Korea sets sights on runway-free aircraft after record-breaking drone flight

Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) announced progress toward a new generation of runway-free aircraft following a record seven-day flight by Korea’s solar-powered unmanned aircraft, EAV-4, in the stratosphere.

The EAV-4 completed 170 hours and 5 minutes of continuous flight from August 18 to 25, a performance that more than tripled Korea’s previous domestic endurance record of 53 hours set by the EAV-3 in 2020 and ranked second globally behind Airbus’ Zephyr.

During the flight test, the EAV-4 demonstrated wildfire surveillance capabilities, using electro-optical and infrared cameras to identify ignition points within seconds and to track and predict smoke direction and ember movement.

KASA plans three demonstration aircraft by 2030 for disaster monitoring, communications relay, and testing domestically produced solar cells, and is preparing a hybrid vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) program from 2028 through 2032 with a proposed budget of 1.0861 trillion won.

The hybrid VTOL program aims to combine engines and batteries to carry heavier loads and travel longer distances, with potential applications in emergency deliveries, medical evacuations, and regional air taxi services, while pursuing localization of engines, batteries, and motors.

KASA Administrator Oh Tae-seog described the achievement as signaling Korea’s aviation-technology advancement and framed the hybrid VTOL effort as a new challenge to lead future aviation markets, emphasizing collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutions to translate progress into public benefits.