In the USA, flight tests of a drone for carrying heavy loads

In the United States, the first flight tests of a promising cargo drone developed for the transportation of heavy goods have passed. As reported "Nplus1" With reference to Aviation Week, commercial operation of the drone is scheduled for next year.

According to the publication, the American startup Elroy Air has developed a drone capable of transporting cargo weighing from 100 to 225 kilograms. Although the drone is designed according to an airplane scheme, it lands and takes off in a helicopter. In addition to the wings themselves, on the sides of the fuselage of the drone there are two beams, each of which has three electric motors with rotors that provide vertical take-off and landing. Movement in the horizontal plane is provided by a pushing propeller located at the rear. The power plant is hybrid.

The device is equipped with a special container for goods, which is fixed under the fuselage. With a mass of 551 kg, the UAV is capable of delivering a cargo weighing from 100 to 225 kg to a distance of 500 km in a fully automatic mode.

Developers of the drone position it not only as a supplier of commercial cargo, but also as a participant in search and rescue operations when it is necessary to deliver cargo to an inaccessible area. A drone may also be of interest to the military.

Comments

[Honest Citizen]

With a mass of 551 kg, the UAV is capable of delivering a cargo weighing from 100 to 225 kg to a distance of 500 km in a fully automatic mode.

Commercial use? Most likely it will be expensive.
But for operational units like the Ministry of Emergency Situations, which eliminate technogenic and other things, it will probably be convenient.

[Svarog]

Quote: Honest Citizen

With a mass of 551 kg, the UAV is capable of delivering a cargo weighing from 100 to 225 kg to a distance of 500 km in a fully automatic mode.

Commercial use? Most likely it will be expensive.
But for operational units like the Ministry of Emergency Situations, which eliminate technogenic and other things, it will probably be convenient.

225 kg is very little .. if only fighters from the battlefield are evacuated and immediately to the hospital ..

[Nevsky_ZU]

Quote: Honest Citizen

With a mass of 551 kg, the UAV is capable of delivering a cargo weighing from 100 to 225 kg to a distance of 500 km in a fully automatic mode.

Commercial use? Most likely it will be expensive.
But for operational units like the Ministry of Emergency Situations, which eliminate technogenic and other things, it will probably be convenient.

To a note Russian Post

[rocket757]

The scheme is not a helicopter! What is the gain?
Synchronizing such a scheme, no matter how difficult, with the help of good "brains", but the very situation of engine failure, desynchronization, is not the most pleasant.

[meandr51]

I read that with an electro-helicopter circuit with the existing type of batteries it is not possible to make a flight time of more than 30 minutes. The capacity and weight of batteries are growing - the power of motors and energy consumption are growing.

[dauria]

the helicopter circuit with the existing type of batteries can not make the flight time of more than 30 minutes

The article contains a clarification - "Hybrid power plant". Now it is customary to call this an electric generator based on an internal combustion engine and an electric engine. So the "batteries" are there only for promotion and launch.
And the whole demonstration looks even below the level of the world championship in aircraft modeling. Weak irrational craft, if objectively.

[rocket757]

Everything is known in comparison, according to the results of tests, operation.
Not tomorrow, so the day after tomorrow the result will be visible.

[gridasov]

The solution of problems of increasing the carrying capacity and flight range are still being solved at the level of mathematical proportionality of the increase in propulsors and transported fuel. In this case, no one thinks to increase the energy density created by the mover and moving away from such proportionalities

[Igor Borisov_2]

It looks flimsy somehow for a cargo drone ....

[Piramidon]

In the USA, flight tests of a drone for carrying heavy loads

As we said - the larger the cabinet, the louder it will fall.

[Corn]

Such a normal mail drone, soon parcels from China will arrive very quickly, and the delivery itself will cost less.

[Donald72]

And what about the delivery of ammunition special subdivisions. Low low flying. In which case you can and does not sit down from a low height unfastened the container and go home. If shot down sorry but not deadly.