Wingcopter
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace and Logistics |
| Founded | 1 January 2017 |
| Founder | Tom Plümmer, Jonathan Hesselbarth, Ansgar Kadura |
| Headquarters | Darmstadt , Germany |
Area served | Africa, Europe |
Key people | Tom Plümmer (CEO), Jonathan Hesselbarth (CTO), Ansgar Kadura (CSO) |
| Products | Wingcopter 178, Wingcopter 198 |
Number of employees | 100–150 |
| Website | wingcopter |
Overview
Wingcopter GmbH is a privately held aerospace firm based in Germany, specializing in the design and production of unmanned eVTOL delivery drones. These drones serve multiple purposes including last-mile logistics, as well as applications in mapping, surveying, and inspection tasks. Their premier model, the Wingcopter 178 Heavy Lift (HL), achieved the Guinness World Record in 2018 for the fastest remote-controlled tilt-rotor drone, reaching an average velocity of 240.6 km/h.
The company has established collaborations with both commercial enterprises and humanitarian organizations to facilitate drone deliveries of essential goods across regions such as Africa, the South Pacific, Ireland, and Scotland. During the COVID-19 crisis, Wingcopter joined forces with Thales, Skyports, and the NHS to execute beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) deliveries of medical samples and supplies to a hospital located on a remote Scottish island.
Wingcopter has been honored by the World Economic Forum as a "2020 Technology Pioneer." Additionally, it is one of ten drone manufacturers selected by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take part in a type certification initiative for delivery drones.
Company Details
- Founders: Tom Plümmer, Jonathan Hesselbarth, Ansgar Kadura
- Key Executives: Tom Plümmer (CEO), Jonathan Hesselbarth (CTO), Ansgar Kadura (CSO)
- Industry: Aerospace and Logistics
- Headquarters: Germany
- Established: 2017
- Employees: Between 100 and 150
- Markets Served: Africa and Europe
- Flagship Products: Wingcopter 178 and Wingcopter 198
History
Wingcopter GmbH was established in 2017 by Jonathan Hesselbarth, Tom Plümmer, and Ansgar Kadura in Darmstadt, Germany. The following year, the company collaborated 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 transport medicines and essential supplies to the Ukerewe island district located in Lake Victoria, Tanzania. In 2019, Wingcopter joined forces with UNICEF to develop an on-demand delivery system that provided vaccines to 19 isolated villages from a central hub on Pentecost Island in the South Pacific, Vanuatu. Additionally, the Wingcopter 178 HL model has been utilized for whale monitoring missions within the Arctic region.
At the 2020 African Drone Forum, Wingcopter earned first place in the Emergency Delivery category of the Flying Competition and was honored with a special recognition for its commitment to safety protocols. That same year, Corecam Capital Partners injected several million euros as seed funding to support the company’s growth. In January 2021, Wingcopter secured $22 million through its Series A financing round aimed at expanding its presence into the United States of America. Among its backers is Xplorer Capital, notable for prior investments in ride-hailing giant Uber and autonomous vehicle startup Zoox.
In May 2022, Wingcopter revealed a strategic alliance with Continental Drones to create a drone delivery network covering 49 countries throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. This agreement targets deploying approximately 12,000 units of Wingcopter’s 198 drone models over a five-year period.
By May 2023, the European Investment Bank contributed €40 million to Wingcopter with the objective of scaling up electric drone delivery operations and enhancing logistics services.
W178
The Wingcopter 178 represents the initial mass-manufactured model of Wingcopter drones, which first flew in early 2013. Currently, this drone measures 178 cm by 132 cm by 52 cm externally and supports a payload capacity of up to 6 kg within its external cargo container sized at 103 cm by 87 cm by 57 cm. Designed for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, the aircraft utilizes a proprietary tiltrotor system enabling it to shift from hovering to fixed-wing flight during forward motion. Payload delivery is facilitated through a winch system that gently lowers single-use cargo boxes without requiring the drone to land. Additionally, it can perform two-way deliveries by landing at the drop site to both deliver and retrieve medical samples, lab results, and supplies.
W198
Introduced in April 2021, the Wingcopter 198 is the latest commercial drone from Wingcopter and holds the distinction as the first triple-drop delivery drone globally. Its external dimensions are 198 x 152 x 65 cm, and it can transport up to three parcels with a combined weight of up to 5 kg. Equipped with automated sensors and advanced software, these drones can navigate obstacles and deliver packages precisely to designated locations. This technology allows a single operator to oversee and manage as many as ten drones simultaneously.
Humanitarian mission
During a humanitarian initiative in Malawi in 2019/20, Wingcopter drones were employed to deliver medicines to remote regions isolated due to flooding. The company has also collaborated with UNICEF and DHL to distribute vaccines and other essential medical supplies across Vanuatu and various African countries. Partnering with UNICEF and the African Drone & Data Academy (ADDA), Wingcopter aims to enhance health supply chains amid the COVID-19 pandemic while creating sustainable opportunities for African youth. The project was recognized as one of the recipients of the German government's €24 million COVID-19 hackathon award targeting pandemic-related challenges in Africa. As part of this effort, Wingcopter plans to establish a locally managed drone delivery network in Malawi supporting healthcare infrastructure. Concurrently, two specialized training programs will be implemented to equip 160 Malawian youths with relevant skills. Following successful validation in Malawi, Wingcopter and UNICEF intend to replicate and expand this model into Rwanda.
Collaboration with UPS
In 2020, Wingcopter joined forces with UPS to create advanced package delivery drone technology. Their joint efforts focus on developing a versatile drone fleet featuring a range of capabilities designed to address diverse customer requirements. This partnership also includes pursuing regulatory approval for Wingcopter drones to operate commercial delivery missions within the United States and internationally.
Inter-city Transport
Together with Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Wingcopter collaborated with Merck to transfer pigment samples between a Merck facility in Gernsheim, Germany and a laboratory located in Darmstadt, approximately 25 km apart. This initiative aims to substitute the current slower, less eco-friendly, and costlier van-based delivery system.
Wingcopter 178 / 198
Build Material: Composite materials consisting of fiberglass and Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers.
See also
References
External links
Lua error in Module:Authority_control at line 159: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).