Guardian Agriculture’s all-electric SC1, which the company says can spray 60 acres of crops per hour, took flight in Salinas Valley this week.
Much ado has been made about the commercial launch of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis in the U.S., with the earliest entrants expected to begin passenger-carrying operations in 2025. However, one eVTOL manufacturer has already begun serving customers.
Massachusetts-based Guardian Agriculture on Monday announced that its Guardian SC1, designed for commercial-scale sustainable farming, began spraying crops for a customer in California’s Salinas Valley region. Guardian claims the aircraft is the first eVTOL design to fly commercially in the U.S., which would mark a key milestone for the emerging industry.
The company says its automated system can cover up to 60 acres per hour, comparable to conventional agricultural aircraft. The technology is fully programmable, and no manual controls are required to operate the aircraft. The idea is to allow farmers to customize their crop-spraying schedules, which the system can then repeat on its own as many times as desired.
With no pilot on board, the SC1 can carry up to 200 pounds. The 12-by-12-foot craft is compact enough to fit in the back of a flatbed truck, allowing farmers to transport and deploy it where they choose. A 100 percent electric powertrain provides propulsion—charging it and filling the aircraft’s tank with chemicals, combined, takes less than one minute, Guardian claims.
Much ado has been made about the commercial launch of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis in the U.S., with the earliest entrants expected to begin passenger-carrying operations in 2025. However, one eVTOL manufacturer has already begun serving customers.
Massachusetts-based Guardian Agriculture on Monday announced that its Guardian SC1, designed for commercial-scale sustainable farming, began spraying crops for a customer in California’s Salinas Valley region. Guardian claims the aircraft is the first eVTOL design to fly commercially in the U.S., which would mark a key milestone for the emerging industry.
The company says its automated system can cover up to 60 acres per hour, comparable to conventional agricultural aircraft. The technology is fully programmable, and no manual controls are required to operate the aircraft. The idea is to allow farmers to customize their crop-spraying schedules, which the system can then repeat on its own as many times as desired.
With no pilot on board, the SC1 can carry up to 200 pounds. The 12-by-12-foot craft is compact enough to fit in the back of a flatbed truck, allowing farmers to transport and deploy it where they choose. A 100 percent electric powertrain provides propulsion—charging it and filling the aircraft’s tank with chemicals, combined, takes less than one minute, Guardian claims.
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