Boeing Debuts Prototype Heavy-Duty Drone Vehicle For Future Cargo Transport

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The CAV in flight. (Photo courtesy of Boeing.)

Changing air travel and transport is what Boeing chief technology officer Greg Hyslop believes the company has an opportunity to do with its new unmanned “flying cargo air vehicle.” The aerospace giant, a global commercial jet manufacturer and owner of Boeing Business Jets, debuted the prototype for this new vehicle on January 10. The company designed the giant drone, dubbed the eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) CAV (cargo air vehicle), to haul a 500-pound (227-kilogram) payload for future cargo and logistics applications. Boeing will continue testing the eVTOL CAV to help advance its autonomy technology for future aerospace vehicles.

A Big Step Forward

Drawing power from an environmentally friendly electric-propulsion system, the CAV prototype sports eight counter-rotating blades that gift the vehicle with vertical flight. Measuring 15 feet (4.57 meters) long, 18 feet (5.49 meters) wide, and 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall, the CAV prototype weighs in at 747 pounds (339 kilograms).

Already, the CAV prototype has undergone initial flight tests at the Boeing Research & Technology’s Collaborative Autonomous Systems Laboratory located in Missouri. Although details concerning the duration, speed, and other particulars of the flight tests are scant, the company did make a video available online showing the vehicle in development and in flight.

Noting that Boeing will one day view the prototype’s debut as a “major step” on Boeing’s journey to evolve air travel and transport, Hyslop stated the vehicle is a sizable advance for the company’s eVTOL strategy.

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The eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) CAV (cargo air vehicle) prototype in the lab. (Photo courtesy of Boeing.)

Flying Taxis

Remarkably, a team of engineers and technicians pulled from across Boeing designed and built the prototype in less than three months. Working with members of Boeing Research & Development, Boeing HorizonX is heading the development of the CAV prototype, which Boeing says complements an eVTOL passenger-air-vehicle prototype that Aurora Flight Services is developing.

Boeing acquired Aurora Flight Services in October. Reportedly, Aurora is one of several companies that Uber is working with to create “flying taxis.” Other companies involved reportedly include Bell Helicopter, Pipistrel Aircraft, Embraer, and Mooney International.

Moving Forward

In a statement, Boeing HorizonX vice president Steve Nordlund said the CAV prototype progresses the company’s existing unmanned systems abilities while presenting new potential for autonomous cargo delivery, logistics, and other transportation applications.

“The safe integration of unmanned aerial systems is vital to unlocking their full potential,” Nordlund explained. “Boeing has an unmatched track record, regulatory know-how, and systematic approach to deliver solutions that will shape the future of autonomous flight."

Source: Boeing