Is China’s helicopter drone a spy bot?

By Tuan C. Nguyen | May 10, 2011, 3:07 AM PDT

China’s largest unmanned helicopter has successfully completed its first test flight.

On May 7th, the V750 chopper took off and maneuvered for 10 minutes around the Weifang Tianxiang Aerospace Industry’s test flight center, before performing a clean landing. The prototype has a maximum load capacity of 80 kg, can travel a distance of 500 kilometers and stay airborne for more than four hours. It has a maximum speed of 161 km per hour and can reach an altitude of 3,000 meters.

While Chinese researchers have developed unmanned helicopters, they’ve previously been much smaller and were limited to a maximum takeoff weight of about 100 kg. The 757-kilogram V750, with its 80 kg payload capacity, is comparable to the Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout, an autonomous helicopter drone used by the U.S. military for enemy reconnaissance and other support missions.

The V650 can reportedly be equipped with ground monitoring radar, high-resolution camera and, in due can time, might be capable of carrying out similar military operations.

But will it?

Cheng Shenzong, Chairman of the Weifang Tianxiang Aerospace Industry reassures the public that the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will be commissioned “for surveillance, search and rescue, and scientific exploration in both military and civilian purposes,” a statement reported by the state-run Xinhau News Agency.

But given the nation’s recent efforts to amp up its military prowess, it will have its fair share of skeptics.