The Federal Aviation Ad­­min­istration (FAA) last week gave clearance to Yamaha’s RMAX re­­motely piloted helicopter, which is large enough to carry tanks of fertilizers and pesticides.

The RMAX is the first time a drone big enough to carry a payload has been approved, said Steve Markofski, a spokesman for Yamaha Corp. U.S.A., which developed the aircraft. The RMAX weighs 207 pounds.

Previously, the FAA had only approved smaller unmanned aerial...