Drone Delivery Canada sells its first Condor heavy-lift UAV

Toronto-based Drone Delivery Canada announced the first sale of its Condor heavy-lift UAV in a deal with the government’s Transport Canada agency.

Drone Delivery Canada said the transaction for the Condor heavy-lift craft was valued at CAD $1.2 million ($880,000), and would also provide Transport Canada with operating and testing support throughout 2023. It noted the deal was brokered by its Air Canada sales agent as part of the government’s Innovative Solutions Canada program.

Under terms of the accord, Drone Delivery Canada will provide the agency with a Condor UAV – currently the largest craft it produces. Measuring 22 feet long, five feet wide, and seven feet tall, the heavy-lift drone has a hauling capacity of 400 lb., and a flight range of just over 124 miles at an operating speed of nearly 75 mph. 

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Propelled like a helicopter with a single main rotor overhead, the craft operates with the company’s proprietary FLYTE management system used in its entire line of specialized cargo delivery drones.

“We are extremely excited to provide Transport Canada with our Condor drone and to be involved in the Innovation Solutions Canada program,” said Drone Delivery Canada CEO Steve Magirias. “We look forward to working with Transport Canada to display the full capabilities of the Condor and to potentially offer the Condor platform to all interested government of Canada parties.”

In addition to providing its Condor drone, the agreement calls for Drone Delivery Canada to assist its first heavy-lift UAV client during a three-phase operational and testing program running through the end of the year. 

Those will begin with a series of short-range flights, followed by long distance endurance trials, and finally operation in extreme environmental conditions. 

In its announcement of the deal, Drone Delivery Canada said it hoped the transaction may open the way for future agreements with state agencies and private sector clients. 

“Subject to all required regulatory approvals,” it said, “the increased size and payload capacity of the Condor is expected to unlock a significant number of new potential use case opportunities, including in sectors such as mining, oil and gas, inspection, and emergency preparedness.”