A demonstrator of China’s HH-100 aerial commercial unmanned transportation system on Wednesday completed a successful maiden flight, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) announced.

According to the AVIC, the nation’s top aircraft manufacturer, the HH-100 demonstration made its maiden flight at a general aviation airport in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province.

AVIC XAC Commercial Aircraft Co., Ltd., an AVIC company located in Shaanxi Province, independently designed the HH-100. An unmanned aerial vehicle and a ground-based command-and-control station make up its two main components.

According to the AVIC, the demonstrator performed steadily during the flight, fulfilled all test-flight requirements, and all of its pertinent systems were operational.

The HH-100 has several benefits, including a large payload and cheap cost. The creator states that it can carry a payload of 700 kg, have a maximum take-off weight of 2,000 kg, and travel 520 km at full weight.

It has a service ceiling of 5,000 meters and a maximum cruise speed of 300 kilometers per hour. It is an aerial vehicle dedicated to carrying cargo, with a capacity of about 4 cubic meters.

The HH-100’s developer claims that it will be able to provide efficient, linked air-ground transportation.

It will be able to handle demands from forest and grassland firefighting activities, the transportation of relief supplies, emergency relay communication, and weather modification in addition to its functions in regional air logistics.

A number of sizable, clever, reasonably priced, and dependable commercial unmanned transportation aerial systems are planned with an eye toward the rapidly expanding low-altitude industry, according to the AVIC.