Cutting edge UAV completes maiden flight in Sichuan

A six-ton unmanned aerial vehicle completed its maiden flight in Shifang, Sichuan province on Sunday, in what has been described as a significant technological breakthrough for China's tiltrotor technology.

Developed by Chinese UAV firm United Aircraft, the Lanying R6000 is designed to combine the vertical takeoff and landing and precise hovering capabilities of a helicopter with the long range, high-payload capacity and fast cruising speed of a fixed-wing aircraft.

The UAV measures 11.8 meters in length, 5.3 meters in height and 17.5 meters in width in helicopter mode, with a rotor diameter of 7.5 meters.

With a maximum takeoff weight of six tons, it has a payload capacity of up to 2,000 kg, a range of 4,000 kilometers, a maximum cruising speed of 550 km per hour, and a service ceiling up to 7,620 meters.

Compared with traditional helicopters, the Lanying R6000 has twice the cruising speed and service ceiling, and four times the maximum range, according to the company.

The company said the UAV can accommodate up to 12 people for inter-regional air travel. Its vertical takeoff and landing capability minimizes dependence on traditional runway infrastructure, making it highly suitable for operations in challenging terrains such as mountains and islands.

Starting from January next year, the company says it will pursue flight tests in tilt-mode for the UAV and subsequent full-process flight tests, accelerating its airworthiness certification process.

The subsequent phase will focus on progressively implementing practical application scenarios such as business travel, logistics transport and emergency response.