Wingcopter

Wingcopter GmbH was founded in 2017 by Jonathan Hesselbarth, Tom Plümmer, and Ansgar Kadura in Darmstadt, Germany. In 2018, the company partnered with DHL and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to deliver medicine and critical supplies to the Ukerewe island district of Lake Victoria, Tanzania.{{Cite web|date=2019-05-24|title=The pilot project Deliver Future and its results › Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH - Integrated Company Report 2018|url=https://reporting.giz.de/2018/our-work-around-the-world/security-and-stabilisation/tanzania-rapid-response-from-the-air/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=reporting.giz.de|language=en-US}}{{cite web |title= DHL Press release|url=https://www.dpdhl.com/content/dam/dpdhl/en/media-relations/press-releases/2018/pr-dhl-parcelcopter-tanzania-20181004.pdf |website=DHL}} In 2019, the company partnered with UNICEF to set up an on-demand delivery network, supplying 19 remote villages with vaccines from one central hub on the South Pacific island of Pentecost, Vanuatu.{{Cite web|last=Douglas|first=Alex|date=2018-10-25|title=Swoop Aero and Wingcopter awarded commercial contracts to trial life-saving drone delivery|url=https://www.commercialdroneprofessional.com/swoop-aero-and-wingcopter-awarded-commercial-contracts-to-trial-life-saving-drone-delivery/|access-date=2020-09-20|website=Commercial Drone Professional|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Press|date=2019-04-12|title=There's a lifesaving buzz in the air in Vanuatu|url=https://www.suasnews.com/2019/04/theres-a-lifesaving-buzz-in-the-air-in-vanuatu/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=sUAS News - The Business of Drones|language=en-GB}} The Wingcopter 178 HL has also been used to survey whales in the Arctic region.{{Cite web|date=2020-01-28|title=Arctic UAV completes BVLOS trail missions|url=https://www.uav-canada.com/arctic-uav-3250/|access-date=2020-09-20|website=UAV Canada|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Press|date=2019-09-20|title=Arctic UAV successfully completes two trial BVLOS missions in the Arctic|url=https://www.suasnews.com/2019/09/arctic-uav-successfully-completes-two-trial-bvlos-missions-in-the-arctic/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=sUAS News - The Business of Drones|language=en-GB}} During the 2020 African Drone Forum, Wingcopter was judged as the winner of the Emergency Delivery category of the Flying Competition and received a special award for its safety procedures.{{Cite web|last=McNabb|first=Miriam|date=2020-05-05|title=African Drone Industry: Winners of the Lake Kivu Challenge Announced!|url=https://dronelife.com/2020/05/05/african-drone-industry-winners-of-the-lake-kivu-challenge-announced/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=DRONELIFE|language=en-US}} In 2020, Corecam Capital Partners invested several million euros into the company as seed funding{{Cite web|last=Tucker|first=Charlotte|date=2019-12-13|title=German drone startup Wingcopter receives seven-digit investment to continue saving lives|url=https://www.eu-startups.com/2019/12/german-drone-startup-wingcopter-receives-seven-digit-investment-to-continue-saving-lives/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=EU-Startups|language=en-US}} In January 2021, Wingcopter raised $22 million in its Seris A funding round, intending to expand its operations into the United States of America.{{Cite web|title=Wingcopter raises $22 million to expand to the US and launch a next-generation drone|url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/24/wingcopter-raises-22-million-to-expand-to-the-u-s-and-launch-a-next-generation-drone/|access-date=2021-01-30|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US}} Its investors include Xplorer Capital, which has previously invested in ride-hailing service Uber and self-driving car start-up Zoox.{{Cite news|last=Copley|first=Caroline|date=2021-01-25|title=Drone company Wingcopter gets more firepower in vaccine delivery race|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-vaccines-drones-idUKKBN29U214|access-date=2021-01-30}}

In May 2022, Wingcopter announced a partnership with Continental Drones designed to establish a delivery network spanning 49 countries across Sub-Sahara Africa. The deal sets the goal of deploying 12,000 of Wingcopter’s 198 drone systems over the course of the next 5 years.{{cite journal|date= 19 May 2022|url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/19/wingcopter-details-plans-to-deploy-12000-drones-across-africa/|title= Wingcopter details plans to deploy 12,000 drones across Africa|journal=Tech Crunch|access-date=20 May 2022}}

In May 2023, the European Investment Bank invested €40 million in Wingcopter to scale up electric delivery drones and logistics services.{{Cite web |last=Lunden |first=Ingrid |date=2023-05-11 |title=Wingcopter, Germany's drone delivery startup, raises another $44M from the EIB |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/10/wingcopter-drone-delivery-startup-eib/ |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}

File:Wingcopter Transition .jpg

Wingcopter 178 is the first mass produced version of the Wingcopter drones which first took flight in early 2013. At present, the drone has an external dimension of 178 cm x 132 cm x 52 cm and can carry a payload of up to 6 kg in its external transportation box measuring 103 cm x 87 cm x 57. The aircraft is capable of beyond visual line of sight flight and can transition from hover to fixed-wing flight configuration during forward flight by making use of its proprietary tiltrotor mechanism. To deliver its payload, the drone can employ a winch mechanism to slow-drop a single-use cargo box at the location without the need for landing. It can also deliver and collect cargo by landing at the destination to enable two-way delivery of medical samples, lab results, and supplies.

File:198 Wingcopter.jpg

Wingcopter 198 is the latest commercial drone launched by wingcopter in April 2021 and is the world's first triple drop delivery drone. It has an external dimension of 198 x 152 x 65 cm and can carry up to three packages up to 5 kg.{{Cite web|last=Knight|first=Renee|date=2021-04-29|title=Wingcopter Unveils New Triple-Drop Delivery Drone|url=https://insideunmannedsystems.com/wingcopter-unveils-new-triple-drop-delivery-drone/|access-date=2021-05-24|website=Inside Unmanned Systems|language=en-US}} The drones, have automated sensors and software to avoid obstacles and drop parcels at designated sites, enabling one operator to monitor and control up to 10 of these new drones.

=== Humanitarian mission===

As part of a humanitarian aid project in Malawi in 2019/20, medicines were delivered by Wingcopter to remote areas that were partially cut off from the outside world by a flood. Wingcopter has also been active with UNICEF and DHL in delivering vaccines and other medications in Vanuatu and some African nations.{{Cite web|title=Vanuatu awards international drone companies with commercial contracts for vaccine delivery|url=https://www.unicef.org/eap/press-releases/vanuatu-awards-international-drone-companies-commercial-contracts-vaccine-delivery|access-date=2020-09-27|website=www.unicef.org|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Douglas|first=Alex|date=2020-03-05|title=Wingcopter increases capital securing further Corecam investment|url=https://www.commercialdroneprofessional.com/wingcopter-increases-capital-securing-further-corecam-investment/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Commercial Drone Professional|language=en-US}} Along with UNICEF and African Drone & Data Academy (ADDA), it aims to use Wingcopter drones to improve health supply chains during COVID-19 and to open up new long-term opportunities for Africa's youth. It was announced as one of the winners of the German government’s €24 million COVID-19 hackathon to combat corona-related repercussions in Africa.{{Cite web|date=2020-05-24|title=Wingcopter wins Smartdevelopmenthack // TransportUP Aerial Mobility News|url=https://transportup.com/headlines-breaking-news/vehicles-manufactures/wingcopter-one-of-nine-winners-of-german-smartdevelopmenthack/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123073135/https://transportup.com/headlines-breaking-news/vehicles-manufactures/wingcopter-one-of-nine-winners-of-german-smartdevelopmenthack/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 23, 2021|access-date=2020-09-20|website=TransportUP|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Tucker|first=Charlotte|date=2020-05-22|title=Drone pioneer Wingcopter a winner of German Government COVID-19 hackathon|url=https://www.eu-startups.com/2020/05/drone-pioneer-wingcopter-a-winner-of-german-government-covid-19-hackathon/|access-date=2020-09-20|website=EU-Startups|language=en-US}} As a part of this project, Wingcopter envisions setting up a locally operated delivery drone network in Malawi to support the local healthcare system. In parallel, the partners will also build local capacity through two distinct training programs for 160 Malawian youths. After proving the concept’s viability and successful implementation in Malawi, Wingcopter and UNICEF plan to adapt the concept and scale to Rwanda.{{Cite web|last=Tucker|first=Charlotte|date=2020-05-22|title=Drone pioneer Wingcopter a winner of German Government COVID-19 hackathon|url=https://www.eu-startups.com/2020/05/drone-pioneer-wingcopter-a-winner-of-german-government-covid-19-hackathon/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=EU-Startups|language=en-US}}

File:Wingcopter Vaccine .png through its winch mechanism |350px]]

=== Partnership with UPS ===

In 2020, Wingcopter partnered with UPS to develop the next generation of package delivery drones.{{Cite web|title=Coronavirus lockdown sees renewed interest in drone deliveries as UPS partners with Wingcopter|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/coronavirus-lockdown-drone-delivery-ups-wingcopter-a9424421.html|access-date=2020-09-08|website=www.independent.co.uk|date=25 March 2020 |language=en}} Together, they will be working towards building a diverse fleet of drones with varying capabilities to meet even more potential customer needs. As part of this collaboration, both companies will work toward earning regulatory certification for Wingcopter drones to make commercial delivery flights in the United States and beyond.{{Cite web|title=UPS partners with Wingcopter to develop new multipurpose drone delivery fleet|url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/24/ups-partners-with-wingcopter-to-develop-new-multipurpose-drone-delivery-fleet/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US}}

File:Merck Dilevery.png.]]

Wingcopter in partnership with Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences has teamed up with Merck to transport pigment samples from a Merck site in Gernsheim, Germany to a lab in Darmstadt (around 25 km). The proposed project aims to replace the existing slower, less sustainable, and more expensive van delivery program.{{Cite web|title=German drone delivery trial paves the way to replacing trucks for inter-office deliveries|url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/05/german-drone-delivery-trial-paves-the-way-to-replacing-trucks-for-inter-office-deliveries/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Butterworth-Hayes|first=Philip|date=2020-02-05|title=Frankfurt University, Merck, Wingcopter test inter-site drone logistics|url=https://www.urbanairmobilitynews.com/logistics/frankfurt-university-merck-wingcopter-test-inter-site-drone-logistics/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Urban Air Mobility News|language=en-US}}

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=several sources{{Cite web|date=2020-07-08|title=The future of urban air mobility in Europe: These companies could change the way we travel|url=https://siliconcanals.com/news/future-of-urban-air-mobility-in-europe/|access-date=2020-09-28|website=Silicon Canals|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|title=German start-up creates a delivery drone capable of toting three separate packages|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/04/28/drone-delivery-triple-drop/|access-date=2021-05-24|issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite web|title=Wingcopter debuts a triple-drop drone to create 'logistical highways in the sky'|url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/27/wingcopter-debuts-a-triple-drop-drone-to-create-logistical-highways-in-the-sky/|access-date=2021-05-24|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US}}

|prime units?=met

|crew=None (self-piloted) Wingcopter 178, Wingcopter 198

|crew note=

|capacity=, Wingcopter 198 5-{{cvt|6|kg}} up to 3 different packages

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|span m=1.78

|span note=Wingcopter 198: 1.98

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|eng1 number=4

|eng1 name=(4 for hovering and 2 for forward flight) / Wingcopter 198: 8

|eng1 type=Electric

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|max speed note=Wingcopter 198: {{cvt|150|km/h|mph kn}}

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|range km=120

|range note=Wingcopter 198 up to {{cvt|75|km}}

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Construction: Composite (fiberglass and carbon fiber)

{{aircontent

|see also=

• Unmanned aerial vehicle

|related=

• Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle

|lists=

• List of electric aircraft

}}

==References==

{{Reflist}}

• [https://wingcopter.com/ Wingcopter official website]

{{Authority control}}

Category:Darmstadt

Category:Companies based in Hesse

Category:Unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturers of Germany

Category:2017 establishments

Category:Urban air mobility

Category:EVTOL aircraft

Category:Aerial logistics companies