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Draft:Throwflame

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Throwflame
IndustryDevelopment of flamethrowers and UAV attachments
Founded2015; 9 years ago (2015)
FoundersQuinn Whitehead
Headquarters
Cleveland, Ohio
,
United States of America[1]
ProductsFlamethrowers, UAVs
Websitethrowflame.com

Throwflame, originally known as XMatter, is a flamethrower manufacturer based in Cleveland, Ohio.[2] The company is notable for introducing handheld flamethrowers to the general public as well as for developing the first UAV-based and robot dog mounted flamethrower attachments.

The company and its products have been discussed in the public debate about the legality of consumer flamethrowers in the United States.[3][4][5][6]

History[edit]

XMatter, now Throwflame, was founded by Quinn Whitehead in 2015.[7][8] The company initially sought to provide flamethrowers for agricultural purposes, after its founder learned of the challenges faced by those seeking military surplus models for such purposes.[9][7] The same year, the company introduced the X15, a handheld flamethrower with a range of 50 feet.[10] This drew media and legislative scrutiny due to its unregulated status in many U.S. states.[11][5]

In 2018, the company added the XL18, a flamethrower with an expanded range, to its product line. This model was initially developed for a government client and later made available to the public.[12][13]

In 2019, Throwflame released the TF-19 WASP, a UAV-mounted flamethrower attachment, generating further media attention.[14][15][16]

In 2023, the company introduced the Thermonator, an FPV[17] robotic dog equipped with a flamethrower attachment.[18][19] Some media sources speculated that the Thermonator may have inspired a proposal in the Massachusetts state legislature to ban the weaponization of robots.[20]

Legal and regulatory status[edit]

In the United States, flamethrowers such as those produced by Throwflame are not federally regulated and are not classified as firearms.[21] State laws regarding these devices vary, with some states implementing specific regulations.[22] In the aftermath of media coverage of Throwflame's products, legislation to ban flamethrowers was proposed by US Representative Eliot Engel but was not ultimately adopted.[23][24][25][26]

Throwflame has countered criticism about the legality and safety of their products by emphasizing the practical applications of their products, such as their use in remote agricultural burning and forest fire containment.[27][16][28] However, claims about the use of the company's products for ecological conservation have been met with mockery and skepticism by some media commentators.[3][4]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Cleveland Startup Makes Dreams of Flamethrower Ownership a Reality". Crain's Cleveland Business. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  2. ^ Murphy, Amaris Encinas and Chad. "Meet Thermonator, a flame-throwing robot dog with 30-foot range being sold by Ohio company". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  3. ^ a b Menon, Vinay (2024-04-24). "You can now buy a flame-throwing robot dog — it's proof common sense has gone up in smoke". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  4. ^ a b Fidler, Katherine (2024-04-23). "Flame-throwing robot dog is the latest weapon in self-defence". Metro. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  5. ^ a b Harrison, Iain (2010-11-25). "XMatter X15 Flamethrower - From the God Bless America Files". Recoil. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  6. ^ "Should flamethrowers be sold in the US?". BBC News. 2015-09-02. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  7. ^ a b Masunaga, Samantha (2018-01-30). "Elon Musk sold 10,000 Boring Co. flamethrowers in 2 days. He knows what his fans like". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  8. ^ Contrera, Jessica (September 8, 2015). "The incredibly dangerous weapon that is legal almost everywhere". Washington Post. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  9. ^ War is Boring (2016-04-14). "Who Wants a Flamethrower?". War Is Boring. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  10. ^ Smith, Aaron (2015-08-13). "Flamethrowers, given up by military, are now being sold to the public". CNN Business.
  11. ^ Reed, Brad (6 April 2016). "Flamethrower shoots fire 50 feet in the air in this amazing 4K slow-mo video". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  12. ^ Dormehl, Luke (2019-02-21). "This Ridiculous Flamethrower Makes Elon Musk's Look Like a Lighter". Digital Trends. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  13. ^ "Press Kit". Throwflame.com.
  14. ^ Keller, Jared (2019-07-16). "The flamethrower drone conversion kit you never knew you needed is finally here". Task & Purpose. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  15. ^ Leskin, Paige. "You can now buy a flamethrower to attach to your drone for $1,500". Business Insider. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  16. ^ a b "This Company Is Selling Drone-Mounted Flamethrowers to the General Public". www.vice.com. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  17. ^ "Así es el perro robot con lanzallamas que se vende en EE.UU. por menos de 10.000 dólares". LA NACION (in Spanish). 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  18. ^ Szondy, David (2023-06-27). "Robotic dog turns up the heat with a flamethrower backpack".
  19. ^ Henderson, Cameron (2024-04-23). "Watch: Fire-breathing robot dog that can torch anything in its path". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  20. ^ Borondy, Kinga (April 29, 2024). "Mass. bill would ban weaponization of robots". The Desert Sun.
  21. ^ Farivar, Cyrus (2015-08-25). "Facing possible ban, more Americans are buying new—and legal—$900 flamethrowers". Ars Technica.
  22. ^ Atherton, Kelsey (2019-07-18). "What could the government want with this civilian flamethrower drone?". C4ISRNet. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  23. ^ Engel, Eliot L. (2015-12-04). "H.R.4009 - Flamethrowers? Really? Act". United States Congress. Archived from the original on 2022-03-10. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  24. ^ Nelson, Steven (2023-03-28). "Biden falsely says electric apprentices 'don't get paid' and flamethrowers illegal". Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  25. ^ Canaparo, GianCarlo. "Bill to Ban Flamethrowers Is a Solution in Search of a Problem". The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  26. ^ "Should We Ban Americans From Owning Flamethrowers?". Newsweek. 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  27. ^ Hollister, Sean (2019-07-17). "The flamethrower drone will soon be a thing you can buy". The Verge. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  28. ^ Millan, Victor (25 April 2024). "Así es Thermonator: el perro robot que lanza llamas y que algunos ven como el futuro de la seguridad". El Economista.

Category:Manufacturing companies based in Cleveland Category:Companies based in Cleveland Category:American companies established in 2015 Category:2015 establishments in Ohio

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