MOSCOW. July 2 (Interfax) - A family of transport drones is being created in the National Research Center Zhukovsky Institute.
A prototype of the drone is already undergoing testing, the institute press service said.
"The National Research Center Zhukovsky Institute has conducted test flights of the prototype of the transport drone, on the basis of which it is planned to create a family of transport drones of various load-lifting capacity compatible in one transport network. Flights took place on the testing base of GkNIPAS (a facility of the National Research Center Zhukovsky Institute)," the statement said.
The testing is being conducted on the basis of the work by the research center on the development of the drone aviation transport system, which should comprise not only drones, but also means to manage traffic flows, ensure flight safety and shipment points, it said.
Vladimir Kutakhov, head of the project, who took part in the tests, said they had proven high precision of the device in cargo delivery and good flight dynamics. The software of the transport system needs improvement, he said.
"The National Research Center Zhukovsky Institute is now working on a number of research projects that will help use drone aviation not just for delivering small cargo, but will become a foundation for the creation of a large-scale system made of drones using various construction schemes and various cargo-lifting capacity, from ten kilos to several tonnes, which fit in the federal transport system," Kutakhov was quoted by the press service as saying.
The institute plans to test the multi-chain transport system with a device that has higher cargo-lifting capacity, designed with regard of the results of the current flights, in late 2020, the press service said.