DDC to test heavy-lift drone commercially

TORONTO – Drone Delivery Canada Corp. will begin commercial testing of its Condor drone.

The Condor has a lifting capability of 180kg (400lb) of payload, a travel range of 200km and an operating speed of 120kph.  The multi-package payload compartment is designed to carry approximately 20 cubic feet of cargo.

This phase of testing for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight is taking place at the Foremost UAS Test Range in Alberta, and will test the long-range and heavy-lift capabilities of the Condor.

DDC says it is in discussions with various potential customers, who have expressed interest in the Condor, particularly in light of the pandemic situation.

“Market response to the Condor has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Michael Zahra, DDC president and CEO.

“With the COVID-19 situation, interested customers have asked us to fast-track the commercialization process which we are now doing. Drone delivery is a solution for limiting person-to-person contact in the current pandemic situation.”

The Condor measures 22 feet long, 5 feet wide and 7 feet tall. It has a rotor diameter of approximately 20 feet and is capable of vertical takeoff and landing. It is equipped with DDC’s proprietary FLYTE management system which is the same platform used in all of DDC’s cargo delivery drones.