The Scorpion D lands during its maiden flight, Zigong City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, October 25, 2022. /Tengden
The world's first large drone with four engines took its maiden flight on Tuesday in Zigong Fengming General Airport, southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The drone, codenamed Scorpion D, was developed by Sichuan Tengden Sci-Tech Innovation Co. following the dual-engine Scorpion and triple-engine Scorpion A. All these drones share a twin-tailed design with a wingspan of over 20 meters.
The Scorpion D took off at noon local time and flew for 18 minutes.
The Scorpion D takes its maiden flight, Zigong City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, October 25, 2022. /Tengden
Tengden said in its official WeChat public account that the company owns full intellectual property of the design.
The drone is aimed to carry out supportive tasks like logistics and aerial spraying, said the company. It can carry a maximum of 1.5 tonnes of payload as large as 5 cubic meters, heavier and larger than any previous product of the company.
The Scorpion D four-engine large drone. /Tengden
The drone will appear at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or the Zhuhai Airshow, opening on November 7.
Founded in 2016, Tengden now has more than 50 investors, including individuals and private and state-owned companies, with the Industrial Bank Co., Ltd. as the largest investor.
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