China tests powerful drone engine for heavy lifting and high-speed [Video]

China’s Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) has announced that it has test-fired its new 1,322-pound (600-kilogram) thrust turbofan engine for the first time. The announcement was made on WeChat on Saturday (Dec 28), and the engine was tested at AECC’s test facility in Chengdu in Sichuan Province.

This new engine is the first of its kind developed domestically in China. According to reports, all intellectual property associated with the engine is Chinese-owned. The engine test comes less than eight months after development of the engine began earlier this year.

According to its developers, the new engine can reach altitudes above 49,213 feet (15,000 meters) and reach speeds exceeding 0.8 Mach. Other standout engine features include long endurance, low fuel consumption, and high reliability.

The engine will most likely be used to boost domestic high-ended unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This would likely include China’s 1.5- to 4-ton categories of military or civilian UAVs.

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