Rotor Flies World’s Largest Crop-Spraying Drone in Texas

Manufacturer demonstrates its R550 Sprayhawk, an automated helicopter built from the Robinson R44 airframe, at the NAAA’s Ag Aviation Expo in Fort Worth.

Friday, November 22, 2024 at 04:30 PM ET

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Rotor Technologies’ R550 Sprayhawk flies a remotely piloted demonstration at the National Agricultural Aviation Association’s (NAAA) Ag Aviation Expo in Fort Worth, Texas. [Courtesy: Glenn Watson/FLYING]

Key Takeaways:

Rotor Technologies unveiled and demonstrated its R550 Sprayhawk, touted as the world's largest automated agricultural spray drone, at the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo.
Based on an overhauled Robinson R44, this gas-powered drone has a 110-gallon capacity, can spray 240 acres per hour, and offers significant operational cost savings for crop applications.
The Sprayhawk operates with a remote pilot and visual observer, features advanced obstacle sensing (radar, lidar, cameras), and integrates Ag-Nav's precision navigation and flow control technology.
The 2025 model is available for pre-order (introductory price of $990,000) and is delivered with a special airworthiness certificate, requiring FAA Part 107 and Rotor's factory training for operators.

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It’s big, it’s automated, and on Wednesday, it lifted off under the control of a remote pilot.

Manufacturer Rotor Technologies this week flew its R550 Sprayhawk—which it calls the largest spray drone in the world—at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport (KAFW) during the National Agricultural Aviation Association’s (NAAA) Ag Aviation Expo in Fort Worth, Texas. FLYING was on the scene to capture the remotely piloted demonstration, part of the launch of the 2025 model Sprayhawk.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.