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    <title>Ceres Air Inc. blog</title>
    <link>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog</link>
    <description />
    <language>en</language>
    <pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 2026 19:32:03 GMT</pubDate>
    <dc:date>2026-07-24T19:32:03Z</dc:date>
    <dc:language>en</dc:language>
    <item>
      <title>Ceres Air Receives Conditional FCC Approval: What It Means for Operators and American Agriculture</title>
      <link>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/ceres-air-receives-conditional-fcc-approval-what-it-means-for-operators-and-american-agriculture</link>
      <description>&lt;div class="hs-featured-image-wrapper"&gt; 
 &lt;a href="https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/ceres-air-receives-conditional-fcc-approval-what-it-means-for-operators-and-american-agriculture" title="" class="hs-featured-image-link"&gt; &lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-04-02%20at%208.39.43%20AM%201%20(1).jpg" alt="Ceres Air Receives Conditional FCC Approval: What It Means for Operators and American Agriculture" class="hs-featured-image" style="width:auto !important; max-width:50%; float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;"&gt; &lt;/a&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Every company reaches moments that define where it's headed. For Ceres Air, this is one of those moments. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Every company reaches moments that define where it's headed. For Ceres Air, this is one of those moments. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;After months of rigorous review, questions, and anticipation from dealers, operators, and partners alike, the company has reached a significant milestone…one that answers some important questions while naturally raising a few new ones. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;First, The Approval&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ceres Air has received Conditional FCC Approval for both its current and future agricultural drone platforms. This is a major milestone that ensures the company can continue developing and introducing new technology for American operators.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;More importantly, it gives dealers, growers, and commercial applicators confidence that Ceres isn't standing still.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;What Does This Mean?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In practical terms, Conditional FCC Approval means Ceres Air now has a recognized pathway to continue bringing new products to market as they meet federal security requirements.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;That includes future developments such as:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;ul&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;New drone platforms&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;Updated remote controllers&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;Flight controller upgrades&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;Hardware improvements&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;Software enhancements&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ongoing product innovation&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; 
&lt;/ul&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Rather than being limited to existing technology, Ceres can continue evolving its products alongside the needs of modern agriculture.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;For operators investing in equipment today, that's an important distinction. You're investing in a platform that can continue improving; not one that's reached the end of its development.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Why Was This Approval Different?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Following changes to FCC regulations, manufacturers introducing new drone technology have been required to undergo significantly more rigorous federal review focused on supply chain security and national security compliance.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ceres Air successfully completed that review.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The resulting Conditional FCC Approval confirms that the company's current supply chain meets federal requirements while providing a framework for future products as Ceres continues increasing domestic manufacturing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;A Milestone for the Industry&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;This approval represents more than progress for one company.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;It helps ensure that American agriculture has access to a growing pipeline of secure, domestically supported drone technology at a time when the industry needs more choice—not less.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ceres Air can continue investing in new platforms, improving existing products, and supporting operators for years to come.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Thank You&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;This milestone belongs to everyone who believed in the vision.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To the dealers who supported customers throughout the process.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To the operators who trusted the platform.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;And to the customers helping build the future of American agricultural drone technology.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The review is complete. The path forward is clear.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Now it's time to get back to building better equipment for American agriculture.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  
&lt;img src="https://track-na2.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=246409813&amp;amp;k=14&amp;amp;r=https%3A%2F%2Fceresair.com%2Fceresair-blog%2Fceres-air-receives-conditional-fcc-approval-what-it-means-for-operators-and-american-agriculture&amp;amp;bu=https%253A%252F%252Fceresair.com%252Fceresair-blog&amp;amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important; "&gt;</content:encoded>
      <category>News</category>
      <pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 2026 19:31:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/ceres-air-receives-conditional-fcc-approval-what-it-means-for-operators-and-american-agriculture</guid>
      <dc:date>2026-07-24T19:31:41Z</dc:date>
      <dc:creator>Josh Robinson</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Built for Control. Not Chance</title>
      <link>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/built-for-control-not-chance</link>
      <description>&lt;div class="hs-featured-image-wrapper"&gt; 
 &lt;a href="https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/built-for-control-not-chance" title="" class="hs-featured-image-link"&gt; &lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hubfs/blog-1.webp" alt="Built for Control, Not Chance" class="hs-featured-image" style="width:auto !important; max-width:50%; float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;"&gt; &lt;/a&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Earlier this month, a trailer carrying Ceres systems was stolen.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded>&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-1-1.webp?width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&amp;amp;name=blog-1-1.webp" width="1920" height="1080" alt="blog-1-1" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1920px;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Earlier this month, a trailer carrying Ceres systems was stolen.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;It has since been recovered, and federal law enforcement, including the FBI, moved quickly to resolve the situation. We appreciate the coordination and the speed they brought to it.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;At no point was there any risk of unauthorized use, which is what matters most.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;That wasn’t left to chance. It comes down to how the system is built.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Ceres systems don’t simply power on and operate. They require secure activation, can be locked remotely, and the batteries are handled separately. Without the proper access, they don’t run, which means even outside of normal operation the system remains controlled.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Situations like this tend to highlight a broader point: where your equipment comes from matters.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;When a system is built and supported domestically, there’s a level of accountability that comes with it. You can track it, you know where it came from, and you know where it’s supposed to be. If something goes sideways, you’re not reacting after the fact – you’re able to act immediately.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;In this case, every unit was traceable. That made coordination straightforward and allowed everything to be recovered without escalation.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;That’s intentional.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;We build our systems in the United States for a reason. They’re built to work, but they’re also built to be controlled, supported, and accounted for wherever they are.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;That’s part of the responsibility that comes with building equipment people rely on.&lt;/p&gt;  
&lt;img src="https://track-na2.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=246409813&amp;amp;k=14&amp;amp;r=https%3A%2F%2Fceresair.com%2Fceresair-blog%2Fbuilt-for-control-not-chance&amp;amp;bu=https%253A%252F%252Fceresair.com%252Fceresair-blog&amp;amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important; "&gt;</content:encoded>
      <category>Our Blog</category>
      <pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/built-for-control-not-chance</guid>
      <dc:date>2026-04-29T19:00:00Z</dc:date>
      <dc:creator>Josh Robinson</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Ceres Air Expands Internationally with Strategic Partnership in Brazil’s Rapidly Growing Agricultural Drone Market</title>
      <link>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/ceres-air-expands-internationally</link>
      <description>&lt;div class="hs-featured-image-wrapper"&gt; 
 &lt;a href="https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/ceres-air-expands-internationally" title="" class="hs-featured-image-link"&gt; &lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hubfs/blog-2.webp" alt="Ceres Air Expands Internationally with Strategic Partnership in Brazil’s Rapidly Growing Agricultural Drone Market" class="hs-featured-image" style="width:auto !important; max-width:50%; float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;"&gt; &lt;/a&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded>&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-2-1.webp?width=1500&amp;amp;height=1000&amp;amp;name=blog-2-1.webp" width="1500" height="1000" alt="blog-2-1" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1500px;"&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Springfield, VT / Curitiba, Brazil — April 20th, 2026&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;—Ceres Air, a U.S.-based manufacturer of high-performance agricultural spray drones built with American Software and trusted by American farmers. Today announced its first international expansion — a strategic partnership with Timber Agriculture, one of Brazil’s leading providers of mechanization and operational technology solutions.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The partnership brings American-built software and designs into one of the largest and most performance-driven farming markets in the world.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Brazil is home to more than 90 million hectares of cultivated land and over 5 million farmers, and stands as the world’s largest soybean exporter. With highly mechanized operations and a rapidly accelerating shift toward precision agriculture, the country’s agricultural drone market is projected to grow by more than 35% annually.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Since its founding, Ceres Air has been committed to serving the farmer — building systems that work in real conditions, across real terrain, without compromise. That same standard is now being taken global. Not because the domestic market isn’t enough, but because the technology we built for American agriculture is ready to perform anywhere.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;“&lt;em&gt;This isn’t just expansion — it’s proof of what we’ve built for American farmers translating to the toughest agricultural environments in the world. We hold ourselves to one standard, whether we’re operating in the Pacific Northwest or the Brazilian Cerrado. That standard doesn’t change based on geography.&lt;/em&gt;” — Josh Robinson, CEO, Ceres Air&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Through the partnership, Timber Agriculture will introduce and support Ceres Air’s flagship aerial application platform, C31 “Black Betty (Timber AT150),” across its national network, targeting high-demand use cases.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Headquartered in Curitiba, Timber Agriculture has spent nearly two decades modernizing operations across Brazil. Known for its technical expertise and responsive after-sales support, the company represents leading global brands and delivers full-service solutions across agriculture, forestry, construction, and energy sectors.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;As part of this new phase, Timber Agriculture is committing to the full professionalization of agricultural drone operations in Brazil. Planned infrastructure includes a national technical center, pilot training programs, a dedicated parts logistics network, certified technical teams, and a nationwide dealer network — all designed to establish and maintain a consistent, high-performance operating standard.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;“&lt;em&gt;Our responsibility is to bring the right technology into Brazil and support it properly. Ceres Air delivers a platform built with intention, backed by American software and engineering discipline, and aligned with the level of performance our customers expect.&lt;/em&gt;” — Patrick Chiabotto, Timber Agriculture&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The partnership will initially focus on Brazil’s highest-demand crop segments, including soybeans and corn, sugar cane, coffee, cotton, forestry, and fruit and vegetable production — all sectors where precision application and operational efficiency are critical.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;For Ceres Air, the move represents a deliberate step in exporting the same American-built software and design that powers operations across the United States into markets where reliability, accountability, and performance are equally non-negotiable.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;“&lt;em&gt;There’s a reason ‘American-built’ still carries weight in markets like Brazil. It signals that the system was built to work, built to last, and built by a team that stands behind it. That’s the standard we hold ourselves to at home, and that’s exactly what we’re bringing into this partnership.&lt;/em&gt;” — Josh Robinson, CEO, Ceres Air&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Structured as a long-term strategic collaboration, the Timber Agriculture–Ceres Air partnership is designed to establish a strong, standardized presence in Brazil’s agricultural drone market, with a focus on technical consistency, market organization, and long-term brand leadership.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;About Ceres Air&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Ceres Air is a U.S.-based manufacturer of agricultural drone systems designed for performance, reliability, and transparency. Ceres Air platforms are engineered to meet the evolving demands of modern agriculture, with a focus on scalable solutions and operator-first design. American farmers have trusted Ceres Air systems to deliver results in the field since day one.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;About Timber Agriculture&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Timber Agriculture is a Brazil-based provider of mechanization and technology solutions, operating across forestry, agriculture, construction, and energy sectors. With nearly two decades of experience, the company represents leading global brands and delivers comprehensive support — from equipment sales to after-sales service — ensuring maximum performance and uptime for its customers.&lt;/p&gt;  
&lt;img src="https://track-na2.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=246409813&amp;amp;k=14&amp;amp;r=https%3A%2F%2Fceresair.com%2Fceresair-blog%2Fceres-air-expands-internationally&amp;amp;bu=https%253A%252F%252Fceresair.com%252Fceresair-blog&amp;amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important; "&gt;</content:encoded>
      <category>Our Blog</category>
      <pubDate>Sat, 25 Apr 2026 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/ceres-air-expands-internationally</guid>
      <dc:date>2026-04-25T19:00:00Z</dc:date>
      <dc:creator>Josh Robinson</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Enhancing The C-31 Spray Boom: A Technical Development Overview</title>
      <link>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/enhancing-the-c31-spray-boom</link>
      <description>&lt;div class="hs-featured-image-wrapper"&gt; 
 &lt;a href="https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/enhancing-the-c31-spray-boom" title="" class="hs-featured-image-link"&gt; &lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hubfs/blog-3.webp" alt="Enhancing The C-31 Spray Boom: A Technical Development Overview" class="hs-featured-image" style="width:auto !important; max-width:50%; float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;"&gt; &lt;/a&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Our Super Users program played an essential role in the development cycle for our newest product, the V-shaped boom geometry for the C-31. Through many iterations, we designed the spray boom using feedback gathered from our Super Users program. This allowed us to gather information from users in the agricultural industry, moving our process from design and theory into the actual configuration of the drone. The configuration of the V-shaped boom represents a critical advancement in technology. It’s designed to optimize spray coverage, minimize draft, and enhance the aerodynamics of the C-31.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded>&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Our Super Users program played an essential role in the development cycle for our newest product, the V-shaped boom geometry for the C-31. Through many iterations, we designed the spray boom using feedback gathered from our Super Users program. This allowed us to gather information from users in the agricultural industry, moving our process from design and theory into the actual configuration of the drone. The configuration of the V-shaped boom represents a critical advancement in technology. It’s designed to optimize spray coverage, minimize draft, and enhance the aerodynamics of the C-31.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The design was tested over multiple seasons, giving us fantastic data to work with when it came to finalizing the prototype of the V-shaped boom. Our initial design of the C-31 spray boom included a standard, straight line boom configuration, similar to other designs on the market. The first iteration had two closely-positioned spray heads. This design was workable but not what we were looking for.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-3-1.webp?width=1206&amp;amp;height=726&amp;amp;name=blog-3-1.webp" width="1206" height="726" alt="blog-3-1" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1206px;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;We then made a modification, changing the design from two nozzles to four nozzles. This was to increase the volume of flow and test the application capacity. With that decision, we were able to put our theory of an increased spray width into practice. &lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-3-2.webp?width=1920&amp;amp;height=1155&amp;amp;name=blog-3-2.webp" width="1920" height="1155" alt="blog-3-2" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1920px;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Before we finalized the design of the flight platform and spray tank module on the C-31, we put it through its paces. We evaluated the performance metrics, focusing on spray swath width, and uniform application. After our initial tests, we found the performance didn’t meet our standards. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;br style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Through October and November, we went through an intense testing process. During this time, we explored nozzle replacement options, and boom adjustments. By doing this extensive testing, we were able to finalize a design that brought together functionality and durability.&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-3-3.webp?width=1152&amp;amp;height=741&amp;amp;name=blog-3-3.webp" width="1152" height="741" alt="blog-3-3" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1152px;"&gt;&lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-3-4.webp?width=1113&amp;amp;height=500&amp;amp;name=blog-3-4.webp" width="1113" height="500" alt="blog-3-4" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1113px;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;After two months of beta-testing with our Super Users, we put a stamp of approval on the final design of the boom. Our boom incorporates a &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;V-shaped sweepback geometry&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt; with four nozzles to maximize swath and minimize the Coefficient of Variation or CV. This means that we were able to generate results that show high levels of consistency. After months of testing, re-designing, and more testing in various geographical locations, the boom was ready. &lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-3-5.webp?width=1920&amp;amp;height=1195&amp;amp;name=blog-3-5.webp" width="1920" height="1195" alt="blog-3-5" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1920px;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;An initial configuration of the boom demonstrated a spray swath of 50 feet with an application CV of 20%.&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-3-6.webp?width=811&amp;amp;height=500&amp;amp;name=blog-3-6.webp" width="811" height="500" alt="blog-3-6" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 811px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; display: block;"&gt;&lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-3-7.webp?width=811&amp;amp;height=500&amp;amp;name=blog-3-7.webp" width="811" height="500" alt="blog-3-7" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 811px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; display: block;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Spray Pattern Testing and Design Validation with&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://windfall.com/" style="background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;WindFall.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&lt;br style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;To make sure that we could refine the design of the C-31 Spray Boom, we’ve worked with&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://windfall.com/"&gt;WindFall.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;to create a plan for comprehensive Spray Pattern Testing. Wind-Fall is recognized across the industry for being a benchmark of rigorous testing and independent evaluation. Our testing with Wind-Fall is the final design validation phase before we put the boom into commercial production.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;"&gt;Scope and Importance of the Testing&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The objective of testing was to measure the spray distribution while analyzing the size of the droplets, and effective swath width. This was done under different operational parameters (flight speed, nozzle pressure, and weather conditions). This process exists to confirm that the current design for the C-31 boom meets all specs we set out to meet. These specifications meet the efficiency and safety metrics required for modern agricultural practices. A goal we have in this design is having optimal coverage with minimal drift potential. Minimal drift means we have a more efficient and environmentally friendly product.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;"&gt;Upcoming Publications and Guidance&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;We expect that the full, independent test result from Wind-Fall will arrive in the coming weeks. Once we have received the testing results, we’ll publish a summary of the findings. The published summary will include key performance indicators, and validation metrics.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Following an internal review of the Wind-Fall data, we will use the results to publish the official&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Manufacturer Guidance for Aerial Application&lt;/strong&gt;. This document will be the resource for our end-users. The information included in the guide will be operational parameters, best practices, calibration procedures, and safety recommendations. Our operational guide will serve all users of the C-31 boom, providing instructions for precise control and compliance with aerial drone regulations across the US.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;  
&lt;img src="https://track-na2.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=246409813&amp;amp;k=14&amp;amp;r=https%3A%2F%2Fceresair.com%2Fceresair-blog%2Fenhancing-the-c31-spray-boom&amp;amp;bu=https%253A%252F%252Fceresair.com%252Fceresair-blog&amp;amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important; "&gt;</content:encoded>
      <category>Our Blog</category>
      <pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:45:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/enhancing-the-c31-spray-boom</guid>
      <dc:date>2026-03-26T19:45:00Z</dc:date>
      <dc:creator>Arthur Chen</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>What the Industry Saw at the No-Nonsense Demo Day</title>
      <link>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/what-the-industry-saw-at-no-nonsense-demo-day</link>
      <description>&lt;div class="hs-featured-image-wrapper"&gt; 
 &lt;a href="https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/what-the-industry-saw-at-no-nonsense-demo-day" title="" class="hs-featured-image-link"&gt; &lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hubfs/blog-4.webp" alt="What the Industry Saw at the No-Nonsense Demo Day" class="hs-featured-image" style="width:auto !important; max-width:50%; float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;"&gt; &lt;/a&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Editor’s Note:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded>&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Editor’s Note:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;This article summarizes and reflects on findings published by Monarch Drone following their No-Nonsense Demo Day 2026.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The original field report, including their full testing methodology and observations across all platforms, can be read on the Monarch Drone website here:&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.monarchdrone.com/monarch-field-notes/no-nonsensedemoday2026"&gt;https://www.monarchdrone.com/monarch-field-notes/no-nonsensedemoday2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Honest feedback on the C-31 Black Betty Stacked&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;At Ceres Air, we believe the best feedback doesn’t come from marketing copy. It comes from the field.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Recently, the team at&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.monarchdrone.com/"&gt;Monarch Drone&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;hosted their&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://raptordynamic.com/blogs/events/no-nonsense-demo-day-raptor-monarch-drone-solutions-march-5-2026?srsltid=AfmBOoqHx4WJwcuWfpwB4SDgDsjCZ5UIkHYLik31PB6pJSPnjjpzg2iZ"&gt;No-Nonsense Demo Day 2026&lt;/a&gt;, where five of the largest commercial agricultural drones were tested side-by-side under the same conditions. No brand favouritism. No controlled showroom environment. Just machines, operators, and a field that needed spraying.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;We appreciated the straightforward approach. Even more importantly, we appreciate the honest feedback.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Here is what the demo day revealed about the&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ceresair.com/black-betty-stacked"&gt;C-31 Black Betty Stacked&lt;/a&gt;, including both the strengths and the realities operators should understand.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h2 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The Test Setup&lt;/h2&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The Monarch team flew each drone across the same 20-acre field under consistent weather conditions:&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;ul style="list-style-type: disc; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; padding-left: 30px;"&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;61°F&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;11 mph winds&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Overcast skies&lt;/li&gt; 
&lt;/ul&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Rather than forcing every drone into the same swath width and speed, the team configured each aircraft according to its intended operating parameters. This created a much more realistic representation of how these machines perform in the field.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The evaluation focused on:&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;ul style="list-style-type: disc; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; padding-left: 30px;"&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Swath performance&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Battery efficiency and temperature&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;User interface&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Serviceability&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Overall operational practicality&lt;/li&gt; 
&lt;/ul&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h1 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;"&gt;What They Found: Black Betty’s Strengths&lt;/h1&gt; 
&lt;h2 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Massive Capacity and Field Efficiency&lt;/h2&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;One thing became clear quickly: Black Betty moves product.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The drone carries a 31.7-gallon payload, with 40 gallons pending FAA approval. During testing, it successfully emptied a 31-gallon load while returning with battery levels still in the low-30 percent range.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;In practical terms, that meant 15–20 acres per run, dramatically reducing refill frequency compared with smaller platforms.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;For operators managing large acreage, that kind of capacity changes the economics of drone spraying.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h2 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;A Different Kind of Spray System&lt;/h2&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Black Betty’s rear-mounted V-pattern boom drew a lot of attention.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Instead of spraying directly under the rotors, the boom extends behind the aircraft. This helps the spray pattern avoid the turbulence caused by rotor wash.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The result can include:&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;ul style="list-style-type: disc; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; padding-left: 30px;"&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;More consistent spray deposition&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Improved canopy penetration&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Less disruption to droplet distribution&lt;/li&gt; 
&lt;/ul&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;In dense crops, that design could make a meaningful difference.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h2 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Surprisingly Agile for Its Size&lt;/h2&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;At first glance, the C-31 looks massive. But the test team noted that flight performance exceeded expectations.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Despite its size, the drone:&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;ul style="list-style-type: disc; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; padding-left: 30px;"&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Cornered well&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Accelerated faster than expected&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Produced extremely strong thrust and downwash at takeoff&lt;/li&gt; 
&lt;/ul&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The power-to-weight ratio was noticeable immediately.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h2 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Built on Proven Hardware&lt;/h2&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Another observation from the demo was that Black Betty is not starting from scratch.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The aircraft is built on the hardware and software foundation of the HD580 platform, which has already logged substantial flight time in the field. That lineage helps reduce concerns around first-year reliability.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The team also noted Ceres Air’s commitment to U.S. sourcing, manufacturing, and assembly, which is increasingly important for operators concerned about supply chains and regulatory uncertainty.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h2 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Honest Considerations&lt;/h2&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;No serious piece of equipment is perfect. The demo also highlighted several realities that operators should understand before choosing a platform like Black Betty.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h2 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;It Is the Highest-Priced Drone in the Test&lt;/h2&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;At $57,998 for the base package, Black Betty came in as the most expensive platform evaluated.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;However, it’s worth noting that the aircraft is also operating in a different capacity class than many of the other drones in the field. For large-scale operators, the increased productivity may offset the higher entry price, but it remains a factor in the purchasing decision.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h2 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Connectivity Still Has Room to Improve&lt;/h2&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The Monarch team noted that image transmission and connectivity lag slightly behind DJI’s current benchmark.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;DJI has spent years refining their communications systems, and that gap is something the broader industry continues to work toward closing.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Connectivity remains an area of ongoing development across many non-DJI platforms.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h2 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;A Big Drone Requires a Big Operation&lt;/h2&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;A drone capable of covering 18 acres every seven minutes creates a new challenge: keeping up with it.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Running a machine like Black Betty efficiently requires significant support infrastructure, including:&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;ul style="list-style-type: disc; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; padding-left: 30px;"&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Heavy-duty trailers&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Large generators&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Multiple continuous fast chargers&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Extra staff for battery swaps&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;Up to 2,000 gallons of water per day&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/li&gt; 
&lt;/ul&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;In other words, the aircraft is only one part of the system.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Operators considering this class of drone should plan for the logistics that come with high-throughput spraying.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h2 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Downwash Can Disturb Crops&lt;/h2&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The same thrust that gives Black Betty its power also produces substantial downwash.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;That airflow can introduce a risk of crop disturbance or lodging, particularly in crops such as corn.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;With great power comes an increased need for responsible practice, and operators will need to account for this during flight planning and adjust altitude and speed accordingly.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h2 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Larger Production Batteries Are Coming&lt;/h2&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;During the demo, the drone flew on 32,000 mAh batteries, which performed well.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;However, the production configuration will use 38,000 mAh batteries, which are expected to further improve flight time and overall efficiency.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The platform shown at demo day was already capable, but future battery capacity will unlock its full operational potential.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h2 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;What We Appreciate About This Review&lt;/h2&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The Monarch Drone team set out to create a real-world comparison, not a promotional event. That kind of transparency is exactly what the industry needs.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The C-31 Black Betty Stacked is designed for operators who need serious acreage coverage and serious payload capacity. It is not the smallest, the cheapest, or the simplest drone in the market.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;But it was never meant to be.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;It is built for operators who want to move product efficiently, cover large areas quickly, and push agricultural drone operations into a new scale.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;And we appreciate the opportunity to see it tested honestly in the field.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;_________________________________________________________________________&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;If you'd like to see Black Betty in action or learn more about the platform, reach out to the Ceres Air team or one of our authorized partners.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Because the future of agricultural aviation isn’t theoretical. It’s already flying.&lt;/p&gt;  
&lt;img src="https://track-na2.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=246409813&amp;amp;k=14&amp;amp;r=https%3A%2F%2Fceresair.com%2Fceresair-blog%2Fwhat-the-industry-saw-at-no-nonsense-demo-day&amp;amp;bu=https%253A%252F%252Fceresair.com%252Fceresair-blog&amp;amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important; "&gt;</content:encoded>
      <category>Our Blog</category>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:45:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/what-the-industry-saw-at-no-nonsense-demo-day</guid>
      <dc:date>2026-03-18T00:45:00Z</dc:date>
      <dc:creator>Arthur Chen</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Building the Future of American Drone Manufacturing — Starting in Vermont</title>
      <link>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/building-the-future-of-american-drone-manufacturing</link>
      <description>&lt;div class="hs-featured-image-wrapper"&gt; 
 &lt;a href="https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/building-the-future-of-american-drone-manufacturing" title="" class="hs-featured-image-link"&gt; &lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hubfs/blog-5.webp" alt="Building the Future of American Drone Manufacturing — Starting in Vermont" class="hs-featured-image" style="width:auto !important; max-width:50%; float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;"&gt; &lt;/a&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;At Ceres Air, we’ve always said being American-made isn’t just a label we slap on our drones, it’s our&lt;a href="https://www.ceresair.com/aboutus"&gt;commitment to our industry&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded>&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;At Ceres Air, we’ve always said being American-made isn’t just a label we slap on our drones, it’s our&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ceresair.com/aboutus"&gt;commitment to our industry&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;That commitment means building the infrastructure, the partnerships, and the talent pipeline to manufacture the core components of our agriculture drones right here in the United States.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;And that’s exactly why we’ve partnered with&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://imagetek.com/"&gt;ImageTek&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;in North Springfield, Vermont.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Why ImageTek?&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;ImageTek isn’t just a technology company. They’re deeply invested in advancing manufacturing and engineering in Vermont right at home within the Springfield community.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;They’re not only helping build capability.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;They’re helping build people.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;One of the ways they do that is by sponsoring the Robotics and&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/aerialdronecompetition/"&gt;Aerial Drone Club (RADs) Ariel Drone Competition by REC Foundation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;at the&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.rvtc.org/"&gt;River Valley Technical Center&lt;/a&gt;. The RAD club gives middle and high school students hands-on experience building, coding, and flying drones and robotics systems.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;This isn’t just a school that teaches theory; it’s one that is actively engaged in real-world engineering.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;And they’re incredibly good at it.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;In 2025, the RAD team won the&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://draganfly.com/"&gt;Draganfly&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fairmontstate.edu/news/2025/05/fairmont-state-university-host-2025-northeast-aerial-drone-competition-championship-dragonflyuntitled.aspx"&gt;Regional Drone Championship&lt;/a&gt;, beating out teams from West Virginia in a high-speed course that tested precision, navigation, and obstacle clearance. Springfield High School now hosts Vermont’s only River Valley Aerial Drone Competition, drawing students from across the Northeast for both piloted and autonomous drone challenges.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;That’s the kind of ecosystem Ceres Air wants to be part of as we continue to create products that work for Americans.&lt;/p&gt;  
&lt;div&gt; 
 &lt;div style="width: 100%;"&gt;
  &lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-5-1.jpg?width=720&amp;amp;height=324&amp;amp;name=blog-5-1.jpg" width="720" height="324" alt="blog-5-1" style="vertical-align: middle; height: auto; width: 100%; max-width: 100%; margin: 0px;"&gt;
 &lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;div style="width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; gap: 2%;"&gt; 
 &lt;div style="width: 49%;"&gt;
  &lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-5-2.jpg?width=352&amp;amp;height=324&amp;amp;name=blog-5-2.jpg" width="352" height="324" alt="blog-5-2" style="vertical-align: middle; height: auto; max-height: 324px; width: 100%; max-width: 100%; margin: 0px;"&gt;
 &lt;/div&gt; 
 &lt;div style="width: 49%;"&gt;
  &lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-5-3-1.jpg?width=458&amp;amp;height=258&amp;amp;name=blog-5-3-1.jpg" width="458" height="258" alt="blog-5-3-1" style="vertical-align: middle; height: auto; max-height: 324px; width: 458px; max-width: 100%; margin: 0px;"&gt;
 &lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt;  
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Bringing Black Betty to the Next Generation&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;In early February, Ceres Air and ImageTek brought our largest agriculture drone, the Black Betty Stack (C31), to meet the RAD club ahead of the regional competition.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;For many of the students, this was their first time seeing a full-scale commercial agriculture drone up close.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;And not just any drone, this is the largest agriculture drone currently available.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The room lit up.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The conversation quickly shifted from “how does it fly?” to “how does this scale?” and “how do we make it better?”&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;What impressed us most wasn’t just their excitement, it was their curiosity. The students immediately began thinking about how the BBS could evolve from a powerful machine into an even more impactful tool for real-world agriculture.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;That’s exactly the mindset we’re building Ceres Air around. We’re proudly earning our stripes as an American-made drone manufacturer, manufacturing products Americans will be proud to call their own.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Manufacturing. Education. Momentum.&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;This partnership isn’t about a single demo.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;It’s about building American capability starting from the factory floors and extending to the classrooms.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;If we want American agriculture to stay competitive, we need American manufacturing.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;If we want American manufacturing, we need skilled engineers and innovators.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;If we want innovators, we need to invest in students today.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Vermont is stepping up.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Springfield is building something special.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;And we’re proud to be part of it.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The future of American drone manufacturing isn’t theoretical.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;It’s being built right now.&lt;/p&gt;  
&lt;img src="https://track-na2.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=246409813&amp;amp;k=14&amp;amp;r=https%3A%2F%2Fceresair.com%2Fceresair-blog%2Fbuilding-the-future-of-american-drone-manufacturing&amp;amp;bu=https%253A%252F%252Fceresair.com%252Fceresair-blog&amp;amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important; "&gt;</content:encoded>
      <category>Our Blog</category>
      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 18:45:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/building-the-future-of-american-drone-manufacturing</guid>
      <dc:date>2026-02-19T18:45:00Z</dc:date>
      <dc:creator>Arthur Chen</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>FIELD REPORT: Stress-Testing the C31 Under Maximum Payload</title>
      <link>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/stress-testing-c31-under-maximum-payload</link>
      <description>&lt;div class="hs-featured-image-wrapper"&gt; 
 &lt;a href="https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/stress-testing-c31-under-maximum-payload" title="" class="hs-featured-image-link"&gt; &lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hubfs/blog-6.webp" alt="FIELD REPORT: Stress-Testing the C31 Under Maximum Payload" class="hs-featured-image" style="width:auto !important; max-width:50%; float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;"&gt; &lt;/a&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;In the world of agricultural aviation, theoretical specs matter less than real-world endurance. To demonstrate the true operational capacity of the&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ceresair.com/main-page"&gt;Black Betty Stacked&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, we conducted a stationary hover test under a maximum 40 gal load.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded>&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;In the world of agricultural aviation, theoretical specs matter less than real-world endurance. To demonstrate the true operational capacity of the&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ceresair.com/main-page"&gt;Black Betty Stacked&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, we conducted a stationary hover test under a maximum 40 gal load.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The Objective&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The goal was simple: provide operators with a transparent look at battery depletion rates when the aircraft is at its absolute limit.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;ul style="list-style-type: disc; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; padding-left: 30px;"&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Platform:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ceresair.com/main-page"&gt;Ceres Air C31&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Payload:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;40-gallon full liquid load&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;(~400 lbs total weight)&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Starting State:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;The test commenced with an&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;initial battery level of 91%&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Core Benchmark:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Testing the "40 gal Benchmark" to prove the C31's ability to scale heavy-lift operations without compromising reliability&lt;/li&gt; 
&lt;/ul&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Operational Reality&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Most heavy-lift drones face significant power "sag" when carrying full tanks. By documenting this hover test, we are showing the stability of our power management system. For professional applicators, this data translates to more accurate mission planning and fewer "range anxiety" interruptions during critical spray windows.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;blockquote style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt; 
 &lt;p&gt;"Scaling heavy-lift operations isn't just about bigger motors; it's about how those motors handle the weight over the entire duration of a battery cycle."&lt;/p&gt; 
 &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;/blockquote&gt; 
&lt;div style="text-align: center; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt; 
 &lt;div style="width: 720px; height: 0px;"&gt;
  &amp;nbsp;
 &lt;/div&gt; 
 &lt;iframe style="margin: 0px auto; display: block;" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rMksGoT1BEI?rel=0&amp;amp;autoplay=1&amp;amp;mute=1&amp;amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;amp;controls=0&amp;amp;loop=1&amp;amp;playlist=rMksGoT1BEI" width="750" height="475"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
&lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Why This Matters for Your Fleet&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The C31 isn't just a hover-capable machine; it's a high-output tool designed for:&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;ul style="list-style-type: disc; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; padding-left: 30px;"&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Massive Throughput:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Handling 40-gallon capacities that were previously reserved for manned aircraft.&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Battery Longevity:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Providing a predictable discharge curve even under maximum stress.&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Efficiency:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Maximizing the "acre-per-hour" metric by reducing the frequency of battery swaps.&lt;/li&gt; 
&lt;/ul&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ceresair.com/contactus"&gt;Contact Us to Schedule a Demo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ceresair.com/c31-tech-spec"&gt;View Technical Specifications&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  
&lt;img src="https://track-na2.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=246409813&amp;amp;k=14&amp;amp;r=https%3A%2F%2Fceresair.com%2Fceresair-blog%2Fstress-testing-c31-under-maximum-payload&amp;amp;bu=https%253A%252F%252Fceresair.com%252Fceresair-blog&amp;amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important; "&gt;</content:encoded>
      <category>Our Blog</category>
      <category>Field Test</category>
      <pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 13:30:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/stress-testing-c31-under-maximum-payload</guid>
      <dc:date>2026-02-03T13:30:00Z</dc:date>
      <dc:creator>Arthur Chen</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>The 400 lb Benchmark: How the Ceres Air C31 is Scaling Heavy-Lift Operations</title>
      <link>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/the-400-lb-benchmark</link>
      <description>&lt;div class="hs-featured-image-wrapper"&gt; 
 &lt;a href="https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/the-400-lb-benchmark" title="" class="hs-featured-image-link"&gt; &lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hubfs/blog-7.webp" alt="The 400 lb Benchmark: How the Ceres Air C31 is Scaling Heavy-Lift Operations" class="hs-featured-image" style="width:auto !important; max-width:50%; float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;"&gt; &lt;/a&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;As the demand for large-scale agricultural and cargo operations grows, payload capacity is no longer just a metric—it’s the defining factor of mission efficiency. Our latest field test of the&lt;strong&gt;Ceres Air C31 (Black Betty)&lt;/strong&gt;proves that high-capacity drones can deliver both massive power and rock-solid stability.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded>&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;As the demand for large-scale agricultural and cargo operations grows, payload capacity is no longer just a metric—it’s the defining factor of mission efficiency. Our latest field test of the&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ceres Air C31 (Black Betty)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;proves that high-capacity drones can deliver both massive power and rock-solid stability.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The Test: 397 lbs Static Hover&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;In our most recent evaluation, the C31 was tasked with a&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;397 lb (180 kg) payload&lt;/strong&gt;—a weight class that sets a new benchmark for enterprise UAVs.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;ul style="list-style-type: disc; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; padding-left: 30px;"&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Performance:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;The C31 maintained a stable hover for&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;over 4 minutes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;with the full payload.&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Power Reserve:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Even at this extreme weight, the high-torque 8-motor system maintained a&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;100% power reserve&lt;/strong&gt;, ensuring critical safety margins for real-world maneuvers.&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Safety Redundancy:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;The 4-arm, 8-motor configuration provides essential motor redundancy, allowing the aircraft to maintain control even in demanding field conditions.&lt;/li&gt; 
&lt;/ul&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Why This Matters for Ag &amp;amp; Cargo&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Heavy-lift capacity translates directly to fewer refills and more acres covered. For operators managing hundreds of acres, the C31 offers:&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;ul style="list-style-type: disc; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; padding-left: 30px;"&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: 600;"&gt;Rapid Turnaround:&lt;/span&gt; Dual 38,000 mAh batteries that charge from&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;25% to 95% in approximately 10 minutes&lt;/strong&gt;, keeping the drone in the air rather than on the charger.&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: 600;"&gt;Precision Safety: &lt;/span&gt;Next-generation LiDAR and Millimeter Wave Radar provide 360° obstacle avoidance, crucial when flying heavy loads near treelines or power lines.&lt;/li&gt; 
&lt;/ul&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;div style="text-align: center; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt; 
 &lt;div style="width: 720px; height: 0px;"&gt;
  &amp;nbsp;
 &lt;/div&gt; 
 &lt;iframe style="margin: 0px auto; display: block;" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dKUzQeYaRzY?rel=0&amp;amp;autoplay=1&amp;amp;mute=1&amp;amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;amp;controls=0&amp;amp;loop=1&amp;amp;playlist=dKUzQeYaRzY" width="750" height="475"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
&lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Technical Specifications at a Glance&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 720px; vertical-align: middle; border-color: color(srgb 0.129412 0.145098 0.160784 / 0.15); color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt; 
 &lt;tbody style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"&gt; 
  &lt;tr style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px;"&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; height: 29px; padding: 15px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Feature&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; height: 29px; padding: 15px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Specification&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt; 
  &lt;/tr&gt; 
  &lt;tr style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px;"&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; padding: 15px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Max Lift Capacity&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; padding: 15px;"&gt;397 lbs (180 kg)&lt;/td&gt; 
  &lt;/tr&gt; 
  &lt;tr style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px;"&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; padding: 15px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Configuration&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; padding: 15px;"&gt;4-Arm / 8-Motor Redundancy&lt;/td&gt; 
  &lt;/tr&gt; 
  &lt;tr style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px;"&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; padding: 15px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Safety Suite&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; padding: 15px;"&gt;360° LiDAR + Millimeter Wave Radar&lt;/td&gt; 
  &lt;/tr&gt; 
 &lt;/tbody&gt; 
&lt;/table&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Ready to upgrade your fleet?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The Ceres Air C31 is now available for pre-order. Secure your spot in the production queue and bring heavy-lift efficiency to your operations.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ceresair.com/contactus"&gt;Contact Us to Request a Quote&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ceresair.com/c31-tech-spec"&gt;View Full Specs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  
&lt;img src="https://track-na2.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=246409813&amp;amp;k=14&amp;amp;r=https%3A%2F%2Fceresair.com%2Fceresair-blog%2Fthe-400-lb-benchmark&amp;amp;bu=https%253A%252F%252Fceresair.com%252Fceresair-blog&amp;amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important; "&gt;</content:encoded>
      <category>Field Test</category>
      <pubDate>Sat, 31 Jan 2026 20:30:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/the-400-lb-benchmark</guid>
      <dc:date>2026-01-31T20:30:00Z</dc:date>
      <dc:creator>Arthur Chen</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Yes, It Can: Spraying a Full 40-Gallon Tank on a Single Charge</title>
      <link>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/spraying-a-full-40-gallon-tank-on-single-charge</link>
      <description>&lt;div class="hs-featured-image-wrapper"&gt; 
 &lt;a href="https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/spraying-a-full-40-gallon-tank-on-single-charge" title="" class="hs-featured-image-link"&gt; &lt;img src="https://ceresair.com/hubfs/blog-8.webp" alt="Yes, It Can: Spraying a Full 40-Gallon Tank on a Single Charge" class="hs-featured-image" style="width:auto !important; max-width:50%; float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;"&gt; &lt;/a&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Breaking the Payload-to-Battery Barrier&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;In the large drone category, a common frustration for operators is the "battery bottleneck." Most heavy-lift drones—including the DJI T100 class—ship with batteries that are&lt;strong&gt;undersized&lt;/strong&gt;relative to their tank capacity. This often means the drone cannot spray an entire tank in a single battery cycle, forcing inefficient mid-tank landings or carrying less than a full load.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded>&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Breaking the Payload-to-Battery Barrier&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;In the large drone category, a common frustration for operators is the "battery bottleneck." Most heavy-lift drones—including the DJI T100 class—ship with batteries that are&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;undersized&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;relative to their tank capacity. This often means the drone cannot spray an entire tank in a single battery cycle, forcing inefficient mid-tank landings or carrying less than a full load.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Ceres Air C31 field test has officially broken this cycle.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Our recent endurance testing proved that the C31 can consistently spray its entire&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;40-gallon payload&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;on a single battery charge. By matching true endurance with maximum capacity, we’ve eliminated the need for mid-mission battery swaps, allowing for a seamless, continuous application that maximizes every minute in the field.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Field Test Results: 40 Gallons at 2 GPA, 40 mph&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;Our data highlights the C31’s ability to maintain high-performance parameters while under full load:&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;ul style="list-style-type: disc; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; padding-left: 30px;"&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Complete Tank Discharge:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Verified flight endurance allows for a full&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;40-gallon spray mission&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;from takeoff to empty on one battery set.&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Operational Efficiency:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Maintained a consistent speed of&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;40 MPH&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;with a 40 and &lt;strong&gt;50 FT swath&lt;/strong&gt;, covering nearly 20&lt;strong&gt; acres in a single flight&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;at a 2 gal/acre rate.&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Power Reserve:&lt;/strong&gt; After 6~8 mins flight under full load, the system maintained a safe voltage reserve from 40% to 13%.&lt;/li&gt; 
&lt;/ul&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; vertical-align: top; border-color: color(srgb 0.129412 0.145098 0.160784 / 0.15); color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt; 
 &lt;tbody style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"&gt; 
  &lt;tr style="border-color: color(srgb 0.129412 0.145098 0.160784 / 0.15); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px; height: 57.9688px; background-color: #cfd4da;"&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 78px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;Swath&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 81px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;Size of Field&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 121px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;Battery Start / End&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 150px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;Flight Time&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 132px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;Area Covered&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 157px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;Volume Sprayed&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
  &lt;/tr&gt; 
  &lt;tr style="border-color: color(srgb 0.129412 0.145098 0.160784 / 0.15); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px; height: 60px;"&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 179.75px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;50 ft&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 179.75px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;1/2 mile&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 179.75px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;100% ~ 40%&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 150px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;6 min 16 sec&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 179.75px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;19.6 acre&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 187px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;40 gal&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
  &lt;/tr&gt; 
  &lt;tr style="border-color: color(srgb 0.129412 0.145098 0.160784 / 0.15); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px; height: 60px;"&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 179.75px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;50 ft&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 179.75px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;1/4 mile&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 179.75px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;100% ~ 22%&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 150px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;7 min 57 sec&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 179.75px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;19.75 acre&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 187px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;39.3 gal&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
  &lt;/tr&gt; 
  &lt;tr style="border-color: color(srgb 0.129412 0.145098 0.160784 / 0.15); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px; height: 60px;"&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 179.75px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;40 ft&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 179.75px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;1/2 mile&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 179.75px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;100% ~ 22%&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 150px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;8 min 26 sec&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 179.75px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;20 acre&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 187px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;40 gal&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
  &lt;/tr&gt; 
  &lt;tr style="border-color: color(srgb 0.129412 0.145098 0.160784 / 0.15); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px; height: 60px;"&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 83px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;40 ft&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 75px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;1/4 mile&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 188px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;100% ~ 13%&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 150px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;7 min 40 sec&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 138px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;15.6 acre&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
   &lt;td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #212529; width: 235px; padding: 15px;"&gt; &lt;p style="margin-top: 0px;"&gt;30.9 gal&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/td&gt; 
  &lt;/tr&gt; 
 &lt;/tbody&gt; 
&lt;/table&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;blockquote style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; border-left: 5px solid #527770; padding-left: 10px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;"&gt; 
 &lt;h4 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"&gt;Important Notice: Endurance Test Only&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h4&gt; 
 &lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;The performance data above reflects a controlled &lt;span style="font-weight: 500;"&gt;endurance test&lt;/span&gt; not an operational recommendation.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
 &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;While the C31 successfully completed a full 40‑gallon mission using a 50‑ft swath during testing, &lt;span style="font-weight: 500;"&gt;this is not a universal recommendation for all operators&lt;/span&gt;. Optimal swath width depends on field size, conditions, and application goals.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
 &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Over the next several weeks, we will release additional test results demonstrating the C31 spraying &lt;span style="font-weight: 500;"&gt;40‑ft and 50‑ft swaths&lt;/span&gt; on &lt;span style="font-weight: 500;"&gt;¼‑mile and ½‑mile fields&lt;/span&gt;, providing a broader view of performance across different environments.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
 &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Final product recommendations — including swath width, speed, and application settings — will come from the &lt;span style="font-weight: 500;"&gt;Independent Super Users&lt;/span&gt; whose real‑world experience guides best practices for commercial operations.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
 &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;The performance data above reflects a controlled endurance test, not an operational recommendation. While the C31 successfully completed a full 40-gallon mission using a 50-ft swath during testing, this is not a universal recommendation for all operators.&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;  
&lt;div style="width: 720px;"&gt; 
 &lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529;"&gt;50ft Swath 1/2 mile field 40 mph&lt;/h3&gt; 
 &lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt; 
  &lt;div style="width: 720px; height: 0px;"&gt;
   &amp;nbsp;
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  &lt;iframe style="margin: 0px auto; display: block;" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MFwPbUugu8U?rel=0&amp;amp;autoplay=1&amp;amp;mute=1&amp;amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;amp;loop=1&amp;amp;playlist=MFwPbUugu8U" width="750" height="475"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
 &lt;/div&gt; 
 &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt;   
&lt;div style="width: 720px;"&gt; 
 &lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529;"&gt;50ft Swath 1/4 mile field 40 mph&lt;/h3&gt; 
 &lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt; 
  &lt;div style="width: 720px; height: 0px;"&gt;
   &amp;nbsp;
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  &lt;iframe style="margin: 0px auto; display: block;" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jdrpm2wl_44?rel=0&amp;amp;autoplay=1&amp;amp;mute=1&amp;amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;amp;loop=1&amp;amp;playlist=jdrpm2wl_44" width="750" height="475"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
 &lt;/div&gt; 
 &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt;   
&lt;div style="width: 720px;"&gt; 
 &lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529;"&gt;40ft Swath 1/2 mile field 40 mph&lt;/h3&gt; 
 &lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt; 
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  &lt;iframe style="margin: 0px auto; display: block;" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/evfq21MHEAE?rel=0&amp;amp;autoplay=1&amp;amp;mute=1&amp;amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;amp;loop=1&amp;amp;playlist=evfq21MHEAE" width="750" height="475"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
 &lt;/div&gt; 
 &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt;   
&lt;div style="width: 720px;"&gt; 
 &lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529;"&gt;40ft Swath 1/4 mile field 40 mph&lt;/h3&gt; 
 &lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt; 
  &lt;div style="width: 720px; height: 0px;"&gt;
   &amp;nbsp;
  &lt;/div&gt; 
  &lt;iframe style="margin: 0px auto; display: block;" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/E07gxS5DRi0?rel=0&amp;amp;autoplay=1&amp;amp;mute=1&amp;amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;amp;loop=1&amp;amp;playlist=E07gxS5DRi0" width="750" height="475"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
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 &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;/div&gt;  
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why It Matters for Your Operation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;For commercial applicators, every landing is lost time. By engineering a platform where the battery endurance actually matches the tank size, Ceres Air provides:&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;ul style="list-style-type: disc; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff; padding-left: 30px;"&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Higher Throughput:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;More acres covered per hour by eliminating&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;unnecessary&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;landings and takeoffs.&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reduced Wear:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Fewer battery swaps mean less&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;connector fatigue&lt;/strong&gt;. on connectors and less stress on the ground crew.&lt;/li&gt; 
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Predictable Logistics:&lt;/strong&gt; Know exactly how much ground you’ll cover per charge — no guessing, no partial tanks, no surprises.&lt;/li&gt; 
&lt;/ul&gt; 
&lt;h3 style="line-height: 1.2; color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Built for the Demands of American Agriculture&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;The Ceres Air C31 is engineered and built in the USA for operators who refuse to compromise. If you’re ready to move past mid‑tank battery swaps and experience true heavy‑lift efficiency, it’s time to elevate your fleet.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p style="color: #212529; background-color: #ffffff;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ceresair.com/contactus"&gt;Contact Us to Schedule a Demo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ceresair.com/c31-tech-spec"&gt;View Technical Specifications&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  
&lt;img src="https://track-na2.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=246409813&amp;amp;k=14&amp;amp;r=https%3A%2F%2Fceresair.com%2Fceresair-blog%2Fspraying-a-full-40-gallon-tank-on-single-charge&amp;amp;bu=https%253A%252F%252Fceresair.com%252Fceresair-blog&amp;amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important; "&gt;</content:encoded>
      <category>Field Test</category>
      <pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2026 18:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://ceresair.com/ceresair-blog/spraying-a-full-40-gallon-tank-on-single-charge</guid>
      <dc:date>2026-01-30T18:00:00Z</dc:date>
      <dc:creator>Josh Robinson</dc:creator>
    </item>
  </channel>
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