Bird-like plane sets world record

A Chinese research team's bioengineered aircraft sets a record for the longest flight time on a single charge, reaching more than 3 hours.

The Homing Pigeon, a bioengineered aircraft developed by a research team at Northwestern Polytechnical University, set a Guinness World Record for the longest flight time of a flapping-wing drone on a single battery charge, China Daily reported on October 11. After flapping its wings and launching into the air, it flew for 3 hours, 5 minutes and 30 seconds.

Bioengineered devices are devices inspired by living organisms, mimicking natural systems and applying them to modern engineering. Owl - a bioengineered aircraft also developed by Northwestern Polytechnical University - holds the old Guinness World Record with a flight time of 2 hours, 34 minutes and 38 seconds, set on November 15, 2022. Compared to Owl, Homing Pigeon is smaller, with a wingspan less than half that of Owl and only 1/4 of its weight, marking a major step forward in bioengineered aircraft technology.

According to Liu Liu, a graduate student and member of the research and development team, the Homing Pigeon's realistic appearance fooled even real birds, which regularly flew alongside the aircraft during test flights.

"During the flight, a bird of prey suddenly appeared in the sky. It tried to catch the plane several times. However, thanks to quick actions on the ground, we avoided being caught," Liu said. When they recovered the plane, they found that its head had been scratched by the bird of prey's claws.

The flapping-wing aircraft mimics the flight movements of birds and other creatures. It is lightweight, compact, and operates quietly, making it difficult to detect. It can be launched by hand and landed without any restrictions on landing areas, making it suitable for a wide range of applications such as reconnaissance in complex environments, information gathering in emergency rescue situations, and biological field research.

Thu Thao (According to China Daily )

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