The Hanoitimes - After five years of research and designing, Vietnamese scientists have created and successfully tested three prototypes of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the first of its kind in Viet Nam.

Three UAV completed trial flights for the first time at the Space Technology Institute of the Viet Nam Science and Technology Academy in Hoa Lac, Ha Noi.

These UAVs all are manufactured locally, with domestically produced materials.

With their weights ranging from 4 kg to 170 kg and their wingspans from 1.2 to 5 meters, the aircraft can take off o­n a runway, the top of a car, or a mobile launching platform, or by hand manipulation.

Of the three tested UAVs, the smallest (1 m long and 1.2 m wide) has an operation radius of 2 km and can reach a height of 200 m and a speed of 70 km per hour.

The second biggest (1.8 m long and 2.7 m wide) can travel as far as 15 km at speeds of up to 120 km per hour and heights of 3,000 m. It can take off from a 200-m runway or a launching platform and it can land by runway or parachute. It is capable of sending data remotely.

The largest craft (2.6 m long and 3.2 m wide) can fly for three hours at speeds of 150 km per hour.

All three are equipped with high-resolution cameras. They are all operated using an automatic control system following programs set o­n a digital map foundation.

The three vehicles will be used for scientific research serving socio-economic development, such as the study of desertification, the impact of climate change and deforestation in Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands).