'Lift is aerodynamic, not buoyancy' — This new cargo drone uses an inflatable wing instead of a traditional rigid frame, and it could change how wars are fought

Celeste Ecoflyers inflatable wings.

• Celeste Ecoflyers tested the inflatable wing cargo drone during early flight evaluations
• Aircraft generates aerodynamic lift without relying on lighter-than-air buoyancy systems
• Drone carried payload masses exceeding its own empty structural weight during testing

A French aerospace startup called Celeste Ecoflyers has completed early flight testing for an experimental cargo drone using a pressurised textile wing instead of rigid internal structures.