HANGAR TALK UAS & eVTOL NEWS RELATING TO UNCrewed, AAM & eVTOL SYSTEMS


Rotor Technologies Launches World’s Largest Civilian Drone, Targets Construction and Agriculture


Rotor Technologies Inc. recently announced two new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the 2025 model year: Airtruck, a utility UAV with 1,000+ pounds of payload, and Sprayhawk, an agricultural UAV with 110-gallon capacity. Introductory pricing for both aircraft is less than $1 million.


Airtruck and Sprayhawk, both based on the Robinson R44 full-scale helicopter, have a maximum takeoff weight of 2,500 pounds each, making them the largest civilian drones available to purchase in the world. Rotor and Robinson have collaborated on development and certification; the two companies displayed a static preproduction prototype of the Airtruck, previously referred to as the R550X, at HeliExpo earlier this year.


“With the unveiling of the Airtruck and Sprayhawk, we’re excited to bring drone manufacturing back to the United States by being bigger, bolder, and more innovative than our global competition,” said Rotor CEO Hector Xu. “These two aircraft bear unprecedented capability that will be transformative for drone operators, who for many years have wanted longer flight times and larger payloads.”


40 Sept/Oct 2024


The first Sprayhawk production aircraft has been completed and is undergoing ground testing ahead of delivery to an agricultural partner in the U.S. Midwest later this year. The first batch of production Sprayhawks will be delivered to early- access partners throughout spring 2025, and are expected to begin commercial spraying operations in the 2025 corn run.


Rotor is opening up orders to customers in the U.S. and Brazil for 2025 model-year Airtrucks and Sprayhawks, with delivery slots still available for late 2025 and early 2026. The first 2025 production run will be limited to 15 Sprayhawks and 10 Airtrucks. Introductory pricing is $850,000 for the Airtruck and $990,000 for the Sprayhawk for orders placed before Dec. 15, 2024.


Rotor Chief Commercial Officer Ben Frank emphasized the market impact of Airtruck and Sprayhawk in response to the increasing use of UAVs in critical industrial applications. “We think that the Sprayhawk and Airtruck are the right path forward for U.S. farmers, aerial applicators, and the construction and logistics industries,” said Frank. “Many of the drones on the market today are unlikely to stand the test of time. The need for larger and more reliable aircraft is clear, and our new slogan ‘Big Drones for Tough Jobs’ will show the world that we mean business.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84