COVER STORY
DELIVERING WITH DRONES
The Black Swan cargo drone
Saskia Henn speaks to one Bulgarian startup that is stitching together new trade routes to remote areas by democratising cargo delivery
S
ame day delivery could be coming to remote corners of the world sooner rather than later. Currently, challenges to
worldwide delivery leave rural areas and islands dependent upon multi- day delivery times and clunky and expensive transportation logistics. Despite ground transportation
off ering many obstacles, only 1% of cargo worldwide is transported by airfreight due to cost. Cargo planes operate between major hubs on a large scale and require additional sorting centres and distribution vans, adding time and money to the journey. Aiming to alleviate the drain of
resources on aerospace delivery, brothers Konstantin and Svilen Rangelov have come up with a quicker, cheaper solution through their startup, Dronamics. The Bulgarian company, started in 2014, aims to achieve same-day delivery to remote areas through cargo drones, transporting items such as food, mail, parcels, spare parts, pharmaceuticals and humanitarian aid.
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www.engineerlive.com
The Black Swan can be
operated with minimal cargo loading and unloading equipment
AERODYNAMIC DESIGN Goods travelling to remote parts of the world often take days to arrive or come at a premium. This “invisible tax” can negatively aff ect local economies and residents. Acting as a ‘fl ying delivery van’, Dronamics’ Black Swan is up to 80% quicker and 50% cheaper than traditional transportation methods, with 60% fewer emissions. “The Black Swan is tailored for the
middle-mile with an aerodynamic design, lightweight materials, and a high load-to-size ratio,” says Konstantin Rangelov, Dronamics’ co- founder and CTO. The Black Swan is primarily made
of carbon fi bre, providing a resilient yet lightweight structure with a simple propulsion system and aerodynamic, fi xed-wing design. It can transport 770lbs (349kg) across 1,550 miles, covering all of Europe in a single fl ight. The drone’s lightweight build is also supported by the fact that it is remotely operated, reaching an altitude of 20,000 feet with no
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