Elroy Air's Hybrid-Electric Aircraft.

Helicopter and commercial aircraft Leasing group LCI became the first customer and ordered 40 Elroy Air Chaparrals – an autonomous vertical take-off and landing cargo aircraft that uses a hybrid-electric powertrain. Delivery timelines depend on Elroy Air securing certification.

Elroy Air says it has also secured commitments for more than 900 Elroy Air Chaparral systems worth in excess of US$2 billion. Customers include AYR Logistics (up to 100 units), Bristow Group (100), FedEx, and Mesa Airlines (150).

Designed to carry a payload of up to 225kg on routes of up to 555kms, the Elroy Air Chaparral uses a turbine-based hybrid-electric powertrain to drive a series of distributed electric motors: eight for lift and four for forward flight.

Goods are carried in a specially-designed modular pod that fits under the fuselage.

Applications for the Elroy Air Chaparral will include disaster relief, firefighting and humanitarian missions, plus middle-mile logistics, “without risk to pilots or the need for airport infrastructure”.

Ground testing of the Elroy Air Chaparral began at Byron airport in California. Elroy Air intends to launch operations prior to obtaining US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) validation, in order to serve missions and uses that do not require full FAA certification.

*Chaparral - чапараль - это кустарниковое растительное сообщество, встречающееся главным образом в американском штате Калифорния.