WeiHang Technology’s “Ao Qin” has been featured in a prominent report by the Sichuan Economic Daily.

The following is an excerpt from the original text:

Seeking incremental growth from “low-altitude” and expanding into “new domains”

— Gongjing District of Zigong City’s low-altitude economy sector posted a strong start to the first quarter.

In the first quarter of this year, the low‑altitude economy sector in Gongjing District, Zigong City, achieved breakthroughs across the board, from product innovation to application scenarios, with a steady stream of positive developments—

In January, the “Ao Qin” drone developed by Sichuan Weihang Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd. successfully conducted a water‑spraying demonstration at an altitude of 100 meters in Hengqin; in February, it once again demonstrated outstanding performance during a real‑world firefighting exercise in a location within the Greater Bay Area, marking a new breakthrough in low‑altitude emergency rescue applications.

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Expand into “new domains” and leverage product strengths to drive breakthroughs across diverse use cases.

If key components and complete‑machine manufacturing underpin the current growth, then application scenarios and product innovation are unlocking new frontiers for the Gongjing low‑altitude economy as it looks to the future.

Inside the production facility of Sichuan Weihang Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd., the “Aoqin” drone—fresh back from a real‑world firefighting exercise in a location within the Greater Bay Area—is undergoing a new round of upgrades and debugging. According to Tang Haifeng, the company’s administrative manager, during the first quarter of this year, the “Aoqin” successfully reached several key milestones: in January, it conducted a high‑altitude water‑spraying demonstration at 100 meters above ground in Hengqin; by late February, it completed a live‑firefighting drill in another part of the Greater Bay Area; and in March, it continued to advance with comprehensive system upgrades and debugging, customer consultations, and demonstration flights, essentially achieving its initial phase‑specific goals for a strong start to the year.

“Aoqin” has drawn significant attention because it is addressing a long-standing equipment gap in high-rise fire suppression. Conventional aerial ladder trucks are constrained by vehicle dimensions, road and operational space, and lifting height, making it difficult to handle many complex urban scenarios. Meanwhile, traditional rotor‑type firefighting drones, though capable of flight, typically deliver a liquid flow rate of less than 3 liters per second, falling short of meeting the demands of true primary fire‑fighting missions. In contrast, “Aoqin,” the world’s first ducted‑fan, high‑altitude tethered, main‑role firefighting drone system, can carry 65‑mm or 50‑mm large‑caliber water hoses, achieving a sustained liquid flow rate of 20–30 liters per second—more than ten times that of conventional rotor‑type firefighting drones. It can spray water at heights of 100–150 meters and foam at 150–300 meters, with an effective range of 45 meters, enabling it to penetrate layers of scorching smoke and reach the heart of the fire. Sichuan Weihang is developing a full‑height, main‑role fire‑suppression system for ultra‑tall buildings based on this platform. By installing a simple auxiliary device on the refuge floors of such structures, it can operate in concert with “Aoqin,” delivering high‑flow, 65‑mm‑caliber water‑hose performance even against fires in towers 500–600 meters tall. Tang Haifeng states unequivocally that its role is not as an “auxiliary” but as a “primary combat asset.”

More importantly, it not only delivers a powerful extinguishing capability but also responds with remarkable speed. According to company estimates, the “Aoqin” can achieve rapid response: arriving at the fire scene within 15 minutes of receiving an alarm, completing deployment in three minutes, and raising its platform to a height of 100 meters in just two minutes. While matching the firefighting performance of conventional 100-meter‑class aerial ladder trucks, the entire system measures no more than 10 meters in length—comparable to the smallest 18‑meter aerial ladder vehicles currently available—offering superior maneuverability and mobility. This means it is not merely a laboratory prototype; it has already met the practical requirements for real‑world urban high‑rise fire rescue operations.

From a water‑spraying demonstration conducted from 100 meters above Hengqin to a real‑world firefighting drill in another part of the Greater Bay Area, “Ao Qin” sent a very clear signal in the first quarter: the low‑altitude economy in Gongjing District is not merely about “building aircraft,” but about bringing its products into application scenarios that are both more practical and commercially viable. According to Tang Haifeng, the two production lines are expected to be completed and commissioned by May 2026, with each line capable of producing roughly four units per month, yielding a conservative annual output of 60 to 80 units. The company also plans to launch two new models within the year—targeted respectively at aging, narrow alleyways and petrochemical fire‑fighting applications—and, once operational, will hire 100 to 200 frontline blue‑collar technicians. What “Ao Qin” brings is not just a standout product, but also a tangible starting point for the “low‑altitude + emergency response” paradigm, moving from isolated breakthroughs toward broader, multi‑scenario deployment.

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