According to reports, a hydrogen VTOL drone has established a new endurance record in China.

A hydrogen-powered drone made in China is said to have established the country's endurance record for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), flying in vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) mode.

According to China Daily, the hydrogen-powered drone was built in Chongqing, where it reportedly broke a new record for vertical take-off and landing. The Qing Ou 30 ("blue seagull 30") UAV was developed by the Hydrogen Power and Low-Carbon Energy Research Center, which is affiliated with the Harbin Institute of Technology's Chongqing Research Institute. It is capable of flying a maximum distance of 800 kilometres at a top speed of 90 kilometres per hour while carrying a three kilogramme payload.

Curiously, China Daily did not identify the distance of the purported record trip, but did state that its inaugural flight was performed with a maximum takeoff weight of 30 kilogrammes - implying it was far less than 800 kilometres.

The hydrogen-powered drone, which has a four-meter wingspan and an impact-ventilated fuel cell power system, was created over the course of a year by a team of seven researchers. According to technicians who worked on the project, the VTOL capabilities were critical in extending the mission's longevity.

"It is the country's longest-lasting fixed-wing, hydrogen-powered VTOL drone," Qin Jiang, head of the facility that constructed the UAV, told China Daily. "Extending the durability of unmanned aerial vehicles has long been an objective of ours. Additionally, the Qing Ou 30 is available with a greener energy choice."

The hydrogen-powered VTOL drone, which is expected to be ready for commercial and public usage within three years, may prove to be a remarkable workhorse indeed.

According to its makers, it will examine ten kilometres of high-voltage power lines in approximately ten minutes, significantly cutting down on the hours – even days – required by traditional procedures. Additionally, the craft is being prepped for deployment in oil pipeline monitoring, geological surveying, logistics, transportation, and emergency rescue operations.

The researchers note that the combination of hydrogen fuel and less demanding VTOL departure and arrival modes promises to transform the drone into a marathon aerial asset.

"The longer its battery lasts, the more value it achieves," said Shen Tieling, a developer, adding that the Qing Ou 30's endurance will certainly appeal to operators of military surveillance and reconnaissance operations. "It might act as a kind of eye in the sky for modern combat, providing constant surveillance."