A dock is only as useful as the aircraft it houses and the weather it will still fly in. Dock 2 is a compact 3D / 3TD box. Dock 3 is the enterprise pad we put on new quotes, with Matrice 4D or 4TD.
This is not a handheld post. Interiors stay off the dock.
Aircraft is the real difference
Dock 2: Matrice 3D / 3TD. Short, repeatable visual and basic thermal. Fine in a controlled compound. Thin margins in wind and rain.
Dock 3: 4D for repeat mapping and inspection. 4TD when thermal is the reason you launched. Better wind, weather and recovery logic than the 3D-class box. That is why government, utilities and multi-site programs land here.
| Dock 2 | Dock 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | 3D / 3TD | 4D / 4TD |
| Typical job | Single-site, fair weather, proof of concept | Multi-role, weather that is not ideal |
| Visual / thermal | Good on a calm pad | Repeatable when the week is not calm |
Reliability beats a cheap box
Dock 2 aborts more when the site is marginal. Dock 3 is the one we spec when downtime has a cost and the calendar has to mean something.
Both still need airspace, oversight and a human who owns the abort. Neither is set-and-forget. See why dock programs stall.
When Dock 2 is still honest
A trial pad. Predictable climate. One site. A team that already knows they will step up. Do not buy Dock 2 as a forever fleet standard if year two is critical infrastructure.
When Dock 3 is the quote
More than one site. Weather you cannot pick. Thermal or mapping that has to land on the same day of the week. A regulator or an executive who will ask why the mission did not fly.
Prices live on the collection. Do not treat a blog card as a quote.
Get a quote for a Dock 3 pad. We qualify the site first. Dock 3 · 4D · 4TD
Read next: 4D vs 4TD · is the pad suitable · Matrice 400 vs 4D
FAQ
Can Dock 3 fly a Matrice 400?
No. M400 is crewed heavy-lift. Dock 3 pairs with 4D / 4TD.
Do I need both Dock 2 and Dock 3?
Almost never. Pick the pad class for the program you will still be running in two years.
Does a dock replace LiDAR on Matrice 400?
No. Repeat visual or thermal from a pad is one job. L3 on M400 is another.
