AVIC starts R&D on carrier drone capable of lifting 2-ton payload

Heavy-haul type to help cut logistics costs, delivery time in remote, plateau regions

Aviation Industry Corp of China, the leading aircraft maker in the country, has begun to design a large transport drone called TP2000, according to a project leader.

Wang Huayou, a senior aircraft designer and deputy president of the AVIC First Aircraft Institute in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, said on Thursday in Chengdu that research and development on the TP2000 began last month and are expected to be complete by around 2025 when it will conduct its maiden flight.

The drone will be able to carry up to 2 metric tons of cargo and will have a flight radius of 2,000 kilometers and an operational ceiling of 10 km. In addition to conventional delivery tasks, it will be able to airdrop packages when needed, he said.

According to Wang, the unmanned aircraft will be capable of holding large packages and will be able to operate in plateau environments.

In addition to the TP2000, the designer said his institute is also developing a small cargo drone named TP100 and an unpiloted variant of the Y-12E transport plane. The TP100 will be able to transport 150 kilograms of freight and is scheduled to make its first flight in 2024, while the unmanned version of Y-12E will be capable of carrying 1.7 tons of cargo and is expected to start test flights in 2025.

"Compared with manned transport planes, unmanned models feature better operational economy, with their average cost about 10 percent lower than that of manned cargo aircraft of the same carrying capacity. Meanwhile, ground operators also have lower costs than pilots and they can simultaneously control multiple drones," Wang noted.

"Drones can operate in tough environments or at poorly conditioned airports. They can undertake multiple flights in a single day and can be used at short notice," he added.

In the future, according to the designer, cargo drones will become smarter. With the application of in-flight situational awareness and high-precision navigation and positioning technologies, they will be able to set their flight route autonomously and transmit data back to base in real time.

Wang made the remarks at the Third Air Silk Road International Aviation Cooperation Forum, which took place on Thursday in Chengdu, focusing on boosting aviation industry cooperation among countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Hosted by the Air Silk Road Alliance, the forum had more than 300 participants from Chinese government departments, financial institutions, manufacturing enterprises, research bodies and foreign embassies.

They shared views and perspectives about technological innovation, potential and opportunities for cooperation, as well as investment and infrastructure in the aviation industry.

The industry alliance is a joint effort by Aviation Industry Corp of China, Aero Engine Corp of China, Commercial Aircraft Corp of China and Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Almost all of China's large couriers, such as China Post and SF Express, as well as online retailer JD, have been investing in delivery drones for several years. Industry observers anticipate that drones will offer many opportunities along with the rapid growth of China's online shopping industry.

Globally, Amazon and DHL Express have developed and used drones for delivery services on some trial runs, and are continuing to fund such programs.