China successfully launched its largest unmanned cargo drone for the first time, laying new milestones for the country’s expanding low-altitude economy.
The twin-engine autonomous aerial vehicle (UAV), designed to carry over 1.5 metric tons, completed a 20-minute test flight in the southwestern province of Sichuan on August 11.
Sichuan Tengden Sci-tech Innovation, a leading domestic company specializing in the research, manufacturing, and application of intelligent aerial vehicles, has developed the cargo drone.
“It is the largest and domestically produced large-scale unmanned transport aircraft currently developed in China,” according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“Additionally, the aircraft is designed for easy loading and unloading, and offers high reliability and safety with a high degree of intelligence,” the report said. The aircraft was expected to support the expansion of air freight services and “intelligent low-altitude logistics” in China.
Key features of unmanned cargo aircraft
The drone, known as the AVIC HH-100, boasts a wingspan of 52.8 feet (16.1 meters) and stands 15 feet (4.6 meters) tall, making it slightly larger than a four-seater Cessna 172, a well-known traditional light aircraft.
Featuring user-friendly loading and unloading capabilities, the AVIC HH-100 also offers high reliability, safety, and advanced intelligence.
It is expected to enhance China’s air cargo transportation capabilities and contribute to the development of innovative smart logistics solutions within the low-altitude economy.
The AVIC HH-100 has a payload capacity of 1,543 pounds (700 kilograms) and a maximum range of 323 miles (520 kilometers).
The aircraft, designed for regional logistics routes of 600 to 1,800 kilometers, will address the inadequate payload capacity and range seen in similar aircraft.
This test flight follows the June inaugural flight of another cargo drone developed by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a prominent aerospace enterprise.
Next, AVIC plans to test its largest cargo drone, the TP2000, next year. This drone will have the ability to carry up to 2 tons of cargo and cover four times the distance of the HH-100.
Commercial drone deliveries in China
Commercial drone deliveries have already commenced in China. For instance, in May, Phoenix Wings, a cargo drone subsidiary of delivery giant SF Express, began using Fengzhou-90 drones to transport fresh fruit from Hainan province to southern Guangdong
As China’s civilian drone manufacturers explore larger payload capacities, the government is pushing forward with the development of a low-altitude economy, an industry focused on activities and services at lower altitudes, such as drone operations.
Low altitude economy
Drones and flying taxis, which are categorized by the term unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are included in low altitude economy. China’s low-altitude economy has been predicted to hit 2 trillion yuan ($279 billion) industry by 2030, a four-fold increase from 2023.
The low-altitude sector encompasses civilian manned and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including passenger transport, cargo delivery, manufacturing, low-altitude flight operations, and integrated services.