Aircraft will revolutionize aerial application, delivering meaningful cost-savings and spray results for growers
Pyka, a leader in autonomous electric aviation, has unveiled its next-generation agricultural spray aircraft, Pelican 2. Featuring an expanded 300-liter payload and a work rate of up to 90 hectares per hour, Pelican 2 is the world’s largest and most productive autonomous electric agricultural aircraft. With global food demand rising, Pyka aims to revolutionize autonomous aerial applications, providing farmers around the world with unprecedented efficiency, cost savings, and sustainability in farm practices.
Since launching its first commercial autonomous spray aircraft in 2021, Pyka has continuously refined its technology to meet the demands of the world’s most challenging agricultural environments. Pelican’s next-generation aerial application system sets new standards for efficiency and performance.
- Upgraded four-motor electric propulsion system for increased reliability and power
- Expanded 300-liter payload capacity for longer spray missions and fewer refills
- Wider 18-meter swath width, supporting multiple spray boom configurations, including hydraulic nozzles and proprietary electric rotary atomizers
- Dynamic droplet size adjustment to optimize chemical use and minimize drift
- Five hot-swappable lithium-ion battery sets, ensuring continuous 24/7 operation
- Advanced LIDAR and RADAR systems for fully autonomous day-and-night spraying, increasing efficacy and extending spray time.
Michael Norcia, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Pyka said “This aircraft exhibits the reliability, performance, and ease of operation that growers demand. The features and operating economics of this aircraft will revolutionize aerial application, delivering meaningful cost-savings and spray results for growers.”
Volker Fabian, Chief Commercial Officer at Pyka said “Through extensive real-world operations, the Spray quality, reliability, and seamless operation are at the core of this aircraft, and no other system on the market comes close.”
Pyka has secured FAA authorization for commercial operation of Pelican 2 in the United States, making this the second time Pyka has gained a groundbreaking commercial approval for its uncrewed aerial system (UAS) products. Pelican 2 is the largest UAS ever approved for commercial use by the FAA, followed only by the original Pelican. Pyka reinforces its global leadership in heavy lift commercial UAS with this milestone.
In 2023, Pyka launched successful commercial operations with Dole in Honduras, deploying Pelican to enhance efficiency and precision in banana crop protection. Building on this momentum, Pyka secured a landmark commercial agreement in July 2024 with SLC Agrícola, one of Brazil’s largest agricultural producers, to deliver Pelican for large-scale agricultural use. Shortly after, following its first FAA authorization for commercial operation in the United States, Pyka delivered its aircraft to Heinen Brothers Agra Services, one of North America’s largest aerial application providers.
