Flamethrower supplier Throwflame has taken the wraps off the TF-19 Wasp, a flamethrower attachment for drones. For those interested in the $1500 accessory, a drone is still required.
The idea of a drone capable of shooting flames as far as 25-feet is not all that far-fetched, and it does have its applications, such as clearing debris caught on power lines or dealing with pests and nests, or used to ignite inaccessible vegetation in back-burn/pre-burn situations to aid firefighters in forest and rural locations.
According to the company’s specifications sheet, the flamethrower attachment is compatible with drones that can carry at least five pounds and that the company’s preferred model is the DJI S1000. In the company’s video, the TF-19 WASP is attached to a DJI S1000 octocopter drone, which sells for $1,500.
The company says they equipped the drone in the video with an A2 flight controller, a 6S LiPo battery with a 16,000 mAh capacity, and a TBS Tango RC remote. The tank on the flamethrower has a one-gallon fuel capacity, giving it more than a minute and a half of “continuous firing time.”
The flamethrower is legal
We learned that flamethrowers were legal when Elon Musk’s Boring Company began selling the Not-A-Flamethrower flamethrower for $500. It was a great marketing ploy to get the Boring Company noticed.
Musk tweeted it is the “best way to light your fireplace/BBQ. No more need to use a dainty ‘match’ to ignite! If no wood, just drop your flamethrower in fireplace! It will generate way more warmth than a quaint pile of logs.”
First 1000 Boring Company Flamethrowers being picked up today! hBMp5fGzAB
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018
The Throwflame website states: “In the United States, flamethrowers are federally unregulated tools and not considered a firearm by the ATF. No need for any NFA tax stamps, licensing or even an FFL dealer. However, it’s the purchaser’s responsibility to ascertain that ownership and or use does not violate any state or local laws or regulations.”
This Company Is Selling #Drone-Mounted Flamethrowers to the General Public#Throwflame's new drone is made for clearing brush from power lines and that sort of thing. It's also…a flying #flamethrower. #UAS #security #drones
— hwingo (@hwingo) July 18, 2019
Weapons of war delivered straight to your door
As was said, there are a number of acceptable applications for a flamethrower accessory mounted on a drone, but we all know what happens when some people step outside the bounds of what is considered ethical. And just looking at the video, it is easy to imagine some young person thinking “How cool is that.”
And other than having a flame-spitting drone on hand in the event of an attack by zombies, it would be reasonable to assume they would be sold for perfectly legal uses. The point is, flamethrowers and drones have been around for quite some time. And don’t forget, there are still laws regulating drone use.
While there appears to be no age limit to purchase the TF-19, the FAA will soon require “drone operators to pass an online aeronautical knowledge and safety test and carry proof of test passage” – let’s hope that happens real soon.
