Russia conducts maiden flight of heavy transport drone

Engineers in Siberia have successfully conducted the first test-flight of the ‘Partizan’ heavy cargo drone. While the flight was manned to ensure safety, the plan going forward is to develop a fully unmanned transport aircraft, and potentially even unmanned passenger flight. The test flight lasted 20 minutes at an altitude of 200m and speeds of 50 to 200 km/h, and according to Russia’s Foundation for Advanced Research, ‘confirmed a significant increase in takeoff and landing performance compared to aircraft of this class.’ The success of the test-flight opens up new areas of aviation research, with the potential for cheaper and more accessible aviation, use by emergency services, and cargo deliveries.