Today on ‘inventions we could have definitely lived without’; drones with flamethrowers. Because why wouldn’t you add fire to an unmanned, flying aircraft?
I was on board with installing cameras on them but now it’s just getting ridiculous.
The company Throwflame is, surprise surprise, a flamethrower company and it’s now stocking the ‘TF-19 WASP Flamethrower’ attachment on its website, so if you’ve spent your whole life wondering how to shoot fire at a high target 25 feet away, the answer is finally here.
The TF-19 WASP – which I suspect has earned its name from the way it flies around and inflicts searing pain upon its targets – is made from carbon fiber and designed for drones with a five-pound payload capacity or more.
It has a fuel capacity of one gallon, which will get you 100 seconds of firing time, and is designed for ‘for remote ignition of aerial and ground targets’.
Though a portable, flying flamethrower is certainly a threatening concept, Throwflame have assured customers their product is federally legal and is not considered a weapon – though users are still required to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration’s rules for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in addition to local ordinances.
If, like me, you’re baffled by the mere existence of the flamethrowing drone, the company have gone to the trouble of listing a few potential uses for their device, emphasising it’s really designed for industrial use.
Throwflame calls it ‘a game changer for clearing vital infrastructure, igniting remote vegetation, and eliminating pests’ and explains the WASP can provide assistance when it comes to clearing debris from power lines, pest management and nest elimination, forest fire containment and remote agriculture burns.
Of course you could buy the fiery attachment for other purposes too but you’d have to be prepared for it to set you back a whopping $1,500 (£1,206) because having that kind of power doesn’t come cheap.
ThrowflameThe company display the flamethrower on a DJI S1000 drone, which also costs $1,500, so you’re looking at a $3,000 device if you’re after a compatible drone, too. It’s pricey, but hopefully that would deter any impulse buys from people who simply love the idea of throwing some flames around in the sky.
I think it’s best we leave this product to the professionals and please, please, do not try to build your own flamethrowing drone at home.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to [email protected].
Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.