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Press Release

DesignNewswire · COMO, Italy ·

Hydrone Xc05 Uav by Tianmushan Laboratory Is Granted the Golden A' Design Award in Aerospace and Aircraft Design

Tianmushan Laboratory acknowledged for aerospace and aircraft design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 16, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Golden A' Design Award in the Aerospace and Aircraft Design category for Hydrone Xc05 Uav by Tianmushan Laboratory. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

About the Golden A' Design Award

The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.

Regarding Hydrone Xc05 Uav

Hydrone Xc05 is a hydrogen powered unmanned aerial vehicle made for long endurance flight. The aircraft flies more than 100 kilometers beyond visual line of sight and stays in the air for 3 hours. Ultra low temperature adaptive technology allows reliable operation down to minus 40 degrees Celsius. A drawer style fuel cell can be detached and replaced in 5 seconds, and the power system switches between hydrogen and electric modes. The carbon fiber airframe is streamlined to reduce drag, while foldable arms and landing gear reduce the storage volume.

About Tianmushan Laboratory

TIANMUSHAN LABORATORY is a new type of research and development institution in Zhejiang Province, which is based on the Sino-French School of Aeronautics of Beihang University and Beihang University. Tianmu Mountain Laboratory, in response to the major strategic demands of the country, centers on Zhejiang Province's "Strong Manufacturing Province" strategy, and in line with the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Zhejiang Province's Aerospace Industry", breaks through fundamental theories and technical principles.

Award Record

Tianmushan Laboratory is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.

About the A' Aerospace and Aircraft Design Award

The A' Aircraft Design Award is an international aircraft design competition recognizing good aircraft designs by best aircraft designers and brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to aircraft designers, aerospace engineers, aircraft manufacturers and aircraft brands from all countries. Typical entries include jets, helicopters, gliders, drones, seaplanes and airships. The awarded aircraft designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/aircraft

About A' Design Award & Competition

Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project
Hydrone Xc05 Uav
Function
Uav
Category
Aerospace and Aircraft Design
Discipline
Industrial Design
Industry
Automotive
Colors
Gainsboro, White Smoke, Silver, Dim Gray and Dark Gray
Images
5

The Recognition

Laureate
Tianmushan Laboratory
Country
China
Recognition
Golden A' Design Award
Edition
2025 - 2026
Design ID
#179050

Credits

Team
Weiqiang Xu, Ding Gao, Qing Shi, Jian Wang, Zhigang Zeng, Liang Cheng

Design Details

Unique Properties
The hydrogen powered unmanned aerial vehicle offers long endurance, beyond visual line of sight operations, and extreme cold resilience. It flies more than 100 km beyond visual line of sight and works for 3 hours. Using ultra low temperature adaptive technology, it operates reliably down to minus 40 degrees Celsius. As the first system of its kind in the world to combine a quick detachable fuel cell with seamless switching between hydrogen and electric modes, it covers diverse complex scenarios.
Inspiration
Unmanned aerial vehicles are now vital across industries, but traditional battery powered models are limited in endurance and cold weather performance. Hydrogen powered models extend flight time yet require high maintenance and lack flexibility. This product solves these problems, supporting 3 hours of flight and beyond visual line of sight operations over 100 km. It also features autonomous environment adaptive navigation and a quick detachable fuel cell for efficient, smart, safe performance.
Research
It overcomes traditional limitations in endurance, cold resilience, and intelligence. Powered by hydrogen, it flies more than 100 km beyond visual line of sight and lasts for 3 hours. Ultra low temperature adaptive technology ensures reliability down to minus 40 degrees Celsius. Its aviation AI large model works with laser and visual fusion navigation for autonomous performance with higher efficiency and precision, without relying on manual control or satellite signals.
Challenge
The challenge was to overcome dual constraints of endurance and environmental adaptability. Using hydrogen, this product surpasses the endurance of lithium powered systems, supporting 3 hours of flight and beyond visual line of sight operations over 100 km, ideal for demanding logistics and inspection. Its ultra low temperature adaptive technology ensures stable performance down to minus 40 degrees Celsius, enabling missions in harsh environments like polar regions and high altitude plateaus.
Realization and Technology
Its seamless carbon fiber airframe is enhanced with an aerodynamic, streamlined profile to minimize drag and enhance flight stability while creating a clean, harmonious appearance. Internally, core modules are meticulously arranged to maximize structural compactness. Its foldable arms and landing gear reduce the storage volume by 70 percent, tripling deployment and transport efficiency. The result is a seamless fusion of practical engineering and modern industrial elegance.
Operation and Interaction
It boasts the first drawer style quick detachable fuel cell of its kind in the world, enabling a swap in 5 seconds. It also supports seamless switching between hydrogen and electric modes for both long endurance and high payload capacity. Its aviation AI large model works with laser and visual fusion navigation technology to deliver humanoid visual perception for autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, and intelligent coordination, operating beyond visual line of sight without manual effort.
Project Duration and Location
The design and development of this project began in Shaoxing in 2023, with the first version launched in June 2023 and an upgraded version released in June 2025.
Specifications
product dimensions, 1360 mm x 1300 mm x 750 mm
Keywords
hydrogen powered unmanned aerial vehicle, long endurance, beyond visual line of sight operations, extreme cold resilience, hybrid hydrogen and electric power system, drawer style quick detachable fuel cell, autonomous environment adaptive navigation, aviation AI large model, zero carbon flight

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