CAFUC's Hydrogen UAV Completes Maiden Flight in Chengdu

Compoundwing-30 (FC-30), a hydrogen fuel cell, full-operating-condition range-extended composite-wing 

UAV jointly developed by teams from several secondary colleges of the Civil Aviation Flight University of China 

(CAFUC), recently completed its first full-process flight test at the Chengdu (Pengzhou) National Civil Unmanned 

Aerial Vehicle Test Base. This marks a major milestone breakthrough for CAFUC in the field of new energy 

propulsion for UAVs.

The FC-30 demonstrates exceptional performance. With a wingspan of 3.8 meters and a maximum takeoff weight

 exceeding 40 kg, it can carry a payload of up to 7 kg. Its maximum endurance reaches 4 hours, approximately 

double that of purely lithium battery-powered UAVs. Under specific mission conditions, it can achieve a single 

hover time of 6 minutes (with a 3kg payload), and a total hover time of up to 30 minutes per mission.

This UAV is suitable for various professional fields, including complex inspection and emergency security scenarios. 

In complex inspections, the FC-30 can quickly approach target areas in fixed-wing mode, then switch to multi-rotor

 mode to precisely lock onto targets and conduct detailed reconnaissance, significantly enhancing operational 

standards and efficiency.

The development of the FC-30 involved close collaboration among multiple CAFUC teams over 18 months. 

The College of Avionics and Electrical Engineering led the range-extender powertrain development and flight 

testing, the College of Aeronautical Engineering developed the fuel cell stack control system, and the College of 

Civil Aviation Safety Engineering focused on fuel cell R&D. The teams overcame key technical challenges through 

systematic design, bench testing, iron bird testing, and flight control tests, culminating in the successful maiden 

flight.

The project faced significant technical hurdles, including developing high-power-density aviation hydrogen fuel 

cell technology, a high-power/high-energy-density hydrogen-lithium hybrid powertrain, and the design and 

flight testing techniques for a long-endurance, all-electric composite-wing UAV capable of sustained hovering. 

These multidisciplinary challenges required high expertise and persistent effort from the research team, 

who successfully developed innovative solutions, laying a solid theoretical and practical foundation for future 

research and application.

This successful first flight is just the beginning. The R&D team plans to expedite the industrialization process to 

transform this scientific achievement into practical productivity, serving broader industry needs. Looking ahead, 

the FC-30 is expected to play a significant role in the industrial-grade UAV sector, contributing to the further 

development and upgrading of related industries. CAFUC's ongoing efforts are poised to inject powerful new 

momentum into China's low-altitude economy and civil aviation development.