China conducts successful test flight of new solar-powered drone

BEIJING: China has successfully completed the maiden test flight of a domestically developed small-to-medium-sized solar-powered drone, marking a development in the country's unmanned aerial technology.

According to the China Academy of Aerospace, the solar-powered drone measures 3.2 metres in length, has a wingspan of eight metres and can remain airborne for up to 30 hours.

The drone is designed to conduct long-duration operations over extensive areas at relatively low costs.

It is expected to be used for a range of applications, including inspections of long-distance pipelines, monitoring large water reservoir facilities, land surveying, natural resource assessments and rapid inspections of disaster-hit areas.

The drone fills a gap in China's commercial market for small and medium-sized all-electric low-altitude aircraft capable of long endurance, lower cost and large-area operations, the developers added.

The aircraft will also be deployed for surveillance and monitoring operations across large geographical regions.