‘Largest’ Commercial Electric Drone Approved

The FAA has approved commercial use of the biggest electric drone it's ever certified and it may be coming to a farm near you. The Pelican Spray, developed by Oakland-based startup Pyka, is a Cub-sized cropdusting drone that's already in operation in Costa Rica, Honduras and Brazil to spray bananas, cotton, soy and corn. The company intends to expand its business to U.S. agriculture.

The Pelican Spray weighs 1,125 pounds and carries 540 pounds of liquid. It takes about 15 minutes to empty the tank and while it's on the ground for a fill-up the batteries are swapped out. The aircraft has three motors, one on each wing and one on the tail. Pika is also developing a cargo drone that holds about 70 cubic feet. The FAA is currently assessing it for commercial use. Pyka officials say the ultimate goal is to build passenger-carrying drones and the cropduster and cargo aircraft are designed to "build trust in the technology," according to Bloomberg.