Bamboo-based drone completes maiden flight in Tianjin

A tilt-rotor drone built with bamboo-based composite structures has completed its maiden flight in Tianjin, marking the world's first successful flight of a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle made with such a high proportion of bamboo-based materials, the International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan said Thursday.

More than 25 percent of the drone's structure is made from bamboo-based composite materials, making it the first fixed-wing UAV globally to use bamboo at that scale, the center said in a media release.

The aircraft was jointly developed by the center, Beihang University's Ningbo Innovation Research Institute and Long Bamboo Technology Group. The project aims to combine high performance with environmentally friendly innovation, according to the release.

The drone has a wingspan of more than 2.5 meters and weighs about 7 kilograms. It is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, can cruise at speeds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour and has an endurance of more than one hour.

According to the center, the use of bamboo-based composite materials makes the drone more than 20 percent lighter than similar aircraft built with lightweight, high-strength carbon fiber. The materials also significantly reduce costs.

The bamboo-based composite used in place of carbon fiber cloth costs about one-quarter as much as standard material and is even cheaper than aeronautical-grade alternatives, the center said.

Qin Daochun, the project's lead researcher, said developing bamboo-based composites for aviation use required meeting strict mechanical standards and overcoming technical challenges related to molding and environmental resilience.

Speaking at a news conference, Qin said the team conducted more than 100 experiments based on airworthiness standards before developing a bamboo-based composite with high strength, toughness and excellent formability.

The successful test flight marks an important step toward applying bamboo-based composites in China's expanding low-altitude economy, the release said, offering a new pathway for greener, lighter and more cost-effective development in the drone industry.