Chinese bird drone sets world record for longest flight - it spent more than 1.5 hours in the air

Chinese scientists from Beihang University (BUAA) have set a world record for the longest

the flight of a drone that flies like a bird.

What is known

The unmanned aerial vehicle is a 1.6 kg ornithopter. It is equipped with mechanical wings with a span of 2 meters and can reach speeds of up to 10 m/s (36 km/h) in flight.

To set a new record engineersUniversity went to the field on the outskirts of Beijing. The lithium-ion battery allowed the drone to stay in the air for 1 hour 30 minutes and almost 5 seconds. The previous record was under 30 minutes.

Experts tested the ornithopter several times.During the first tests, he managed to fly 53 minutes without landing. This was already enough to set a world record, but scientists have found a way to extend the flight time by more than one and a half times. To do this, they changed the dynamics of the wing and optimized the power plant.

Study leader Zhzhao Longfei said,that the development of his team can help in the creation of unmanned aerial vehicles for the exploration of Mars. In addition, such technologies can be used to simulate innovative aircraft and scare away birds near airports.