Aerospace Times Feipeng FP-981C (production model)

(Photo credit: Aerospace Times Feipeng Co., LTD.)

FP-981C (production model)
Aerospace Times Feipeng Co., LTD. (Feipeng)
Kunshan, Anhui, China
www.htsdfp.com

Founded in 2020, Aerospace Times Feipeng Co., LTD. (also known as Feipeng), is headquartered in Jiangsu Sheng, China and is in the business of making autonomous electric eVTOL and conventional aircraft. The company has manufactured both a long-range winged and short-range multicopter air cargo eVTOL aircraft. The company has an integrated research and development department, design, system simulation, testing, trial production, manufacturing and operations capability. It was reported in 2024 that the company has approximately 300 employees.

It was reported the company attended the 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in 2022, held in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China but we can't confirm this using the exhibition's website. The company has exhibited in the Transport Logistic expo in 2024 in Shanghai New International Expo and are expected to be at the same expo in 2026.

FP-981C autonomous long-range air cargo eVTOL production model aircraft
The FP-981C is an autonomous (or remotely piloted) long-range air cargo eVTOL cargo drone. The cargo is front loaded and has cargo bay doors to release the cargo. The cargo can also be sling loaded from the bottom of the aircraft. The air cargo can either land and drop the cargo on the ground or can hover and drop the cargo on the ground or water, all without ground crew being present.

The has an average cruise speed of 100-130 km/h (62-81 mph), has a range of 100 km (62 m) and the flight time is one hour. The cruise altitude is 4,000 m (13,123 ft) and has a maximum altitude of 4,500 m (14,764 ft). The empty weight of the aircraft is 360 kg (794 lb), has a maximum payload of 100 kg (220 lb) and has a maximum takeoff weight of 460 kg (1,014 lb).

The aircraft has one high main wing with eight VTOL propellers, one pusher propeller, nine electric motors and a boom mounted rear horizontal stabilizer. The aircraft is powered by battery packs. The fuselage is made from carbon fiber composite for a high strength to low weight ratio. The aircraft has fixed skid landing gear. The advantage of this type of aircraft configuration is that the aircraft can takeoff from almost any place with an open space and is a long range air cargo drone, due to its high main wing.

Prototype
The company has what looks like a full-scale prototype, first flown, we believe, in 2022. No other information has been provided about the cargo drone or the goals of the company.

Applications for the aircraft
The aircraft is can be used for short and long range air cargo transportation for advanced air mobility in urban areas from building to building deliveries without ground personnel. The aircraft can also be outfitted to provide autonomous eVTOL aircraft emergency communication, disaster reconnaissance, three-dimensional modeling of a disaster area, search and rescue, emergency delivery of medical equipment, supplies and food, and for firefighting. For commercial industries, the aircraft can outfitted to provide surveying and mapping, meteorological detection for weather forecasting and resource exploration capabilities.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Long-range air cargo eVTOL production model drone
• Piloting: Autonomous (or remote)
• Capacity: Cargo only, has bomber bay cargo doors so it can drop off cargo autonomously without ground crew being present
• Cruise speed: 100-130 km/h (62-81 mph)
• Range: 100 km (62 m)
• Flight time: 1 hour
• Cruise altitude: 4,000 m (13,123 ft)
• Maximum altitude: 4,500 m (14,764 ft)
• Empty weight: 360 kg (794 lb)
• Maximum payload: 100 kg (220 lb)
• Maximum takeoff weight: 460 kg (1,014 lb)
• Propellers: 9 propellers (8 VTOL propellers, 1 pusher propeller)
• Electric motors: 9 electric motors
• Power source: Batteries
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Wings: 1 main high wing
• Tail: 1 high boom mounted horizontal stabilizer
• Landing gear: Fixed skid landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. There are also redundancies in the sub-systems of the aircraft.

Company Insights

• Atlas Datum
• Crunchbase

Resources:

• Aerospace Times Feipeng website
• Video: FP-981C cargo drone test flight, Unknown publisher, Unknown date of video
• Article: UAV Report Part One: Aerospace Times Feipeng, China eVTOL News, Dec. 21, 2024