HANGAR TALK UAS & eVTOL NEWS RELATING TO UNMANNED & eVTOL SYSTEMS
Elroy Air Unveils “Chaparral,” a First-of-Kind, Autonomous, Hybrid-Electric VTOL Cargo Aircraft
Elroy Air recently unveiled its preproduction Chaparral aircraft. The Chaparral can autonomously pick up 300-500 pounds of cargo and deliver it by air up to 300 miles, a capability that pushes beyond the limited payload capabilities of delivery drones and the airport infrastructure required of piloted air cargo options available today.
“Today, we are proud to unveil the Chaparral, a first-of-kind autonomous air cargo system that builds on the more than 100 years of American aviation and aircraft development history,” said Elroy Air Co-founder and CEO David Merrill. “The Chaparral is an important part of the future of express logistics. It is built for full end-to-end automation, and it will safely and efficiently make express shipping possible in thousands of new places. It’s a delivery drone that’s faster than ground transport and lower cost than today’s traditional aircraft.”
The company has secured agreements for more than 500 aircraft from commercial, defense, and humanitarian customers amounting to more than $1 billion in aircraft demand. “We are excited about the opportunity to partner with strong operators who have been servicing these three core customer markets for decades,” said Kofi Asante, Elroy Air’s VP of business development and strategy. “The partnerships will focus on missions that aim to improve quality of life for communities by expanding express logistics.”
Reaching Rural Communities, Despite Pilot Shortages
Mesa Airlines, an American regional airline operating large fleets on behalf of partners including American Airlines, United Airlines, and DHL, plans to order 150 aircraft to serve the express parcel and healthcare sectors.
42 Jan/Feb 2022
“We’ve always been at the forefront of aviation technology, and we’re proud to be at the cutting-edge of this next chapter in partnership with Elroy Air,” said Jonathan Ornstein, chairman and chief executive officer of Mesa Airlines. “I think one of the reasons why this is a moment to deploy the Chaparral system is that the market really requires it. We’re not even creating a market. We are answering a demand that exists in the market today that is currently unanswered. We are increasingly seeing the demand for same- and next-day delivery, but so many rural communities have been cut off from the national transportation system. Pilot shortages and environmental regulations make this even more challenging. With the Chaparral, we’re excited to be able to provide autonomous cargo delivery to help reconnect those communities.”
Air Force Awards Elroy Air a Tactical Funding Increase
Elroy Air was awarded a Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) Award from the United States Air Force in Q4 2021 amounting to an additional $1.7 million in contract value alongside its existing Phase 3 SBIR contract. The funding will be used to further develop deployment details and CONOPS in collaboration with its Air Force and Agility Prime partners. It reflects sustained enthusiasm by the Air Force and AFWERX to help accelerate the Chaparral to readiness for use by the organization.
“Agility Prime sees value in electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, as well as hybridization that captures the benefits of electric along with the opportunity for greater range,” said Colonel Nathan Diller, director of AFWERX. “The Air Force has also actively explored different approaches to modularity, different payloads, and ultimately a way to reduce the number of humans necessary for logistical touchpoints. It is exciting to work with partners who are passionate about building this new era of aerospace.”
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