Leaders from Guangdong Province’s emergency management department paid a visit to Weihang Technology for research and guidance.

The research team conducted an on-site visit to the full-scale prototype of the “Aoqin” ducted-fan, a mainstay firefighting drone independently developed by Weihang Technology, and received a detailed briefing on the product’s technical features, application scenarios, and real-world operational effectiveness. The presentation highlighted that ducted-fan propulsion technology offers significantly higher disk loading; compared with rotor‑based systems, it can generate 5–10 times the thrust at the same rotor swept area. This enables the ducted-fan drone to carry a DN65‑diameter water hose and deliver a sustained, high‑flow firefighting stream from altitudes of up to 100 meters. Moreover, its real‑world firefighting capabilities are not constrained by platform selection: at lower altitudes, it can deploy standard fire hoses with larger diameters, achieving even greater flow rates and longer spray ranges—more than tenfold improvement over the less than 3 L/s liquid flow rate typical of conventional rotor‑driven drones.

In addition, ducted fans provide a safety barrier by enclosing the high‑speed rotating blades within a duct, significantly reducing both the risk of internal malfunctions and the likelihood of harm to personnel and the environment. Their superior wind resistance and robust stability enable the aircraft to maintain precise hovering and positioning even in the turbulent, gusty conditions commonly encountered during high‑rise building fires, thereby preventing the flight instability, operational drift, and wasted firefighting agents that plague rotorcraft drones under adverse wind conditions. This ensures both operational safety and effectiveness. In terms of rescue efficiency, thanks to the compact size of the ducted fan, the “Aoqin” can be integrated with fire‑fighting chassis no longer than 10 meters, offering exceptional maneuverability and flexibility. It can reach the fire scene within 15 minutes of receiving an alert as part of the initial response team, complete deployment in just 3 minutes, and lift its payload to altitudes exceeding 100 meters in only 2 minutes—perfectly aligning with the stringent demands of frontline equipment for maximizing rescue speed and precision.

The research team noted that Guangdong Province is currently vigorously promoting the development of the emergency‑response industry and has planned to build a national‑level emergency‑aviation industrial park during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Moreover, the province boasts a dense concentration of high‑rise buildings—Guangzhou alone is home to more than 1,700 supertall structures—and its industrial chain is well‑established and comprehensive, providing new‑type productivity enterprises like Weihang with robust upstream and downstream supply chains, diverse application scenarios, and ample platforms for showcasing their innovations. At the same time, the Greater Bay Area’s strategic location and strong market advantages will significantly bolster the commercial promotion of such products.

At present, the emergency management authorities of Guangdong Province are conducting activities nationwide. Seeking new-generation main combat equipment that can truly address the global challenge of firefighting in high-rise buildings. After reviewing the technical briefings and video presentations, the research team concluded that… “Aoqin” differs from existing rotor‑type firefighting drones in its auxiliary fire‑extinguishing capabilities, delivering substantial improvements across key performance metrics—including hose caliber, water‑flow rate, effective spray range, operational efficiency, continuous operation time, coverage altitude, and flight stability—thus meeting the standards for primary firefighting equipment used in high‑rise buildings. We look forward to “Ao Qin” being put into practical use in Guangdong Province and other regions across the country at an early date.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the leaders expressed their high hopes for the future intelligent and autonomous upgrades of equipment such as Weihang’s “Aoqin,” encouraging Weihang to seize policy-driven opportunities, accelerate product iteration and market deployment, and make an even greater contribution to enhancing fire prevention and control capabilities in high-rise buildings across Guangdong Province and throughout the country. Weihang Technology, for its part, will live up to these expectations by continuing to focus on breakthroughs in core technologies, promoting the practical application of its products in an expanding range of real-world scenarios, and leveraging technological innovation to safeguard urban safety.