Developer and operator of large, unmanned cargo drones Dronamics is set to unveil the first production of its Black Swan aircraft, during a live streamed event from the runway of Sofia Airport, Bulgaria.
At 19:30 CET (18:30 GMT) on 07 December, Dronamics will reveal the the Black Swan – an advanced unmanned airplane that has been designed to be the most fuel-efficient cargo airplane ever built.
According to Dronamics, the Black Swan isn’t just another unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), it’s a whole new class of aircraft able to carry up to 350kg of cargo at a distance of up to 2,500km.
Furthermore, the UAV can operate from runways as short as 400m, unpaved, and will enable the company to serve customers in even the smallest and most remote communities.
“For more than 100 years people have designed airplanes for humans first, meaning they were never really optimised for cargo, and in fact, they’re quite inefficient,” said Konstantin Rangelov, co-founder and CTO, Dronamics.
“By being extremely focused solely on carrying cargo, we were able to develop an aircraft that is able to do the job at up to 80% lower cost than any other airplane, meaning we can bring the benefits of aviation to billions of people around the world who do not get regular air service.”
Additionally, the company wants to eliminate the need to choose between low-cost road freight, that can take days to deliver, or fast air freight that is expensive.
Svilen Rangelov, co-founder and CEO, Dronamics, added: “The unveiling of the Black Swan represents a critical milestone in the company’s mission to enable same-day shipping for everyone everywhere.
“The years of hard work are paying off and as soon as we’re done with our extensive test program and obtain certification in 2022, we are going to begin commercial operations, serving customers in Europe and beyond years ahead of everyone else.”
