Upgrade Moves Towards US Manufacturing
A2Z Drone Delivery, Inc., a developer of commercial drone delivery solutions, has announced an upgrade to its flagship delivery drone, the RDSX Pelican. The new enhancement features an open-source flight controller, allowing for easier integration with third-party payloads and software systems. This upgrade is a significant step toward the company’s goal of manufacturing the Pelican in the United States.
A2Z Pelican Delivery Drone
The RDSX Pelican, a hybrid VTOL delivery drone, is now equipped with a more easily modifiable flight controller. This allows customers to integrate their customized flight systems and companion software with greater ease. The adoption of the open-source flight controller is part of A2Z Drone Delivery’s broader strategy to eventually manufacture the Pelican domestically. For more information about the RDSX Pelican and its new flight controller, please visit A2Z Drone Delivery.
Aaron Zhang, Founder and CEO of A2Z Drone Delivery, stated, “When we initially released the RDSX Pelican, we designed it to work with a proprietary flight controller, but we’ve found that customers sought expanded flexibility. Moving to the same open-source flight controller that everyone else uses allows customers to utilize A2Z’s own QGC ground control station by default, or integrate their own ground control systems. It also means they can tailor the drone to maximize the open-source PX4 framework with Mission Planner and other commonly used software in our industry.”
Key Features and Capabilities
The RDSX Pelican combines the reliability and stability of a multirotor craft with the extended range of a fixed-wing airframe. Designed to minimize maintenance demands and maximize flight readiness, the Pelican features a customizable payload bay. This can be integrated with the A2Z Drone Delivery RDS2 commercial delivery drone winch or adapted to meet unique payload requirements.
A2Z Pelican Delivery Drone
The drone is engineered to operate within the FAA’s 55-pound max takeoff weight for Part 107 compliance and is rated to carry payloads up to 5 kilograms for operations up to 40 kilometers roundtrip. Its versatility makes it suitable for various logistics missions, aerial mapping, drone inspection, forestry services, search and rescue operations, water sample collection, offshore deliveries, and mining.
With the new flight controller, users can now integrate their preferred systems, including ground control software, radio beacons, and other companion software systems. This expanded flexibility is designed to meet the evolving needs of A2Z Drone Delivery’s diverse customer base.
Towards US Manufacturing
The adoption of the open-source flight controller marks a crucial step in A2Z Drone Delivery’s roadmap towards US manufacturing. The company plans to source comparable components for the RDSX Pelican platform to satisfy NDAA compliance and seek Blue UAS certification with the US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit.
Zhang elaborated, “Part of our development strategy has always been to bring to market drone delivery solutions that meet tomorrow’s customer needs, which requires rapid iteration. With its regulatory environment that encourages beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations and its close proximity to supply chains, our Ground Zero Test Facility in Anji County outside Shanghai has enabled us to push the boundaries of autonomous drone capabilities. Now that these new commercial delivery drones have been proven safe and effective, we are making preparations to serve demand outside private enterprise operators with versions of the Pelican and the rest of our offerings that are manufactured in the United States.”
Pricing and Availability
The base model of the A2Z Drone Delivery RDSX Pelican starts at $29,000 (USD). The drone can be customized to meet specific customer mission parameters. The most popular configuration includes a factory-integrated RDS2 commercial drone winch for deploying and retrieving payloads from a safe altitude. Other configurations include a simple servo-release mechanism to boost payload capacity or outfitting the airframe with sensor arrays for testing missions, specialty camera systems for aerial inspection, and autonomous patrol.
For more information or to place an order, visit A2Z Drone Delivery.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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