Natilus was founded in April 2016[2] by Aleksey Matyushev and Anatoly Starikov. The idea for Natilus was sparked after their industrial design firm experienced challenges getting product out of Asia, leading them to the realization that cargo shipping is inexpensive but slow, while air freight is timely but expensive. The company was originally based in the San Francisco Bay Area and the original prototype was a seaplane.[3] In 2021 the company relocated to San Diego, California to access aerospace engineering talent and a world-class wind tunnel facility.[4]
Market
Natilus targets an existing $197 billion global air cargo market, projected to grow beyond $210 billion by 2027[5], and the potential to tap into the $2.2 trillion global cargo shipping market, projected to reach $4.2 trillion by 2031[6].
Aircraft
Natilus Nordes 100-ton blended-wing-body cargo aircraft flying over port
The 2020 carbon-fiber full-scale 200ft (61m) long turboprop drone design is simple without a cockpit, landing gear, or pressurization and would taxi into port remotely controlled at about 30kn (56km/h).[8] Landing gear room is leaved for future use in the 140ft (43m) wide large drone.[9] Natilus aims to ship 200,000lb (91t) from Los Angeles to Shanghai in 30h for $130,000 at $3 per gallon of jet fuel, while a Boeing 747 takes 11h for $260,000 and a cargo ship takes 504 hours for $61,000 [10]
Development
A 6m (20ft) wingspan scale model will test the autopilot and water take-off and landing. In July 2015, it was targeted to fly within 18 months before a full scale aircraft three years later.[7]
Natilus raised $750,000 of venture capital from Tim Draper and was incubated at the aviation-oriented Starburst Accelerator in Los Angeles. Natilus hopes to fly its 30ft (9.1m)prototype, comparable in size and weight with a Predator drone, between Los Angeles and Hawaii on 30-hour test runs, carrying up to 700lb (320kg) of cargo. The over 200ft (61m) full-scale drone would be finished by 2020 to be flight tested and certified before commercial flights.[1]
A launch customer wants an 80ft (24m) long cargo with a 40,000lb (18t) capacity for 2019, to fly the Los Angeles to Hawaii route, before a 140ft (43m) long craft with a 200,000lb (91t) capacity would fly between the U.S. and China by 2020.[8] About 70% complete in May 2017, the prototype seaplane will lack a landing gear, its maximum gross weight is 2,200lb (1,000kg), its wingspan is 30ft (9.1m) and it will cruise at 100kn (190km/h).[9]
In August 2017, smaller 2 to 10t (4,400 to 22,000lb) cargo-drones were envisioned, with large cargo doors and designed for a 120kg/m3 (200lb/cuyd)dimensional weight.[11]
In November 2017, Natilus closed a second round of seed funding from Starburst Ventures, Seraph Group, Gelt VC, Outpost Capital and Draper Associates. Using existing turbofan and turboprop engines, a 12,000lb (5.4t) drone with a retractable landing gear would carry 2t (4,400lb) over 1,000nmi (1,900km) between local regional airports; the 120t (260,000lb) payload craft would weight 950,000lb (430t) for trans-Pacific routes.[12]
The 2-tonne payload freighter would have a blended wing body configuration.[13] In December 2017, water-taxiing of the 9m (30ft) wide prototype was going to be tested in San Francisco Bay, before flight testing in 2018 and the 2t (4,400lb) capable freighter by 2020.[14]
In February 2018, the 2,200lb (1.00t), 30ft (9.1m)-span prototype was being prepared for flight from San Pablo Bay, north of San Francisco, powered by a single Rotax 912 piston. The next aircraft will be a blended wing body (BWB) landplane, providing 30% more volume. The first product will be a small regional freighter powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A with a 3.5–4.5t (7,700–9,900lb) cargo capacity and a 20,000lb (9.1t) MTOW, to fly in 2020 and to be certified under the FAR Part 23 within 3.5 years from February 2018.[15]
As of March 2023 the projected product range consisted of three variants, all BWB freighters: Kona, a pusher twin-turboprop capable of carrying 3.8 tonnes (8,400lb) payload over 900 nautical miles (1,700km), Alisio, a turbofan capable of 60 tonnes (130,000lb) over 4,140 nautical miles (7,670km), and Nordes capable of 100 tonnes (220,000lb) over 5,400 nautical miles (10,000km). The company reported that Ameriflight has "agreed to purchase" 20 Konas, and that total agreements cover 460 aircraft valued at over $6.8 billion. The aircraft will have an autopilot, with a ground-based human pilot able to control up to three vehicles.[16]
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