Giant Chinese Cargo Drone Lifts Off on First Test Flight

The unmanned aircraft is the latest addition to attempts to exploit the potential of the ‘low-altitude economy’

· Twin-engine aircraft has a wingspan of 16.1 metres (52.8 feet), a height of 4.6 metres and a cargo space of 12 cubic metres (423 cubic feet), with a payload capacity of 2 tonnes, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

· Last month 14,000 companies had been licenced to operate drones. Drone operating licences had also been granted to 225,000 individuals.

· Administration said the country’s low-altitude economy exceeded 500 billion yuan (US$69.7 billion) last year and was projected to reach 2 trillion yuan in 2030.

The biggest Chinese-developed uncrewed cargo aircraft completed its first test flight on Sunday, marking one more step in a national push to expand the “low-altitude economy”.

The twin-engine aircraft has a wingspan of 16.1 metres (52.8 feet), a height of 4.6 metres and a cargo space of 12 cubic metres (423 cubic feet), with a payload capacity of 2 tonnes, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

“It is the largest fully domestically developed unmanned cargo aircraft, tailored to meet China’s market demand,” the report said.

During the test run in Zigong, in the southwest province of Sichuan, “all systems performed steadily”.

“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.

The low-altitude sector encompasses a variety of activities and industries that involve civilian manned and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including passenger transport, cargo delivery, manufacturing, low-altitude flight operations, and integrated services.

Beijing has pinned high hopes on technology in this area to power economic growth and spearhead advanced manufacturing.

To that end, it has been pushing the development of drone technology to spur upgrades to logistics and transport infrastructure, a transition that would involve phasing out older vehicles like trucks, ships, and trains, and replacing them with modern models or alternative solutions, such as UAVs.

Zhao Chongjiu, director general of the State Post Bureau, said last month that China’s capacity for air express delivery was growing, with players actively exploring use of UAVs and automated warehouses.

Song Zhiyong, director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, revealed last month 14,000 companies had been licenced to operate drones. Drone operating licences had also been granted to 225,000 individuals.

The administration said the country’s low-altitude economy exceeded 500 billion yuan (US$69.7 billion) last year and was projected to reach 2 trillion yuan in 2030.

In June, the HH-100 prototype, a new commercial aerial freight drone, made its maiden flight. The craft has a payload capacity of 700kg (1,543 pounds) and a range of 520km (323 miles).

In 2022, a newly developed heavy-lift drone, created independently by China, successfully transported 300kg of building materials to a construction site in Yunnan province for electrical power infrastructure, according to state broadcaster CGTN.

It said it was the first time that a drone transported construction materials in a high-altitude area of the country.