China's largest in-development unmanned cargo aircraft, the W5000, has received 530 pre-orders during its pre-delivery tests, which are currently underway, said the aircraft's builder.

AirWhiteWhale (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. manufactures its W5000 mostly in Changzhou, eastern China’s Jiangsu Province. The fixed-wing unmanned aircraft for air cargo has a Max Take-off Weight of 10.8 tons, a Max Payload of about 5 tons, a Cruise Height of 6000 meters, a max Cruise Speed of 526 km/h, Max Range of 2600 km.

A domestically developed digital alignment system enables millimeter-level positioning of the W5000, doubling assembly efficiency for large components while ensuring consistent product quality. The system can also be easily adapted to different aircraft variants, reducing costs and improving production flexibility,said the producer.

The W5000 makes extensive use of carbon fiber composite materials, which are nearly 30 percent lighter than aluminum alloys while offering greater strength, enabling longer range and a heavier payload capacity.

Most core materials of this cargo UAV are sourced domestically, mainly from the Yangtze River Delta, ensuring supply chain independence. At the same time, related industries have formed a clustered ecosystem, with key components supplied locally.