Public Specs Checked August 28, 2026
Apellix wins the constraints that govern usable work: approximately 70% higher published maximum flight time, 30% more published working height, a materially lighter comparable wash configuration, included window capability, and AirTrace automated cleaning. Lucid publishes the higher peak pressure ceiling.
~70% / +30%
Higher flight time / more working height for the B2
~70%
Higher published flight time
32 minutes versus 19
30%
More published working height
195 feet versus 150
~19%
Lighter comparable wash configuration
Approximately 30 lb versus 37.2
Hardware Side by Side
| Decision | Lucid Sherpa | Apellix B2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery flight time | 19-minute published maximum | 32-minute published maximum, approximately 70% higher |
| Published working height | 150-foot maximum | 195-foot maximum, 30% more |
| Battery-equipped wash weight | 37.2 lb with standard spraying payload and batteries | Approximately 30 lb with batteries, approximately 19% lighter |
| Peak pressure capacity | 4,500 PSI maximum | 4,000 PSI maximum at the ground pump |
| Window cleaning | Optional window payload attachment | Included as a standard application; no separate window payload listed |
| Automated cleaning | Current public cleaning instructions require pilot control and say not to use automated mission modes during cleaning | AirTrace lets the pilot trace an area and the drone automatically cleans the selected grid under active pilot supervision |
Manufacturer-published figures are not a standardized head-to-head test. Actual flight time and height depend on reserve, hose load, fluid, wind, temperature, flight profile, and site conditions. Weight definitions and automation boundaries are explained below.
Flight Time and Height
The real flight-time penalty is the complete interruption: leave the work face, descend, land, change batteries, check, relaunch, climb, and find the restart point. A 32-minute published maximum reduces how often that fixed cost repeats. A 195-foot published height can also keep more elevations inside the drone scope from one setup.
See the math and Dallas property model →Pressure
Sherpa publishes a 4,500 PSI maximum versus 4,000 PSI at the ground pump for B2. Higher is not automatically better. The ground rig creates pressure and flow; the drone positions the hose and nozzle while accepting the reaction force. Glass, EIFS, siding, coatings, sealants, and decorative masonry often require far less or prohibit high-pressure washing.
Why more pressure is not always better →Weight and Windows
In the closest battery-equipped published wash configurations, the B2 is approximately 19% lighter. Apellix lists windows as a standard B2 application without a separate window payload. Lucid's window capability is an optional payload that adds onboard tank and mixing hardware.
Automation
Apellix's current AirTrace page says the pilot traces a box on the controller and the drone automatically cleans the selected area while maintaining distance. Active pilot supervision remains required. Lucid describes itself as an AI robotics company and publishes automatic takeoff, hold, and landing functions, but its current Sherpa manual says automated mission modes should not be used during cleaning operations.
See Apellix AirTrace →SkyPSI's Position
Flight time, working height, and operating weight are not side specifications. They control interruptions, addressable scope, and how much working load the aircraft can support. On those constraints, the public hardware record favors the B2.
Lucid's higher peak pressure is real. SkyPSI does not choose a cleaning method by the largest safe-to-accept number. We choose the lowest validated pressure, compatible chemistry, flow, nozzle, standoff, and delivery plan that produce the required finish.
Primary Public Sources | Retrieved August 28, 2026
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