China will test how its largest solar drone performs in a near-space flight this year, the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA) said on Tuesday.
With a wingspan of more than 40 meters, wider than that of a Boeing 737 passenger plane, the Caihong series drone has just passed its first full-scale test flight, according to chief engineer of the CAAA drone project Shi Wen.
China’s self-made large drone CH-5 on the 11th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province on November 2, 2016. /CFP Photo
It is the second largest solar-powered drone in the world, beaten only by a model developed by NASA, said Shi, adding its performance index and technological capacity are among the most advanced in the world.
The chief engineer said that such drones can usually ascend to an altitude of between 20 and 30 kilometers, and cruise at speeds of between 150 and 200 kilometers per hour.
Compared with satellites, solar drones have lower costs and more flexible deployment, as well as easy and simple maintenance. Such vehicles are mostly used in airborne early warning, aerial reconnaissance, disaster monitoring, meteorological observation and communications relay.
