Rotor Technologies, a US startup that develops unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) out of New Hampshire, has announced the launch of the world’s two largest commercial drones.
The drones, named Airtruck and Sprayhawk, are both based on the Robinson R44 helicopter airframe, which has been adapted to perform a number of tasks, such as lifting cargos or spraying crops, while remotely operated.
Airtruck is a general utility drone able to move up to 1,000 lb (453 kg) of cargo, while Sprayhawk has been conceived as an agricultural UAV, carrying a 110-gallon tank for crop dusting.
Rotor Technologies, which is collaborating with helicopter manufacturer Robinson to develop the two drones, plans to build some 25 units per year of the two models (15 Sprayhawks and 10 Airtrucks) at its New Hampshire plant.
In a press release announcing the launch, Rotor Technologies CEO, Hector Xu, highlighted the fact that the startup is planning to bring large commercial drone production back to the US.
The firm has already built the first production Sprayhawk. The aircraft is currently undergoing ground tests ahead of its delivery to a customer in the US Midwest.
Rotor Technologies also announced that it has started to take orders for deliveries in late 2025 and onwards from customers in both the US and Brazil. Early buyers placing orders before December 15, 2024, will benefit from some special prices ($850,000 for the Airtruck and $990,000 for the Sprayhawk).