China’s aviation leader puts cargo drone to test in Beijing’s push for strategic industry

Uncrewed vehicles are essential to China’s low-altitude economy, which the government has bolstered with policies and regulations since 2021

Science

Coy LiandKamun Lai

Published: 3:59pm, 14 Jun 2024

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China’s leading aircraft manufacturer said it successfully conducted the maiden flight of a new commercial aerial freight drone in northwestern China, as Beijing moves to strengthen the uncrewed vehicle market and boost its potential.

The HH-100 prototype took off on Wednesday from Lantian general aviation airport in Xian, capital of Shaanxi province, said the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), an aerospace conglomerate.

During the flight, the HH-100 performed normally and completed all test requirements, according to AVIC.

It described the transport drone as “high payload and low cost”.

The unmanned freight aircraft has a designed maximum take-off weight of 2,000kg (4,410lbs), a payload of 700kg (1,540lbs) and a full-weight range of 520km (323 miles). It can achieve a maximum cruise speed of 300km/h and a maximum operating altitude of 5,000 metres.

With the capacity to carry around 4 cubic metres of cargo, the main application for the drone is branch-line logistics, or short-range delivery. However, its role could be extended to firefighting in forest and grassland, delivering relief materials, emergency relay communication and weather modification, AVIC said.

China’s civil drone industry reached 117.4 billion yuan (US$16.2 billion) last year, a year-on-year growth of 32 per cent, according to the China Centre for Information Industry Development, a research institute under the industry and IT ministry.

The HH-100 freight drone carry around 4 cubic metres of cargo but future uses could include emergency services and fire management. Photo: AVIC/Handout via Xinhua

The research centre said in the report released in December that by the end of 2023, in addition to DJI, a global leader in drone technologies, China had more than 2,300 civil drone companies and more than 1,000 mass-produced drone products.

Well established but inexpensive materials in China would help further develop the drone industry, analysts said.

China has a complete electronics industry chain where drone firms can source good electronic components at lower prices, according to a report published in March by AskCI, a consulting agency in Shenzhen.

“Besides, commercial drones are basically all assembled with lithium batteries. China’s lithium batteries are at the international forefront in performance and price. The cost advantage is favourable to the development of the industry,” AskCI said.

The drone industry is an essential part of China’s low-altitude economy, referring to businesses operating aerial vehicles below 3,000 metres in altitude.

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Since 2021, China has been bolstering its low-altitude economy and the central government has successively introduced relevant policies and regulations.

According to CCID, China’s low-altitude market was valued at more than 500 billion yuan in 2023, with a growth rate of 33.8 per cent. It was hoped that by 2026, it would exceed 1 trillion yuan.

AVIC said the successful maiden flight of the HH-100 prototype was in response to China’s push to build a strategic emerging industry in the low-altitude economy.

To catch that wave, a series of 2-tonne, 5-tonne, and 10-tonne commercial uncrewed aerial transport systems were under research and development, AVIC said.