JDrone Launches Cargo Drone Service in Rural Japan with Powerful Heavy-Lift Drones

Using Yamaha FAZER R G2 and DJI Flycart 30, JDrone Supports Construction, Forestry, and Disaster-Relief Operations in Challenging Terrain

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabb

Tokyo-based cargo drone operator JDrone recently announced they had begun their cargo service on Aug. 1, 2024, filling a need for highly flexible cargo services in the heavily forested and mountainous interior of Japan. Using a Yamaha FAZER R G2 (nicknamed “Kibitaki”), a domestically designed cargo drone designed for the industrial sector, as well as a DJI Flycart 30, JDrone will begin operations to rural construction sites, forestry camps, and mining facilities. In addition, JDrone will provide drone delivery services in disaster-relief environments, where drones have become an increasingly important part of post-earthquake recovery efforts as roads and bridges become impassable. 

The helicopter-style Yamaha FAZER R G2 has a maximum cargo capacity of up to 50 kg (roughly 120 lbs), giving it heavy hauling power, and can fly at a dizzying 2800m, giving it immense operational flexibility even in high-altitude environments. This is combined with an impressive 90 km (roughly 55 mile) range, and has been used for applications spanning pesticide spraying to testing radiation levels around nuclear facilities. It’s also gas-powered, which makes it more powerful over longer distances than its electric counterparts. 

The DJI Flycart 30 is a powerful eight-rotor design, with a 30 kg (roughly 65 lb) payload capacity over a range of around 16 km, with the ability to bump its capacity to 40 kg over a shorter 8km distance. With a maximum wind resistance of 12m/s, a maximum flight altitude of 6,000m, and an protection rating of IP55, its ready for missions in challenging terrain and weather environments. 

With its two cargo units, JDrone hopes to begin transporting survey and observation equipment and construction materials in difficult field work environments such as volcanic areas, transporting seedlings in forests and daily necessities to mountain huts, and transporting supplies in the event of a disaster.

More information on JDrone and their drone delivery services is available here.

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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry.  Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.

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