BEIJING: China is expected to unveil its next-generation, solar-powered large unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with very long endurance soon, which will have a larger wingspan than its predecessors that allows it to carry larger payloads for missions including reconnaissance, monitoring and communications relay in near-space, said Chinese experts familiar with the matter on Monday.
The remarks came after the country’s latest drone of this kind made its maiden flight earlier this month.
In 2017, China’s first solar-powered large drone, the CH-T4 of the world-famous CH drone series, made its maiden flight, staying aloft for 15 hours at altitudes of more than 20,000 meters. This made China the third country to develop such an aircraft following the UK and the US.
Having a wingspan of around 45 meters, the CH-T4 has set a very high starting point for China’s solar-powered drone development, with all core technologies and equipment being domestically made, a source familiar with the Chinese drone industry told the Global Times on condition of anonymity.
Earlier this month, the Qimingxing-50 solar-powered drone, developed by Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), made its maiden flight. It has a 50-meter-class wingspan and can also reach 20,000 meters in altitude.
The Qimingxing-50 is the first high-altitude low-speed drone with an ultrahigh aspect ratio developed by the AVIC, the first large drone to use a twin-fuselage configuration, and the first all-electric large UAV platform with solar energy as the only power source.
–The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
