Amazon shows off new drone prototype

Amazon is giving people a glimpse at its much-hyped drone delivery program.

A video posted by the shopping giant shows a drone taking off from a warehouse and, according to TV host Jeremy Clarkson, rising close to 400 feet into the air. Then, under power from a rear propeller, the drone glides forward like an airplane.

{mosads}Clarkson says in the video that the prototype has a range of up to 15 miles and that the company is working on a range of vehicles with “different designs for different environments.”

Amazon announced the drone project to fanfare in 2013, but it has yet to reach customers.

In July, the company proposed a tiered plan for controlling drone traffic that would allocate 200 feet of airspace to the operation of drones with advanced systems. A Federal Aviation Administration advisory group released recommendations last week calling for a registration system for drones that includes owners’ names and addresses. 

The company says it is serious about turning delivery-by-drone into a viable option for its millions of customers. 

Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s hard-driving chief executive, said this year he expects that spotting an Amazon drone will become “as common as seeing a mail truck.”