A drone powered by two F406 turbofan engines that each can provide 600 kilograms of thrust completed the first flight test in Xilin Gol League, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on May 23.
The turbofan engines, independently developed by Aero Engine Corporation of China, operated stably and the drone landed safely after completing all planned test maneuvers.
The test team poses for a group photo to celebrate the successful test. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The turbofan engine is capable of stable operation at an altitude of 15 kilometers and at speeds of over Mach 0.8. It fills multiple technological gaps in China’s medium- and small-thrust turbofan sector. It can be used in various tasks, such as long-endurance inspection missions, high-altitude meteorological observation and unmanned cargo transport.
F406 Turbofan is now a power option for Chinese unmanned aerial vehicles that weigh from 1.5 to 4 metric tons. It will enable domestic high-end drones of small and medium sizes to be more adaptable to diverse application scenarios.
(Executive editor Zuo Shihan)
