A2Z Drone Delivery, Inc, developer of commercial drone delivery solutions, is launching its second generation RDST integrated cargo drone. The RDST Longtail features the company’s factory-integrated RDS2 drone winch enabling payloads to be deposited safely from altitude where spinning rotors are kept far from people and property.
The RDST Longtail hexacopter design is available in Standard configuration offering a 20 km maximum range, and a rainproof Premium version with battery quick-release system offering a maximum range of 26 km. With no need for specialty payload boxes, the RDST Longtail is able to auto-release the shippers’ own boxes without the need for a recipient to be on site to receive the payload. The RDST Longtail’s all new bag auto-release mechanism allows for easy pickups and auto-releasing any bag during deliveries.
With its integrated drone delivery winch, the RDST Longtail offers drone service providers and logistics operators an off-the-shelf, ready-to-fly delivery UAV for last mile delivery. Delivering or retrieving payloads up to 5 kg over a distance of 11 km, the RDST Longtail is the ideal delivery drone for local parcel or food delivery, emergency medical deliveries, drone-born water sampling programs, offshore logistics, search and rescue operations, open mines, solar farms, and more. Designed to meet the 55-pound FAA max takeoff weight requirement, the RDST Longtail is remote ID compliant with a factory-integrated remote ID beacon. Ready to fly through inclement weather, the RDST Longtail Premium edition opens new use cases to the benefits of drone delivery, and its quick-release battery system gets flights back in the air quickly to limit downtime.
The latest addition to the A2Z Drone Delivery fleet, the RDST Longtail continues the company’s focus on addressing consumer-protection concerns with burgeoning residential drone deliveries. By conducting deliveries from altitude, A2Z Drone Delivery’s solutions protect recipients from spinning UAV propellers, while mitigating privacy concerns of low-flying drones and abating intrusive rotor noise. Depositing payloads from altitude also keeps the UAV high above trees, power lines and buildings enabling longer sight distances for missions requiring visual line of sight.
“In upgrading our off-the-shelf RDST platform, we’ve streamlined the overall design and upgraded the propulsion system, but the most sought-after upgrade from customers has been the rainproofing built into our new RDST Longtail Premium edition,” said Aaron Zhang, Founder and CEO of A2Z Drone Delivery, Inc. “The RDST Longtail is further democratizing commercial drone delivery by allowing businesses of any kind to quickly and easily launch a drone logistics operation from delivering parts to offshore energy platforms, to deploying live-saving medical equipment to first responders right on scene. As residential parcel delivery continues to expand, the RDST Longtail is positioned as an accessible flight platform for the proliferation of this cost-saving, and more eco-conscious last-mile delivery method.”
Both models of the RDST Longtail offer a massive cargo bay that can accept packages up to 45L x 45W x 35H cm / 18L x 18H x 14H inches, giving operators the utmost payload flexibility. Operators will also appreciate the intuitive A2Z Ground Control Station (A2Z QGC) which integrates flight and winch commands with airframe telemetry for accurate navigation and delivery. The integrated open-source Q Ground Control mission planning software is capable of conducting pre-planned automated delivery missions without needing to land.
“Our prototype RDST Longtail has already logged 500 flight hours conducting daily residential parcel deliveries near our Ground Zero Test Facility outside Shanghai,” said Zhang. “Many of the upgrades included in this second generation RDST have been made in response to customer feedback on capabilities they need to deploy for missions in inclement weather, and the platform has proven robust during testing in rain conditions. The RDST Longtail is the flexible commercial delivery UAV for last-mile deliveries that will round out a logistics fleet.”
Source: Press Release