A new partnership between Wingcopter and a subsidiary of UAV LATAM will support drone delivery operations in Peru. (Photo: Wingcopter)
Wingcopter, a German drone manufacturer, has partnered with UAV del Peru (a subsidiary of Latin American holding UAV LATAM) to provide and deploy its cargo drones for delivery operations in Peru. UAV del Peru expects to be one of the first companies in Latin America to make use of delivery drone technology for a range of applications including commercial and humanitarian operations.
UAV LATAM, which has more than 10 years of experience in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry, has already begun discussions with affiliates in seven countries in Latin America to expand its drone delivery services beyond Peru. Wingcopter has partnered with leading business aviation specialist Synerjet which will, according to Wingcopter co-founder and CEO Tom Plümmer, provide opportunities for reaching other countries in the region. Synerjet currently has operations in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Panama, and Guatemala, Plümmer told Avionics International in an emailed statement.
Wingcopter and UAV del Peru are both partners of WeRobotics’ Flying Labs Network which serves to strengthen local expertise in drone use as well as robotics, data, and AI. Wingcopter chose to enter the new partnership for drone delivery operations in Peru in part because of UAV LATAM’s excellent network in Latin America. “[UAV LATAM] shares our vision to improve and save lives with the help of Wingcopter technology,” added Plümmer.
Pictured above is the Wingcopter 198 eVTOL drone. According to Wingcopter CEO Tom Plümmer, “The motors, flight controller, battery, and airspeed sensors are all integrated redundantly to provide an extremely high degree of reliability and safety.” (Photo: Wingcopter)
An upcoming goal for Wingcopter is to achieve FAA Type Certification for its Wingcopter 198 eVTOL drone, wrote Plümmer; the team is currently in the certification process. Additionally, the company hopes to establish a presence on all continents, either with its own operations or via its authorized partners. Plümmer noted another of the company’s aims: “We will set up delivery networks that span whole regions, allowing the instant and on-demand delivery of any kind of urgently needed goods.”
The Wingcopter 198 eVTOL drone is well-suited for delivering medical supplies not only in Peru but also worldwide. Plümmer explained that they have established a local drone-based delivery network in Malawi for remote health facilities. “In the U.S., we have partnered with Air Methods’ drone subsidiary Spright, which is setting up a nationwide delivery network to improve healthcare access in rural regions of the country with our Wingcopter 198 model.” He also remarked that use cases for their eVTOL aircraft are not limited to healthcare applications. It offers a unique triple-drop mechanism that is capable of delivering up to three packages at different drop-off locations within the same flight. Plümmer believes that the Wingcopter 198 “is the ideal aircraft for all industries that deal with the instant and on-demand shipment of time-sensitive products.”
The Wingcopter 198 demonstrates a unique triple-drop mechanism that can deliver three packages at different drop-off locations in one flight. (Photo: Wingcopter)
UAV LATAM’s CEO Juan Bergelund commented on the new partnership: “Several Latin American countries have partially deficient infrastructure, especially in the health sector, affecting billions of lives. […] We are convinced that with the deployment of Wingcopter drones in Latin America, we can actively support Wingcopter’s vision of creating efficient and sustainable drone delivery solutions that improve and save lives everywhere,” according to the company’s announcement.