Global InformationWingcopter information
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 Wingcopter drone on Bugarura Island, Rwanda | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace, Logistics |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founder | Tom Plümmer, Jonathan Hesselbarth, Ansgar Kadura |
Area served | Africa, Europe[1] |
Key people | Tom Plümmer, CEO; Jonathan Hesselbarth, CTO; Ansgar Kadura, CSO |
| Products | Wingcopter 178 and Wingcopter 198 |
Number of employees | 100-150 |
Wingcopter GmbH is a German aerospace company that designs and manufactures unmanned eVTOL delivery drones capable of providing last-mile delivery as well as mapping, surveying, and inspection. Their flagship drone, Wingcopter 178 Heavy Lift (HL), set the Guinness world speed record for remote-controlled tilt-rotor aircraft in 2018, flying at an average speed of 240.6 km/h.[2][3] To date, the company has partnered with commercial and humanitarian organizations to perform drone delivery of critical supplies in Africa, the South Pacific, Ireland, and Scotland.[4][5][6][7] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wingcopter partnered with Thales, Skyports, and the NHS to provide beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) delivery of medical test samples and other supplies to a hospital on a remote Scottish island.[8][9][10] The company has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as "2020 Technology Pioneer".[11] The company is amongst ten other drone companies to be selected by FAA to participate in a type certification program for delivery drones.[12]
- ^ Harrison, Wolf. "The Race For Drone Delivery Just Got A New Leader: 3 Key Differences That Will Define Who Wins". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ "Vodafone's drone, the Wingcopter XBR sets Guinness World Record". The Drum. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ^ "Wingcopter: Die schnellste Drohne der Welt rettet Leben". Red Bull (in German). Retrieved 2020-09-28.
- ^ "UNICEF Innovation" (PDF). UNICEF.
- ^ "Medical drones save lives in Tanzania". DHL.
- ^ "Skyports and Thales partner on trial of Wingcopter drones for Covid-19 response". evtol.com. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ^ Flynn, Steven (2019-09-16). "Ireland's First fully compliant Drone BVLOS Delivery of Insulin". Skytango. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ^ "Wingcopter drone delivering COVID-19 test kits to Isle of Mull". Wings Magazine. 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
- ^ Neate, Rupert (2020-05-29). "Drone deliveries soar in rural Scotland during coronavirus outbreak". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ^ "Drone to deliver masks to Isle of Mull hospital". BBC News. 2020-05-25. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ^ "The World Economic Forum's 2020 Technology Pioneers". World Economic Forum. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ^ "FAA proposes airworthiness criteria for 10 unmanned aircraft, including operational intent". evtol.com. Retrieved 2020-11-27.