Unmanned cargo plane undergoes debut test in Qingdao

A large, unmanned cargo plane developed by Yitong UAV System made its debut flight on Saturday in Qingdao, Shandong province.

A prototype of the TP1000 drone took off and then landed at Laixi Dianbu Airport in Qingdao, spending 26 minutes in the air to check the model's flight stability, maneuverability and power systems. The test results were satisfactory, testifying to the reliability of designs, the company said in a news release.

The TP1000 measures nearly 11 meters long with a wingspan of about 15 meters. It has a takeoff weight of 3.3 metric tons, a payload capacity of 1 ton, a maximum range of 1,000 kilometers when fully loaded and a 7-cubic-meter cargo bay.