A number of US-based UAV suppliers are starting to fill the void left by the tightening restrictions on the purchase and use of Chinese-made DJI drones.  One company, Inspired Flight, is filling a distinctive niche:  a large medium-lift enterprise drone equipped with sophisticated multispectral cameras that can fly continuously for 40 minutes or more.  The 7-year old San Luis Obispo, CA-based company introduced the IF800 “Tomcat” last June, just a month after releasing another cutting edge model –  the heavy-lift IF1200A.  A growing number of industrial operators seeking a high-performance infrastructure inspection and agricultural mapping drone that is NDAA-compliant are taking to the new Tomcat with a vengeance.

It’s not surprising why the Tomcat is proving so competitive.  In addition to its flight duration, the drone’s camera mounts, including gimbals for the Sony RX100, Sony A7R, and Sony RX1R II, as well as a Lidar and infrared scanner, are impressive.  The Tomcat offers a maximum payload of 3.0 kgs and its dual electric power system with easy-to-install hot swappable batteries allows for largely uninterrupted surveillance flights (at speeds up to 78 kph) over vast tracts of land or lengthy pipelines. Not having to reset the system mid-flight for time-consuming missions offers a huge advantage over less robustly equipped enterprise models.

There’s some dispute over just how long the Tomcat can fly continuously.  Some specs are listed at 54 minutes, which is on par with the DJI’s upgraded Matrice 350 RTK released in May 2023 – but others say it’s closer to 40-45 minutes, which gives DJI a slight edge.  And while the Tomcat can fly in light-to-moderate winds, the Matrice 350 boasts a slightly higher all-weather resistance.  But the Tomcat’s NDAA-compliance – and its lower base price of $18,000 – makes it highly competitive and could give it the edge over time.

Part of Inspired Flight’s burgeoning success is due to the close partnerships it’s developed with a vast array of US-based drone services companies.  Just this week Inspired announced another cutting-edge breakthrough thanks to a partnership with leading drone sensor manufacturer Sentera.  The partnership allows Sentera’s 65R and 6X series cameras to be mounted on the Tomcat, enhancing its imaging and data collection capabilities.  The company is also seeking to integrate the Gremsy gimbal system onto the Tomcat, further extending the drone’s versatility.

Adam Bilmes, Inspired Flight’s Director of Business Development, lauded the company’s new partnerships.  “These integrations enable high-resolution global shutter mapping and science-grade multispectral imaging capabilities for our end-users. Customers can be confident in this partnership between two companies known for delivering the highest levels of performance, support, and service in the industry.”

Inspired Flight has already nabbed some major government clients, including the FAA, NASA, NAVFAC and the, US Army Corps of Engineers, as well as MIT, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University in the academic sector, in addition to power companies like Elbit Systems, First Energy, and Southern Company  The company’s client list is growing rapidly as news about Tomcat’s unique capabilities continues to spread.

Inspired Flight is not alone, of course.  Other surging US-based drone companies include Skyfish and Draganfly in the commercial sector and Skydio, Teal and Vantage Robotics in the defense and military niche are challenging DJI’s dominant position in the US drone market.  All are developing drone platforms that compete head-to-head with DJI in specific applications while offering some pioneering new camera and sensor capabilities to provide end-users with a distinctive edge.

That said, in the absence of a more comprehensive ban on DJI sales and distribution, none of its US-based competitors are likely to supplant DJI any time soon.  The China-based firm is still far and away the world’s leading UAV designer and manufacturer, with virtual unlimited support and subsidies from the Beijing government. Instead, the competition for the US drone market, which DJI virtually owned almost exclusively for the past decade, is about to get a lot wider and tougher.  That’s largely good news – for commercial users and hobbyists alike.

Previous Drone News: