Chinese heavy lifter

China’s first homemade long-range unmanned aerial vehicle for emergency material transport has made its maiden flight successfully in the Xixian New Area of north China’s Shaanxi province.

Local news website sxdaily.com reports that the drone can carry 15 kilos of payload as far as 80 kilometers in distance and drop material on a target accurately.

At present, domestic UAVs with low payloads and short flight ranges are not practical in the market.

The latest drone, with the largest upload and longest range among domestic UAVs, can transport emergency aid to disaster hit areas more efficiently than other means.

With two modes of engine operation, the drone can be used in various conditions. The gasoline-driven engine is fit for long-distance flight with heavy loads, while the electric engine is used in short-distance flight with light materials and high-altitude areas.

The project chief says they need to improve the automotive driving function and undertake further reliability tests.

The drone is expected to be put in production in the near future and customized for different sorts of conditions.