Re:FAA Authorizes Zipline to Deliver Commercial Packages Usi...
by moffkalast on Wednesday September 20, 2023 @11:23AM
(#37585370)
To be clear I'm talking about zipline's specifically designed delivery VTOLs, not your average consumer quadrotor. I wouldn't call over an hour and a half an "extremely limited flight time" and 50 miles is enough of a delivery range to make it operable from whichever restaurant/warehouse is making the delivery. And that's just today's tech.
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Re:FAA Authorizes Zipline to Deliver Commercial Packages Usi...
by Retric on Wednesday September 20, 2023 @12:39PM
(#37586384)
Ok, I see your confusion.
Zipline 2 has a 10 mile range and is VTOL though they’re aiming for a long wire for delivery rather than landing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zipline_(drone_delivery_compan...
Zipline 1 does have an 50 mile range but it isn’t VTOL they use fixed wing and have a launching system and a net to catch drones. Packages are dropped at 100 feet requiring a parachute and a 5 meter wide landing zone which makes it undesirable for large scale adoption.