ELROY AIR UNVEILS ITS CHAPARRAL

Nineteen months ago, Elroy Air, headquartered in San Francisco, achieved a significant milestone with the introduction of its cutting-edge autonomous, hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial cargo system. This groundbreaking technology, known as the Chaparral aircraft, marks a new era in cargo transportation, says the company.

The Chaparral boasts exceptional capabilities, offering fully autonomous operations to transport substantial loads of 300-500 lbs (136-226 kgs) over distances of up to 300 miles (482 km). This remarkable capacity surpasses the limitations of conventional delivery drones and eliminates the need for complex airport infrastructure associated with piloted air cargo alternatives. Elroy Air’s innovation represents a promising advancement in the field of cargo logistics, with potential implications for various industries and sectors.

“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, defence 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.”

Middle mile logistics

Mesa Airlines, a US regional which operates substantial fleets on behalf of various partners, including American Airlines, United Airlines and DHL expressed its intention to acquire 150 aircraft dedicated to serving the express parcel and healthcare sectors.

“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.”

In a groundbreaking collaboration within the US, FedEx Express joined forces with Elroy Air to conduct testing on the autonomous air cargo system. The objective is to incorporate this technology into the company’s middle-mile logistics operations, facilitating the movement of shipments between sortation locations. This represents another step in FedEx’s ongoing commitment to explore and adopt cutting-edge technologies across its extensive networks.

The rapid growth of e-commerce has significantly intensified the demand for efficient and reliable transportation and logistics solutions across all stages of the supply chain. In response, FedEx aims to lead the way by embracing continuous innovation and automation. By doing so, they aim to enhance safety, efficiency, and productivity for their dedicated team of 600,000 members, working tirelessly to move the world forward.

“We have designed an aircraft that behaves like a hybrid between a rough-and-ready helicopter and a battle-hardened bush plane, that can pick up cargo anywhere with a 50 square foot landing area,” said Clint Cope, co-founder and President of Elroy Air. “The Chaparral will be a vital logistics link for people around the world with unreliable roadways and in remote and rural areas that take longer to reach today.”

An early prototype of the Chaparral was flown in 2019, demonstrating several key systems of the aircraft design. The Chaparral system unveiled today features eight vertical lift fans, four distributed electric propulsors for forward flight, a high-wing airframe configuration, as well as improved ground autonomy and cargo-handling systems.

The Chaparral is a transitioning “lift + cruise” VTOL aircraft with a full carbon composite airframe, and a turbine-based hybrid-electric powertrain for long-range mission capabilities. It was also designed to fit in a 40’ shipping container or C-130 cargo aircraft, enabling it to be quickly shipped and deployed anywhere in the world.

Elroy Air’s lightweight, aerodynamic modular cargo pods can be pre-loaded by ground personnel and picked up by the aircraft before takeoff. At the delivery location, the cargo pod is lowered to the ground and released after the system has landed. The Chaparral system can retrieve another pre-packed pod and transport that pod to its next destination, creating a bi-directional conveyor belt through the sky.