FIELD GUIDE / DRONE ATLAS / 01
Armed MALE drone · Reusable · armed ISR
Also known as: Wing Loong 1, CAIG Wing Loong, Pterodactyl I
Wing Loong I is AVIC Chengdu’s reconnaissance and strike aircraft. The specifications here describe the original aircraft in JAPCC’s catalogue, not Wing Loong II or the later 1D and 1E. Its quoted range has no clear ferry or control-link basis in that table.[1][2]
Sourced dimensions are listed; no scaled drawing is provided for this configuration.
Public-source profile. Performance claims are attributed; type links do not verify an incident identification.
Intervals preserve the published bounds; they are not statistical confidence intervals. A blank lower or upper bound stays open. Values belong to the named configuration, not every aircraft.
Body length | 9 m[2] |
|---|---|
Wingspan | 14 m[2] |
Take-off mass | 1150 kg[2] |
Reported speed | 280 km/h[2] |
Published flight range | Not publicly established |
Endurance | 20 h[2] |
Payload | 200 kg[2] |
Engine / propulsion | One piston engine, according to JAPCC.[2] |
Guidance / control link | AVIC describes automatic takeoff and landing and an encrypted data link.[1] |
First flight / first reported use | Not publicly established |
Manufacturer | AVIC / Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute[1] |
Operators | PLAAF service, as listed by JAPCC.[2] |
Service status | PLAAF service, as listed by JAPCC.[2] |
Body length: 9 m · Wing Loong I · JAPCC Annex B; mass is MTOW · Official report; not an independent test. Joint Air Power Competence Centre
Wingspan: 14 m · Wing Loong I · JAPCC Annex B; mass is MTOW · Official report; not an independent test. Joint Air Power Competence Centre
Reported speed: 280 km/h · Wing Loong I · JAPCC Annex B; mass is MTOW · Official report; not an independent test. Joint Air Power Competence Centre
Take-off mass: 1150 kg · Wing Loong I · JAPCC Annex B; mass is MTOW · Official report; not an independent test. Joint Air Power Competence Centre
Payload: 200 kg · Wing Loong I · JAPCC Annex B; mass is MTOW · Official report; not an independent test. Joint Air Power Competence Centre
Catalogue attribution: AVIC / Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute. www.aerocontact.com · www.japcc.org
Not publicly established in the reviewed sources.
Not publicly established in the reviewed sources.
Not publicly established in the reviewed sources.
Public-source profile. Performance claims are attributed; type links do not verify an incident identification.
Body length: 9 m · Wing Loong I · JAPCC Annex B; mass is MTOW · Official report; not an independent test. Joint Air Power Competence Centre
Wingspan: 14 m · Wing Loong I · JAPCC Annex B; mass is MTOW · Official report; not an independent test. Joint Air Power Competence Centre
Reported speed: 280 km/h · Wing Loong I · JAPCC Annex B; mass is MTOW · Official report; not an independent test. Joint Air Power Competence Centre
Take-off mass: 1150 kg · Wing Loong I · JAPCC Annex B; mass is MTOW · Official report; not an independent test. Joint Air Power Competence Centre
Payload: 200 kg · Wing Loong I · JAPCC Annex B; mass is MTOW · Official report; not an independent test. Joint Air Power Competence Centre
Size in everyday terms
No scaled drawing is provided for this configuration. See the sourced dimensions and their limitations.
No scaled drawing is provided for this configuration. See the sourced dimensions and their limitations.
No scaled drawing is provided for this configuration. See the sourced dimensions and their limitations.
Wing Loong I · Wing Loong I · JAPCC Annex B; mass is MTOW · Body length[2] · Wingspan[2]
Human height is an illustrative 1.8 m; bus length an illustrative 12 m. Car length uses the cited MINI specification. Vehicle heights and drone side contours are schematic. Top views preserve published length and span; an absent dimension is never guessed.
One car length here is 3.821 m: MINI Cooper 3 door, March 2020 specification.
Not yet named as a model in this archive — sources usually say only “drone” or name the family.
Counts follow model/family links in the archive. A general register link does not identify a model.
No model-linked entry yet · explore the register
No model-linked entry yet · explore the register
No model-linked entry yet · explore the register
Wing Loong I
No sourced family relationship recorded in this edition. Similar roles do not establish a common design.
Shape or sound alone cannot identify a drone. Follow local public-safety alerts; do not approach wreckage.
No licensed, model-attested recording is available in our sound library.
Published USD figures use different price bases and years. Airframes, export packages and support are not equivalent. These are not current offers or verified production costs.
Unknown in reviewed sources
No type-specific, independently supported summary is included in this edition.
Publication date not stated · Source consulted: 08 Nov 2026 · Manufacturer claim
Publication date not stated · Source consulted: 08 Nov 2026 · Approximate / analyst compilation
DroneLedger. Wing Loong I. Research edition 2026-11-08. https://droneincidents.com/drones/wing-loong-i/
