Elroy Air Chaparral

{{Infobox aircraft | name = Cargo | logo = | logo_size = | image = File:Elroy Air Unmanned Cargo Aircraft.png | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Unmanned cargo delivery system | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = [[United States]] | manufacturer = Elroy Air | design_group = | designer = | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = 12 November 2023<ref> https://www.forbes.com/sites/edgarsten/2023/11/16/elroy-air-autonomous-hybrid-electric-vtol-makes-historic-first-flight/</ref> | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = }} The '''Elroy Air Cargo''' is an unmanned [[cargo aircraft]] developed by American startup company Elroy Air, intended to replace land [[delivery truck]]s on inefficient routes with [[unmanned aircraft]].

== History ==

The San Francisco-based company was founded in November 2016 by David Merrill, CEO and Clint Cope, VP engineering. Elroy Air initially pursued the [[electric aircraft]] VTOL [[air taxi]] market, but turned to autonomous cargo aircraft to avoid the complications of passenger-carrying certification. In December 2017, the company secured [[US$]]4.6 million of [[seed funding]], led by aerial mobility investor Levitate Capital.<ref name=AvWeek2feb2018/>

By early 2018, a full-scale prototype had been tested at [[Half Moon Bay Airport]], south of San Francisco. Its lift system—rotors, motors and controllers—was rigged on a truck-based testbed to verify the [[aerodynamic lift]] produced and the [[aircraft noise]] levels for urban operations. In early 2018 a subscale prototype was under construction to validate the aerodynamics and controls, with ground testing planned in early March 2018 and first flight by late March. The full-scale aircraft was forecast to be flown by late summer 2018.<ref name=AvWeek2feb2018>{{cite news |url= http://aviationweek.com/future-aerospace/unmanned-cargo-aircraft-head-toward-flight-tests |title= Unmanned Cargo Aircraft Head Toward Flight Tests |date= Feb 2, 2018 |author= Graham Warwick |work= Aviation Week & Space Technology}}</ref>

In early 2019, Elroy Air raised another $4.6 million, giving it a total of $9.2 million.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2019/02/13/before-amazon-drops-packages-on-your-house-from-the-air-drones-may-start-to-transform-bulk-air-cargo |title= Before Amazon Drops Packages On Your House From The Air, Drones May Start To Transform Air Cargo |author= Jeremy Bogaisky |work= Forbes |date= Feb 13, 2019}}</ref> On August 14, the Chaparral made its first flight at [[Camp Roberts, California]], completing a 64 second hover. The hybrid-electric propulsion system for beyond-line-of-sight testing should fly in the second half of 2020 on a second prototype. A further [[Series A funding]] round was required for serial production.<ref name=AvWeek29aug2019>{{cite news |url= https://aviationweek.com/future-aerospace/unmanned-cargo-aircraft-take-step-closer-elroy-air-flight |title= Unmanned Cargo Aircraft Take A Step Closer With Elroy Air Flight |date= Aug 29, 2019 |author= Graham Warwick |work= Aviation Week & Space Technology}}</ref>

In January 2022, unveiled the pre-production Chaparral C1. Its cargo capacity reached {{Convert|500|lb|abbr=on}}, while its range was claimed to be {{Convert|300|mi|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Blain|first=Loz|date=2022-01-27|title=Elroy Air unveils its heavy-lift, long-range, hybrid cargo VTOL|url=https://newatlas.com/aircraft/elroy-chaparral-cargo-uav/|access-date=2022-01-27|website=New Atlas|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Design ==

The [[tandem-wing]] design employed in the air cargo role has a [[pusher propeller]] for forward flight, six propellers under twin booms for vertical lift and a pod to carry 150 lb (68 kg) of cargo under the central fuselage. The [[hybrid electric]] powertrain has [[variable-pitch]] rotors with a large diameter to turn more slowly, for redundancy and to reduce noise. Its 150 mile (240 km) [[range (aeronautics)|operational radius]] is optimized for [[express delivery]]. Ground robots are planned to be employed for [[ground handling]] and one pilot would be responsible for an entire aircraft fleet.<ref name=AvWeek2feb2018/>

==Specifications==

{{Aircraft specs |ref=Aviation Week<ref name=AvWeek29aug2019/> |prime units?=imp

|crew=None (autonomous) |capacity= {{cvt|500|lb}} |length m= |length ft= |length note= |span m= |span ft= |span note= |height m= |height ft= |height note= |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb= |empty weight note= |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb= |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb=1215 |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |more general=  |eng1 number=6 |eng1 name=electric rotors |eng1 type= |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp= |eng1 shp= |eng1 note= |power original=

|more performance=

|avionics= }}

==References== {{reflist}}

== Further reading == * {{cite news |url= https://qz.com/1163960/delivery-drone-startup-elroy-air-announces-4-6-million-in-seed-funding-to-take-to-the-skies/ |title= Massive robot-powered drones may solve everything wrong with package delivery |author= Mike Murphy |date= December 22, 2017 |work= [[Quartz Media]]}} * {{cite news |url= http://www.thedrive.com/aerial/17176/elroy-airs-aluminum-falcon-vtol-drone-can-carry-up-to-150-pounds |title= Elroy Air's 'Aluminum Falcon' VTOL Drone Can Carry Up to 150 Pounds |date= December 22, 2017 |author= Marco Margaritoff |publisher= [[Meredith Corporation]] |work= The Drive}}

==External links== * {{official website|http://www.elroyair.com/}}

[[Category:United States cargo aircraft]]