China's first civilian heavy-lift drone completes 24-hour test flight
China's first civilian heavy-lift drone has successfully completed a 24-hour nonstop test flight in east China's Shandong Province, Qazinform News Agency cites Xinhua.
The TP200 is China's first tonne-class civilian unmanned aerial vehicle, offering a flight range of up to 3,000 kilometers. According to its developers, it has a maximum cruising speed of 200 km/h, can remain airborne for more than 24 hours while carrying a full payload, and reach an altitude of up to 7,000 meters. The drone requires just 300 meters for takeoff and landing.
"During its maiden flight, the TP200 demonstrated excellent short takeoff and landing performance, while its stability exceeded expectations. The results fully validated the accuracy of our engineering design and systems integration," the drone's chief designer said.
The developers said the drone is built entirely from domestically produced components. Thanks to its modular design, the TP200 can be configured for firefighting, cargo delivery to remote areas, patrol missions and environmental monitoring.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that China’s Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Emergency Management allocated 430 million yuan ($63 million) for disaster relief efforts in 10 regions.
