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China Tests Drone with Two Metric Ton Payload Capacity
Nolan BeilsteinIn mid-August, China tested an uncrewed cargo drone that features a payload capacity of two metric tons, or about 4,400 pounds.
Chinese media reported that the twin-engine aircraft bore off from the Zigong Fengming General Airport and completed a nearly 20-minute test flight with all systems operating normally.
Chinese drone manufacturing company Sichuan Tengden Sci-tech Innovation Co. developed the aircraft, which features a 52.8-foot wingspan, a 15-foot height, and about 423 cubic feet of cargo space. The company expects the drone will help China boost its air cargo transportation capabilities and establish a new form of smart logistics in a low-altitude economy.
The test flight comes about two months after the Aviation Industry Corp of China debuted its HH-100, a cargo drone with a payload capacity of over 1,500 pounds and a flight radius of about 323 miles. Reuters reported that the company plans to test the TP2000 next year, showcasing the aircraft’s 2-metric-ton payload capacity and a flight range four times greater than the HH-100’s.
China’s aviation regulator has projected the country’s low-altitude economy to reach nearly $279 billion by 2030. Cargo drone company Phoenix Wings has already entered this sector. In May, the firm began using Fengzhou-90 drones to deliver fresh fruit from Hainan to southern Guangdong.
China is also exploring the use of drones to transport people. In April, the government granted a production certificate to EHang Holdings, an unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturer, for a drone designed to carry passengers.