China’s huge unmanned cargo drone makes its maiden flight

A large unmanned cargo drone has successfully completed its inaugural flight in China. 

The as-yet-unnamed aircraft was developed by private drone maker Sichuan Tengden Sci-tech Innovation. 

It took its debut flight on August 11 in Zigong, Sichuan province – setting off from Zigong Fengming General Aviation Airport. 

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The cargo drone spent around 20 minutes in the air

This isn’t the first we’ve seen of unmanned aircraft – the first-ever passenger-carrying drone took to the skies in Abu Dhabi back in June, while a US aerospace company shared details of a fully autonomous plane that will fly without a crew for 90 days using only solar energy. 

Impressive stuff. 

Sunday’s flight saw the Chinese-built aircraft flying for 20 minutes before it returned to the airport. 

The plane is one of the largest transport drones ever built in China. 

It measures 13.9 meters (45ft), with a wingspan of 16.1 meters (52.8ft). It can fly up to 2,000km (1,242 miles) and hit altitudes of up to 7km (4.3 miles). 

Inside, there are 12 cubic meters of space for cargo with the capability to carry up to two metric tons. 

The company is already exploring new ways to power the aircraft

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has helped to show that the ability to carry large payloads doesn’t need to be an obstacle for the aircraft, according to a manager at the company who didn’t want to be named. 

“It proved that large-scale commercial adoption of unmanned regional logistics is feasible, and is expected to drive technological advancements in the industry that better meet the expanding market demand,” the manager told Global Times.

The plane is powered by two piston engines, but designers and engineers are keen to explore other propulsion options. 

“We have started tests on turboprop and turbofan engines to see whether they are suitable for the drone,” Sun Yanyang, general manager of commercial drones at Tengden, told China Daily. 

“The choice of engines or aerodynamic configurations depends on users’ requirements.”

The company is also open to building the drones for others and is happy to develop multiple variants to meet demand.

“The drone’s potential has been recognized by our clients,” Sun said. “We have received letters of intent from several clients who want to buy it.”