Abu Dhabi-backed eVTOL Nears First Flight in UAE

Autocraft and TCabTech say they are set to make the first flight of the full-scale E20+ eVTOL prototype in the UAE in the first quarter of 2026. This follows recent completion of the first full-scale airworthy prototype.

A mockup of the aircraft is on display at the Dubai Airshow at the Autocraft exhibit. Autocraft, the aerospace-specific subsidiary of K2—a UAE company owned by the Abu Dhabi government— signed an MoU with Chinese aircraft developer TCabTech in July 2024 for the potential delivery of up to 350 units.

The lift-and-cruise-configured Autocraft E20 was unveiled in 2022. It features two pairs of tiltrotors on forward-facing fixed booms, two on the tilting ends of the main wings, and a final pair on horizontal appendages affixed to the tail. Flight testing of a “skeleton prototype” began two years ago, and flight tests of subscale demonstrators have been complemented by a full-scale “iron bird” laboratory version to validate the rotor configuration. In the coming years, the first test aircraft will be augmented by a fleet of up to nine addtional test units, according to K2 v-p of strategy Waleed Alblooshi.

“We are working with multinational partners from other countries, but our eVTOL is special because it’s a Gulf Cooperation Council variant,” he said. “We had to tailor-make our specifications,” he added, referencing the humidity, heat, and sand that characterizes the region's harsh local operating environment. Nevertheless, Autocraft believes the fully-electric E20+ can offer a range of up to 200 km (108 nm), a payload of up to 450 kg (992 pounds), and a top speed of 172 knots. Current fast-charging profiles offer 85% charge in 20 minutes.

Autocraft is confident that the E20+ will receive regulatory approval from the General Civil Aviation Authority of the UAE, and Alblooshi believes certification expectations of 2027 to 2028 are “very realistic.”

Commenting on what makes this region so suited to eVTOL operations, he said, “It’s the government, it’s the regulatory authorities. Here in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, you make things go fast—that’s why all the companies want to start their operations here.”

This accelerated appetite for development is accompanied by a firm focus on ensuring safety. “I believe we can make it fast and execute perfectly,” Alblooshi concluded.