W5000 Scaled Prototype’s First Flight Puts Baijing Hangxian’s Uncrewed Cargo Plane on Track for 2026 Delivery

Baijing Hangxian’s W5000 large uncrewed cargo aircraft moved closer to commercial deployment after a 1:4 scaled experimental model completed its maiden flight in Otog Front Banner, Inner Mongolia, according to the “Weixun Jiangsu” public account.

The test is a milestone that starts a countdown to the first flight of the full-size aircraft, highlighting progress in China’s domestic regional air-freight segment. The W5000 is positioned as the world’s largest uncrewed cargo aircraft, and its scaled flight offers an early validation step for aerodynamics and systems integration ahead of full-size trials.

The W5000 was rolled out after final assembly at Baijing Hangxian’s Changzhou production base in October last year, IT Home reported. The aircraft is designed for logistics operations and features a maximum takeoff weight of 10.8 tons, a maximum payload of 5 tons, and a range of 2,600 kilometers. It uses a conventional turboprop powerplant and has a wingspan of 22.70 meters, a vertical tail height of 7.51 meters, and a length of 22.89 meters.

Baijing Hangxian said the W5000 relies on autonomous flight with ground-based supervision. One crew can monitor six to seven aircraft, and staffing costs are estimated at one-tenth of comparable crewed aircraft. The company also said the program has achieved full supply-chain autonomy, with aircraft components sourced from state-owned aviation industry systems and major private aviation manufacturers.

For investors watching the cost structure of air logistics, Baijing Hangxian is emphasizing operating economics. The company estimates the W5000 can cut ton-kilometer costs by more than 40% versus crewed cargo aircraft of the same class, and reduce turnaround time at civil and general aviation airports to 15 minutes. Those metrics, if borne out in full-scale testing and operations, would make the aircraft a potential lever for higher asset utilization and lower unit costs in time-sensitive freight networks.

The W5000 project began in 2021, and Baijing Hangxian expects delivery of the first aircraft in the second half of 2026.

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