Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle

Last updated
Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle
RoleCargo eVTOL
National origin United States
Manufacturer Boeing NeXt
StatusUnder development

The Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle is an unmanned, autonomously flying, fully electric cargo air vehicle (CAV). It was made possible by an investment of Boeing HorizonX Ventures. [1]

Contents

Development

At the beginning it was remote control-operated. Later it flew autonomously. The first flight tests have been in 2017. The CAV is for research of autonomy technology for aerospace vehicles in the future. In Boeing's Ridley Park wind tunnel flight tests have been finished. It was flying indoor in 2018 before outdoor flights in 2019. With the Boeing CAV there are new possibilities for the transport of time-sensitive and high-value goods and to conduct autonomous missions in remote or dangerous environments. [2] [3] Its configuration evolved to six dual-rotor systems with 12 propellers and the first outdoor flights tests were done by May 2019, including forward flight transition. [4]

By September 2020, Boeing was to close its Boeing NeXt division, in response to financial losses in the wake of the 737 MAX groundings and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation. [5]

Design

The CAV was designed and built by 50 engineers in less than three months. [1] [6]

Specifications

Data from Boeing [4] (also: cargo facts, [7] Electric VTOL News, [8] [9] AINonline [10] and transportup [11] )

General characteristics

Similar types

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurora Flight Sciences</span>

Aurora Flight Sciences is an American aviation and aeronautics research subsidiary of Boeing which primarily specializes in the design and construction of special-purpose Unmanned aerial vehicles. Aurora has been established for 20+ years and their headquarters is at the Manassas Regional Airport in Manassas, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VTOL X-Plane</span> American experimental aircraft

The Vertical Take-Off and Landing Experimental Aircraft program is an American research project sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The goal of the program is to demonstrate a VTOL aircraft design that can take off vertically and efficiently hover, while flying faster than conventional rotorcraft. There have been many previous attempts, most of them unsuccessful.

Guangzhou EHang Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd is a company based in Guangzhou, China that develops and manufactures autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs) and passenger AAVs which have entered service in China for aerial cinematography, photography, emergency response, and survey missions.

A passenger drone is an autonomous aircraft that is designed to carry a small number of passengers to a destination.

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is the use of small, highly automated aircraft to carry passengers or cargo at lower altitudes in urban and suburban areas which have been developed in response to traffic congestion. It usually refers to existing and emerging technologies such as traditional helicopters, vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft (VTOL), electrically propelled, vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft (eVTOL), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These aircraft are characterized by the use of multiple electric-powered rotors or fans for lift and propulsion, along with fly-by-wire systems to control them. Inventors have explored urban air mobility concepts since the early days of powered flight. However, advances in materials, computerized flight controls, batteries and electric motors improved innovation and designs beginning in the late 2010s. Most UAM proponents envision that the aircraft will be owned and operated by professional operators, as with taxis, rather than by private individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lilium Jet</span> Proposed personal air vehicle

The Lilium Jet is a prototype German electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) electrically powered airplane designed by Lilium GmbH. A seven-seat production version is planned.

The Airbus CityAirbus is a multinational project by Airbus Helicopters to produce an electrically powered VTOL personal air vehicle demonstrator. It is intended for the air taxi role, to avoid ground traffic congestion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airbus A³ Vahana</span> Former personal air vehicle prototype

The Airbus Vahana was an electric-powered eight-propeller VTOL personal air vehicle prototype financed by A³, by Airbus and Airbus Urban Mobility. The Vahana project started in 2016 as one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley. Airbus "envision[s] Vahana being used by everyday commuters as a cost-comparable replacement for short-range urban transportation like cars or trains". It was planned to be a part of urban air mobility. The project was finished in December 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Workhorse SureFly</span> Vertical take-off and landing aircraft

The SureFly is a two-seat hybrid eVTOL aircraft designed by American truck-manufacturer Workhorse Group, before the program was bought by Moog Inc. for $5 million in December 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elroy Air Chaparral</span> Type of aircraft

The Elroy Air Cargo is an unmanned cargo aircraft developed by American startup company Elroy Air, intended to replace land delivery trucks on inefficient routes with unmanned aircraft.

Boeing NeXt was a division of aerospace manufacturer Boeing, exploring urban air mobility. Its portfolio includes a passenger air vehicle (PAV), a cargo air vehicle (CAV) and other urban, regional and global mobility platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beta Technologies</span> Vermont electric aircraft manufacturer

Beta Technologies, is a Burlington, Vermont-based aerospace manufacturer developing electric vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) and electric conventional take-off and landing (eCTOL) aircraft for the cargo, medical passenger, and military aviation industries. The company has also developed a network of chargers which can supply power to their aircraft and other electric vehicles. Training programs for future electric aircraft pilots and maintainers are also provided.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing Passenger Air Vehicle</span> Autonomous personal air vehicle prototype

The Boeing Passenger Air Vehicle (PAV) is an American electrical powered autonomous personal air vehicle prototype developed by the Boeing NeXt division of Boeing with the assistance of Aurora Flight Sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabrewing Rhaegal</span> Type of aircraft

The Sabrewing Rhaegal is a proposed American unmanned cargo aircraft developed by Californian Sabrewing Aircraft.

An electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is a variety of VTOL aircraft that uses electric power to hover, take off, and land vertically. This technology came about thanks to major advances in electric propulsion and the emerging need for new aerial vehicles for urban air mobility that can enable greener and quieter flights. Electric and hybrid propulsion systems (EHPS) have also the potential of lowering the operating costs of aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wisk Cora</span> Type of aircraft

The Wisk Cora is an American autonomous personal air vehicle prototype previously developed by the Kitty Hawk Corporation, and subsequently by Wisk Aero.

The Pipistrel Nuuva V300 is an unmanned hybrid-electric VTOL cargo aircraft currently under development by Pipistrel and projected to be released in 2023. The aircraft has eight electric motors driving propellers providing lift as well as a single internal combustion engine driving a propeller providing thrust. The company claims that the aircraft will be able to operate with a typical cargo weight of 300 kg (661 lb) and a typical range of 300 km (162 nmi). In October 2020 the company announced that the aircraft would implement a Honeywell fly-by-wire system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volocopter VoloRegion</span> Proposed personal air vehicle

The VoloRegion is an electrically powered aircraft that can take off and land vertically (eVTOL). It is being developed by the German company Volocopter.

SkyDrive is a eVTOL company based in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced Air Mobility</span> Next generation aviation

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is an air transport system.

References

  1. 1 2 Davies, Alex (January 14, 2018). "Boeing's Experimental Cargo Drone Is a Heavy Lifter". Wired. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  2. "Boeing Cargo Aerial Vehicle". Electric VTOL News. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  3. Woodrow Bellamy III (July 24, 2018). "Boeing Exploring Autonomy, LIDAR in Future Air Cargo Aircraft". aviationtoday. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Watch: Cargo Air Vehicle Completes First Outdoor Flight" (Press release). Boeing. May 2, 2019.
  5. Charles Alcock (September 17, 2020). "Boeing NeXt To Close, Raising Doubts over eVTOL Activities". AIN online.
  6. "Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle (CAV)". TRANSPORT UP. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  7. Charles Kauffman (October 3, 2019). "Boeing NeXt drone completes forward-flight milestone". cargofacts.com. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  8. "Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle". evtol.news. February 1, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  9. "Boeing Moves Forward With CAV". evtol.news. November 4, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  10. Chad Trautvetter (November 18, 2019). "Boeing Makes Progress on NeXt Big Things". ainonline.com. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  11. "Boeing Passenger Air Vehicle (PAV)". transportup.com. Retrieved 2023-11-04.