China's first medium-long range unmanned freight plane in Shaanxi. (Photo from Web)
China's first medium-long range unmanned freight plane made its maiden flight in Xixian New Area in Shaanxi province on May 10, reported .
The unmanned plane with fixed wings can fly 80 km with 15 kilo cargo and deliver goods in a range of locations.
Compared to other unmanned drones, this plane has longer mileage per flight and can handle heavier cargo and is capable of taking off and landing in short distance.
In domestic market, low cargo weight and low flight endurance are general challenges for low-altitude drones with multiple rotors.
Those drones are commonly used as consumer products due to their low efficiency.
While the unmanned freight plane can pitch in during rescue when there are emergencies such as earthquakes and floods.
The unmanned plane can overcome the limitation of the terrain or traffic and deliver the relief goods at the site immediately, which makes it a helpful resource for rescue workers.
According to the report, Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology team was the first to use drones to deliver vaccines to remote areas during a local epidemic.
The application of drones can not only save the large amount of investment needed to build traffic network where only few people live but also improve the efficiency of delivery.
According to staff involved in building the unmanned plane, the team will improve the functions such as auto-drive and test the drone under other extreme conditions.
The planes can be used in different situations in foreseeable future.
