---
title: ""Most drones excel at one of two things. They can either take off and…"
date: 2019-01-26
source: facebook
type: Archer T. Ships shared a link.
---

# "Most drones excel at one of two things. They can either take off and…

*January 26, 2019 · Facebook*

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[https://futurism.com/the-byte/drone-bird-inspired-legs](https://futurism.com/the-byte/drone-bird-inspired-legs){target="_blank"}
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\"Most drones excel at one of two things. They can either take off and land without a runway, or they can quickly transport heavy payloads across long distances. But drones that can do the former can't usually do the latter, and vice versa.\
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The problem is that the rotors needed for a vertical takeoff --- the kind that a drone can manage with limited space --- aren't terribly efficient for flight. Meanwhile, the fixed wings that are efficient for flight can't get a drone off the ground vertically.\
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In a recently published interview with IEEE Spectrum, Passerine CEO Matthew Whalley explained how the company's drones can both launch without a runway and fly efficiently.\
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"When it launches, it essentially jumps into the air," he said. "The launch is very similar to a bird... When it jumps, it's not about gaining height, it's about launching the drone forward to get it up past its minimum flight speed, and at that point it's flying like a conventional aircraft."\
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[https://futurism.com/the-byte/drone-bird-inspired-legs](https://futurism.com/the-byte/drone-bird-inspired-legs){target="_blank"}
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