ALIT details latest UAVs

China's Aerospace Long-March International Trade Company (ALIT) has released further details of its newest unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The company will be exhibiting its CH-91 and CH-92 medium-range multipurpose systems and CH-901 small reconnaissance/attack system at the IDEX 2013 exhibition in Abu Dhabi.

According to company representatives, research and development of the aircraft is now complete and the CH-91 is now in production, while the CH-92 and CH-901 are in the testing phase, with production scheduled to start in 2014.

The CH-91 is designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); precision targeting and artillery fire correction; battle damage assessment; and also geographic information systems (GIS). ALIT is also proposing the system for civillian purposes, including forest fire prevention; pipeline monitoring; meteorological measurements; and emergency communications.

The aircraft is 3.5 m long, 1.4 m high and has a wingspan of 4.4 m. The maximum take-off weight is stated as 110 kg with a payload capacity of 20 kg. It features a two-blade propeller in a pusher configuration and is powered by a 16.4 kW twin cylinder, petrol engine.