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WC Mn/Dakotas | I've sat through a few precision ag sessions that discussed spray drones. I'm also an aerial applicator for 25 years. The theoretical costs and productivity are completely unrealistic in the real world on a farm scale, unless you are a hobby farmer. There will be wear and tear carrying that weight and turning or being bounced around in a breeze. There will wrecks and repairs. Windows of operating will be a fraction of what larger heavier aircraft can operate. If I fly 100 hours, there are at least 100 more hours and usually more, committed to supporting that 100hrs of flight. Then there are logistics, state and epa laws.
Physically, it is possible scaled up. Like 6-12 drones. But now you have $100,000- $240,000 "sitting on the shelf" just in aircraft alone. Nothing more than a pipe dream for 99% of US farmers. | |
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