Review - AutoFlight’s new eVTOL firefighting drone

🔥 What’s the Innovation?

AutoFlight, a China‑based eVTOL pioneer with R&D in Germany and a center in the U.S., has repurposed its CarryAll cargo drone into a firefighting powerhouse. The latest prototype is a two-ton MTOW eVTOL capable of taking off and landing vertically—no runway needed—while carrying a 400 kg payload of four detachable fire-extinguishing canisters 📦 (autoflight.com).

🚁 How It Means Business

• Payload & Suppression Reach: Each canister disperses suppressant across ~200 m²; all four together can negate fires across 800 m² in one drop (verticalmag.com).

• Speed & Range: Capable of flying 200 km+ at over 200 km/h, it can respond rapidly to remote or growing fire zones (autoflight.com).

• Endurance & Autonomy: Designed for hours‑long missions, potentially operating BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) — possibly day or night (en.wikipedia.org).

🧭 Why It Matters

✅ Clear Advantages

• Speedy, Flexible Response: With VTOL and cruise capability, it bridges gaps between helicopters and fixed-wing craft, especially where terrain is rough.

• Safer & Scalable: Uncrewed operations mean lower risk for pilots, and autonomy supports scalability.

• Operational Efficiency: Multiple missions per charge means more sorties with less downtime.

⚠️ What’s Still in Progress

• Certification Needed: CarryAll is seeking CAAC approval by early 2024—a gatekeeper step (autoflight.com).

• Support System Readiness: To turn prototype into frontline unit, AutoFlight is building ground stations, command systems, and logistics pipelines (iffmag.com).

• Real‑World Testing: So far it’s been deployed in controlled burns and major drills (e.g., China’s 2025 national exercise) .

🌍 Strategic Impact & Global Context

This is more than a Chinese prototype—it’s becoming a global blueprint:

• Operational Trials: AutoFlight's CarryAll Firefighting version took part in the 2025 Emergency Mission drill, delivering bombs and supplies in rugged terrain at night over 200 km autonomously (aerialfiremag.com, chinadaily.com.cn).

• Industry Trend: Reflects a broader move in Europe, North America, and Australia toward large-payload, autonomous aerial drones for emergency management (en.wikipedia.org).

• Complementary Tech: Works alongside innovations like FireSwarm’s drone swarms and Black Hawk autonomy kits in the wildfire space (en.wikipedia.org).

• EHang Comparison: While EHang’s EH216-F tackles urban high-rise fires with smaller loads (~100 L foam), AutoFlight brings heavy payloads and long range to the table (en.wikipedia.org).

🧰 Final Take

AutoFlight’s firefighting eVTOL is a milestone in aerial emergency response. It merges:

• Heavy suppression payloads

• VTOL flexibility

• Autonomy and BVLOS scalability

• Real-world deployment in national exercises

With certification and infrastructure still pending, the next 12–18 months will be pivotal. If fully realized, this drone could become a global standard for rapid, safe, and strategic aerial firefighting—especially in remote or off-grid regions where conventional aircraft struggle.