Beijing’s emergency response personnel recently used an UAV to deliver 17.5 kg of relief supplies to an area battered by days of torrential rain and flooding.
TV footage shows that the UAV, developed by Beijing-based industrial drone maker FlightWin (航景创新), took off from a makeshift vertipad in a village in suburban Beijing’s Fangshan District.
The original Chinese news story didn’t specify when the mission took place.
Controlled by a forest fire brigade, the aerial vehicle soared to 700m and transported mainly communication materials, including phones and power banks, to people who are cut off by raging floods.
During the 27.22 km flight, the aircraft, named FWH-1500, braved gusts of wind, downpour, and thick fog and flew across seven mountains.
It arrived at the destination after 63 minutes. Hovering over a township called Shidu on the outskirts of Beijing, it dropped off supplies to the designated spot via a cable tethered to the ground.
It then made its way back against darkness.
Photo courtesy of FlightWin
According to FlightWin, FWH-1500’s dimensions are 7.3m × 2.3m × 1.9m. With rotary blades that are 8m across, it is designed to carry a load of 300 kg.
With a maximum takeoff mass (MTOM) of 1,000 kg, the UAV cruises at a maximum 190 kph and has a flight endurance of five hours.
The fire brigade that operated the UAV consisted of 31 members from the service team of FlightWin. The team is equipped with an autonomous helicopter with a large load, capable of fighting wildfire and delivering emergency response materials.
China’s capital and nearby cities have been ravaged by Typhoon Doksuri, as it triggered floods that inundated roads, flipped over cars, toppled power lines and caused blackouts in large swaths of areas. As of press time, the disaster has claimed 20 lives.
