Enlarge image
Wingcopter Model 198 in the USA: Nationwide deployment planned
Photo: - / dpa
The drone manufacturer Wingcopter has received its first major order from the USA.
For more than 16 million dollars, the southern Hessian start-up is to build an undisclosed number of delivery drones for the company Spright, which wants to fly medicines, laboratory samples, vaccines and other medical products to remote areas of the USA.
Both companies announced this on Monday in Weiterstadt near Darmstadt.
A first attempt by Spright is already under way in the community of Hutchinson in the US state of Kansas with the local health care system.
A nationwide deployment is planned in the future, with the drones being stationed at more than 300 locations of Spright's parent Air Methods in 48 US states.
The companies also agreed that Spright would be the exclusive service, repair and maintenance partner for the Wingcopter 198 throughout the United States.
The US company also supports Wingcopter in the certification process at the aviation authority FAA.
The Wingcopter 198 is a mixture of helicopter and wing drone, according to the company, has a range of up to 110 kilometers, a top speed of 145 kilometers per hour and can transport up to six kilograms of cargo.
With its patented tilt rotor mechanism, a wingcopter can take off and land vertically while still flying long distances efficiently and quickly like a winged airplane.
mik/dpa-AFX