Wingtra launches WingtraRAY drone aimed at faster, safer aerial surveying
Wingtra has unveiled WingtraRAY, a new drone platform built for surveying and mapping, with a key feature that allows flights over people without a waiver in many U.S. scenarios. The aircraft uses a parachute add-on to qualify for Category 3 operations over people across 98% of U.S. territory, and it also supports Europe’s C6 requirement for EASA STS-02 missions.
The Swiss company is pitching the system as a single platform for a wide range of survey jobs. It said crews can set up a site in minutes, survey 100 hectares in 10 minutes, and process data fast enough to deliver results before lunch. An adaptive speed function is designed to improve both efficiency and accuracy. Wingtra said the platform can complete surveys up to 10 times faster than multirotor drones, depending on the job. Ground control data and flight data sync automatically in WingtraCLOUD, streamlining processing in a preselected coordinate system.
WingtraRAY supports six payloads, including new options for LiDAR-based digital terrain models and millimeter-resolution airport crack detection. With the new INSPECT payload, the drone can map 100 acres at 2.5 mm resolution from 60 meters above ground in about an hour. Wingtra said that gives operators one aircraft for recurring work such as cut-and-fill analysis, large-scale cadastral mapping, and airport inspection. In one example, a small airport can be covered in a single mission, reducing repeated runway shutdowns. The platform is also listed on the AUVSI Green and DIU Blue Cleared lists, which can speed approval for U.S. government and sensitive infrastructure work.
Safety is central to the new design. Alongside the parachute system, WingtraRAY includes obstacle avoidance and a backup battery to reduce operational risk in populated areas and near roads. Wingtra said guided workflows and lower manual input are intended to cut mistakes that lead to expensive site revisits. The company expects many users to recover their investment within months through shorter field time, fewer repeat missions, and broader project coverage from one system.
WingtraRAY will be available in select countries starting July 10, 2025, with a global rollout planned for October. If the platform performs as advertised, it could lower barriers for survey firms taking on urban, infrastructure, and government work, while pushing fixed-wing VTOL drones deeper into mainstream professional geospatial operations.