Texas-based drone developer Skyways won a big $37 million award from the Air Force’s AFWERX program to take its V3 drone from prototype to full-on production. With this investment, Skyways plans to build thousands of these drones for both military and commercial use.
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Their V2 model already flies with a 30‑lb load and 500‑mile range. The new V3 steps it up, carrying 100 lbs, flying over 1,000 miles, and staying in the air for over 20 hours. Both models use a double‑hybrid setup: they hover like helicopters at takeoff and cruise efficiently like planes, using both electric and fuel power.
“Our approach is different from most companies as we self-fund building and flying full-scale aircraft early during development so prospective customers can see real capability, not a slide deck,” said Skyways’ CEO Charles Acknin, “We’ve figured out a way to do it rapidly and at low cost. This approach is what helped secure this USAF contract and now best positions us to scale production.”
Skyways plans to build a massive fleet of unmanned cargo drones. In the next five years, the company will deploy thousands of aircraft across military and commercial routes, especially in places that are too remote, risky, or expensive for traditional trucks or planes.
This is the latest in a string of Texas drone news—just a couple of months ago, Walmart teamed up with Zipline to kick off drone deliveries across Dallas–Fort Worth, and now Skyways is adding to that momentum with its long-range V3 cargo drone award.
