Advanced Materials Driving the Future of Low-Altitude Economy: Lightweighting, Performance and Future Manufacturing
In 2026, the low-altitude economy is entering a milestone phase driven by supportive policies, positioning itself as a new strategic pillar industry.
Behind this trillion-yuan market transformation lies a fundamental factor that determines the performance boundaries and commercial success of next-generation aircraft — advanced materials. Industry analysis indicates that advanced materials currently account for approximately 30%–50% of aircraft material costs. As the low-altitude economy expands beyond the RMB 1 trillion market scale, the demand for advanced materials is projected to exceed RMB 500 billion, creating significant opportunities for high-performance composite materials.
1. Lightweighting: A Competition Measured in Every Gram
For low-altitude aircraft, weight is the strictest “accountant.”
Unlike traditional fuel-powered aircraft, electric low-altitude aircraft rely on batteries for energy supply.
Every additional kilogram means reduced flight range and lower payload capacity. The industry often refers to the principle that “every kilogram saved can add 10 kilometers of range.” Therefore, every weight reduction in the fuselage, wings, and rotors can translate into longer flight distances, higher payload capacity, or greater safety margins.
Carbon fiber composites are considered the ultimate solution to this challenge. With a density only about one-quarter that of steel while offering tensile strength more than nine times higher, carbon fiber composites can significantly reduce aircraft weight when replacing traditional metal materials. Compared with conventional aluminum alloys, carbon fiber composites can achieve 20%–40% structural weight reduction. Thanks to their outstanding combination of lightweight properties, high strength, high stiffness, corrosion resistance, and fatigue resistance, carbon fiber composites have become an ideal material choice for eVTOL structures and are often referred to as “black gold.”
In eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft), composite materials are mainly used in structural components and propulsion systems, accounting for approximately 75%–80% of the total aircraft structure. Composite materials represent more than 70% of an eVTOL’s structural composition, with carbon fiber composites accounting for around 90% of the composite materials used. They are widely applied across primary and secondary load-bearing structures and functional components, including fuselages, rotors, wings, battery enclosures, propulsion blades, seats, and various brackets.
Depending on aircraft size and payload requirements, a single passenger eVTOL may require 100–400 kg of carbon fiber composite materials. Industry forecasts suggest that between 2024 and 2030, carbon fiber demand from the eVTOL sector alone will surge from 500 tons to 11,700 tons, representing an average annual growth rate of approximately 69%, with the market expected to expand by 22.5 times within six years.
A cargo drone model has achieved a 40% weight reduction through an all-carbon-fiber fuselage design, extending its flight range to 280 km. The XPeng Voyager X2 adopts carbon fiber materials throughout its airframe to achieve a balance between lightweight design and structural safety, while AutoFlight V2000CG also incorporates high-strength carbon fiber composite technologies in its core structure.
Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber Reinforced
2. Foam Core Materials: The “Invisible Skeleton” Inside Sandwich Structures
Beyond the carbon fiber composite “skeleton” of low-altitude aircraft, foam core materials serve as an indispensable “invisible backbone” within sandwich structures. Their core value lies in providing extremely high specific stiffness and buckling resistance to composite skins while maintaining ultra-low weight, achieving a structural efficiency where “1+1>2.”
Currently, foam core materials used in low-altitude aircraft mainly follow a dual-material landscape dominated by PMI foam and PVC foam, each serving different performance and cost requirements.
PMI foam (Polymethacrylimide foam) is a key core material designed to meet the combined demands of extreme lightweighting, structural rigidity, thermal resistance, and flame-retardant performance. Its primary role is to enable the manufacturing of large-scale integrated sandwich structures, including wings, fuselage sections, and rotor blades. Thanks to its closed-cell microstructure and inherent thermal stability, PMI foam provides a passive safety barrier that helps resist heat penetration while maintaining structural integrity under high-temperature conditions.
In the eVTOL sector, PMI foam core materials have become the dominant choice for high-performance applications. ROHACELL PMI foam developed by Evonik, known for its ultra-lightweight characteristics and high mechanical strength, has already been applied in the design of critical eVTOL structural components. Industry forecasts indicate that a single eVTOL aircraft may require up to 50 kg of PMI foam core materials. The global eVTOL PMI foam market reached approximately USD 250 million in sales in 2025 and is projected to grow to USD 707 million by 2032, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.0%.
PVC foam core materials, on the other hand, have gained widespread adoption in fixed-wing UAV applications due to their cost advantages. Structural PVC foam features a high closed-cell ratio, excellent mechanical properties, temperature resistance, and chemical corrosion resistance. In the eVTOL field, PVC foam cores are mainly used in non-load-bearing structures such as cargo compartments of cargo aircraft models.
In addition, materials such as PET foam and balsa wood cores are also utilized in specific applications, together forming a diversified core material system for sandwich structures in low-altitude aircraft.
3. Metallic Materials: From “Foundation” to “Critical Structural Support”
Although carbon fiber composites are gaining an increasing share of applications in low-altitude aircraft, metallic materials are far from being replaced. Instead, they continue to play irreplaceable roles in specific areas where strength, durability, reliability, and manufacturability are essential. Aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, magnesium alloys, and aluminum-lithium alloys together form a comprehensive metallic material system that enables lightweight design, high performance, and structural safety for low-altitude aircraft.
Aluminum Alloys: The Foundation Materials of Low-Altitude Aircraft
With advantages including low density (approximately 2.7 g/cm³),
excellent corrosion resistance and good manufacturability,
aluminum alloys remain among the most widely used structural materials.
With advantages including low density (approximately 2.7 g/cm³), excellent corrosion resistance, and good manufacturability, aluminum alloys remain among the most widely used structural materials in low-altitude aircraft. In the eVTOL sector, aerospace-grade aluminum alloys account for more than 60% of the fuselage structural weight, with the global market reaching approximately RMB 1.95 billion in 2026. High-strength aluminum alloys are widely applied in areas exposed to concentrated loads, including wing joints, tail connections, landing gear, and rotor structures.
According to data from the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, aluminum demand from the UAV sector increased by 40% year-on-year in 2025. The GOVY AirCab flying car developed by GAC Group adopts an aerospace-grade aluminum alloy frame. Beyond aircraft structures, aluminum alloys are also widely used in the construction of lightweight runways and intelligent control towers for low-altitude takeoff and landing facilities.
Titanium alloys serve as the “joints and critical components” of aircraft.
Thanks to their excellent strength-to-weight ratio, high-temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance, titanium alloys are widely used in key load-bearing components such as aircraft engines and landing gear, accounting for approximately 15%–20% of eVTOL structural weight. The latest dual-titanium alloy blade disk designs have improved propulsion system efficiency by 15%–20% while extending fatigue life by 40%.
Magnesium alloys are the “hidden champion” in the lightweighting competition.
With a density only around two-thirds that of aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys offer exceptional lightweight advantages. By significantly reducing aircraft weight, magnesium alloys can improve flight range and payload capacity, accelerating their adoption in the low-altitude economy.
In eVTOL applications, components such as integrated arms, battery housings, and motor casings are gradually shifting from aluminum to large-scale magnesium alloy die-cast structures, potentially reducing overall aircraft weight by more than 30%. Magnesium-lithium alloys, with a density approximately half that of aluminum alloys, are becoming a critical solution for high-end aircraft seeking improvements in both endurance and payload capacity, especially as future lightweighting requirements continue to rise.
Aluminum-lithium alloys represent an advanced direction for achieving both strength and lightweight performance.
Primarily used in major load-bearing structures such as wing spars and fuselage frames, aluminum-lithium alloys can reduce weight by approximately 8%–10% compared with traditional aluminum alloys while maintaining structural strength.
As eVTOL commercialization and mass production accelerate, demand for aerospace-grade aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, and nickel-based high-temperature alloys is expected to experience simultaneous growth in both volume and value during the second half of 2026.
4. Special Engineering Plastics and Aramid Materials: The Indispensable “Supporting Roles”
Special engineering plastics also play an essential role in the development of low-altitude aircraft. High-performance nylon, flame-retardant polyester materials, and thermoset composites have already achieved mass production applications in consumer drones, agricultural drones, and other commercial scenarios.
Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) materials have attracted significant attention due to their outstanding combination of lightweight properties, high-temperature resistance, flame retardancy, corrosion resistance, and excellent mechanical performance. PEEK has been applied in various aircraft components, including wheel covers, fairings, seat frames, environmental control system impellers, and wing fasteners. In UAV frames and flying vehicle structural components, PEEK demonstrates significant advantages as a metal replacement material.
Thermoplastic composites based on modified polyamide (PA), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and other high-performance polymers are seeing increasing adoption in load-bearing components and structural connection parts, driven by the demand for lightweight, integrated, and cost-efficient manufacturing solutions.
Aramid fiber composites offer excellent toughness and impact resistance, making them suitable for applications such as secondary load-bearing structures in helicopters and UAV wing skins. Aramid paper honeycomb cores and sandwich structures provide a combination of ultra-lightweight design, high strength, and impact resistance, and are widely used in aircraft interiors, radomes, and structural components.
By adopting honeycomb composite structures, aircraft manufacturers can achieve approximately 20% localized weight reduction while simultaneously improving fatigue resistance and extending service life.
The Future of Low-Altitude Aircraft Lies in Material Integration
In 2026, the low-altitude economy is entering a milestone phase driven by supportive policies, positioning itself as a new strategic pillar industry.
Behind this trillion-yuan market transformation lies a fundamental factor that determines the performance boundaries and commercial success of next-generation aircraft — advanced materials. Industry analysis indicates that advanced materials currently account for approximately 30%–50% of aircraft material costs. As the low-altitude economy expands beyond the RMB 1 trillion market scale, the demand for advanced materials is projected to exceed RMB 500 billion, creating significant opportunities for high-performance composite materials.
1. Lightweighting: A Competition Measured in Every Gram
For low-altitude aircraft, weight is the strictest “accountant.” Unlike traditional fuel-powered aircraft, electric low-altitude aircraft rely on batteries for energy supply.
Every additional kilogram means reduced flight range and lower payload capacity. The industry often refers to the principle that “every kilogram saved can add 10 kilometers of range.” Therefore, every weight reduction in the fuselage, wings, and rotors can translate into longer flight distances, higher payload capacity, or greater safety margins.Carbon fiber composites are considered the ultimate solution to this challenge. With a density only about one-quarter that of steel while offering tensile strength more than nine times higher, carbon fiber composites can significantly reduce aircraft weight when replacing traditional metal materials. Compared with conventional aluminum alloys, carbon fiber composites can achieve 20%–40% structural weight reduction. Thanks to their outstanding combination of lightweight properties, high strength, high stiffness, corrosion resistance, and fatigue resistance, carbon fiber composites have become an ideal material choice for eVTOL structures and are often referred to as “black gold.”
In eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft), composite materials are mainly used in structural components and propulsion systems, accounting for approximately 75%–80% of the total aircraft structure. Composite materials represent more than 70% of an eVTOL’s structural composition, with carbon fiber composites accounting for around 90% of the composite materials used. They are widely applied across primary and secondary load-bearing structures and functional components, including fuselages, rotors, wings, battery enclosures, propulsion blades, seats, and various brackets.
Depending on aircraft size and payload requirements, a single passenger eVTOL may require 100–400 kg of carbon fiber composite materials. Industry forecasts suggest that between 2024 and 2030, carbon fiber demand from the eVTOL sector alone will surge from 500 tons to 11,700 tons, representing an average annual growth rate of approximately 69%, with the market expected to expand by 22.5 times within six years.
A cargo drone model has achieved a 40% weight reduction through an all-carbon-fiber fuselage design, extending its flight range to 280 km. The XPeng Voyager X2 adopts carbon fiber materials throughout its airframe to achieve a balance between lightweight design and structural safety, while AutoFlight V2000CG also incorporates high-strength carbon fiber composite technologies in its core structure.
Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber Reinforced
2. Foam Core Materials: The “Invisible Skeleton” Inside Sandwich Structures
Beyond the carbon fiber composite “skeleton” of low-altitude aircraft, foam core materials serve as an indispensable “invisible backbone” within sandwich structures. Their core value lies in providing extremely high specific stiffness and buckling resistance to composite skins while maintaining ultra-low weight, achieving a structural efficiency where “1+1>2.”
Currently, foam core materials used in low-altitude aircraft mainly follow a dual-material landscape dominated by PMI foam and PVC foam, each serving different performance and cost requirements.
PMI foam (Polymethacrylimide foam) is a key core material designed to meet the combined demands of extreme lightweighting, structural rigidity, thermal resistance, and flame-retardant performance. Its primary role is to enable the manufacturing of large-scale integrated sandwich structures, including wings, fuselage sections, and rotor blades. Thanks to its closed-cell microstructure and inherent thermal stability, PMI foam provides a passive safety barrier that helps resist heat penetration while maintaining structural integrity under high-temperature conditions.
In the eVTOL sector, PMI foam core materials have become the dominant choice for high-performance applications. ROHACELL PMI foam developed by Evonik, known for its ultra-lightweight characteristics and high mechanical strength, has already been applied in the design of critical eVTOL structural components. Industry forecasts indicate that a single eVTOL aircraft may require up to 50 kg of PMI foam core materials. The global eVTOL PMI foam market reached approximately USD 250 million in sales in 2025 and is projected to grow to USD 707 million by 2032, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.0%.
PVC foam core materials, on the other hand, have gained widespread adoption in fixed-wing UAV applications due to their cost advantages. Structural PVC foam features a high closed-cell ratio, excellent mechanical properties, temperature resistance, and chemical corrosion resistance. In the eVTOL field, PVC foam cores are mainly used in non-load-bearing structures such as cargo compartments of cargo aircraft models.
In addition, materials such as PET foam and balsa wood cores are also utilized in specific applications, together forming a diversified core material system for sandwich structures in low-altitude aircraft.
3. Metallic Materials: From “Foundation” to “Critical Structural Support”
Although carbon fiber composites are gaining an increasing share of applications in low-altitude aircraft, metallic materials are far from being replaced. Instead, they continue to play irreplaceable roles in specific areas where strength, durability, reliability, and manufacturability are essential. Aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, magnesium alloys, and aluminum-lithium alloys together form a comprehensive metallic material system that enables lightweight design, high performance, and structural safety for low-altitude aircraft.
Aluminum Alloys: The Foundation Materials of Low-Altitude Aircraft
With advantages including low density (approximately 2.7 g/cm³), excellent corrosion resistance and good manufacturability, aluminum alloys remain among the most widely used structural materials.
With advantages including low density (approximately 2.7 g/cm³), excellent corrosion resistance, and good manufacturability, aluminum alloys remain among the most widely used structural materials in low-altitude aircraft. In the eVTOL sector, aerospace-grade aluminum alloys account for more than 60% of the fuselage structural weight, with the global market reaching approximately RMB 1.95 billion in 2026. High-strength aluminum alloys are widely applied in areas exposed to concentrated loads, including wing joints, tail connections, landing gear, and rotor structures.
According to data from the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, aluminum demand from the UAV sector increased by 40% year-on-year in 2025. The GOVY AirCab flying car developed by GAC Group adopts an aerospace-grade aluminum alloy frame. Beyond aircraft structures, aluminum alloys are also widely used in the construction of lightweight runways and intelligent control towers for low-altitude takeoff and landing facilities.
Titanium alloys serve as the “joints and critical components” of aircraft.
Thanks to their excellent strength-to-weight ratio, high-temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance, titanium alloys are widely used in key load-bearing components such as aircraft engines and landing gear, accounting for approximately 15%–20% of eVTOL structural weight. The latest dual-titanium alloy blade disk designs have improved propulsion system efficiency by 15%–20% while extending fatigue life by 40%.
Magnesium alloys are the “hidden champion” in the lightweighting competition.
With a density only around two-thirds that of aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys offer exceptional lightweight advantages. By significantly reducing aircraft weight, magnesium alloys can improve flight range and payload capacity, accelerating their adoption in the low-altitude economy.
In eVTOL applications, components such as integrated arms, battery housings, and motor casings are gradually shifting from aluminum to large-scale magnesium alloy die-cast structures, potentially reducing overall aircraft weight by more than 30%. Magnesium-lithium alloys, with a density approximately half that of aluminum alloys, are becoming a critical solution for high-end aircraft seeking improvements in both endurance and payload capacity, especially as future lightweighting requirements continue to rise.
Aluminum-lithium alloys represent an advanced direction for achieving both strength and lightweight performance.
Primarily used in major load-bearing structures such as wing spars and fuselage frames, aluminum-lithium alloys can reduce weight by approximately 8%–10% compared with traditional aluminum alloys while maintaining structural strength.
As eVTOL commercialization and mass production accelerate, demand for aerospace-grade aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, and nickel-based high-temperature alloys is expected to experience simultaneous growth in both volume and value during the second half of 2026.
4. Special Engineering Plastics and Aramid Materials: The Indispensable “Supporting Roles”
Special engineering plastics also play an essential role in the development of low-altitude aircraft. High-performance nylon, flame-retardant polyester materials, and thermoset composites have already achieved mass production applications in consumer drones, agricultural drones, and other commercial scenarios.
Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) materials have attracted significant attention due to their outstanding combination of lightweight properties, high-temperature resistance, flame retardancy, corrosion resistance, and excellent mechanical performance. PEEK has been applied in various aircraft components, including wheel covers, fairings, seat frames, environmental control system impellers, and wing fasteners. In UAV frames and flying vehicle structural components, PEEK demonstrates significant advantages as a metal replacement material.
Thermoplastic composites based on modified polyamide (PA), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and other high-performance polymers are seeing increasing adoption in load-bearing components and structural connection parts, driven by the demand for lightweight, integrated, and cost-efficient manufacturing solutions.
Aramid fiber composites offer excellent toughness and impact resistance, making them suitable for applications such as secondary load-bearing structures in helicopters and UAV wing skins. Aramid paper honeycomb cores and sandwich structures provide a combination of ultra-lightweight design, high strength, and impact resistance, and are widely used in aircraft interiors, radomes, and structural components.
By adopting honeycomb composite structures, aircraft manufacturers can achieve approximately 20% localized weight reduction while simultaneously improving fatigue resistance and extending service life.
The development of the low-altitude economy is not driven by a single perfect material, but by the integration of multiple advanced material systems. Carbon fiber composites provide exceptional lightweight strength, foam cores improve structural efficiency, metallic materials ensure reliability, while high-performance polymers enable lightweight and cost-efficient manufacturing.
As eVTOL aircraft and commercial drones move toward large-scale production, long fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites are expected to play an increasingly important role due to their excellent mechanical performance, impact resistance, design flexibility, and suitability for efficient manufacturing.
The future of low-altitude mobility will be shaped not only by innovative aircraft design, but also by continuous breakthroughs in advanced materials — creating aircraft that are lighter, safer, more efficient, and ready for commercialization.
