed helicopter, set for launch in the first half of 2025, features a 500-kg (1,100-lb) payload and is designed for emergency rescue and agricultural transport.
To advance its efforts, United Aircraft established the “Next-Generation Flight Control System Task Force” in 2022, bringing together over 100 researchers dedicated to long-term, intensive research and development. Engineering teams also collaborate with top Chinese universities like Tsinghua, Beihang and Northwestern Polytechnical while expanding global partnerships to broaden capabilities.
These efforts aim to overcome engineering challenges and complete the project, Tian said, adding that the R6000 is designed to comply with stringent airworthiness standards and achieve a safety benchmark with a catastrophic failure rate of less than one in a billion (10-⁹).
The R6000 is targeted at both passenger and cargo operations. At the 2024 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, held Nov. 12–17, Tian highlighted United Aircraft’s ten “Low-Altitude+” application scenarios for its UAS platforms. These align with China’s policy goals to advance both traditional general aviation and Smart Air Mobility (SAM) — the nation’s term for advanced air mobility (AAM). The scenarios include emergency response, urban management, smart policing, agricultural protection, smart power, water conservation, reconnaissance mapping, logistics optimization, low-altitude medical services and long-distance cargo transport.
Flightwin-Innovation Technology
While United Aircraft is playing in a league of its own with its 6-tonne tiltrotor, China saw another heavyweight make its mark in 2024. On Nov. 5, Beijing Hangjing Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. — known by its English name, Flightwin-Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. — unveiled its 1.5-t (3,300-lb) hybridelectric tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft, the Assault Eagle-2000 (see “China eVTOL Aircraft Round-Up, Part 2,” Vertiflite, Jan/Feb 2025). The No. 0 unit rolled off the final assembly line before making its debut at the airshow in Zhuhai.
Powered by the company’s independently developed 180-kW (241-shp) WZ-180 turboshaft engine and a 300-kW WD-300E turboelectric hybrid power system, the Assault Eagle-2000 is designed to achieve a cruising speed of 300 km/h (162 kt) and a maximum speed of 350 km/h (190 kt), with a range exceeding 700 km (380 nm).
Built for demanding environments such as high-altitude regions and offshore platforms, it is intended for missions like short-distance commuting, medical emergencies and cargo transport.
The aircraft supports both piloted and autonomous operations, accommodating up to five passengers (with no pilot); Flightwin told Vertiflite that “the aircraft has five seats, with the seat located at the front of the aircraft designed for a safety operator to temporarily take control in emergency situations.” The aircraft can also fly five passengers autonomously or 500 kg (1,100 lb) of cargo.
Like United Aircraft, Flightwin is a well-established uncrewed helicopter manufacturer specializing in emergency management services. The company’s product range spans from 200 kg (440 lb) to 2.5 t (5,500 lb), with applications in firefighting, mass material transport and rescue operations.
Among its flagship products, the FWH-1500 is a proven heavy-lift uncrewed helicopter with a maximum takeoff weight exceeding 1 tonne (2,200 lb) and a 300-kg (661-lb) payload capacity. Capable of long-endurance missions lasting over five hours, it is designed for operations in challenging environments, such as plateaus, mountains, forests and deserts. The FWH-1500 is used for a variety of tasks, including forest firefighting, cargo transport, emergency communication, medical rescue, disaster response and defense operations.
Flightwin’s second heavy-lift model, the FWH-3000 — which the company claims is the world’s largest payload uncrewed helicopter — has a capacity of 1 tonne (2,200 lb). The aircraft supports air drop, sling and winch delivery methods, with a range of 600 km (373 miles) and up to five hours of flight time under maximum load. Built for extreme terrains, the FWH-3000 is used for cargo transport, medical evacuations, forest firefighting and national defense. According to the company, it can also withstand winds of up to 50–61 km/h (28–33 kt) during operations.
Complementing the lineup is the FWH-1000 uncrewed helicopter system, a nextgeneration, general-purpose, large-load UAS with a payload capacity of up to 150 kg (330 lb). It has a maximum takeoff weight of 550 kg (1,215 lb) and offers a battery life of up to four hours. The FWH-1000 reaches a maximum level speed of 160 km/h (86 kt) and a cruising speed of 120 km/h (65 kt).
Meanwhile, the FWH-300 is a 200-kg (440-lb) class, single main rotor, uncrewed helicopter designed for fire detection and suppression. It can carry two 25-kg (55-lb) fire-extinguishing bombs, has a three-hour endurance and a 50-kg (110-lb) payload capacity. Featuring redundant flight control; navigation; and telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) systems, it is capable of tasks such as inspection, mapping and communication relay in various environments.
Flightwin also manufactures the FWT-68 command, measurement and control vehicle system, which supports UAS operations by providing integrated solutions for transportation, mission planning, command, route coordination, flight monitoring and operational data analysis.
The Assault Eagle-2000, Beijing’s first eVTOL, expands Flightwin’s product lineup as the company looks to scale UAS production to meet growing demand. On its home turf, the company’s facility spans 39,000 m² (420,000 ft²), featuring a digitalized workshop for research and development, production and testing, with the capacity for mass production. Production bases in Shandong and Zhejiang, with three interconnected facilities, support an annual capacity of 500 units.
Beyond its borders, Flightwin states it collaborates with over 30 countries in regions like Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. During the Zhuhai airshow, the company secured sales agreements worth more than 100 million yuan (around US$14M) for its heavy-lift uncrewed helicopters, including the FWH-1500 and FWH-3000. It also established cooperation agreements with clients from Thailand, Indonesia, Uruguay, Malaysia and several African nations.
Low-Altitude Economy
China’s push to integrate advanced UAS into emergency services and aerial logistics opens major opportunities for both United Aircraft and Flightwin. Key policy drivers include a 2024 national directive requiring local governments to incorporate UAS into emergency management systems, with increased funding for projects aimed at improving extreme-scenario communication capabilities. Targets by 2027 focus on breakthroughs in integrated space-air-ground-sea systems and expanded supply of equipment adaptable to harsh environmental conditions. Complementing this, Beijing’s 2024–2027 Low-Altitude Economy Action Plan prioritizes urban air mobility development through regulatory and financial incentives to accelerate innovation in uncrewed systems and infrastructure.
