Cargo Drone Changing Regional Logistics

Cargo Drone Changing Regional Logistics

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Increase is expected in the use of drones to carry cargo to rural communities that can be hard to reach using overland transport, or for transport to remote islands with infrequent ferry services.

One of the examples is a large unmanned aerial vehicle that has been used recently in a logistics project in China. The delivery company SF Express has completed a successful trial of the large cargo UAV FH-98 flight. The drone is expected to greatly reduce operating costs, to the point it could eventually compete with trucks.

The bi-plane UAV took off from an airport in the northwest Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, which produces various perishable foodstuffs, on August 21 and landed at an airport in inner Mongolia after a flight of around an hour.

According to uasweekly.com, the FH-98 has a maximum takeoff weight of 5.25 tonnes and has been designed to carry payloads of up to 1.5 tonnes, with a cabin space of 15 cu m.

The report said that the model is capable of short takeoffs and landing and a cruising speed of 180 kph, meaning it is suitable to serve a regional express hub and nearby cities. It is expected to greatly enhance the efficiency of regional logistics.