This week in drone news, DJI has announced the end of life for the inspire 2, Natulis cargo drones, Autel drones are being used in the Ukraine conflict, the upcoming Superbowl TFR, and new information ties DJI to the Chinese Government.

DJI will be discontinuing the Inspire 2 in February “the following products are expected to be sold out in February 2022 the sales will be stopped immediately.” Will we see an Inspire 3 later this year? Drone XL reported a leak that the inspire 3 may be coming as soon as September! https://dronexl.co/2021/12/09/dji-drones-in-2022-inspire-3-mini-3-fpv-mini/ https://dronexl.co/2022/01/27/dji-inspire-2-discontinued/   

The company Natilus Drone claims they will be able to reduce air freight costs by 50%. Natilus is based in San Diego, and has 4 sizes of drones in their plan.  The 130T is the largest, and has a maximum takeoff payload of 955,000lb. It is suitable for intercontinental flights, as has a range of 5,880 miles. The N3.8T has a maximum takeoff weight of approximately 19,000 lb, will be able to carry a load of LD3 containers with a maximum weight of 8,500 lb. https://www.autoevolution.com/news/natilus-drone-claims-it-can-cut-air-freight-costs-by-50-percent-features-a-large-payload-180467.html 

Autel aircraft are being used as a resource by those opposing Russian-backed rebels in Ukraine. Autel’s aircraft are not militarized but are instead providing overwatch and recon. These units are being donated by businesses and charities to Ukraine.   

There WILL be a TFR around the Superbowl again this year. This will occur on Feb. 13th, 2022 around SoFi Stadium in Inglewood CA. Game day TFR will go into effect at ~2:30 PM PST.  30 NM ring centered over the stadium, the surface to 18,000’. Drones are PROHIBITED in the TFR.  https://www.faa.gov/superbowl https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-announces-super-bowl-lvi-safety-plan 

A Washington Post report reported that DJI maintains close ties to the Chinese government and received state funding.  This is despite repeated claims to the contrary.  DJI is not publicly traded, so the list of investors is hard to uncover.  Some call this a hit piece ahead of an upcoming FCC vote regarding DJI.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/02/01/china-funding-drones-dji-us-regulators/