China's unmanned transport aircraft „Tianma-1000“ made its maiden flight on Sunday. Developed by Xi'an ASN Technology Group Co., Ltd. under China North Industries Group Corporation, the aircraft combines logistics transport, rescue operations and material delivery into a single platform.
According to the developer, it is China's first unmanned aerial vehicle capable of adapting to high-altitude and complex landscapes, performing ultra-short take-off and landing, and quickly switching between cargo transport and drop modes.
With a maximum range of 1,800 km, the aircraft can create „air express lines“ for fast delivery. With intelligent route planning and obstacle avoidance, it autonomously identifies and avoids obstacles such as mountains and buildings, ensuring safe operation in unfamiliar airspace.
The modular payload bay allows for quick adaptation to different tasks, increasing the ability to perform diverse missions.
The aircraft has a service ceiling of 8,000 metres and needs less than 200 metres for take-off and landing. Low landing area requirements allow operation on unpaved surfaces such as steppes or paved dirt roads.
The autonomous loading and unloading system can handle loads weighing several tonnes within five minutes, fully automating tasks from planning to execution.
The optical landing system enables high-precision autonomous low-visibility landings and supports operation in challenging conditions.