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A comment on FAA Authorizes Zipline to Deliver Commercial Packages Using Drones. Parent comment

Re:FAA Authorizes Zipline to Deliver Commercial Packages Usi... by krisoft on Wednesday September 20, 2023 @04:31AM (#37581826)
What is a drone to you? If you are only thinking about multicopters when you hear that word then yes, those are not efficient and probably never will be.

But the term commonly refers to all unmanned aerial vehicles.

For example a Global Hawk unmanned aircraft can fly 14,000 nautical miles and remain aloft for 42 hours. They are by definition very efficient. That is a drone.

On the other end of the spectrum The Spirit of Butts' Farm crossed the atlantic with 118 US fluid ounces (3.5 L) of fuel. It was flying for ~39 hour and 1,881.6 mi (3,028.1 km). That is about 2045 mile per gallon if I count it right. That is very efficient, and of course since the aircraft was unmanned it is a drone.

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Re:FAA Authorizes Zipline to Deliver Commercial Packages Usi... by abtinf on Wednesday September 20, 2023 @05:44AM (#37582271)
These are representative of the kinds of drones and aircraft relevant to the context of this post?
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Re:FAA Authorizes Zipline to Deliver Commercial Packages Usi... by itishappy on Wednesday September 20, 2023 @10:52AM (#37584940)
Moreso than the quadcopter you probably have in mind.
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Re:FAA Authorizes Zipline to Deliver Commercial Packages Usi... by misnome on Wednesday September 20, 2023 @05:55AM (#37582332)
> For example a Global Hawk unmanned aircraft can fly 14,000 nautical miles and remain aloft for 42 hours. They are by definition very efficient. That is a drone.

Wow - this is what they are planning to use to deliver packages?

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Re:FAA Authorizes Zipline to Deliver Commercial Packages Usi... by hef19898 on Wednesday September 20, 2023 @06:42AM (#37582596)
If so, unit economics will never work, regardless of cargo.
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Re:FAA Authorizes Zipline to Deliver Commercial Packages Usi... by itishappy on Wednesday September 20, 2023 @10:03AM (#37584264)
They use fixed wing aircraft, yes.
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Re:FAA Authorizes Zipline to Deliver Commercial Packages Usi... by dwighttk on Wednesday September 20, 2023 @07:49AM (#37583031)
Do not want what global hawk is delivering
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