AI Digest Pending…
On August 3, CNOOC, CITIC Offshore Helicopter, and Autoflight announced a major milestone. The China-developed 2-ton-class electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) "CARRYALL" successfully accomplished the world's inaugural material transport mission to an offshore oil platform. This breakthrough not only introduces an innovative solution for long-distance maritime logistics but also marks a critical advancement in China's low-altitude transportation applications across land and sea.
Jointly executed by CNOOC, CITIC Offshore Helicopter, and Autoflight, the flight operated the CARRYALL—the world's first 2-ton-class eVTOL certified with Type Certificate (TC), Production Certificate (PC), and Airworthiness Certificate (AC). Carrying fresh fruits and urgent medical supplies, it departed from a land-based vertiport in Shenzhen, flew across the sea for 58 minutes, and landed at the Huizhou 19-3 platform 150 km off the Shenzhen coastline.
Compared to traditional vessel- or helicopter-based transport, eVTOL offers significant advantages in operational costs, response speed, environmental sustainability, comfort, and adaptability to confined landing spaces.
The CARRYALL utilizes a lift+cruise configuration, with a range of 200 km (125 miles), a maximum speed of 200 km/h (124 mph), and a payload capacity of 400 kg (882 lbs).
