UPS and German start-up Wingcopter are working to create a new generation of parcel delivery drones. They’re ultra-fast and have a long-range. The American courier giant is hoping to introduce them soon in the United States and later on around the world.
A subsidiary of the courier giant UPS Flight Forward is working together with German start-up Wingcopter to develop a new generation of multi-purpose delivery drones. Wingcopters have a range of 120 kilometres and can be really fast – during the tests they reached a speed of 240 km/h in good weather. During strong winds, they can fly up to 70 km/h. Drones can take off and land vertically, but they cover distances with their wings, which increases their efficiency.
UPS is ready to make even more progress in the field of drone delivery as it has just announced a joint partnership with German drone maker Wingcopter. https://t.co/FRbEX4Z9gW pic.twitter.com/0IqCzva373
— Popular Mechanics South Africa (@popmechsa) March 25, 2020
UPS Flight Forward received permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last October to operate full-fledged air drones for courier services. The company launched drone deliveries last year on the campus of WakeMed hospital in Raleigh, where it supplies medical samples using flying machines. The company intends to expand its drone delivery service to other hospitals or campus settings.
For the UPS subsidiary to be able to fully cooperate with a German start-up in the United States, Wingcopter still needs to obtain an official license for drone delivery services.
Package Delivery Drone Partnerships – UPS Flight Forward Has Partnered with Wingcopter https://t.co/EuwzWptW0M #Tech pic.twitter.com/LfVEy9S2RH
— Trend Hunter (@trendhunter) March 25, 2020
Photo: Wingcopter