FutureFlight
Chinese Logistics Group Turns to Pipistrel for New Cargo VTOL Drone
The unmanned aerial vehicle is expected to enter service in 2023, and China's SF Express group says it may need as many as 1,000 units.
Pipistrel SF Express Amazilia drone
Pipistrel is developing a new cargo drone that appears very similar to its existing Nuuva V300 design. (Image: Pipistrel)

Chinese logistics group SF Express is to use a new high-capacity cargo-carrying unmanned aerial vehicle that is being developed by its German subsidiary, Amazilia Aerospace, in partnership with Slovenian electric aircraft specialist Pipistrel. The partners expect to have a prototype ready to start flight testing in 2022, with SF Express aiming to begin operations in 2023.

The unnamed aircraft announced today is based on the Nuuva V300 model that Pipistrel has been developing since 2020. It is being designed to lift more than 300 kg (661 pounds) of cargo in an 81-cubic-foot storage space, with a range of around 500 km (311 miles).