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Chinese tiltrotor aircraft draws foreign media attention amid test flight speculation

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun and Liang Rui Published: Aug 19, 2025 06:08 PM

A Chinese tiltrotor aircraft, previously displayed as a model at exhibitions, has once again attracted foreign media attention amid test flight speculations. Chinese expert said on Tuesday that a tiltrotor aircraft can vertically take off and land like a helicopter but has much faster speed, providing greater flexibility and mission efficiency.

Citing undated photos published this week, news website Defence Blog reported on Monday that China has flown the first prototype of a tiltrotor aircraft being developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

A model of the aircraft was first displayed at the Zhuhai Airshow in 2022, and the prototype's recent flight confirms that the program has advanced from design studies into practical testing, according to the Defence Blog.

The Chinese side has not announced the alleged test flight as of press time, but the aircraft was indeed shown to the public in previous exhibitions.

A model of the aircraft was also displayed at AVIC's booth at AERO Asia 2023, held in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province in November 2023, the military channel of China Central Television (CCTV) reported at the time.

The appearance of the Chinese aircraft bears some resemblance to the V-280 Valor, which the US Army has chosen to become its long-range assault aircraft, CCTV reporter said. The reporter also noted that the aircraft seemed not to be a particularly large one, with a takeoff weight of less than 10 tons.

The rotor-tilting on the Chinese design is achieved through a transmission mechanism that shifts only the rotor between the horizontal and vertical placements, not the entire nacelle, CCTV report noted, adding that this design enhances flight safety.

US news outlet the War Zone also noted this. Instead of the whole nacelle rotating, only the front portion pivots. This solution reportedly reduces complexity, increases reliability, and improves performance compared with earlier tiltrotor concepts where the whole nacelle rotates, like on the US-made V-22 Osprey, the report said.

The tiltrotor's configuration highlights Beijing's ambition to expand rapid transport and assault options for the People's Liberation Army (PLA), claimed another media outlet, Interesting Engineering.

The CCTV report noted that at AERO Asia 2023, the Chinese aircraft was labeled for civilian use.

The tiltrotor aircraft retains the helicopter's ability to take off and land vertically while achieving a significant improvement in range, payload capacity, altitude, and speed. These characteristics make it particularly well-suited for roles such as emergency rescue, CCTV said.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese aviation expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the transport efficiency of a tiltrotor aircraft is about three times that of a helicopter. While the highest speed of a conventional helicopter can barely reach 300 kilometers an hour, a tiltrotor aircraft could reach more than 600 kilometers an hour. It combines the advantages of a helicopter and fixed wing aircraft.

Based on the model displayed at exhibitions, Fu said that this tiltrotor uses a design that is technologically superior to the US' V-22, providing more reliability. He said he looks forward to further development of the aircraft.