Whether or not you think it is a safe idea, a drone with a 25′ flame thrower will soon be available for commercial purchase.  Well, actually it is a flame thrower that can be attached to a drone.  But it still means that drones will be able to fly around shooting flames 25′ in the air.  The device was designed by a company based out of Cleveland, OH called Throwflame.

Throwflame creates top of the line flamethrowers for personal and professional use.  Their flame throwers can be used for controlled agricultural burns, clearing weeds and overgrowth, wasp and pest removal, ice and snow melting, and to pre-burn forest areas to prevent forest fires.  They have also been featured in a number of films and TV shows like The First Purge and The Punisher.  And because flamethrowers are not considered weapons, but rather agricultural tools, they are completely legal to own.  You don’t even need a license to operate one, however there are some restrictions for residents of Maryland and California.

Throwflame has a variety of flamethrowers that all come with a lifetime guarantee and any accessories you may need.  Their latest flamethrower is called the TF-19 Wasp.  It has a 1 gallon fuel capacity, can shoot a continuous 25′ flame for 100 seconds, and can be used with a drone that has a minimum of a 5lb payload capacity.  Throwflame recently released a video demonstrating the power behind a drone with a flamethrower attachment.

In the video the TF-19 Wasp is attached to a DJI S1000 drone with an A2 flight controller, and 6S 16,000mAh LiPo battery.  The drone operator used a TBS Tango R/C remote.  Adding all of these pieces of equipment up can run around $2,600.  The TF-19 Wasp itself cost $1,499.  Throwflame says they will soon offer drones that can support the TF-19 Wasp that will range from $1,000 up to $10,000 depending on your needs.  The video shows how easy it is to refuel the flamethrower with a tank that glides out, then launch it into the sky to burn down brush, vegetation overgrowth, and a large wasp nest.

The question that arises is just how safe is it to use.  Almost anyone can buy a drone and get a license to operate one.  Now there are virtually no restriction to someone adding a dangerous flamethrower onto a drone.  No matter how good of a drone pilot you are, adding the weight of fuel to the drone along with the power of a 25′ flame can spell disaster.  This is a tool that should be taken seriously.  Yes, it is open for purchase to the public, but really should only be considered for use by pyrotechnic professionals.

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