China’s 3.5 Ton Payload Cargo Drone, ‘Luca’ Makes First Flight

China’s biggest cargo drone built by China North Industries Group Corp, marked its first flight on Tuesday in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province.

A prototype of the Norinco ‘Luca’ unmanned transport aircraft took off at 9:30 am from the Zhengzhou Shangjie Airport and stayed in the air for about 30 minutes before landing at the same site.

In a news release, it was stated that the entire flight was controlled by the aircraft's intelligent systems and monitored by human controllers.

The Norinco Luca measures 17 meters long with a wingspan of 25 meters, and has a takeoff weight of 7 metric tons.

The drone boasts a maximum payload capacity of 3.5 tons. It can carry 700 disaster-relief tents in a single trip, delivering supplies over 3,000 kilometers.

It can take off and land on runways shorter than 500 meters and can use poorly conditioned airports such as those in plateaus and islands.

The aircraft is equipped with an 18-cubic-meter cargo bay that can be opened from both the front and rear sides. The turnaround time can be completed in as fast as 15 minutes, greatly improving logistics turnover efficiency, according to its designers.