Drone Services USA Inc. (DSUS)

[Cassandra]

Photos of the DSUS ProSearch XLF UAF (drone) show a Tarot 680PRO hexacopter. The Tarot 680PRO is a build-it-yourself kit drone.

The Tarot frame kits are manufactured in China but can be purchased on eBay and from online hobby stores for less than $150. The Tarot fiberglass cover for the kit drone costs about $20. There are sellers who build and sell Tarot 680 Pro drones equipped ready-to-fly (RTF) or almost ready to fly (ARTF/ARF). Most of these seem to ship from China.

One of the many online hobby stores selling the Tarot 680PRO kit (includes photos):
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__54311__Tarot_680PRO_HexaCopter_Folding_Frame_3K_Carbon_KIT_.htm

There are also current and past listings by individuals in the US and other countries who sold or are selling Tarot 680PRO drones they built themselves.

There are numerous YouTube videos of Tarot 680PRO drones built by hobbyists, including several that show the entire build from unboxing the frame and components to the final test flight. Some of these drones are tricked out with more features than the ProSearch XLF.

From a couple of the YouTube videos I watched, the Tarot 680PRO frame would not be considered "rugged."

All of the electronics and other components used in the DSUS ProSearch XLF drone appear to be COTS items just as the hobbyists use. Euan Ramsay even mentioned using parts that could be purchased worldwide. He also stated that the flight controller software was open source. Multi-rotor UAVs using this open source software developed by the DIY Drone community may use the term "Arducopter."

What does Drone Services USA actually "manufacture?" Is building a drone from a kit and COTS components considered "manufacturing?"

It would be appropriate for DSUS to clarify why the flagship drone they claim to manufacture and is "military grade" appears to be a build out of an inexpensive kit drone the many hobbyists build themselves.

Below are two images of the ProSearch XLF drone. The one from the DSUS store is a screen shot of one of the images using the pointer zoom feature:

https://shop.dsusa.us/index.php?rt=product/product&path=36_37&product_id=111



One of the main images used by Drone Services USA, Drone Servics Hawaii, etc. of the ProSearch XLF: