Spright orders 40 Blueflite drones

Detroit-based Blueflite has secured an order for forty of its Cobalt drones from Gilbert, Ariz.-based Spright, the drone delivery subsidiary of medical airlift provider Air Methods. Spright is the second known customer for the Blueflite drone, but Blueflite has secured two other customers that have not been identified publicly, Chief Executive Frank Noppel told Cargo Facts. [caption id="attachment_56861662" align="alignright" width="460"] Blueflite's Cobalt drone can carry payloads of 4.5 kg. (Photo/Blueflite)[/caption] The first deliveries to Spright are expected in the coming months, according to a release issued earlier this month. The deal follows an order from Acadian Ambulance, which partnered with Blueflite in January to develop its medical airlift services. The Cobalt drone is one of two designs Blueflite offers, along with its Slate model. Cobalt is designed for more payload, while Slate is made for speed. Blueflite does not publish performance specifications but told Cargo Facts that its drones are targeted at last-mile applications with an operating radius of seventeen nautical miles and payload capabilities in the range of 4.5 kg. Manufacturing costs To reduce costs, Blueflite’s drones include modular, 3D-printed parts that can be manufactured and replaced quickly and cheaply, Noppel said. The company enjoys reduced-cost access to supplies, material and skilled labor from the automotive industry thanks to its Michigan location, he added. In November, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded Blueflite a patent for the features and software on its drones. The company is currently working to certify its drones, Noppel said. Digital integration Spright selected the drone in part due to its digital integration, the company said in a statement, and Blueflite stated that it has made the software component of its drones a key design feature. “So, we are a drone manufacturer [and] that’s not just hardware, but we’re also very strong on the software side,” Noppel said . “I think operators appreciate the digital integration of our hardware systems into their workflows, their processes and their integration with other IT systems that they already have.” Noppel said Blueflite drones operate via cloud technology and the company has invested in software development in response to industry demand. Future Blueflite drone models will see performance tuned for more remote use cases with enhanced payload and range, Noppel said. Medical airlift For its part, in November 2022 Spright also placed an order with Dufour Aerospace for forty Aero2 drones for medical delivery. Both the Aero 2 and the Cobalt have vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. The medical delivery use case scenario also has fueled orders and development of other drones such as Matternet’s M2 , Narma’s AF100 and AF200 , Rigi Technologies’ Iger and Gadfin’s Spirit One . Cargo Facts Asia, the essential event for stakeholders in Asia, will take place in person April 17-19 in Singapore. Register today to take advantage of early-bird pricing .

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