A drone from the Scottish company Flowcopter can carry loads of up to 100 kg

The heavy-lifting drone is powered by a Rotax hydrocarbon engine. Sometime in the future, the Flowcopter drones will be capable of delivering loads of up to 150 kg across a distance of up to 900 km.

The two main challenges the modern drones face are the low payload capacity and low energy efficiency. These are largely dictated by electric motors, which are unsuitable for heavy loads and need frequent recharging. The new drone from Flowcopter aims to solve these problems, since it flies using real aviation fuel.

This solution makes the drones not particularly environmentally friendly, yet it allows them to withstand heavy loads and travel long distances. In the future, these and other similar devices could be used for completely different purposes, starting from rescue operations and ending with supplying food to remote communities.