Fort Worth, Texas (November 27, 2024): Rotor Technologies showcased the future of aerial agriculture with a flight of its Sprayhawk, the world’s largest and most advanced agricultural UAV, at Perot Field Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas. The exclusive event, held in partnership with Hillwood and the Helicopter Institute, drew more than 200 aviation industry leaders who witnessed the historic flight and celebrated pivotal company announcements.
A live flight test of the Sprayhawk kicked off the event. Piloted from a ground control station by Rotor Chief Pilot Joao Magioni, the unmanned aircraft performed a full startup procedure, hovered in front of the audience, made turning maneuvers, demonstrated its onboard spray system, and descended to land after approximately five minutes in the air.
Following the flight, Rotor CEO Hector Xu provided an overview of Rotor’s progress in the past year, particularly highlighting the announcement of the Sprayhawk in August 2024, the enormous industry interest for the platform, and the beginning of deliveries expected in 2025.
Rotor announced a new retrofit package available to existing operators of all models of Robinson R44 aircraft. Previously, only new-build Sprayhawks were available for pre-order, with the Robinson R44 Raven II as the default platform. The introduction of a retrofit option opens autonomous flight to a larger number of operators and to the existing fleet of more than 6,000 Robinson R44s in service today.
Xu confirmed the MSRP for 2025 models and the estimated delivery dates. Early adopter pricing will be available until December 15, 2024. He also highlighted the importance of a strategic partnership with AG-NAV, Inc., to bring industry-leading precision agricultural navigation to the Sprayhawk.
“The Sprayhawk launch marks a pivotal moment for both Rotor and the agricultural sector. With Sprayhawk, we’re bringing a new standard in agricultural UAVs, merging large payload capacity with cutting-edge autonomy to support safety, precision agriculture, and sustainability,” said Xu.
Event attendees also heard from President of the Helicopter Institute Randy Rowles who addressed the significance of this technological advancement within the regulatory landscape and the industry’s push toward safer and more efficient aerial application.
“Helicopter Institute was proud to be a part of the Sprayhawk launch event at the Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas,” said Rowles. “It was humbling to share the stage to express our belief in the significance of this technological advancement in agriculture spraying as the industry advances toward safer, more efficient aerial application. Special thanks to Hector and the entire Rotor crew for their outstanding demonstration, as well as Chris Ash, the Hillwood team, and the local FAA FSDO staff for their support.”
Christopher Ash, Senior Vice President of Aviation Business Development for Hillwood added, “Hosting this event within the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone, highlights our commitment to fostering innovation and supporting companies that are at the forefront of next-generation mobility solutions. We are proud to collaborate with Rotor Technologies as they lead the way in revolutionizing aerial agriculture.”
After the flight, guests explored the Sprayhawk up close and interacted with Rotor’s Ground Control Station. The event concluded with networking, allowing attendees to connect with Rotor’s new VP of Commercialization Andy Mearns and flight team.
The Sprayhawk production prototype that was flown during the event was the first of two that have been completed and are undergoing flight testing ahead of joint operations with a select number of operators across the U.S. who are participating in Rotor’s Joint Development Program.
Rotor would like to thank its partners at Hillwood, Helicopter Institute, and FAA for making this event and flight possible.
