China tests world’s heaviest 7-tonne cargo drone with 1,850-mile range for recon ops

China conducted the first test flight of the Changying-8 (CY-8) cargo drone in Zhengzhou, with a roughly 30-minute flight.

The CY-8 has a maximum take-off weight of 7 tonnes, a 3.5-tonne empty weight, an 18 m3 cargo bay, and twin turboprop engines.

The drone supports short take-off and landing, needs under 500 meters of runway, and offers a range over 1,850 miles for remote and island operations.

Developers built the CY-8 for civilian and military missions and plan further flight testing toward full-scale production this year.