AVIC is testing a new tiltrotor aircraft, a technology with clear applications for China’s military.
Undated images of the type recently appeared on Chinese social media, showing the aircraft airborne with its rotors tilted upwards.
The tiltrotor appears relatively small. Like the Bell MV-75, which is in development as the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) – formerly the V-280 Valor – the Chinese design’s rotors pitch up while the engines remain fixed at the wingtip.
Earlier tiltrotors, such as the Bell Boeing V-22 and Leonardo AW609, tilt the entire engine pod upwards during vertical flight. Tilting only the propellers – and not the full engine – reduces complexity, improves reliability and eases maintenance.
No designation for the new Chinese aircraft has been disclosed, and it lacks a registration number. It is unclear if the design will enter production or if it serves primarily as a technology demonstrator.
By taking off and landing like a helicopter, but transitioning into fixed-wing flight, tiltrotors offer higher speeds and greater range than traditional rotorcraft.
The V-22 has extended the distance at which US Marine Corps forces can operate from amphibious assault ships. The US Army, meanwhile, plans to field the FLRAA from 2030, using the type to deploy soldiers over long distances.
In recent years China has significantly expanded its fleet of amphibious assault ships as part of a broader military build-up. A tiltrotor transport similar to the FLRAA would greatly enhance the ability of embarked Chinese forces to project power ashore.
