A tech company based in China recently reported that it has successfully tested what it describes is the world's largest transport drone. Dubbed as the Feihong-98, it is billed as a large commercial drone. What sets this new drone above from the competition is that while the majority of conventional drones run on electricity, the Feihong-98 is a piston-driven autonomous biplane.
The Feihong-98 was developed by the China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology alongside the SF Express Co. Ltd. The transport drone made its first successful public flight on Oct. 16. This is not the first flight of the drone as it was also privately tested in August.
In a report from Pandaily, the Feighong-98 is based from the Y-5B which is China's first transport aircraft that was fully developed in the country. The Y-B5 itself is based on the Russian Antonov An-2. According to the report, the drone has a maximum takeoff weight of 5.25 metric tons. It can carry a top payload of up to 1.5 tons and boasts a volume space of up to 15 cubic meters.
The Feihong-98 can reach a maximum flight altitude of up to 4,500 meters or 14,700 feet. In terms of speed, the drone has a maximum speed of 180 kilometers per hour or roughly 111 miles per hour.
SF Express is widely known in China as one of the top delivery and logistics company. The Feihong-98 was then a perfect fit for the company as it can use it to make delivers. Nevertheless, many tech analysts believe that the drone will have far better us rather than just being confined in the delivery service alone.
The Feihong-98 was developed under the banner of "Made in China in 2025," the country's flagship program which aims to expand its technology sector and develop it alongside its advanced manufacturing sector.
Although the Feihong-98 is already a complete prototype, many believe that it cannot hit the skies soon as there are still a lot of regulatory hurdles between it and the sky. Nevertheless, many believe that the technology behind the transport drone will no doubt spread and it will only take around 20 to 30 years before one will actually take flight.
Regarding this rather down note, SF Express said that the company is planning to use the Feihong-98 some of its minor aerial delivery courses. The company also plans to leverage this new technology to better enhance its land delivery integration.
