Reno-based drone delivery company Flirtey showed off the new drone that it will be using once it starts to deliver packages by air later this year. The company unveiled its drone on Monday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Looking like a white, squarish igloo with four propeller arms, the Flirtey Eagle can house a package inside its body, which it then lowers with a tether after it arrives at its designated delivery spot. The Eagle boasts a sizable payload and can accommodate about 75% of all packages that are sent to consumers for last-mile delivery, the company said.
Flirtey plans to use the new drone to deliver on-demand goods and perishables such as food items, with the company using Domino’s pizza and 7-Eleven Slurpees during previous test flights. The company has also teamed up with REMSA and other regional partners such as the city of Reno to create a delivery program for defibrillators during medical emergencies.
The Eagle will also play a key role in Flirtey’s plans to get a jump start against competitors such as Amazon. The company’s goal is to start drone deliveries to U.S. homes sometime this year, which is earlier than its original target of 2020. Matthew Sweeny, Flirtey founder and CEO, made a pitch for his company’s technology as part of the Eagle unveiling.
“Flirtey’s technology has unique capabilities unavailable from any other aircraft manufacturer to enable first-movers to capture market share in their industries,” Sweeny said in a prepared statement. “Flirtey’s latest technology makes life-saving and commercial drone delivery to homes in the United States an imminent reality.”
Source:
https://www.rgj.com/story/news/money/2019/09/10/flirtey-eagle-delivery-drone-deliver-packages-under-10-minutes/2270090001/