In many people's impressions, a transport aircraft should have a huge cargo compartment and a thicker waist, which seems to have little to do with a chada integrated drone. However, recently AVIC announced that it has launched China's large fixed-wing unmanned transport aircraft on the basis of the Pterodactyl-2 UAV and completed its first flight tests. The test flight airspace was at a low altitude below 3,000 meters, and the cross-airspace feeder logistics delivery task was implemented. According to the report, the aircraft has the ability to quickly load and unload cargo, which meets the new regulations and standards of China's civil aviation. It provides strong support for the implementation of low-altitude scenarios such as inter-provincial and regional feeder transportation and emergency rescue in the future. According to reports, AVIC has established a pulsating production line for Pterodactyl UAVs, with an annual output of up to 200 aircraft, which is very strong.
Attentive friends should find that the transport aircraft converted from the Chada UAV highlights the "low-altitude" transportation capacity, which itself is different from the air transport business in the traditional sense. However, some people inevitably still have a question: is it very economical for a drone like the Pterodactyl-2 to perform cargo transportation operations? The answer is yes.
First, the existing UAV production line directly becomes an unmanned transport aircraft production line, and the production cost is low. China is now developing more unmanned transport aircraft projects, some of which have stronger transportation capacity and some have lower requirements for take-off and landing airports, but these new UAVs often have to re-establish production lines and supply chains, and the price paid is relatively high. The Pterodactyl-2 was originally built with a pulsating production line, and as long as there are orders, it can be continuously put into the market, and it is a big advantage that there is no need to repeat investment.
2. Pterodactyl 2 has a very large range and economy of use, and can perform a wide range of inter-provincial rapid transportation business. No matter how many types of transport aircraft there are now, and no matter what kind of unmanned transport aircraft will appear in the future, the economy of fixed-wing propeller aircraft is still the highest, and there is no doubt about this law. Because the Pterodactyl-2 UAV can take off and land automatically, the reliability is very simple and efficient, and the cost of transporting goods can be further reduced. The air time of the Pterodactyl 2 is more than 20 hours, and the transportation range covers 2000 kilometers, which is incomparable to the traditional small transport aircraft, which is very suitable for inter-provincial rapid transportation business.
3. The transportation capacity of Pterodactyl 2 is expected to reach 300-500 kg, which is also very suitable for the rapid transportation of high-value emergency items. Unlike the Chada Integrated Pterodactyl 2, the transport version of the drone does not need to install a weapon control system and observation equipment, and can maximize the built-in transport pod or drop supplies in an external way. If there is a transportation volume of about 500 kg, it can meet the delivery requirements of many domestic express delivery businesses, and the scope of application is very wide. For example, some express mail can cover a wider range of surrounding provinces, further promoting the efficient operation of logistics in various places.
In addition, if the unmanned transport aircraft developed from the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can be installed in large quantities, it can also quickly become a combat force in wartime, which can be said to be a military service for the people and has extremely high military economic benefits. Now the annual production of Pterodactyl-2 is 200 aircraft, if we because of the needs of express business, it may be in order to develop a low-altitude economy, and finally installed 5,000 Pterodactyl 2, these UAVs once the war, after the necessary modifications will soon be put into the battlefield, which is of course part of our war potential.
Overall, the general trend of China's future development of unmanned transport aircraft has been established, and the use of existing UAV platforms to develop transport aircraft is a very good choice. Not only the Pterodactyl-2, but also the Twin-tailed Scorpion, Attack-11 and other models have the potential to develop unmanned transport aircraft, and the situation of flowering everywhere cannot be ruled out in the future to help the sublimation development of China's logistics business.