VTOL drone - WingtraOne GEN II
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The VTOL advantage
Cover more ground with a WingtraOne
Map from 2 to 14x more than with multicopter drones and leading fixed-wing drones
Take off and land almost anywhere
A 2 x 2 m (7×7 ft) space is all the WingtraOne VTOL drone needs to take off
Protect the payload
While standard fixed-wing drones belly land, WingtraOne touches down precisely with minimal impact
WingtraOne VTOL drone: do a lot of work in a short time
With WingtraOne you get your data much faster than with other tools, even for large areas.
- Cut mapping time
- Reduce labor costs
- Move on with other projects
*Field time includes setup and changing batteries. This data was generated using Wingtra’s coverage and labor cost calculator. The calculator estimates the field time and labor costs associated with data collection, using a model based on the technical specifications of each drone under common environmental conditions and flight parameters.
Get high-accuracy data every time
(0.3 in/px)
A VTOL drone that's easy to use
WingtraOne’s simple workflow and intuitive system allows surveyors with little to no VTOL drone flight experience to fly with confidence after minimal training.
- Intuitive software and fully-automated VTOL flights
- Top-rated customer support
- Small learning curve
- Complete bundle: start from day one
Technical specifications GEN II VTOL drone
Contact Wingtra or a local distributor. Our experts can:
- Answer any questions about the WingtraOne
- Talk about your business and operational needs
- Advise you about drone use
- Provide you with a quote
Cut survey times and reduce costs
Faster data collection and expanded coverage means fewer people in the field for less time. This lowers the man-hour costs associated with data collection.
A lot of the payload equipment is [USD] 5-6K per payload. The VTOL ensures these won’t get damaged. This gives us the peace of mind being out in the field and being able to take on any project, really."
He went from not being a drone pilot to mapping a whole island with me. That’s how easy it is with this system."
Take off, land and fly anywhere
Fixed-wing drones have changed the way professionals can map the world. However, the majority of their reliability and safety issues are related to their belly landings. Thanks to its vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability, the WingtraOne mapping drone combines the cruising flight efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft with the convenient vertical landing of multirotors.
How does the WingtraOne drone work?
WingtraOne explained
Take-off
From sitting firmly on its tail, the WingtraOne soars vertically into the sky using its two rotors.
This take-off is fully automated and doesn’t require any piloting skills from the operator.
Flight
Using its two flaps, the WingtraOne tilts 90° to switch into a forward plane-like flight mode for the drone survey.
While using the same rotors as for take-off, WingtraOne flies at an airspeed of 16 m/s (57 km/h, 35 mph).
Land
Manual take-over
The operator can take control of the drone in both cruise and hovering mode with the tablet app. In hover mode, the drone operator can navigate WingtraOne in all possible directions.
How does VTOL increase drone survey success?
Beyond take-off and landing positions, VTOL technology can have a massive impact on the success and cost of drone surveys.
Take-off and land anywhere
Confined forest areas or gravel open-pit mine terrain are no longer obstacles. WingtraOne can take off and land everywhere, smoothly.
VTOL
Very little space is needed
Other fixed-wing
Large area for take-off and landing is needed
No belly landing
A standard fixed-wing drone essentially performs controlled crash landings while “falling” on its belly. This can cause serious damage to the drone itself and its cameras. Continuous shocks also cause lots of reliability issues and reduce the lifetime of the drone. By comparison, the WingtraOne lands without damaging its high-end cameras or the drone itself.
VTOL
Each landing is safe even on gravel over many landings.
Other fixed-wing
Drone deteriorates with each landing and risks breaking on rocky terrain.
Easy and safe for the operator
The WingtraOne takes off autonomously and at a safe distance from the drone operator. This means that there are no “hand throwings,” and no more risks of a painful cut on rotors, as is the case with a standard fixed-wing.
VTOL
Always safe distance
Other fixed-wing
Operator and environment in danger
Ability to adapt to moving environment
In case of a changing landing environment, like a drifting boat or recently parked cars, the landing spot can be adjusted via remote control, just like any standard multirotor drone.
VTOL
Easy like with a multicopter
Other fixed-wing
Fixed-wing piloting skills needed
Better payload protection
Standard fixed-wing drones land on their bellies, and their cameras face the ground as they take pictures. This makes them very vulnerable to abrasion, dust, dirt and snow, especially on rough terrain like that found in mining sites. Multiple landings can therefore compromise the operation of expensive cameras and the drones themselves.
Thanks to the vertical landing, WingtraOne’s cameras never come into contact with the ground, protecting these systems from environmental hazards.
VTOL
Camera is protected from environmental hazards
Other fixed-wing
Camera is vulnerable to abrasion and dirt
Heavier cameras for higher image quality
Standard fixed-wing drones carry light cameras of lower quality for two main reasons—they’re not powerful enough to take off with a heavier camera, and belly landings would be lethal for heavier drones and their cameras.
Thanks to VTOL, the WingtraOne can carry heavier and better mapping cameras such as the high-end 24 MP Sony RX1R II, enabling more precise aerial maps and better 3D reconstruction.
Contact Wingtra or a local distributor. Our experts can:
- Answer any questions about the WingtraOne
- Talk about your business and operational needs
- Advise you about drone use
- Provide you with a quote
About VTOL drones
- How does a VTOL drone work?
- How to choose the best VTOL drones for surveying applications?
- Types of VTOL drones: tailsitter vs. quadplanes
- Comparison of VTOL aircraft for surveying
- The real cost of high-end commercial VTOL drone vs. cheap drones
- What are the different types of drones?
- What is a multicopter (or multirotor) drone?
- How can a rotary aircraft fly?
- What are fixed-wing drones?
- How can a fixed-wing drone fly?
- What are fixed-wing drones used for?
- What is the difference between fixed-wing and rotary-wing?
- What are VTOL hybrid drones?
- What does VTOL stand for?
- What is VTOL UAV?
Choosing the right drone is one of the most important decisions you will make for your aerial survey and mapping project. The decision will depend mostly on your specific application, and the image resolution, level of accuracy and coverage it requires. Costs will also play an important role. It’s important to think not only of the initial investment, but also of the maintenance and support costs of the drone during its lifetime, as well as the work hours required for training and operation.
Below you will find a detailed comparison between two popular types of vertical take-off and landing drones. You’ll also find insights about why purchasing a cheap drone for surveying might end up costing you more over the long run.
Quadplanes and tail-sitters are the two most widely-used types of VTOL drones. Both can take-off and land from confined areas, and both have the ability to carry and protect high-quality cameras. But some key differences will impact the speed, reliability and safety of their survey operations.
The WingtraOne and Quantix both feature VTOL technology, which ensures secure take-off, flight and landing. With both of these drones you eliminate risky belly landings. But that is where the similarities between these two systems end. Find out why WingtraOne is the most advanced VTOL of the two.
Ultimate comparison of image quality, usability and specs of WingtraOne and Quantix
VTOL FAQ
- Multicopter drones (or multirotors) like DJI Phantom 4 RTK
- Fixed-wing drones like Sensefly eBee
- VTOL hybrid drones, combining the advantages of both types of drones, like WingtraOne.
Multicopter (rotary aircraft or multirotor) drones (think DJI) are the most common type of entry-level professional drone on the market. They feature several rotors creating both lift and propulsion. They are mostly used in aerial photography and videography, due to their ease of control and their ability to take-off, hover and land vertically. These drones are good at flying a camera over photo subjects but only for a short period of time. Indeed they use a lot of energy, as the rotors need to lift the weight of the drone as well as move it forward. 
Rotary-winged aircraft are equipped with rotors that generate vertical thrust by diverting the air downwards. This thrust acts against gravity, pushing the aircraft into the air. What are fixed-wing drones used for?
Fixed-wing drones are used in many applications, such as surveying and mapping; mining, agriculture; research and environmental monitoring; construction; inspection and surveillance. They are good at capturing images and data over mid and large distances, that will later on be processed to get insights on the physical world. What is the difference between fixed-wing and rotary-wing?
Fixed-wing aircraft feature a wing and forward propulsion, such as turbines or propellers, which generate thrust (speed). At a certain airspeed, the shape of the wing provides the lift that keeps the aircraft in the air. Airplanes are fixed-wing aircrafts. Rotary-wing aircraft feature rotors consisting of blades (wings) that rotate. The rotors generate vertical thrust by diverting the air downward. Typical examples of rotary-wings are helicopters and multicopter drones. What are VTOL hybrid drones?
VTOL hybrid drones are systems combining the strengths of both multirotors and fixed-wings. They have the ability to take-off, hover and land vertically like a helicopter, so they don’t require runways or advanced piloting skills. And they feature a wing, which allows them to fly over a larger area efficiently, like an airplane. See Quantix vs. WingtraOne for a comparison between two of the most popular VTOL drones for surveying applications. In fact, some VTOL hybrid drones, like WingtraOne, are able to carry heavier and better cameras than fixed-wings since they offer a safe, controlled landing instead of a belly landing. 