The Chinese CE-25A electric aircraft, developed by COMAC and capable of carrying up to 19 passengers, made its first manned flight, with two pilots and a test engineer on board.
The maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is 10 tons, cruising speed is 300 km/h, cruising altitude is 2,400 meters, and the flight range is up to 500 km.
The most notable feature of the CE-25A is its distributed electric propulsion system. Instead of two large motors, it received ten small electric motors with fans in ring ducts. All are built into the wing and work as one system.
The plane can fly completely autonomously or with the help of pilots.