The Twin-tailed Scorpion B multirole medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial system is set to make its debut at the Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province from November 12 to 17, 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Sichuan Tengden Sci-tech Innovation Co Ltd

The Twin-tailed Scorpion B drone, receiving improvements in terms of short-range takeoff capability and high-altitude flight performance compared with other products in its family, is set to make its debut alongside two large transport drones at the Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province from November 12 to 17, 2024, according to their maker.

The twin-engine, modular, multirole, medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial system the Twin-tailed Scorpion B is constructed using composite materials and is based on the Twin-tailed Scorpion drone, the Global Times learned from Sichuan Tengden Sci-tech Innovation Co Ltd on Thursday.

With a wingspan of 18 meters, length of 8.8 meters and height of 2.7 meters, the Twin-tailed Scorpion B has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,950 kilograms and a maximum range of 8,500 kilometers. The fuselage of the drone is built largely with composite materials, giving the aircraft superior short-range takeoff capabilities and high-altitude flight efficiency, while retaining the benefits of the Twin-tailed Scorpion drone family's multi-engine design, Tengden said in a press release.

It can simultaneously carry various high-performance mission payloads and perform tasks such as emergency rescue, weather service, wide-area patrols, and air transport, the drone maker said.

The drone will make debut and deliver flight performance at the Airshow China 2024, according to the press release.

In addition to the Twin-tailed Scorpion B, Tengden said it will also display for the first time two types of large transport drones: a twin-engine large transport drone with a commercial load of two tons suitable for plateau deployment, and the four-engine Twin-tailed Scorpion D with a payload capacity of 1,000 kilograms.

With large load capacities and long ranges, the drones can perform tasks like air transport, disaster relief, emergency delivery and communication relay, Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Thursday, stressing their importance in China's efforts to develop its low-altitude economy. 

China's technologies in related drone development are now very advanced, as Tengden is just one representative company in China's drone industry, and with many companies engaged in similar work across the country, Wang said.