A new benchmark in emergency equipment, solving the challenge of extinguishing fires over 100 meters | “Ao Qin” featured in China Emergency Management.

The full text of the article is as follows:

Ducted-fan propulsion technology ushers in the era of drones as primary firefighting assets.

I. Background of the Need: Firefighting Technologies for High-Rise Buildings Remain Urgently in Need of Advancement

In recent years, the number of high-rise buildings in urban areas has continued to grow, and traditional firefighting methods have increasingly revealed significant limitations when dealing with such fires, underscoring an urgent need for groundbreaking advances in emergency rescue and primary fire‑suppression technologies. First, external attack approaches are constrained: aerial ladder trucks have limited operating heights and bulky dimensions, and their deployment is heavily restricted by site conditions and traffic constraints, making it difficult to respond swiftly to fire‑fighting demands. Second, internal attack capabilities fall short: vertically laying hose lines is challenging and results in substantial pressure losses, failing to sustain adequate water supply at floors above 100 meters, while also yielding relatively low deployment efficiency. Third, personnel safety faces substantial risks: dense smoke, extreme heat, and complex structural layouts within the fire zone not only impede firefighters’ effectiveness in close‑quarters interior operations but also expose them to grave life‑threatening hazards. Against this backdrop, Beijing Weihang Technology Co., Ltd., leveraging ducted‑fan propulsion technology, has developed “Aoqin,” the first high‑altitude tethered main‑fire‑fighting drone system powered by a ducted fan, effectively breaking the deadlock caused by the lack of efficient primary fire‑suppression tools for high‑rise buildings.

II. Technological Breakthrough: Electric Ducted-Fan Jet Propulsion Offers Significant Advantages

Electric ducted-fan jet propulsion technology, as a key core technology of the third aviation industrial revolution, offers significant advantages over conventional rotor-based propulsion in terms of thrust, safety, and size compatibility, while also presenting higher technological barriers.

1. Large propeller disc load, with outstanding load-carrying capacity

Ducted-fan propulsion technology delivers higher disk loading, generating 5 to 10 times the thrust of conventional rotor‑based systems at the same rotor swept area. When integrated with emergency‑response platforms such as firefighting chassis, the aircraft adopts a tandem‑configuration design, achieving a useful load of 400 kg and a maximum takeoff weight of 800 kg. In the vertical direction, it can support the substantial weight of an equivalent water‑filled hose and cable; in the horizontal direction, it effectively counteracts the large reaction forces generated by high‑pressure, high‑flow water jets.

2. High safety, compatible with complex fire‑fighting environments

In terms of physical protection, the ducted‑fan architecture encloses the high‑speed rotating blades, substantially reducing operational risks and the likelihood of harm to external personnel and the environment. Regarding wind‑resistance stability, it markedly enhances the system’s ability to withstand adverse winds; even in the turbulent, gusty conditions typical of high‑rise building fires, it can maintain precise hovering and positioning. This prevents the flight instability, trajectory drift, and wasted extinguishing agents that often plague conventional rotorcraft drones under wind‑field interference, thereby ensuring both operational safety and efficiency.

3. Compact size, meeting the requirements of urban firefighting scenarios.

Under conditions of equal thrust, ducted-fan aircraft feature a more compact overall footprint, enabling them to meet the operational requirements of urban firefighting—namely, tethered power and fluid supply, as well as long-duration, high‑flow water spraying—while also complying with the stringent national standards for fire truck dimensions.

III. Innovative Solution: The “Aoqin” Combat‑Ready Firefighting Drone System Unveiled

Combining the technological advantages and application scenarios of ducted fans, Weihang Technology Ji Jiang’s first industrialized product is focused on high‑rise firefighting at heights of up to 100 meters, introducing the world’s first ducted‑fan, high‑altitude tethered main‑battle fire‑fighting drone system—“Aoqin.” Centered on an electrically powered ducted‑fan flight platform and integrated with a tethered power‑and‑fluid supply system and a dedicated firefighting chassis vehicle, this solution forms a unified, mission‑ready fire‑fighting system, which was officially unveiled at the 2025 China International Emergency Management Exhibition.

1. Hose diameter and sustained liquid flow rate

Unlike traditional rotorcraft drones, which can only spray relatively light compressed-air foam, Unlike conventional designs, the “Aoqin” leverages ducted-fan technology to achieve a high rotor-disc loading, enabling a substantial takeoff weight and a large useful payload. It can carry 65-mm or 50-mm‑diameter water hoses for spraying, generating a sustained, high‑flow firefighting stream. Its continuous liquid flow rate can reach 20 to 30 liters per second—more than ten times the sub‑3-liter-per-second flow rates of traditional rotary‑wing drones.

2. Effective spray distance

The “Aoqin” has an effective spray range of up to 45 meters, capable of reaching high-rise buildings. In deep‑penetration fire situations, it can effectively penetrate the high‑temperature smoke layer to reach the fire’s core; coupled with a lifting height exceeding 100 meters, it can precisely cover the full vertical extent of most high‑rise buildings, fully meeting the firefighting capabilities required by emergency response teams.

3. Working height

“Aoqin” is compatible with both water and compressed-air foam for fire suppression. The extinguishing agent and the working height vary depending on the type of agent: when discharging a high‑volume water jet, the lift height can reach 100 to 120 meters; for high‑volume foam discharge… At that time, the lifting height could reach 150 to 200 meters.

4. Rescue Efficiency

While achieving the same firefighting capabilities as conventional 100-meter-class aerial ladder fire trucks. On the premise that the “Aoqin” system’s vehicle length does not exceed 10 meters, and with… The smallest 18-meter aerial firefighting vehicle on the market boasts comparable dimensions, along with excellent maneuverability and machine… Excellent mobility. It can ensure that, upon receiving an alarm, the first-response force arrives within 15 minutes. Arrive at the fire scene, complete deployment within 3 minutes, and raise to… within 1 minute. “100-meter altitude” rapid response, precisely matching rescue operations to main combat equipment. The ultimate demand for efficiency.

IV. Future Plans: Building an “All-Hazard, Comprehensive Emergency Response” Application Ecosystem

Following the official launch of the “Aoqin” combat‑firefighting UAV system, it was accompanied by… With the increase in market orders and the accumulation of operational experience, a large number of critical flight data… According to reports, this has already provided support for the R&D of subsequent products. Next, Weihang Technology… The technology division will prioritize two key initiatives:

1. On the common key technologies of ducted fans and the general-purpose flight platform Implement modular design modifications.

2. Launching innovative flight platforms tailored to a wider range of emergency firefighting scenarios. Equipment, covering urban narrow alleys, petrochemical facilities, and super‑tall buildings. Construction, water bodies and offshore drilling platforms, multimodal logistics transport, emergency access Scenarios such as messaging, etc.

Through technological iteration and scenario expansion, Weihang Technology will build Multi‑scenario application of low‑altitude emergency rescue products for “all‑hazard, large‑scale emergencies” Scenarios that drive the new‑generation emergency firefighting capabilities to cover more use cases and reach greater depths. Next, larger-scale real-world deployments.