Four ways to buy a drone — only one gets you a factory-tuned airframe. The routes below are the ones buyers compare when they shortlist drone manufacturers, and the table further down shows what each route leaves with the drone manufacturer once the airframe ships.
Each model owns a different part of the aircraft and a different part of the risk. Read the “choose this if” line before you read the capability matrix.
Controls the airframe, the structural tooling and the acceptance test that clears each unit.
Choose this if your requirement is defined and you need the airframe itself changed, not just labelled.
Sells an existing, already-validated platform with its flight control and power architecture.
Choose this if schedule beats bespoke and you can adapt your mission to a proven envelope.
Treats the aircraft as one component of a wider system — sensors, links, mission software, site works.
Choose this if your deliverable is an output — a monitoring service or a control room feed — not an aircraft.
Owns the commercial and logistics layer: sourcing, documentation, freight and the spares channel.
Choose this if you need one invoice, one shipping schedule and multi-item sourcing in a single transaction.
Rating language only — “typically”, “negotiable”, “rarely”. No brand names, no league table. Footnotes point to the platform where that parameter is published.
| Parameter | OEM / Factory | ODM Platform | Systems Integrator | Export Dealer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owns the airframe design | Typically | Typically | Rarely | Rarely |
| Owns firmware and flight-control configuration | Typically | Typically | Negotiable | Rarely |
| Payload integration depth | Negotiable | Limited | Typically | Rarely |
| Declared payload ceiling [1] | Typically | Typically | Per project | Per project |
| Published endurance figures [2] | Typically | Typically | Per project | Per project |
| Authority over tethered vs. battery power [3] | Typically | Typically | Negotiable | Rarely |
| IP rating and environmental declaration | Typically | Typically | Negotiable | Rarely |
| Customization depth (structure, branding) | Deep | Moderate | Software-led | Rarely |
| MOQ shape | Tooling-amortized batch | Stock to short batch | One-off project | Consolidated order |
| Lead-time shape [4] | Tooling + batch schedule | Shortest | Integration sprint | Freight schedule |
| Export documentation ownership | Typically | Usually shared | Negotiable | Typically |
| Long-term spares channel | Typically | Typically | Negotiable | Supplier-dependent |
[1] Load capacity is published as up to 2.5 kg, with a maximum take-off weight for the flying platform of 10–12 kg. Open the platform page
[2] Continuous working time is published as ≥ 8 hours on tether power, with a 120 m cable. Open the platform page
[3] The published architecture is ground-powered DC via a specialised tethered cable, with a 5200 mAh 35C backup battery. Open the platform page
[4] Deployment is published as ≤ 4 minutes, with fixed-point hovering accurate to ± 1 m. Open the platform page
Tethered class platform: LZZ-THOR-100, published on the Tinko Trade catalogue.
Of the four supply models above, only the factory and platform-provider models publish parameters you can design to. The LZZ-THOR-100 is the platform on this catalogue whose parameters are published in full, so it is the reference point for everything the matrix rates as “typically”.
Buyer decision: if your site has mains power and you need an uninterrupted view rather than repeated battery cycles, the tethered class is the class to price. If you need to move between unpowered sites all day, this is not the right class — say so in your enquiry and we will tell you what is.
View The PlatformMatch the operational sentence on the left to the published parameter on the right. Every line ends in a decision you have to make, not a promise.
“We need the same view for the whole shift, not in twenty-minute bursts.”
Published parameter Continuous working time ≥ 8 hours on tether power.
Decide: confirm you can leave the ground unit powered for the full shift before you size the mission.
“The camera has to be at height, above the structures we are inspecting.”
Published parameter Tethered flight altitude up to 100 m, cable length 120 m.
Decide: if your inspection height exceeds 100 m, discuss the requirement before ordering.
“We are carrying a real sensor, not a phone camera.”
Published parameter Load capacity up to 2.5 kg, airframe take-off weight 10–12 kg.
Decide: weigh the payload, its mount and its cabling together before you confirm the envelope.
“The team arrives on site and the window is short.”
Published parameter Deployment time ≤ 4 minutes with a modular ground unit.
Decide: whether the four minutes is a one-person task on your site or needs a second technician.
“We need repeatable framing for before-and-after records.”
Published parameter Fixed-point hovering with ± 1 m accuracy.
Decide: whether ± 1 m is tight enough for your comparison overlay, or you need site datum marks.
“We operate from vessels and mobile platforms, not just fixed plants.”
Published context Maritime surveillance is a stated use scenario; the reel, tether and stabilising module are one compact ground unit.
Decide: how the ground unit will be secured and powered on a moving deck, and raise it in the RFQ.
Ignoring these four items is how a cheap airframe becomes an expensive programme.
A 120 m tether running through a synchronised winding reel is a wear item. Ask how cable inspection and replacement are handled before you commit to daily flight cycles.
The 5200 mAh 35C pack is published as a safety backup against power interruptions. Treat endurance as the ground power supply plus cable, not the pack.
Input is AC220V ± 10% @ 50 Hz and the output is stabilised at DC375V / DC400V ± 5V. If your site cannot deliver that input cleanly, plan for a generator or conditioner.
Spares availability is a supply-model question from the matrix above. The platform is described as optimised for quick setup by technical teams — plan who that team is.
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View productthe aircraft is powered from the ground through a specialised tether cable rather than flying on its own battery alone. a high-voltage dc stabilising module feeds the platform, and an embedded 5200 mah 35c battery acts as a safety backup against power interruptions.
tethered flight altitude is published as up to 100 meters, with a cable length of 120 meters, and continuous working time is ≥ 8 hours. that continuous figure is what removes battery-replacement downtime from the operating day.
load capacity is published as up to 2.5 kg, with a maximum take-off weight for the flying platform of 10–12 kg. weigh your sensor, its mount and its cabling together against that figure.
input is ac220v ± 10% @ 50 hz, and output is stabilised at dc375v / dc400v ± 5v. the reel, tether cable, stabilising equipment and backup battery are integrated into one compact ground unit for deployment in ≤ 4 minutes.
published use scenarios cover industrial site monitoring and inspection such as construction sites, manufacturing plants and infrastructure facilities, emergency response and communication relay, maritime surveillance, and broadcast support at events.
use the quote button on the product page or reach us through the contact page. share your payload mass, working altitude, required duration, available site power, mobility needs and delivery destination, and mention any oem, odm or configuration questions so they can be answered in the same reply.
