The company announced that cargo drone startup Elroy Air has achieved a groundbreaking milestone with the successful test flight of its Chaparral C1, an autonomous turbogenerator-hybrid electric vertical take-off and landing (hVTOL) aircraft.
The historic flight occurred on November 12 at the company's test-flight facility in Byron, California.
Elroy Air's Chaparral C1 is not just a conventional cargo drone; it represents a significant leap forward in the aviation industry, combining distributed electric propulsion (DEP) with a turbogenerator-battery architecture. This innovative approach enables the aircraft to achieve vertical take-off, autonomous flight, and safe landing, marking a pivotal moment in developing hybrid-electric aircraft.
Dave Merrill, Elroy Air co-founder and CEO, expressed the significance of this achievement: "This is an exhilarating day for our team and the industry as a whole. Our Chaparral C1 became the first turbogenerator-hybrid electric hVTOL aircraft to take flight. This marks a major moment for the industry as hybrid-electric aircraft enable the dual benefits of runway-independent safe redundant propulsion and long-range flight well in excess of battery power alone."
Hybrid-electric aircraft: A game-changer in aviation
Hybrid-electric powertrains represent a critical advancement in the aviation industry, balancing battery and turbogenerator power output. This balance is crucial for responding to load demand and ensuring effective and efficient flight.
Ashish Bagai, an advanced rotorcraft expert, emphasized the significance of this achievement: "This is a major step in the development of hVTOL flight – one that underscores the potential utility value of DEP concepts. It's very encouraging."
Elroy Air's Chaparral C1 addresses the limitations of all-electric systems by combining a gas turbine-driven generator with batteries. This turbogenerator-hybrid architecture enables long-range missions without charging infrastructure, making it an ideal solution for logistics, humanitarian aid shipping, and military resupply.
Strong industry demand and defense partnerships
The Chaparral C1 has garnered significant interest from commercial, humanitarian, and defense logistics sectors. Elroy Air's vehicle backlog, represented in letters of intent (LOIs) and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with deposit-backed agreements, currently exceeds $3 billion in future revenues.
Dr. Mark Esper, 27th US Secretary of Defense and Elroy Air Board Member, highlighted the strategic importance of the Chaparral in military applications: "Their work to enable autonomous cargo delivery for the resupply of troops in the field will create a game-changing capability for supporting and sustaining the United States military and allied forces in future campaigns."
Elroy Air's successful test flight sets the stage for further development and collaboration with the US Air Force, with active contracts including SBIR Phase II, SBIR Phase III, and TACFI (Transformative Vertical Flight Capability) programs.
Future milestones: Envelope expansion and certification
Following the groundbreaking test flight, Elroy Air is embarking on an ongoing envelope expansion campaign in collaboration with the US Air Force. This campaign will advance Chaparral C1's demonstrated flight capabilities through various modes of airborne operations, including expanded hover, system identification, transition, and cruise flight.
As Elroy Air continues its journey toward pre-production and Type Certification, the aviation industry eagerly anticipates the transformative impact of the Chaparral C1 and its turbogenerator-hybrid technology on the future of vertical lift aircraft.
Originally published on Interesting Engineering : Original article