China has carried out the first flight of the Boying T1400, a new autonomous tandem rotor unmanned helicopter, as part of its expanding portfolio of uncrewed aerial systems. The maiden flight took place in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, and was reported by the state-run Xinhua News Agency.
According to Xinhua, the T1400 is designed for a range of applications, including agricultural protection, cargo transport, and forest fire prevention. The aircraft, developed by United Aircraft, has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,400 kilograms, a service ceiling of 6,500 meters, and can reach speeds of up to 180 km/h.
“With its intelligent operation capabilities, it shows broad application potential in agricultural protection, logistics transportation, and forest fire prevention,” Xinhua reported.
United Aircraft stated that the T1400 is a heavy-lift platform capable of operating in high-altitude conditions such as those found on the Tibetan Plateau. It can carry a maximum payload of 650 kilograms, fly for more than two hours with a 500-kilogram load, and up to eight hours with 200 kilograms.
The company noted that converting manned helicopters into unmanned variants helps reduce research and development costs and shortens production cycles. It added that these systems also lower operational risks for personnel in military environments.
United Aircraft said it is focusing on providing unmanned aviation solutions for government, military, and commercial users, with aircraft already being employed in roles such as emergency response and law enforcement. The company also highlighted its approach of converting aging helicopters into autonomous models as their service lives end.
The introduction of the T1400 comes amid intensifying competition between China and the United States in the field of autonomous aviation. Both countries are accelerating the development of uncrewed systems across various sectors, from logistics and firefighting to defense applications.
Recent U.S. developments include Beta Technologies’ ALIA-based MV250 tiltrotor cargo drone concept and Lockheed Martin’s autonomous UH-60 Black Hawk conversion, completed within ten months.