Fixed Wing

Fixed Wing

COVID-Fighting Collaboration Proves Potential of UAS for Test Transport

Exercise in upstate N.Y. shows how flight could replace drives through downtown traffic. A team of more than a dozen COVID-19-motivated entities with expertise in public health, public safety and unmanned flight recently enjoyed a hard-won peek into the future of UAS in medical transport in upstate New York.
COVID Humanitarian UAS Operation (CHURP) Concludes Delivery Test in Syracuse

Wingcopter Secures $22 Million in Series A Funding to Aid in COVID-19 Relief

Wingcopter has secured $22 million in Series A funding to strengthen its leadership in drone-based logistics, with a special focus on healthcare-related applications including the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. “Our team is driven by tackling the world’s challenges through scalable innovations,” said Wingcopter CEO Tom Plümmer. “This chapter of our journey is dedicated to setting up logistical highways in the sky that leapfrog traditional means of transportation.” 

senseFly establishes itself as a leader in BVLOS operations

As beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) UAS operations are primed to open a range of possibilities in the drone industry, fixed-wing drone solutions provider senseFly has established itself as an early leader in safely and successfully performing these operations.

Volansi, NCDOT to begin commercial, middle-mile drone delivery projects in North Carolina

Cargo drone delivery service provider Volansi has signed a teaming agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to begin commercial, middle-mile drone delivery projects in North Carolina. Volansi and NCDOT will collaborate with the FAA to gather data on drone delivery programs and how they could be incorporated long-term into the current transportation infrastructure and regulations. “We are excited to have this opportunity to work closely with the FAA and the N.C. Department of Transportation to help shape how drones fit into our home country’s infrastructure,” says Hannan Parvizian, CEO and co-founder of Volansi.

Army unit begins testing Arcturus UAS as service ponders Shadow replacement

The U.S. Army has begun evaluating tactical unmanned aircraft systems intended to replace the venerable RQ-7 Shadow drone, which has been in service since the early 2000s.   The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division conducted the first soldier-operated flight on April 7, flying an Arcturus Jump 20, a 210-pound aircraft with an 18-foot wingspan that is capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL).   It's also quieter than the Shadow.   "We’re used to screaming at each other and having to use radios in order to communicate,” Spc. Christopher McCoy, a crew chief, said in an Army press release. “You can stand right next to this aircraft and not even raise your voice."  
Spc. Nicholas Miller conducts flight operations through a laptop-based ground control station during the FTUAS capabilities assessment at Fort Riley, Kansas, April 8. Photo: Program Executive Office Aviation

SenseFly shifts from start-up to leading manufacturer of professional fixed-wing drones with financial backing from Parrot

Through its parent organization Parrot, senseFly has “recapitalized its balance sheet and funding,” the company has announced, which will allow it to have a healthy operational outlook as it continues its growth path in the arena of fixed-wing drones. SenseFly says that this milestone shifts its status from a “promising start-up that pushed the boundaries of remote mapping to a leading manufacturer of professional fixed-wing drones.”  “senseFly is demonstrating a rare drone industry success story, transitioning from start-up to a mature, self-funded, successful business,” says Gilles Labossière, CEO of senseFly.

Wood uses Delair's UX11 UAS for mining and quarry projects

Wood, a provider of project, engineering and technical services to the energy, industry and built environment sectors, has adopted Delair’s UX11 UAS for its work in site planning and asset management in mining and quarry projects in the western part of the United States. This is the first fixed-wing UAS that Wood has deployed in the Western U.S. Initially, Wood is using the UAS to conduct high accuracy, 3D topographic surveys and materials quantification for mineral mining in Idaho and Wyoming.

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