eurekapd Chapter 100 Birds Take Flight
Chapter 100 Birds Take Flight
April 15, 2020. Shenzhen.
The first large-scale product launch event of Hongyuan Intelligent Technology since its establishment three and a half years ago was held at a medium-sized conference hotel in Nanshan District.
Su Chen originally didn't want to make a big fuss. He instructed Sun Chen to limit the media invitation list to no more than thirty companies and the seating to two hundred people. However, less than three days after the announcement, the number of company representatives and media personnel who actively signed up exceeded six hundred. In the end, they had to temporarily change to a large banquet hall that could accommodate four hundred and fifty people. The extra two hundred seats were allocated to the heads of small and medium-sized drone companies who had registered online in advance.
Half an hour before the press conference began. Backstage.
Su Chen stood behind a blackout curtain, in front of a makeshift long table with several documents and a laptop on it. Wu Zheng sat in a folding chair next to him, holding a five-centimeter square transparent acrylic display box. Inside the box lay a dark green circuit board—the solder joints were fine, and the components were arranged with the precision of a ruler.
"This is the standard module for the Flying Bird platform," Wu Zheng said softly, turning the box around under the light. "It's a repackaged version of the complete F4 flight controller architecture. A six-axis inertial sensor, barometric altimeter, electronic compass, main control chip, RTK positioning interface, and dual obstacle avoidance sensor interfaces—all integrated onto this five-centimeter by five-centimeter board. Net weight is eighteen grams."
Su Chen reached out and took the display box, examining it for a few seconds. Three and a half years ago, on his first day taking over the company in the old factory in Longhua, the flight control board that Zhou Ming showed him—with its crooked solder joints and a yield rate of three out of ten defective boards—was a completely different product from this one.
"Are you nervous?" Wu Zheng asked.
"Don't be nervous." Su Chen handed the display case back. "Everything that needs to be prepared is ready. All that's left is to explain clearly."
Zhou Ming walked in from the other side of the curtain, his expression the typical one of "things are more complicated than expected, but still under control".
"The front seats were almost full. Thirty-six media outlets showed up—six more than the list. Since there weren't enough seats, I had the hotel add twenty extra chairs along the aisles."
"Don't block the emergency exits," Su Chen said.
"No traffic jam. I'm keeping an eye on it."
Su Chen nodded. He picked up a bottle of mineral water from the table, unscrewed it, took a sip, and then straightened his collar. Today he was wearing a dark navy blue polo shirt—not a suit, not formal attire. This was a choice he and Sun Chen made after discussing it for ten minutes. The tone of the press conference was technology-driven, not a show for capital. Dressing too formally would seem deliberate.
"Let's go," he said.
At 10:00 AM sharp, Su Chen walked onto the stage from the side of the stage.
There were over four hundred people in the hall. The first three rows were almost entirely media representatives—36Kr, TMTPost, CBN, Yuchen.com, Hardcore Innovation Network, and Huxiu. The middle dozen or so rows were densely packed with company representatives—consumer drone manufacturers, industry application solution companies, technical researchers from logistics companies, professors in the field of automation from universities, and observers from two research institutes with military backgrounds. The last few rows were existing partners of the Hongyuan SDK Open Alliance, and these people came with a strong sense of ownership.
Su Chen walked to the center of the stage. He did not open the PowerPoint presentation first, nor did he use the traditional opening remarks of "Distinguished leaders, distinguished guests, and friends from the media".
He held the transparent display case in his hand up to his chest.
"Hello everyone. Today we're not talking about history or sentimentality. Let's get straight to the point."
He handed the display box to a reporter from Yuchen.com who was sitting in the first row, closest to the aisle.
"Please pass this around and take a look. This circuit board is the standard flight control module for the Hongyuan Flying Bird platform. It's 5 by 5 centimeters and weighs 18 grams. It integrates a complete flight control computing core, a six-axis inertial measurement unit, a barometric altimeter, an electronic compass, an RTK positioning interface, and dual obstacle avoidance sensor interfaces. In other words—all the core components needed for a drone to take off, fly stably, and fly accurately are on this small board."
As the display box was passed from one reporter to another in the front row, Su Chen turned around and pulled up the first picture on the big screen.
On the left is a complete internal disassembly diagram of an F4 drone, with the flight control unit highlighted in red. On the right is a high-resolution photograph of the Flying Bird module. The core chips and sensor layouts of the two are almost identical.
"Over the past year, more than 30,000 F4 units have been sold. Its flight control system was developed from scratch, undergoing four years and more than 200 iterations. The Flybird module and the F4 use the same flight control kernel—the same core algorithm, the same calibration system, and the same data feedback architecture."
Quiet conversations began among the audience. An independent module with flight control capabilities on par with the F4—what did this mean? The experts present were already quickly calculating in their minds.
Su Chen didn't give them much time to process it. He switched to the second slide.
Three numbers appeared on the screen. Each number was in bold white font on a pure black background.
Basic version: 499 yuan
Mid-range version: 699 yuan
High-end version: 999 yuan
Two seconds of silence.
Then the sound waves from the entire hall surged out as if a floodgate had been opened.
A middle-aged man in a gray casual jacket in the fourth row suddenly jumped up from his chair. His name is Tao Jianping, the founder of a startup in Zhuhai that makes small drones for educational purposes. The company has a total of 27 people, including himself, and has been established for more than three years, constantly working on flight control solutions.
"President Su!" His voice was much louder than he had expected, and several people around him turned to look at him. "The high-end version is nine hundred and ninety-nine yuan—is that the official price?!"
His hands were clenched into fists on the side of his thighs.
"Our company used the PX4 open-source architecture to develop a flight control adaptation solution for educational drones. Just parameter tuning and scene adaptation took a year and a half. The lowest quote for external engineers to do customized secondary development was 800,000 RMB. We only raised a total of 2 million RMB in funding. We got a complete F4-level flight control system for 999 RMB—"
He paused. Not for the sake of effect, but because he couldn't continue.
Su Chen stood on the stage. His expression remained calm—not a feigned composure, but the natural state of someone who had a thorough understanding of every number and every line of logic.
"Seriously. The Flybird platform is not a profit-driven product. It's infrastructure."
He stepped forward onto the stage.
"Our goal is not to make huge profits by selling modules. Our goal is to enable every company in this industry that wants to make drones but cannot afford the cost of developing its own flight control system to use F4-level flight control capabilities."
"How does Hongyuan make a profit?" A reporter from 36Kr raised his hand directly.
"The platform's real revenue comes from the development services and ecosystem surrounding the modules. The profit margin on the modules themselves is very thin. However, the supporting SDK adaptation development, scenario customization technical support, and higher-level licensing services are the true sources of revenue."
Su Chen switched to the third slide. The screen showed the Feiniao platform's four-level authorization system—from the interface level to the architecture level, progressing layer by layer. This standard was developed under the leadership of Wu Zheng last October, and today was the first time it was presented in its entirety in a public setting.
"Customers who purchase the module receive a Level 2 license by default, which is the parameter level. They can freely adjust flight parameters according to their aircraft characteristics and application scenarios without touching the underlying code. For deeper customization capabilities, customers can apply for a higher level license. Each level corresponds to different technical support and pricing plans."
The discussion intensified.
The man sitting in the fifth row by the window hadn't uttered a word since the press conference began. His name was Liu Guodong, the technical director of a research institute under AVIC. He was there today because of orders from his superiors—"to go to Shenzhen and see what Hongyuan is really up to." He was wearing a dark blue collared shirt, twirling a pen in his hand, and his face remained largely expressionless throughout.
A colleague leaned over and whispered, "Mr. Liu, what do you think?"
Liu Guodong's gaze lingered on the authorization system diagram on the screen.
"This man—" his voice was low, "isn't selling a product. He's establishing an industry standard. Once Level 4 authorization is accepted by the market, all companies without self-developed flight control capabilities will naturally fall into Hongyuan's framework. Three years from now, look at this industry again—the foundation will most likely bear the name Hongyuan."
My colleague was taken aback.
"That applies to our project—"
"For us, there are only two choices. Either invest resources to build our own flight control system from scratch, or try to negotiate a deeper cooperation with Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. There is no third way."
The Q&A session lasted for nearly fifty minutes.
The vast majority of questions revolved around production scheduling, delivery cycles, and the speed of technical support response. Su Chen answered each question one by one, without using any evasive excuses such as "it will be arranged later." Every figure was definite and verifiable. This approach made it very comfortable for journalists to write their reports—no need for secondary confirmation; they could simply quote directly.
One question caused a brief, awkward silence in the room.
The person asking the question came from a large state-owned equipment manufacturing group in northern China. He was in his early fifties, wearing a dark suit and a tie that was tied meticulously. When he spoke, his chin was slightly raised—a posture that one had cultivated over a long period of time within the system.
"Mr. Su, your flight control system is excellent, that's widely recognized in the industry. But the flight control system is just one component of a drone. You don't make the airframe, motors, gimbal, or image transmission systems. For a company that only makes flight control systems to claim it will become the industry's infrastructure—isn't that a bit too ambitious a goal?"
Several people below exchanged glances.
Su Chen nodded.
"Your question is excellent. The fuselage, motors, gimbal, and image transmission—Hongyuan currently doesn't manufacture any of these. But there's a fact I'd like everyone here to consider."
He slowly walked two steps on the stage.
"Almost all components on a drone are replaceable. You can change the brand of the motor and the drone will still fly. You can change the supplier of the gimbal and it will still be usable for filming. The fuselage can be redesigned, and the battery model can be changed. But the flight controller cannot. If the flight controller is replaced, the entire flight characteristics, safety logic, and data links of the entire machine need to be rebuilt. The flight controller is the only core component of a drone that is not replaceable."
He paused for a breath.
"So the question isn't whether a company that only makes flight controllers can build infrastructure. The real question is—when most drones in the industry run on the same flight control system, hasn't that system automatically become infrastructure? No one needs to censor it. If enough people use it, it naturally becomes infrastructure."
The state-owned enterprise representative did not press the matter further. He slowly sat back in his chair, silently tapping his fingers three times on the armrest.
The press conference officially ended at noon.
The corridor was almost completely packed after the event. People were exchanging business cards, pulling others aside to discuss potential partners, and chasing after staff for their contact information—the scene was far more lively than the hotel had anticipated.
Tao Jianping—the small business owner in Zhuhai who makes educational drones—squeezed past at least fifteen people and finally approached Su Chen, who was at the end of the corridor explaining things to Sun Chen.
His fingertips were still trembling slightly as he handed over his business card with both hands.
"Mr. Su, I'll place the order as soon as I get back. The high-end version. Five hundred modules to start."
Su Chen took the business card and glanced at it.
"Mr. Tao, the order of 500 units can be scheduled for delivery in the second quarter. However, we suggest you first go through our early-stage customer technical support process—for the first 100 signed clients, we will assign a dedicated technical support engineer to handle the adaptation."
Tao Jianping's eyes were a little red. He wasn't a person who was easily moved by emotions. But at this moment, he couldn't control himself.
"Mr. Su, you might not know this, but I've been working on educational drones for over three years. I've always struggled with the flight control system. I've been tweaking open-source solutions for a year and a half, but they're still unstable. Custom-made ones start at 800,000 yuan. And today, when I heard the number 999—"
He paused for a moment and took a deep breath.
"I feel like these past three years haven't been wasted."
Su Chen patted him on the shoulder. He didn't say anything more. Some things don't need words.
2 PM. Longhua Headquarters.
Sun Chen's phone had been ringing non-stop since noon. Media reports started appearing online even before the press conference had completely ended.
Hongyuan Su Chen: 999 Yuan Redefines the Entry Barrier to the Drone Industry — 36Kr
"Project Flying Bird Launched: A Leap from Flight Controller Manufacturer to Industry Operating Systems" - TMTPost
What can a five-centimeter circuit board reshape? — CBN
Su Chen: We're not selling a product, we're building a road. — YuChen.com
Discussions on social media have become even more heated.
A veteran in the drone industry with over a decade of experience posted a long message on Weibo: "Today I attended the launch of Hongyuan's 'Flying Bird Project.' To be honest, I was struck. Not by the technology—Hongyuan's flight control capabilities are well-known in the industry. What struck me were those three price figures. 999 yuan for an F4-level flight control module—this isn't just about making a sale; it's about building a highway for the entire industry. Once the road is paved, everyone can drive on it. Looking back three years from now, today's launch may well be one of the most crucial turning points for the domestic drone industry."
This Weibo post received over 20,000 reposts within three hours.
Some commenters expressed optimism: "Hongyuan's strategy is far too ambitious. When all the drones in the industry are running on Hongyuan's flight control systems, Hongyuan will no longer be just a company—it will become the foundation."
There were also sober skeptics: "The profit margin on 999 modules is too thin. Can Hongyuan's current cash reserves sustain this? What if they run out of cash before the platform even achieves economies of scale?"
Su Chen scanned through the reports and comments in his office, then closed his browser.
He wasn't dwelling on praise or responding to criticism. He was thinking about very specific things—starting tomorrow, the first batch of pre-orders for the Flying Bird modules would enter the production scheduling process. Zheng's OEM factory's SMT line 2 needed to complete the switchover and debugging of the placement program by next week. Wu Zheng's team needed to finalize the first version of the technical support document within two weeks. Zhou Mingde confirmed the independent packaging plan and logistics channels for the modules.
Announcing something is always the easiest thing to do. The real test is putting it into practice, implementing it screw by screw, solder by solder.
He turned and glanced at the document on the table—the list Xu Lang had sent that morning. It listed eight domestic commercial drone system integrators that met the acquisition evaluation criteria. Xu Lang had circled the third line in red.
Su Chen picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Mr. Xu, the Feiniao matter has taken its first step. Starting tomorrow—we should discuss the acquisition. Let's arrange a meeting with the third company on the list."