Payload Capacity and Range of Fixed Wing Drones

"The U.S. Marine Corps has begun flying its stealthy Kratos' XQ-58A Valkyrie drones, making it the second known operator of the type beyond the U.S. Air Force. The Marines now plan to evaluate the drones as highly autonomous surveillance and reconnaissance assets, electronic warfare platforms, and wingmen for crewed fighters, including in kinetic roles. The first flight of a Marine XQ-58 took place on October 3, the service announced today. The drone was launched from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The test flight was conducted in cooperation with the Air Force's 40th Flight Test Squadron, part of the 96th Test Wing at Eglin, and the U.S. Navy's Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), part of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, or OUSD(R&E), has also been involved in the Marine Valkyrie program. As can be seen in the video above, the XQ-58 is a completely runway-independent design that uses a rocket-assisted takeoff method via a static ground-based launcher. The drone uses a parachute recovery system to get back on the ground, with inflatable airbags helping to cushion it when it touches down. According to Kratos, the XQ-58, with its 30-foot overall length and 27-foot wingspan, has a maximum range of around 3,000 miles and a maximum launch weight of 6,500 pounds (including up to 600 pounds in its internal payload bay and/or another 600 pounds under the wings). It has a subsonic cruising speed of Mach 0.72 and can hit an absolute top speed of around Mach 0.85. "This XQ-58A test flight and the data collected ... not only help to inform future requirements for the Marine Corps," Scott Bey, a prototyping and experimentation portfolio manager at OUSD(R&E), said in a statement about the October 3 sortie. “It fuels continued joint innovation and experimentation opportunities and demonstrates the agility that can be achieved through partnership.” https://lnkd.in/e9FUEKYh

Transwing #drone design is a cruise-capable, transitioning eVTOL airframe – but the way it shape-shifts between hover and cruise modes makes it one of the smartest aircraft on the market. Equipped with the right sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can help determine radiation levels after incidents in nuclear facilities as well as during routine monitoring. Over the last few years, drones have become a popular tool for a variety of applications at nuclear facilities, including both indoor and outdoor inspections and mapping. The industry is starting to trust unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to improve safety for their workers, save time and cut costs—and that includes using the technology to detect radiation levels after incidents and during routine monitoring. Drones can help acquire radiation levels during routine monitoring and after accidents. “Using UAVs to detect radiation in a post-accident scenario would be extremely beneficial,” said Sam Johnson, technical leader—nuclear plant support for EPRI. “The systems would allow us to map the radiation levels within an area so we know where we can safely send personnel and where we can’t. Pterodynamics has built a number of prototypes, the current model being the X-P4, with a 13-foot (4-m) wingspan. It's capable of lifting 15 lb (6.8 kg) of payload at a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 84 lb (38 kg), then covering 69 miles (111 km) of range in an hour of cruise speed before the battery runs out. In a sprint, it can do 115 mph (185 km/h) But it's the superb range that got the US Navy interested as an alternative for missions involving highly expensive helicopters to be scrambled with pilot and all. While the X-P4 is quite a hefty drone, needing two people to carry it, Pterodynamics is planning to go much bigger. The X-P5 will have a 22-ft (6.7-m) wingspan, and it's designed to carry 50 lb (23 kg) of payload up to 575 miles (925 km) using a hybrid power system. And the X-P6 will take things up another level with a turbogenerator powertrain, carrying 220 lb (100 kg) up to 978 miles (1,574 km) on a 30-ft (9.1-m) wingspan. Radiation detection and monitoring is just two of many drone applications the nuclear industry will continue to explore. The possibility of using drones to inspect a variety of assets to check for leaks, cracks and other issues is generating a lot of interest, as are more security-related applications that help keep these facilities and their workers safe. While a UAS certainly isn’t the only tool, it’s becoming a more effective tool that the nuclear industry is trusting more and more—a trend experts expect to continue as the technology evolves and employees become more comfortable operating these systems. #drones #uav #unmannedaerialsystem #nuclear #navy #radiation #ev #aerospace #newjersey #engineering #design #aviation #aircraft

In a historic moment, an autonomous drone, developed by Southampton-based firm W Autonomous Systems (WAS), successfully landed on HMS Prince of Wales off the Cornish coast. This marks the first-ever landing on a UK aircraft carrier by a fixed-wing autonomous drone. The drone initiated its flight from the Lizard Peninsula, delivering supplies to the aircraft carrier and then safely returned. This progress is viewed as a significant step towards the harmonious operation of crewless aircraft alongside F-35 Lightning jets, naval Merlin, and Wildcat helicopters. The twin boom aircraft is capable of carrying a payload of 100kg up to 1,000 kilometres (620 miles). Crucially it can land on uneven ground and needs a runway just 150 metres long – a little over half the length of the flight decks on the UK’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers – to land or take off.

A low-altitude economy could be very interesting for archipelago nations of Southeast Asia with thousands of far flung islands, eg Indonesia. These drones will likely fly on battery electric which means the grid needs to be upgraded at the designated charging points. Not to mention the increased amount of renewables to supply the green electricity. "China flew its biggest-yet unmanned cargo aircraft designed for civilian use, as the world’s top drone-making nation steps up test flights of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that could ultimately ferry everything from takeaways to people. Packing a payload capacity of 2 metric tonnes, the twin-engine aircraft took off on Aug 11 on an inaugural flight for a trip of about 20 minutes in south-western Sichuan province, state media said, citing developer Sichuan Tengden Sci-tech Innovation. With a wingspan of 16.1m and a height of 4.6m, the aircraft, built entirely by government-funded Tengden, is slightly larger than the world’s most popular light aircraft, the four-seat Cessna 172. China's civilian drone makers are testing larger payloads as the government pushes to build a low-altitude economy, with the aviation regulator seeing a 2 trillion yuan (S$369 billion) industry by 2030, for a four-fold expansion from 2023. Tengden’s test flight followed the maiden flight in June of HH-100, a cargo drone developed by Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) with payload capacity of 700kg and a flight radius of 520km. In 2025, AVIC plans to test its biggest cargo drone, the TP2000, which can carry up to 2 tonnes of cargo a distance of 2,000 km. In a report in 2024, the government identified the low-altitude economy as a new growth engine for the first time, with vertical mobility seen as a “new productive force” in areas such as passenger transport and cargo deliveries. In April, aviation authorities issued a production certificate to UAV maker EHang Holdings, based in the southern city of Guangzhou, for its passenger-carrying drone, China’s first such document for an autonomous passenger drone. A month later, cargo drone firm Phoenix Wings, part of delivery giant SF Express, started delivering fresh fruit from the island province of Hainan to southern Guangdong, using Fengzhou-90 drones developed by SF, a unit of S.F. Holding." https://lnkd.in/gQB3fzGr

[China's 1 tonne drone] China has unveiled the TP1000, a heavy-lift cargo drone that could redefine logistics in remote and challenging terrains. With a payload capacity of 1,000 kg and a range of over 1,000 km, this twin-engine UAV is a significant step toward unmanned, scalable air cargo operations. 🔹 Why It Matters Regulatory Breakthroughs – The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has played a critical role in enabling large UAVs like the TP1000 to operate safely within national airspace. By establishing dedicated drone corridors, flexible airspace policies, and certification frameworks, China is paving the way for the next generation of autonomous aviation. Reshaping Supply Chains – The TP1000 can autonomously deliver heavy cargo to locations where traditional aircraft struggle, improving logistics in remote regions. Dual-Use Potential – From humanitarian aid to military resupply, its applications span both commercial and defense sectors. Autonomy Meets Efficiency – With a hybrid powertrain and smart navigation systems, it reduces operational costs while enhancing endurance. 🌍 A Sign of the Future? The CAAC’s proactive stance on unmanned aviation integration highlights how regulatory support can accelerate drone adoption. As more aviation authorities worldwide begin to adapt, heavy-lift drones could soon become a core part of global logistics networks.

📦 𝐒-𝟕𝟔: 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝟏,𝟓𝟎𝟎 𝐤𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐨 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 Russia’s S-76 unmanned aerial vehicle, unveiled as a cargo-capable UAV platform, is being pitched for commercial and government transport roles — but its dual-use potential is unmistakable. ▪️ MTOW: 1,500 kg ▪️ Payload capacity: 300 kg ▪️ Range: up to 1,000 km with refueling ▪️ Takeoff/landing: Unprepared field-ready (no runway required) 📍 Tactical implications: ▪️ Logistics multiplier: Ammunition, parts, medical, or high-value electronics can be transported autonomously to forward positions ▪️ Denial-resistant delivery: Unlike manned rotary-wing assets, the S-76 can operate under fire or through semi-autonomous preprogrammed routes ▪️ Cheap(er) strategic depth: Extends reach without putting pilots or high-cost assets at risk 🎯 A 300-kg payload in a contested zone can mean the difference between collapse or hold. ⚠️ Military potential: ▪️ ISR sensor integration ▪️ Munitions resupply to isolated BTGs ▪️ One-way strike payload delivery (if adapted) ▪️ Support for dispersed or decentralized force structures As war moves toward autonomous logistics, platforms like the S-76 may quietly redefine resupply doctrine — especially when terrain or threats prevent conventional air or ground delivery. #S76 #CargoDrone #RussianUAV #UnmannedLogistics #MilitaryTransport #AutonomousSystems #LoiteringPayload #UncrewedLogistics #ModernWarfare #DroneWar #CombatSustainment #DualUseTechnology #RussiaDefense