Urban air mobility (UAM) company Volocopter completed the first public test flight of its VoloDrone all-electric, heavy-lift utility drone in Hamburg, Germany, last week. The flight lasted three minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of 22 meters (72 feet) with the aircraft carrying a Euro-pallet-sized load. The test was conducted in partnership with international logistics company and Volocopter investor DB Schenker.
“This first public VoloDrone flight is a strong sign for Volocopter’s leading position in the UAM industry,” said Volocopter CEO Florian Reuter. “We are the only UAM company offering solutions for passengers and goods that are flying fully scaled and publicly around the world. Our VoloDrone will make existing logistics processes more robust, efficient, and sustainable.”
Volocopter, which is also developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxis, first flew the VoloDrone in 2019. Designed to carry a payload of up to 200 kilograms (441 pounds) for up to 40 kilometers (25 miles), the drone measure 9.15 meters (30 feet) in diameter, 2.15 meters (7 feet) tall and has a 600-kilogram (1,323-pound) maximum takeoff weight (MTOW). The aircraft will be capable of autonomous, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations.
