China Starts Flying Full Sized Aircraft As Drones

Are pilots really in such short supply in China? Regardless, the country has taken the first step in what is almost certain to be the wave of the future, with the entry into service of a full-sized, unmanned, single-engine aircraft, a PAC P-750 XSTOL, manufactured by New Zealand company Pacific Aerospace, Ltd. For use as a drone, Chinese freight carrier SF Express has modified the plane to increase its payload by exactly the weight of a pilot (or two).

The single-engine, PT-6 powered, fixed-gear low-winger will be used to transport supplies to islands in the South China Sea, though it is also going through the certification process in China, and the plan is apparently to use it for regular commercial freight hauling. As outfitted in its drone role, the plane has no pilot controls or seats of any kind, and is able to land on short and unimproved strips.

Learn more at SF Express andPacific Aerospace.