News / China test-flies two-tonne-capacity cargo drone – the biggest yet

China aims to kickstart a ‘low-altitude economy’ with a twin-engined drone capable of carrying two tonnes.

Developed by Sichuan Tengden Sci-tech Innovation, the drone has the highest-capacity unveiled so far, with a wingspan of 16.1 metres, and acts like a miniaturised fixed-wing aircraft, relying on runway take off.

The drone could set a new record for cargo capacity, beating the HH-100 prototype developed by Aviation Industry Corp of China.

Development of long-range drones is speeding up in China, with its civil aviation administration having granted some 14,000 companies licences to operate drones in domestic airspace.

And, despite assumptions that the sector would initially be populated by local delivery drones, the momentum appears to be behind longer-range uncrewed aircraft (UAVs), whose USP lies in reducing the costs of air cargo compared with conventional piloted aircraft.

Other miniaturised aircraft in the running include the Kona, a flying-wing design from Natilus in the US, and the Black Swan, under development by Estonia’s Dronamics.

“Dronamics is conducting the flight test programme for the Black Swan, our long-range drone specifically designed for cargo,” Svilen Rangelov, Dronamics CEO, told The Loadstar this morning. “The Black Swan can carry up to 350kg over distances of up to 2,500km.

“As the first cargo drone airline licensed to operate in Europe, we plan to commence flights in Greece later this year,” he added.

Fixed-wing appears to be the design consensus among the most successful UAV OEMs. However, a number of vertical take-off and landing and ‘quadcopter’ drone models have been attempted this year, with the US Federal Aviation Administration granting permission to Amazon to operate its drones beyond visual line of sight.

Meanwhile, a Florida man has admitted trying to shoot down a Walmart drone with a 9mm handgun as it buzzed above his home.