China's homegrown HH-100 cargo drone completes maiden flight

A demonstrator of China's HH-100 aerial commercial unmanned transportation system on Wednesday completed a successful maiden flight, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) announced.

The HH-100 demonstrator conducted its first flight at a general aviation airport in Xi'an City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, said AVIC, the country's leading aircraft manufacturer.

HH-100 was independently developed by AVIC XAC Commercial Aircraft Co., Ltd. in Xi'an, an AVIC subsidiary. It has two major parts, namely an unmanned aerial vehicle and a ground-based command-and-control station.

During the flight, the demonstrator produced a stable performance and completed all test flight requirements, with its relevant systems working well, said AVIC.

HH-100 is a low-cost, high-payload aircraft. It has a maximum take-off weight of 2,000 kilograms, a payload capacity of 700 kilograms and a full-weight range of 520 kilometers, according to the developer.

Its maximum cruise speed is 300 kilometers per hour, and it has a service ceiling of 5,000 meters. It is a cargo-focused aerial vehicle and has the capacity to carry approximately 4 cubic meters of cargo.

HH-100 will be capable of serving effective, connected air-ground transportation, according to its developer.

In addition to the roles it will serve in regional air logistics, the aircraft will also engage in forest and grassland firefighting work, the delivery of relief materials, emergency relay communication and weather modification.

Targeting the booming low-altitude economy, a series of large, intelligent, low-cost and reliable commercial unmanned transportation aerial systems are being planned, AVIC said.