As 2024 heralds in the Year of the Dragon, for the first time at the Singapore Airshow, there will be a China Pavilion consisting of about 30 Chinese aviation enterprises (SMEs), showcasing their technologies and services.

One of the leading dragons of the Chinese presence this year is United Aircraft Group, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. The group specialises in the research, development, manufacturing and delivery of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), ground and airborne ancillary systems, and components such as rotor blades and composites. The group has also established operations in Beijing, Guangdong, Anhui, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Shanghai, Heilongjiang and Gansu.

While its products have been used in the country’s domestic military and public security arenas, the focus of the group at Singapore Airshow 2024 is on civil and commercial applications for its current flagship products.

The TD550 coaxial unmanned helicopter takes centrestage at the booth with its high-load capability and flight performance. With a maximum payload of 200kg up to a maximum service ceiling of 6,500m, it boasts a 200km operating radius with a maximum level speed of 180km/h. Its versatility allows it to perform in the transportation, delivery, agriculture, communications and firefighting roles.

During the 2023 floods in Beijing, Hebei and Heilongjiang, the TD550 performed crucial roles alongside the other group’s platforms such as the TD220 and Q20 in an emergency response. While the Q20 was monitoring the flood levels in the affected areas, the TD550 was delivering materials and supplies to frontline rescue personnel, with the TD220 acting as a communication relay.

The variant displayed at the airshow booth is equipped with an Electro-Optical (EO) turret and twin CO2 extinguishing rocket pods that can hold and fire up to seven rockets each. Together with its ability to be also fitted with four 50kg fire extinguisher bombs, it is able to take on both high-rise or large surface fire situations. In November 2023, the TD550 conducted a fire drill alongside the fire service in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, where it was equipped with a tethered fire hose to spray against a simulated high-rise fire in a commercial tower.

The TD550 equipped with an EO turret and twin CO2 extinguishing rocket pods.

The delivery pod can be mounted underbelly by switching to higher landing struts.

The rear profile showcases the underbelly slot for payloads and the interchangeable landing struts.

Making its international debut is the Q20 industrial quadrotor drone, suitable for agriculture, inspection and public security. With a standard 5 kg payload capacity it can fly up to 50 minutes, or 75 minutes unladen. Various payload modules such as a searchlight, EO pod, megaphone and even a parachute can be mounted, with a maximum of 4 modules simultaneously. It can handle adverse flying weather conditions due to its level 7 wind resistance rating, with wind speeds up to 62km/h. With time-of-flight 3D LiDAR and multiple sensors, the drone has omnidirectional obstacle avoidance capability. It is also able to operate in a pitch black environment due to its built-in infrared sensors, and relies on the BeiDou Short Message protocol as a safety control measure.

During the recent Chinese Spring Festival, the Q20 was used in Anhui and Heilongjiang to deliver New Year’s Eve dinners, making a significant impact on the the local hospitality industries.

While the Q20 is smaller than its bigger brethren, it is cost effective and has a relatively easier usage curve.

Completing the product matrix on display is the Q3 Pipeline Patrol Drone, Q4 Warehouse Patrol Drone and Q5 Tunnel Patrol Drone. Together these drones are designed for operation in space challenged areas, especially in indoor and underground environments.

The Q3 Pipeline Patrol Drone is currently in used by an unnamed Singapore customer.

The Q5 Tunnel Patrol Drone is able to operate autonomously in a signal free environment for data and information acquisition.

United Aircraft has also announced the development of a 6-ton class tilt-rotor UAV, the UR6000, with the prototype set to appear at the end of the year. Able to carry 7-10 passengers, this could potentially challenge the current incumbents in the point-to-point transportation category, with a platform combining a helicopter’s vertical capabilities and a fixed wing’s high speed flight.

UR6000 tilt-rotor UAV (Source: United Aircraft)

The United Aircraft booth and its displayed products can be found at C-F81 in Hall C at the Singapore Airshow 2024.