A hydrogen-powered drone built in China has reportedly set the nation’s endurance record for UAV flight, with the fixed-wing craft doing so in vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) mode.
According to China Daily, the hydrogen-powered drone was developed in Chongqing, where it made its purported record-setting VTOL flight. Developed by the Hydrogen Power and Low-Carbon Energy Research Center, which is affiliated with the Chongqing Research Institute at the Harbin Institute of Technology, the Qing Ou 30 (“blue seagull 30″) UAV is said to fly a maximum of 800 km. at a top speed 90 km/h, carrying with a three kg. payload.
Curiously, China Daily did not specify the distance of the reported record outing, but did stipulate its maiden flight was made with a maximum takeoff weight of 30 kgs. – meaning it must have been considerably shorter than 800 km.
Boasting a four-meter wingspan and impact-ventilated fuel cell power system said to enhance its flight…
