Flags flutter as soldiers participate in a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, in Beijing in September. The maiden flight of the unmanned Jiutian drone mothership has highlighted its advances in unmanned aerial vehicles capable of unleashing weaponized swarms. China conducted the maiden flight of what is considered to be the world's largest drone mothership, underscoring its advances in unmanned aerial vehicles capable of unleashing weaponized swarms. The unmanned Jiutian completed its first mission in the northwestern province of Shaanxi, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday without elaborating. The aerial vehicle has been likened to an aircraft carrier for its ability to host multiple drones and missiles.

The world's first flying race car has completed its maiden flight -- bringing a futuristic new sport one step closer to fruition. The idea: The flying race car is called the Alauda Airspeeder Mk3, and technically, it's an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. That means it lifts off and lands vertically like a helicopter, but is powered by electricity and not fossil fuels. In February, the two companies behind the Mk3 -- eVTOL manufacturer Alauda Aerodynamics and flying race car series Airspeeder -- announced plans to feature the vehicle in an upcoming international series called Airspeeder EXA. At the time of the announcement, the Mk3 was still under development, but a full-scale, race-ready version of the vehicle has now taken its maiden flight -- and a video of the voyage offers a glimpse into the future of racing.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter has managed to spin its blades to 50 revolutions per minute (RPM) in preparation for its maiden flight on Mars this weekend. The space agency shared a short animation, captured by cameras attached to Ingenuity's parent craft Perseverance, of the blades rotating. Takeoff of the 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) robotic helicopter, already detached from the Perseverance rover, is now slated for this Sunday (April 11). If successful, Ingenuity, which has become affectionately known as'Ginny', will be the first powered and controlled flight of an aircraft on any planet other than Earth. Ingenuity carries a small amount of fabric that covered one of the wings of the Wright brothers' aircraft, known as the Flyer, during the first powered, controlled flight on Earth in 1903.

A Russian-made drone on its way to making its first parcel delivery has crashed into a wall just moments after taking off. The smash shocked local residents and regional officials who had gathered in the Siberian city of Ulan-Ude on Monday to watch the drone's maiden flight. The drone was sent to deliver a small package to a neighbouring village in the sparsely populated Buryatia region, more than 4,400km east of Moscow. Video footage showed the drone lifting off from a miniature launch pad bearing Russian Post's blue and white logo. A small crowd of spectators, present for the ceremony intended to showcase a new way to deliver mail in the region, were heard uttering expletives after the crash.

Sweden's answer to the F-35 has taken its maiden flight, maker Saab has revealed. During the 40-minute flight over the eastern parts of Östergötland, the latest Gripen executed a series of maneuvers to test its systems, including extending and retracting its landing gear. The Gripen E'Smart Fighter' is aimed at markets not yet cleared to buy the troubled Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The latest version of the Gripen fighter jet has been unveiled by Swedish aircraft maker, Saab. The Gripen E 39-8 prototype has a 15.2 metre (50ft) long body and a wingspan of 8.6 metres (28ft).