Boeing has unveiled a new unmanned electric vertical-take-off-and-landing (eVTOL) cargo air vehicle (CAV) prototype that will be used to test and evolve Boeing’s autonomy technology for future aerospace vehicles.
It is designed to transport a payload up to 226.79kg for possible future cargo and logistics applications.
Powered by an environmentally-friendly electric propulsion system, the CAV prototype is outfitted with eight counter rotating blades allowing for vertical flight. It measures 4.57m long, 5.49m wide and 1.22m tall, and weighs 339kg.
Boeing’s team of engineers and technicians designed and built the CAV prototype in less than three months. Boeing Horizonx, with its partners in Boeing Research & Technology, led the development of the CAV prototype, which complements the eVTOL passenger air vehicle prototype aircraft in development by Aurora Flight Sciences, a company acquired by Boeing late last year.
Steve Nordlund, vice president, Boeing Horizonx, said: “Our new CAV prototype builds on Boeing’s existing unmanned systems capabilities and presents new possibilities for autonomous cargo delivery, logistics and other transportation applications. The safe integration of unmanned aerial systems is vital to unlocking their full potential. Boeing has an unmatched track record, regulatory know-how and systematic approach to deliver solutions that will shape the future of autonomous flight.”
The initial flight tests were conducted indoors at Boeing’s Collaborative Autonomous Systems Laboratory (CASL) in Missouri, USA.
The prototype serves as a test bed to mature the building blocks of safe, autonomous flight, which will involve future outdoor flight tests.
The technology tested on this prototype is likely to open up new possibilities for delivering time-sensitive and high-value goods, conducting autonomous missions in remote or dangerous environments, as well as other cargo and logistics applications.
This maturation will lead to market-driven solutions that will someday offer customers the ability to larger weights over broad distances in a way that makes it useful and relevant to them.
This could include oil rig and ship resupply, port operations, mining, construction, and logistics companies that move goods between distribution centres. However, regulation of UAVs, autonomous vehicles and air space will determine the pace of adoption of these emerging technologies.
Greg Hyslop, CTO, Boeing, said: “This flying cargo air vehicle represents another major step in our Boeing eVTOL strategy. We have an opportunity to really change air travel and transport, and we’ll look back on this day as a major step in that journey.”
