California-based Elroy Air is joining forces with a leading express delivery business to test an autonomous vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) air cargo system in the USA.
Under the agreement, FedEx Express will develop plans to test Elroy Air’s Chaparral system within its middle-mile logistics operations, moving shipments between sorting locations.
Elroy Air unveiled a pre-production model of its Chaparral autonomous aircraft in January 2022, ahead of flight testing. The Chaparral is a VTOL aerial cargo system that can autonomously pick up 300-500lb (up to 225kg) of cargo and deliver it by air up to 300 miles (480km).
The system includes both the aircraft and the purpose-designed lightweight, aerodynamic cargo pod, along with the robotic handling system that picks it from the ground and unloads it at its destination. In principle, the plane could drop off one pod, then taxi to collect another for the next stop, without waiting for human ground staff...