Imagine a long-range aircraft that could be flown by anyone, with the ability to capture exceptional graphical and scientific data. That's what Ritewing set out to accomplish. The company couldn't find anything on the market that met all of these requirements, so it developed the Drak. A Kickstarter campaign to fund the craft is currently running.
Ritewing has an extensive catalog of products, from kits that users need to assemble to almost-ready-to-fly (ARF) kits. The Drak will bring a high speed and high stability option to the current lineup. The stability built into the camera/ recorder mounting plates is intended to offer improved photography and higher precision data.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1598250936/ritewing-drak-the-next-generation-rc-aircraft-dron
The company is seeking $85,000 via Kickstarter to pay for production quality expanded polypropylene molds. The current build process requires one worker to handcraft the frame over a period of two days and then spend additional time assembling the frame.
Ritewing says Drak's forward-swept wing design will avoid low-speed stalling. In addition, the payload system allows for large capacity items to be flown along with the Drak. It provides different spaces to balance the load while flying.
Drak’s frame is built to be modular and easy to pack, with three main pieces. The motor and propeller are mounted on the rear of the craft. Landing gear is not required. Lithium polymer battery packs are recommended.
The campaign page says that anyone can capture images and video using the air Ritewing Drak (in addition to a control system, a camera and a little practice) . It ends April 11, 2015 with the first kits expected to ship in August.
Aircraft projects, both personal flight projects and UAV-type projects, are a hard sell on Kickstarter. There are a great number of them vying for attention on any given day. However, the Drak’s campaign video looks professional and the company has a track record for developing and marketing its aircraft.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1598250936/ritewing-drak-the-next-generation-rc-aircraft-dron