Wing (company)


Wing is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. that develops technology of drone-based delivery of freight. The company completed their first real-world deliveries in 2014. The company has operations in Australia, the United States, and Finland. In July 2018, Project Wing graduated from Google X to become an independent Alphabet company. As of January 2019, Wing began delivering take-out food and beverages out of its test facility in Bonython, Australia as part of a pilot program. In April 2019 Wing became the first drone delivery company to receive an Air operator's certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration to allow it to operate as an airline in the USA.

The aircraft

Over the past six years, Wing developed its current aircraft to meet compliance standards and effectively deliver parcels through the air. The drones are specifically designed for small parcel delivery. Each aircraft features propellers, like a classic drone, along with a wing to help it cover long distances quickly. Its motors are powered by electric batteries. For safety purposes, the aircraft features many redundant systems so that if anything were to malfunction, flight can continue until a mechanic can address the issue. The aircraft takes off vertically and then enters a forward-flight phase with lift being provided by a fixed wing. The flightpath the aircraft follows is determined by Wing's UTM System, which optimizes the route for time and distance efficiency while ensuring the plane's path will be obstacle-free. To assist in navigating unforeseen obstacles, the aircraft is equipped with black and white cameras that detect and analyze shapes without observing distinct features in order to preserve community privacy while maintaining safe flight. The company says that image data is not preserved, and is only used for ‘technical analysis’. Some have complained that the drones are noisy.