Replacing DJI drones in a training program.
Training programs bought DJI because it was cheap and everywhere. The replacement has to be cheap, compliant, and built to be crashed and repaired by students. That is the Corvin's whole job.
What the DJI aircraft did
- Basic airmanship and orientation flying
- Part 107 preparation and practical skills
- FPV and manual-mode proficiency for Guard and range work
- Maintenance and repair as curriculum
- Mission planning on a fleet the program owns
What replaces it today
The Corvin complete kit, shipping now, is the trainer: a 5-inch class multi-rotor on a 3D printed ABS X-frame with detachable arms and printable spares. A program with a printer keeps its own shelf of parts, and repair becomes a lab session. Cost per trained student, worked through, is on the universities page. The complete kit is $2,999, built to order in Tulsa, Oklahoma, without Section 889 covered components.
What replaces the rest, and when
For survey and inspection courses, the Ranger and Spector are in development at published prices. Train the pilots on the Corvin first; they will be ready when the larger aircraft arrive. Spector bundle $34,999; Ranger bundle $22,000; reservation fee $5,000 each.
The rules and the clock
Existing DJI aircraft stay legal to fly, with updates through at least January 1, 2029. New foreign models cannot receive FCC authorization since December 22, 2025, and federal funds cannot buy them. Imported drones and parts carry Section 232 tariffs of 25 to 100 percent since September 3, 2026. Plan the replacement on your budget cycle, not in the 2028 queue.
How to pay for it
Perkins V through the state CTE office for schools and colleges, NSF Advanced Technological Education for two-year college programs, and FAA workforce grants for educator pipelines. Federal money buys compliant aircraft only. Details on the Education grants page.
Questions buyers ask
Why not a cheap consumer drone from another brand?
Because a foreign-made one cannot be authorized or bought with federal funds, and an imported one now carries a 25 percent tariff. And because consumer drones are not built to be opened by students.
How many aircraft does a class need?
One per two or three students for flight time, plus spares. A ten-aircraft lab with spares is priced on the universities page.
Does EnCor supply a curriculum?
Not yet as a packaged course. We supply aircraft, spares, print files, and, with CorCommand Training, the pilot and flight records. Ask in a briefing for what else we can provide.
- Wiley, "FCC Adds All Foreign-Produced Uncrewed Aircraft Systems and UAS Critical Components to Covered List", December 2025.
- DroneDJ, "FCC just saved millions of DJI drones from going obsolete" (update waiver through 2029), 2026-05-18.
- Euronews, "US slaps 100% tariffs on drones to counter Chinese dominance", 2026-09-03.
- Forbes, "White House Slaps Tariffs On Imported Drones" (Section 232 proclamation), 2026-08-14.
- EnCor, published prices, 2026-09-05.
Key dates
- 2025-12-22: FCC Covered List; federal funds stop for foreign drones
- 2026-05: update waiver extended to at least 2029-01-01
- 2026-09-03: Section 232 tariffs, 25% and 100%
- All replacement guides · By model