TF-19 Wasp (a flame thrower for drones)

2019

In the USA began to fine for $25 thousand for start of the armed drones

At the end of August, 2019 the Federal Aviation Administration of the USA (FAA) released official warning for all owners of unmanned aerial vehicles according to which it is forbidden to make, sell and buy the UAVs equipped with weapon. Breaking the law the penalty in the amount of $25 thousand threatens.

For the last few years the cost of consumer UAVs fell considerably, and the idea to equip the drones with weapon came to some owners to mind. Having used a trend, the ThrowFlame company made headlines of newspapers, having released a flame thrower for TF-19 Wasp drones worth $1500. TF-19 Wasp can throw out a flame stream, but ThrowFlame insists that it not weapon, and recommends to buyers to use UAVs with flame throwers for the peace purposes.

The USA began to fine for start of the armed drones

FAA released official warning for ThrowFlame company, having reminded that any civil UAV equipped with "weapon, bombs, fireworks, flame throwers and other dangerous objects" will be fined up to $25,000. However ThrowFlame continues to insist that flame throwers in the USA are considered as tools, and therefore cannot be weapon. Elon Musk in 2018 when The Boring Company sold 20,000 flame throwers at $500 apiece used the same trick.

According to department, the armed unmanned aerial vehicles are capable to cause "serious damage to health of people around and the bank account of the owner of the drone".

If someone suddenly "needs extremely" to start the dangerous drone, then it to someone will need to get permission in FAA, says the regulator.

Meanwhile ThrowFlame continues to sell to sell TF-19 Wasp on the official site on an equal basis with other figurative flame throwers. On YouTube the set of video showing its use that FAA can quite use as the proof in court is submitted. However so far disagreement did not reach the real legal claim.^[1]

Beginning of sales

In July, 2019 the Throwflame company started sales of a flame thrower of TF-19 Wasp which is established on unmanned aerial vehicles.

The released equipment can be placed on drones with a loading capacity not less than 2.2 kg and hit the targets at distance up to 7.6 meters. The flame thrower weighing 1.8 kg (the small indicator is reached thanks to carbon fiber) is completed with the fuel tank about 3.8 liters, the aggregate capacitance should last for 100 seconds of continuous eruption of a flame.

Principle of work of a flame thrower is as follows: gas mixture under pressure takes off from a trunk and is set fire by electric charge. Thanks to the cameras mounted on pilotless devices operators will be able to hit the mark.

TF-19 Wasp costs $1500. Also in Throwflame created UAVs worth from $1 thousand to $10 thousand depending on the UAV parameters (speed and time of flight, quality of video filming).

The producer showed work of the flame thrower on the example of the DJI S1000 drone with  the controller of flight A2, the LiPo 6S accumulator with a capacity of 16 000 mAh, the camera GoPro  and also the remote control TBS Tango R/C. Such set can cost additional $2600.

The UAVs equipped with flame throwers can be used, for example, for cleaning of transmission lines of garbage, extermination of wreckers and  their  slots, controlled burning out of a grass. Besides, development can find application in film and television shootings or as a pyrotechnic system.

The flame thrower for drones went on sale

TF-19 Wasp and almost all flame throwers are resolved in the USA, they are not considered as firearms. The market of such equipment non-regulated, but in some states restrictions work. For example, in California flame throwers should radiate a flame at distance no more than 3 meters therefore for sale of TF-19 Wasp in this state developers should finish a product.^[2]

Robotics

Notes