Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) AR-E300 (prototype)

(Photo credit: Aviation Industry Corporation of China)

AR-E300 (prototype)
Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) AR-E300
Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
www.en.avic.com

The information provided here is as accurate as possible; however, eVTOL information from China is sometimes sparse, incomplete or conflicting. China is promoting what they call the "low-altitude economy" — a new push for general aviation — which includes both crewed and uncrewed passenger and air cargo eVTOL aircraft.

Founded in 1951, Aviation Industry Corporation of China is a Chinese state-owned multi-billion dollar aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Beijing. It has been reported the company has over 100 subsidiaries, 27 companies and 500,000 employees worldwide. The company manufactures jetliners, military aircraft, helicopters and much more. It was recently reported the company is also designing with the intent of manufacturing passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

AR-E300 passenger eVTOL multicopter prototype aircraft
The AR-E300 is a one passenger eVTOL multicopter prototype aircraft. The aircraft has an open cockpit with a front windscreen. There are two joysticks for the pilot to control the aircraft. The company stated the research for this multicopter aircraft began in the spring of 2023 and test flights began in the summer of 2024 at the China Helicopter Research and Development Institute in Jingdezhen, China. The aircraft was first revealed to the public at the 6th China Helicopter Exposition in Tianjin, China in 2023.

While the cruise speed of the aircraft is unknown, the range of the aircraft is 30 km (18.6 miles). The empty weight of the prototype is 280 kg (617 lb), the maximum payload weight is 120 kg (265 lb) and the maximum takeoff weight is 400 kg (882 lb). The aircraft has six independently controlled propellers, six high-performance electric motors and uses high-performance battery packs to power the aircraft. The propellers are located on a circular mounting that is held by six struts initiating from the top center of the aircraft's fuselage. The propellers are said to be low-noise and have a low-vibration rate. The fuselage is made from carbon fiber composite to give the aircraft a high strength to low weight ratio. The aircraft has fixed skid landing gear.

AVIC expects the multicopter aircraft to be used for urban air transportation, aerial sightseeing and cargo delivery. For all new aircraft, as more prototypes are made and flight tested, production models and specifications can change before the serial production begins.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Passenger eVTOL multicopter prototype aircraft
• Piloting: 1 pilot with 2 joystick controls
• Cruise speed: Unknown
• Range: 30 km (18.6 miles)
• Empty weight: 280 kg (617 lb)
• Maximum payload weight: 120 kg (265 lb)
• Maximum takeoff weight:  400 kg (882 lb)
• Propellers: 6 propellers
• Electric motors: 6 electric motors
• Power source: Batteries
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Cockpit: Open cockpit with front windscreen
• Landing gear: Fixed skid landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) uses multiple propellers or electric ducted fans, each powered by electric motors, to increase safety through redundancy. If one or more components fail, the remaining ones can still ensure a safe landing. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft providing safety through redundancy. Having multiple redundant systems on any aircraft decreases having any single point of failure.

Related Aircraft:

• Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) AG-EX (technology demonstrator)
• Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) AR-E3000 (prototype)
• AVIC China Helicopter Research and Development Institute (CHRDI) Electric Helicopter (technology demonstrator)
• AVIC China Helicopter Research and Development Institute (CHRDI) Sylan (mockup)
• China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co., LTD. (AVIC) General Aviation eVTOL (mockup)

Company Insights:

• Crunchbase
• Pitchbook
• Tracxn
• Wikipedia

Resources:

• Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) website
• Article: AVIC tests two new eVTOL aircraft, Flight Global, Mar. 10, 2025
• Article: Country taxis to next frontier of air travel, China Daily, Mar. 10, 2025
• Article: “AVIC is developing two eVTOLs for certification in next two years"  –  China Daily, Urban Air Mobility, Mar. 11, 2025