Students from Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University in Tainan flew a pilotless aircraft powered by a turbojet engine Thursday.

The school said this could lead to the ground-breaking development of personal flying vehicles, according to a report by Taiwan's Central News Agency.

During Thursday's trial flight, the 7.5-kilo turbojet aircraft was able to carry items weighing nine kilos - and travel at 150 kph, the report said.

Lai Wei-hsiang, professor of the southern school's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering, said the plane named the "Sky Fortress-III" was the first university project in the world to combine a turbojet engine with a pilotless plane.

The department has been devoted to the development of pilotless planes for more than 10 years. Previous pilotless vehicles built by the university were all powered by propellers.

A research team led by Lai estimated "Sky Fortress-III," over 3 meters in length and with a wingspan of three meters, could carry up to 20 kilos.

It also has the potential to reach a speed of 300 kph.

Lai said weight capacity and speed were the main focuses of pilotless plane development.

Also, Lai said the new planes could even be equipped with other technologies, like sensor devices or photography equipment, to detect and monitor a typhoon's course and internal structure. TJD, GMA News

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Pilotless turbojet plane flown by Taiwan university students