Chinese Company Introduces Mach-4 Commercial Drone Prototype
Date: January 31, 2025
Chengdu, China – A new player in the aviation sector, Lingkong Tianxing Technology, has made waves by unveiling its latest innovation: a supersonic drone anticipated to achieve speeds reaching four times the speed of sound. The drone, titled Cuantianhou, or “Soaring Stone Monkey,” was showcased during a press event in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, as reported by Jijo Malayil in Interesting Engineering.
The commercial UAV, measuring seven meters in length and weighing 1.5 metric tons, is equipped with dual detonation engines, allowing it to hit Mach 4.2 at a cruising altitude of 20 kilometers. Its inaugural flight is projected for next year, marking a significant step towards Lingkong Tianxing’s vision of developing a commercial supersonic passenger aircraft by 2030.
In 2024, the company successfully tested a different commercial prototype capable of nearly twice the speed of the retired Concorde. This momentum has catalyzed advancements in its counterpart supersonic aircraft, Yunxing, pushing the full-scale prototype testing timeline from 2027 to 2026 due to rapid innovations in aerodynamics, thermal resistance, and flight control technologies.
Deng Fan, chief engineer at Sichuan Lingkong Tianxing Technology Co., emphasized the transformative nature of this technology, remarking, “Supersonic passenger aircraft is experiencing remarkable advancements and a substantial resurgence, promising to deliver more cost-effective and reliable high-speed travel options in the near future.”
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