China Tests World's Most Powerful Cargo Drone, Can Carry Up to 3.5 Tons

Norinco Luca drone (photo: China Military Bugle)

JAKARTA - The world's most powerful cargo drone made by China's North Industries Group Corp successfully made its maiden flight in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, China, Tuesday, March 31.

A prototype of the Norinco Luca, also known as the Changying-8, took off at 9:30 a.m. from Zhengzhou Shangjie Airport and remained in the air for about 30 minutes before landing at the same location.

Its developer, Norinco UAS, said that during the trial, the engineering team successfully tested the flight control system, avionics, electronic systems, and the model power system and achieved the desired results.

In a press release, it was stated that all flights were controlled by the aircraft's intelligent system and monitored by human controllers.

This drone has a length of 17 meters with a wingspan of up to 25 meters, and a take-off weight of up to 7 tons. Its maximum carrying capacity reaches 3.5 tons, equivalent to the weight of about 50 adults.

In a single flight, this unmanned aircraft is capable of carrying more than 1,700 thick jackets or 700 disaster relief tents for long-distance distribution. Its range is claimed to be more than 3,000 kilometers.

In addition, this drone is capable of taking off and landing on a short runway of less than 500 meters, including at airports with limited conditions such as highland areas and islands.

The Norinco Luca is also equipped with a cargo space with a capacity of 18 cubic meters that can be accessed from the front and back. The load change time is said to be only 15 minutes, thus increasing logistics efficiency.

The world's most powerful cargo drone, built by China North Industries Group Corp, conducted its first flight on March 31, 2026, in Zhengzhou, the capital of central China's Henan province.

A prototype of the Norinco Luca unmanned transport aircraft took off at 9:30 am from the… pic.twitter.com/bjp0P7p0R3

— China Military Bugle (@ChinaMilBugle) March 31, 2026

To ensure operational safety, this drone uses two domestically produced turboprop engines and is equipped with redundancy systems on important components such as flight control, navigation, and power supply. Smart health monitoring systems and self-diagnosis are also embedded.

After the maiden flight, the company said it would prioritize airworthiness certification, delivery, and commercial operations.

In the future, the company also plans to develop larger and more advanced drones, including unmanned helicopters with vertical takeoff capabilities for various transportation needs.