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.
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.
A promotional video first seen in January 2015 gave basic dimension and performance data: a wingspan of 4.6 m, a length of 1.8 m, a weight of 200 kg, and a payload of 20 kg. The VD200 can fly at up to 260 km/h out to a radius of 150 km or for up to three hours.
The VD200 has an optical/laser designator payload. The land version is carried by a transporter vehicle accompanied by a command/control vehicle, both made by Dongfeng Motors. It is shown in the video in a stationary hover, designating targets with its laser.
A naval version is also shown in the video providing over-the-horizon surveillance and targeting data.
In late 2015, Northrop Grumman was selected to develop a larger flying-wing VTUAV under the Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node (TERN) programme of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the US Department of Defense.
