The White Whale Airline W5000, the world's largest unmanned cargo aircraft, has rolled off the assembly line in Changzhou!
Key Specs:
Maximum take-off weight: 10.8 tons
Maximum payload capacity: 5 tons
Range: 2,600 kilometers
Cargo hold volume: 65 cubic meters
Wingspan: 22.70 meters
Length: 22.89 meters
Autonomous driving and ground monitoring
Advantages:
40% lower ton-kilometer costs compared to manned cargo aircraft
Faster transit times (15 minutes) at civil and general aviation airports
Enhanced efficiency with one crew monitoring 6-7 aircraft
Lower crew costs (1/10 of manned aircraft)
Development and Funding:
Project launched in 2021
Received 120 million yuan in round A financing (total 2024 funding: nearly 200 million yuan)
Funds used for production, development, testing, and assembly capacity building
Milestones:
Airworthiness application accepted by Civil Aviation Administration of China
First aircraft delivery expected in H2 2026
World premiere display at the 15th Zhuhai Air Show this year
The W5000 is poised to revolutionize cargo transportation with its impressive capacity, range, and efficiency. What implications do you think this will have for the logistics industry?
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