Yes, It Can: Spraying a Full 40-Gallon Tank on a Single Charge

Breaking the Payload-to-Battery Barrier

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 undersized 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.

The Ceres Air C31 field test has officially broken this cycle.

Our recent endurance testing proved that the C31 can consistently spray its entire 40-gallon payload 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.

Field Test Results: 40 Gallons at 2 GPA, 40 mph

Our data highlights the C31’s ability to maintain high-performance parameters while under full load:

• Complete Tank Discharge: Verified flight endurance allows for a full 40-gallon spray mission from takeoff to empty on one battery set.
• Operational Efficiency: Maintained a consistent speed of 40 MPH with a 40 and 50 FT swath, covering nearly 20 acres in a single flight at a 2 gal/acre rate.
• Power Reserve: After 6~8 mins flight under full load, the system maintained a safe voltage reserve from 40% to 13%.

Important Notice: Endurance Test Only

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. Optimal swath width depends on field size, conditions, and application goals.

Over the next several weeks, we will release additional test results demonstrating the C31 spraying 40‑ft and 50‑ft swaths on ¼‑mile and ½‑mile fields, providing a broader view of performance across different environments.

Final product recommendations — including swath width, speed, and application settings — will come from the Independent Super Users whose real‑world experience guides best practices for commercial operations.

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.

Why It Matters for Your Operation

For commercial applicators, every landing is lost time. By engineering a platform where the battery endurance actually matches the tank size, Ceres Air provides:

• Higher Throughput: More acres covered per hour by eliminating unnecessary landings and takeoffs.
• Reduced Wear: Fewer battery swaps mean less connector fatigue. on connectors and less stress on the ground crew.
• Predictable Logistics: Know exactly how much ground you’ll cover per charge — no guessing, no partial tanks, no surprises.

Built for the Demands of American Agriculture

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.

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