A groundbreaking flight test explores potential for long-distance, heavy-payload drone operations, targeting crucial advancements in emergency response capabilities.
by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabb
This article published in collaboration with JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association.
The Akasaka Takeshi Laboratory of the Kanazawa Institute of Technology’s Department of Aeronautical Systems Engineering conducted its first flight test of a large drone on Tuesday, December 10th, at the Hakusan Radio Control Club’s radio control airfield on the Tedori River riverbed.
The Kanazawa VTOL Drone Test
The drone, which weighed over 90 kg (nearly 200 lbs) with its included battery packs, also featured a 40kg payload. According to their press release, there are no extant examples of a VTOL-type winged electric drone with a maximum payload of 50 kg and a flight distance of over 50 km available in Japan.
The organizers were quoted as saying, “There are no examples of VTOL type winged electric drones with a maximum payload of 50 kg and a flight distance of over 50 km in Japan yet. In this flight test, we tested whether the drone could lift off with a 20 kg weight and a 40 kg weight, and the prototype (without wings) successfully lifted off.”
According to their press release, during the Noto Peninsula earthquake in 2024, rescuers faced an unexpected problem- the shaking did serious damage to the port’s infrastructure, making it impossible for ships transporting relief supplies to dock. The drones take several hours to charge, and spare batteries must be prepared before they can be used to transport supplies.
The project, lead by Associate Professor Akasaka, initially wanted to develop a drone that could fly from Nanao Bay to Suzu City, but because 60km one way was considered too difficult with current technology, he set a development goal of flying 50km.
On the day of the flight test, a prototype aircraft was used to conduct technical studies in advance on how to achieve a “maximum payload of 50 kg.” The prototype aircraft is 2.5 m wide x 1.5 m deep and has eight propellers. Based on the data obtained from this flight test, the Akasaka Laboratory will proceed with the development of a fixed-wing prototype, with flight tests scheduled for early March 2025.The leaders of the research project include:
- Associate Professor Takeshi Akasaka, Department of Aeronautical Systems Engineering
- Ryuhei Ohga, 2nd year master’s student in mechanical engineering at the graduate school
- Shunpei Maruyama, 4th year student, Department of Aeronautical Systems Engineering
- Takuma Kawasaki, 4th year student, Department of Aeronautical Systems Engineering
More information and the original Japanese press release is available here.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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