First Vertical-To-Wing-Borne Flight Of Hybrid-Electric Aircraft

Elroy Air, a San Francisco, California-based developer of autonomous hybrid-electric VTOL cargo aircraft announced it successfully accomplished transition flight, with its Chaparral aircraft performing vertical takeoff and then transforming to wing-borne horizontal flight three times since the end of July.

The aircraft performed the transition flights autonomously and reached forward speeds of up to 70 mph.

The Chaparral aircraft is flying at forward speeds while using four times less power demand than it uses in vertical takeoff. The team is planning to demonstrate a 25 mile flight by the end of August as well as a cargo delivery flight between two separate locations by the end of the year.

Andrew Clare, CEO of Elroy Air said, “Our team has made a remarkable technical achievement. This is one of the most technically complex phases of VTOL flight, requiring careful autonomous orchestration between all control systems and a detailed understanding of the specific aerodynamics and structural dynamics of the aircraft. These recent flights have shown that Chaparral can seamlessly transition back and forth from vertical hover to wingborne flight, setting the technical foundation for full mission capability and productization.”

Dave Merrill, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Elroy Air said, “Our team has continually pushed the boundaries of aerospace, particularly in hybrid-electric powertrain, on our path to transform autonomous aerial cargo. These flights on the wing represent a major milestone towards delivering a dual-use cargo delivery capability to the many customers and partners working with us to transform middle-mile logistics.”

The Chaparral is designed for autonomous delivery of up to 300 lbs of cargo over a distance of 300 miles. It is engineered for speed, efficiency, and safety while also operating at a fraction of the capital and operational cost of piloted helicopters. The aircraft will enable secure delivery of cargo in contested or high-risk environments without putting any flight crews in harm’s way.

FMI:  elroyair.com/