China unveils new drone that takes off and lands on its tail like a rocket
UAV was put through its paces in a disaster rescue drill in the mountains of Sichuan province, according to state media report

The new UAV has an intelligent control system that could be used for drone swarming.
China has unveiled a tail-sitter drone – which takes off and lands on its tail like a rocket – during a disaster rescue drill, according to state media.

In its debut, the new unmanned aerial vehicle’s sensors and cameras were put to the test for reconnaissance and real-time situational awareness operations in a mountainous region of Sichuan province, the official Science and Technology Daily reported on Tuesday.

The drone’s Wenyao intelligent control system was also on show, with the drill demonstrating capabilities such as autonomous target allocation, automatic route planning, and automated threat avoidance – all of which could be vital when controlling a drone swarm.

The drone launches vertically, transitions to a horizontal flight position, then switches back to vertical to land. Photo: Handout
The drone launches vertically, transitions to a horizontal flight position, then switches back to vertical to land. Photo: Handout
The drone – whose name was not disclosed – is what is known as a vertical take-off and landing aircraft. It launches vertically with its nose pointing up, transitions to a horizontal flight position, then switches back to vertical to land on its tail.