A mid-sized drone took off from Qingdao Liuting International Airport on the morning of August 29, marking a significant milestone as it successfully completed a 60-minute test flight with all systems operating smoothly. This flight signifies the successful maiden flight testing the strapdown inertial navigation system for medium and large multi-tasking payload drones. This event also marks the symbolic reopening of Liuting International Airport, which had been closed for three years.
The drone tested was part of the "Feiying" series, independently developed by Shandong Fengxiangbiao Zhihang Equipment. The Feiying ET60, a multi-rotor transport drone with a maximum takeoff weight of 120 kilograms and a 40-minute flight endurance when unloaded, is capable of carrying various payloads for multiple tasks. Additionally, the Feiying E08, a vertical takeoff and landing fixed-wing drone, can carry up to 2 kilograms, has a maximum range of 220 kilometers, and can operate autonomously with a single operator. These drones are designed for missions such as aerial surveying, orthophotography, and inspection.
"A stable and highly secure site is essential for testing new technologies in the low-altitude industry, and Liuting International Airport stands out with its exceptional resources, making it an ideal testing ground for low-altitude flight trials," explained a spokesperson of the test flight event, emphasizing how Liuting International Airport's stable and secure environment, along with its advanced meteorological and air safety data, played a critical role in the success of the test flight.
The administration of Chengyang District plans to transform Liuting International Airport into a central hub for the low-altitude economy. This development will include the creation of low-altitude economic industrial parks, the establishment of leading corporate entities, and the formation of innovation centers. The extensive meteorological data collected at Liuting International Airport—ranging from manual and automated observations to flight information, atmospheric conditions, temperature and humidity readings, radar detections, and other data from low-altitude test flights—will play a crucial role in developing data products that will drive the growth of the region's low-altitude economy to support open data operations within the low-altitude economic sector. Additionally, the airport plans to collaborate with top Chinese aerospace universities, including the Harbin Institute of Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beihang University, and Shenyang Aerospace University, to establish a low-altitude industry academy.
