China’s Chengdu Aircraft Research and Design Institute (CARDI) revealed more details about its VD200 flying-wing vertical take-off unmanned aerial vehicle (VTUAV) on Chinese state television on 22 March.
A flying-wing configuration offers storage and performance advantages over similarly sized helicopter-configured VTUAVs.
A model of the CARDI VD200 vertical take-off UAV seen at an exhibition in January 2014. (Chinese Internet)
Propelled by twin 2 m diameter rotors, the flying wing design allows the UAV to take off and land vertically, transitioning into and out of horizontal flight. The VD200 was first seen in model form at an October 2013 international trade fair in Chengdu, China. The latest television coverage shows what may be a scaled-down prototype under construction in a Chengdu Aircraft Corporation hanger.
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