DJI delivery drones: what they are and when you need one

A delivery drone is designed to carry goods from one point to another and release them in a controlled way: setting them down, lowering them on a winch or dropping them. It makes sense where roads are slow, dangerous or missing: mountain huts and high-altitude sites, islands and platforms, pylons and power lines, areas cut off by a disaster. Each flight replaces a trip on foot, by off-road vehicle or by helicopter, with repeatable and traceable timing.

DJI FlyCart drones are built for this job: airframe and propulsion sized for the load, obstacle sensing, two delivery modes, a parachute and mission management through the DJI DeliveryHub software platform. This page covers the differences between the two models, delivery accessories, cost drivers and the regulatory framework.

DJI FlyCart 30 vs FlyCart 100

Figures declared by DJI under standard conditions (sea level, no wind). In real missions range and timing depend on load, altitude, temperature and wind, which is why we size the configuration on your actual route and weights.

Which delivery drone to choose

• FlyCart 30 when each load stays within 30-40 kg and distance matters: supplying mountain huts, high-altitude sites, deliveries between sites, islands. The cargo case protects the goods; the winch delivers without landing, for example on sloping ground or among trees.
• FlyCart 100 when you need heavier loads over shorter legs: materials for pylons and power lines, construction equipment, emergency supplies. The winch of up to 30 m lets you deliver while staying above obstacles.
• In both cases the choice also depends on flight frequency (number of batteries and field charging capacity) and on the ground risk along the route, which drives parachute and flight termination requirements.

Delivery drone accessories in our shop

• Winches: DJI FlyCart 30 Winch System Kit and DJI FlyCart 100 Flagship Winch System, to lower the load without landing.
• Drop systems: DJI FlyCart 30 Smart Dropping System, Smart Dropping System DJI FlyCart 100 and the FlyCart 30 Delivery Dropping Kit with 10 loads, to deliver several parcels at different points in one mission.
• Safety: FTS flight terminator for DJI FlyCart 30; more systems in the FTS, terminators and parachutes category.
• Smaller drones: for light loads on DJI Matrice 350, Matrice 400, Matrice 4, Mavic 3 Enterprise and DJI Dock 3 you will find D-Box, dropping kits and smart winches in the Delivery System category.

Prices: how much does a DJI delivery drone cost

The cost of a drone delivery system is not just the aircraft price. The Combo Delivery FlyCart 30 (aircraft, winch system, C8000 charger, three DB2000 batteries and 12-month warranty) is listed at €35,782 including 22% Italian VAT. For FlyCart 100 we prepare the configuration on quote. What drives the cost:

• aircraft and payload system (cargo case, winch, lifting system, dropping kit);
• number of batteries and field charging setup, based on daily flights;
• parachute, FTS and other mitigations required by the risk assessment;
• remote controller, connectivity and mission management software;
• pilot training, operational start-up and support.

Applications: logistics, mountain huts, offshore and emergencies

• Mountain huts and high-altitude sites: food, gas, tools and materials without a helicopter or cableway for every rotation.
• Power grids and infrastructure: equipment and components to pylons, substations and lines in rough terrain.
• Islands, ports and offshore: spare parts and documents between shore, vessels and platforms, within range and weather limits.
• Emergency and civil protection: supplies, equipment and medical material to areas cut off by landslides, floods or snow.
• Site-to-site logistics: repetitive shuttles between plants or warehouses; for complete kits built for drone logistics see the delivery combos.

Regulations: EASA Specific category, SORA and PDRA

In the EU, civil drone operations follow Regulation (EU) 2019/947, applied in Italy by ENAC. DJI FlyCart drones exceed 25 kg takeoff weight, and carrying or dropping goods is not allowed in the Open category: deliveries take place in the Specific category, under an operational authorisation issued on the basis of a SORA risk assessment or, when the mission fits its limits, a predefined risk assessment (PDRA). Standard scenarios STS-01 and STS-02 do not apply, as they are reserved for drones with a C5 or C6 class label.

The assessment covers the overflown area, population density, airspace, type of load and mitigations such as parachutes and flight termination. Higher-risk operations may fall into the Certified category. The authorisation holder is the operator: DroneBase provides the technical documentation of the system, training and support in setting up procedures.

DJI delivery drone FAQ

Tell us your route, load weights and flight frequency: we will propose the right FlyCart configuration and cost breakdown. Phone +39 0541.1790411.

Talk to a DroneBase technician