FedEx To Test Autonomous Freight Drone

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FedEx says it will start testing an autonomous hybrid eVTOL that can carry up to 500 pounds as far as 300 miles. The company said the trials with the Elroy Chaparral will start in 2023 and begin the process of getting certification for pilotless delivery. “We look forward to continued testing and learning throughout our collaboration with Elroy Air,” said FedEx senior VP Joe Stephens. The Chaparral has eight rotors, four of which rotate to provide forward thrust after a vertical takeoff. An engine and generator in the fuselage provide power for the individual electric motors spinning the rotors, making the 300-mile range possible.

Elroy VP Kofi Asante said aircraft like the Chaparral have the potential to fundamentally change the package delivery business. “When you’re not limited by challenging infrastructure, traffic or airports, logistics can reach more people, faster than ever before,” Asante said. “We look forward to working together to create a new future for how we get goods to people around the world.” FedEx has ordered 100 Chaparrals and Elroy says it has about 500 aircraft sold, including 150 to Mesa Airlines.

Russ Niles
Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.

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7 COMMENTS

    • “When you’re not limited by challenging infrastructure, traffic or airports, logistics can reach more people, faster than ever before,” Koffi is in for a rude regulatory awakening.

  1. I agree. Somehow, most of these UAV companies seem to think that they will have unfettered access to every class of airspace, without once thinking that if everyone is operating on this fantasy of empty skies and wide open spaces, there is going to be either a lot of mid airs, or a lot of dodging and ducking, or both.

  2. An air traffic controller’s nightmare. If Tesla’s automated driving ( which only deals with two dimensions) is any guide, this will be a long and tragic experience for aviation.

    • De-confliction is EASIER in three dimensions, than it is in two.
      And a properly designed autonomous aircraft is responsible for its own collision avoidance.

  3. Tesla’s ‘autopilot’ is a failure.

    Imagine the noise these drones would make, how they would interfere with safe air navigation, and present a hazard in the air and on the ground.

    For what?

    To receive some Amazon nonsense a little sooner?

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