Pyka, a Silicon Valley startup, delivered its first electric autonomous cargo plane to AFWERX, the US Air Force’s network of innovators.
Founded in 2017 in CEO Michael Norcia’s parent’s garage in Silicon Valley, the startup is now handing over electric planes for US Air Force use.
Pyka initially focused on crop spraying with fewer regulations and hurdles. Its first model, the Egret, was certified in New Zealand in May 2019, making it the first human-scale electric aircraft for commercial use.
By January 2020, Pyka flew its second-gen electric plane, the Pelican. With a new design and features, the aircraft could carry over three times the payload of its predecessor.
After completing load and flight testing, Pyka began serial production of the Pelican in late 2020. Most of the manufacturing is done at its Oakland, California facility. The Pelican went to work spraying Bananas in Costa Rica a few months later, in April 2021.
Pyka made history again, unveiling the Pelican Cargo last January, the world’s largest electric autonomous cargo plane.
The California-based startup announced Tuesday it had delivered its first Pelican electric cargo plane to AFWERX.
AFWERX was established in 2017 by the Secretary of the Air Force as an innovation unit that looks for solutions to improve Air Force capabilities.
The US Air Force Agility Prime program will use the electric plane to help improve the Department of Air Force (DAF). Agility Prime Branch Chief, Lt Col John Tekell, commented on the milestone, saying the program looks forward to learning more about “deployment and operational capabilities of electric aircraft through this contract.”
Pyka said it’s now on its way to providing “innovative solutions that could strengthen the national defense.”
