Chinese aerospace engineers have developed what they describe as the world’s first high-speed vertical take-off and landing drone powered by a jet engine, a design that could expand naval aviation capabilities.
The new, uncrewed aircraft can take off from the decks of ordinary warships, even in rough seas, and transition into fast, long-range cruise flight, which researchers said could turn destroyers, frigates and amphibious vessels into small aircraft carriers, reports The South China Morning Post on Friday.
Unlike the U.S. Air Force’s XQ-58A Valkyrie, which needs long runways or carriers, the Chinese design combines Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) capability with jet-powered speed in a single airframe.
A Chinese defense technology expert, who was not named, said that if the drones are mass-produced, it could allow the Chinese Navy to operate reconnaissance and strike drones from most surface vessels.
The drones could be deployed in swarms from dispersed ships, conduct surveillance or strikes, and return without relying on land bases, and could extend China’s operational reach into the Pacific and Indian oceans, “potentially enhancing power projection,” the expert said.
However, there are some trade-offs. During cruise, the enclosed rotor system adds weight and reduces payload and fuel efficiency. In vertical flight, the turbojet and fuel lines remain inactive, adding further weight.
As a result, endurance and range are likely below those of pure jet drones such as the Global Hawk or XQ-58A. Payload capacity is also limited, making the design more suited to reconnaissance, electronic warfare, or small precision munitions.
“There is always a price for operational freedom,” the expert said.
The project had been led for over a decade by associate professors Wang Yaokun and Qiu Yuting of Beihang University in Beijing, which has been subject to U.S. sanctions.
In a July 15 paper for the journal Aero Weaponry, the team wrote that the drone is “far superior in terms of speed” when compared with other VTOL drones.
The drone’s features include a teardrop-shaped fuselage for high-speed cruise, compact rotors underneath the airframe for vertical lift during take-off and landing and a miniature turbojet for high-speed flight.
Further, a patented retractable fairing system covers the idle rotors during forward flight, which reduces drag by up to 60%, according to simulations and wind tunnel tests.
The drone’s rotors lift it like a helicopter, and as its speeds build, the craft’s wings take over, bringing the rotors to a stop. The fairings then close over them, creating a streamlined shape similar to that of a pure jet drone.
The drone transitioned smoothly between rotary and fixed-wing modes in flight trials, with a roughly 100-pound prototype reaching speeds of 142 miles per hour.
The design uses T-700-grade carbon fiber reinforced with modified resin for strength, light weight and fatigue resistance. Thermal shielding in high-temperature areas can withstand up to 1,292 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to a 2019 Beihang University article, the drone was initially designed for “non-carrier vessels” to enable multi-drone coordination, high-speed reconnaissance, and VTOL from destroyer decks.
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