World's largest cargo drone packs a 50-foot wingspan and 4,000lb payload — but you'll never find a human…

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  • Poseidon Aerospace's 50-foot drone carries 4,000 pounds of cargo without an onboard pilot or cockpit
  • Remote operators control Egret through cameras and aircraft flight controls
  • Former Amazon and Lockheed Martin engineers are developing the autonomous aircraft

Poseidon Aerospace is developing Egret, an autonomous cargo aircraft with a 50-foot wingspan designed to transport substantial loads without carrying a human pilot onboard.

The drone can accommodate up to 4,000 pounds of freight, with its internal space dedicated to cargo rather than conventional flight controls and cockpit equipment.

The company is building the aircraft to reduce freight transportation costs, although its upcoming test flights will provide important evidence about its operational capabilities.

Egret prioritises cargo over cockpit space

Egret is being developed by David Zagaynov, a former Amazon engineer specialising in logistics, and Parker Tenney, a mechanical engineering graduate who previously worked at Lockheed Martin.

Unlike conventional freight aircraft adapted from passenger or...

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