Commercial unmanned aerial system developed by China ready for maiden flight

BEIJING, April 4 -- A new model of the commercial unmanned aerial system (UAS) independently developed by China has entered its maiden flight phase, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

The multifunctional UAS, HH-100, has recently completed its last high-speed automatic taxiing test, said AVIC, the country's leading aircraft manufacturer.

It performed stably during the test, and its automatic taxiing control capabilities were working well, the developer said. It has now entered its maiden flight phase.

HH-100 was independently developed by AVIC XAC Commercial Aircraft Co., Ltd. in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. It has two major parts: the unmanned aerial vehicle and the ground command-and-control station.

The commercial UAS has low costs, high payload and other advantages. It has a designed maximum take-off weight of 2,000 kilograms, a payload capacity of 700 kilograms and a full-weight range of 520 kilometers.

HH-100 can carry out various missions, such as regional logistics, forest and grassland firefighting, fire monitoring, disaster-relief supply delivery, relay communication and artificial precipitation, according to AVIC.