Testing
China Science announced on December 18 that the Lanying R6000, the China-developed world’s first 6-tonne tiltrotor aircraft, has completed its maiden flight in Deyang, southwest China’s Sichuan Province. Boasting both the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities of a helicopter and the fast cruising speed of a fixed-wing
UAM/UTM
* Amazon Prime Air is more than just another last-mile delivery option for customers—it’s fundamentally an aerospace program rooted in rigorous aerospace principles and standards. This approach has established Prime Air as an industry leader, combining cutting-edge drone design and manufacturing capabilities with sophisticated operational systems that enable safe,
Transport
The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) celebrates Zipline's $150 million funding from the U.S. State Department to triple its lifesaving drone delivery network, a milestone that builds on the Foundation's catalytic early support and cements their role in pioneering drone-enabled HIV care across Africa. The
Transport
* Emirates SkyCargo has opened the door to using autonomous cargo aircraft in its operations, signing an agreement with Abu Dhabi-based LODD Autonomous to examine how heavy-lift drones could support the next phase of the UAE’s logistics sector. The memorandum of understanding, signed at the Dubai Airshow, brings together two
Transport
Heavy lift drone competition to revolutionize vertical lift aviation, offer $6.5M in prizes As military missions become more complicated, warfighters need more capable drones to use across diverse scenarios. The same also applies to civilian applications, like infrastructure inspection, package delivery, and disaster response. Current multirotor drones, also known
Business
Sincronía Logística, a Mexican market leader in pharmaceutical logistics, and European drone company Wingcopter have entered a partnership to promote the use of drones for the delivery of medical supplies. The Mexican company plans to use a fleet of Wingcopter 198 drones itself and to deploy them on behalf of
Transport
* Skyways, designer and manufacturer of long-range autonomous unmanned cargo aircraft, has demonstrated the unmatched ability of its technology to deliver time-critical supplies in one of the world’s toughest operating environments. In partnership with RWE and Skyports Drone Services, Skyways successfully completed historic beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS)
Transport
The Sukhoi Design Bureau held a mock-up board meeting to review the S-76 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for off-airfield cargo transport operations. The S-76 is being developed under Russia’s national project “Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)” [Беспилотные авиационные системы]. Approval by the mock-up board officially initiates the certification process for
Transport
Two large-payload unmanned aircraft have joined the fleet of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ drone industry development program. They will be used to test cargo deliveries and emergency responses. The Windracers ULTRA aircraft for the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration arrived in Fairbanks Sept. 22. The first test
Transport
* Uber Technologies, Inc. and Flytrex, Inc. have announced a strategic partnership and Uber’s first investment in drone delivery, marking a major step forward in the future of autonomous logistics. Expected to begin with Uber Eats pilot markets in the U.S. by the end of the year, the new
Transport
Teams of U.S. Air Force and industry planners, operators and technologists gathered in a conference room in 2024 to imagine an air war over Taiwan, but this wargame came with a twist. The advent of collaborative combat aircraft (CCA)—a family of largely autonomous, jet-powered combat aircraft capable of
Transport
On September 9th, Sichuan Tengdun Science and Technology Co., Ltd. learned that its independently developed large-scale modular commercial drone recently conducted a high-load continuous airdrop test at Zigong Lantian Airport. The drone dropped three packages totaling 1.2 tons at an altitude of 300 meters, with a landing accuracy of