HANGAR TALK UAS & eVTOL NEWS RELATING TO UNMANNED, AAM & eVTOL SYSTEMS
LCI Signs Agreement with Elroy Air for a Committed Order of Up To 40 Chaparral VTOL Aircraft
LCI recently signed an agreement with Elroy Air, developer of advanced autonomous cargo aircraft systems, to acquire up to 40 of the company’s Chaparral vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft.
LCI’s investment in Elroy Air’s system underpins the company’s long-term commitment to sustainable growth and innovation. Under the terms of the deposit-backed agreement, LCI will initially acquire 20 aircraft with an option for a total of up to 40 units. The VTOL aircraft are currently under development at Elroy Air’s facility in South San Francisco, California.
The Chaparral is the first end-to-end autonomous VTOL cargo delivery system. It is designed for aerial transport of up to 500 pounds (225 kgs) of goods over a 300 nautical mile range. This is enabled initially by a turbine-based, hybrid-electric powertrain with distributed electrical propulsion, and specially designed aerodynamic modular cargo pods.
Its applications include safe, efficient and cost-effective aerial cargo transport for commercial logistics, disaster relief, firefighting and humanitarian operations without risk to pilots or the need for airport infrastructure.
Jaspal Jandu, CEO of LCI, says, “This commitment for the pioneering Chaparral system will enable us to efficiently support mission critical, remote logistical work and socially responsible humanitarian efforts around the world. It will do so in complement with the wide-ranging capabilities of our existing aviation fleet.
“We have been impressed with Elroy Air’s vision and approach and look forward to working closely with the team on a wide range of opportunities. This forms part of our wider advanced air mobility strategy and will strengthen LCI’s position as a leading provider of leasing, financing and investing solutions for this new and exciting market.”
David Merrill, CEO and co-founder of Elroy Air, says, “We’re experiencing an enthusiastic response to the Chaparral and its capabilities to serve as a key part of a safe, efficient, and capable fleet of aircraft to respond in emergency situations, protect pilots, and enable rapid logistics in a new and sustainable way.
“Through our agreement with LCI, the Chaparral will be available for financing, enabling much broader access to the aircraft. We are proud that the Chaparral will now be part of LCI’s aviation fleet, and look forward to providing aerial cargo transport globally.”
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Jan/Feb 2023
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