Shenzhen Yingwu General Aviation Co. (Parrot Aero) Y100 "VoltWhirl" (prototype)

(Photo credit: Parrot Aero)

Y100 (prototype)
Shenzhen Yingwu General Aviation Co., Ltd (Parrot Aero)
Shenzhen, China
(website unknown)

The information provided here is as accurate as possible; however, eVTOL information from China is sometimes sparse, incomplete or conflicting. China is promoting what they call the "low-altitude economy" — a new push for general aviation — which includes both crewed and uncrewed passenger and air cargo eVTOL aircraft.

The Shenzhen Yingwu General Aviation Co., Ltd (also called Parrot Aero) is a company in the business of designing and manufacturing passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for advanced air mobility (AAM). The Y100 “VoltWhirl” was developed in collaboration with Beihang University and Shenzhen University.

Y100 "VoltWhirl" passenger eVTOL multicopter prototype aircraft
The Y100 "VoltWhirl" is a one passenger eVTOL multicopter prototype aircraft. This single passenger ultralight aircraft has been designed to be affordable for young single people. The nick name of the Y100 is called the VoltWhirl. The Y100 features a one-click intelligent mode that switches between urban commuting, sightseeing cruise speeds and high-speed sports. The aircraft also has intelligent hover algorithms. 

While no flight specifications have been revealed by the company, the multicopter has eight stacked propellers, eight electric motors and is powered by batteries. The multicopter has been designed with an open cockpit with roll bars. The fuselage is made from carbon fiber composite to give the aircraft a high strength to low weight ratio. The prototype lands on its fuselage.

The company has revealed they plan on making a hybrid-electric multicopter that will have an extended range of over 100 km (62 miles). The company foresees the aircraft to be used for personal use, tourism and sightseeing.

It is important to remember that all concept design and prototype aircraft specifications are estimated and can or will change as prototypes or production models are made, tested and flown with real world avionics, components and payloads.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Passenger eVTOL multicopter prototype aircraft
• Piloting: 1 pilot
• Cruise speed: Unknown
• Propellers: 8 stacked propellers
• Electric motors: 8 electric motors
• Power source: Batteries
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Cockpit: Open cockpit with roll bars
• Landing gear: The multicopter prototype lands on its fuselage
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) uses multiple propellers or electric ducted fans, each powered by electric motors, to increase safety through redundancy. If one or more components fail, the remaining ones can still ensure a safe landing. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft providing safety through redundancy. Having multiple redundant systems on any aircraft decreases having any single point of failure. The aircraft has no moving surfaces or tilting parts when transitioning from vertical to forward flight and the reverse which increases safety by reducing complexity.

Resources:

• Shenzhen Yingwu General Aviation Co., Ltd (Parrot Aero) website 
• Article: Chinese eVTOL Aircraft Directory, Part 2, Vertiflite, July/August 2025