Issue 45 | Uncrewed Systems Technology Aug/Sept 2022 Tidewie USV Tupan | Performance monitoring | Bayonet 350 | UAVs insight | Xponential 2022 | ULPower UL350i and UL350iHPS | Elroy Air Chaparral | Gimbals | Clogworks Dark Matter

93 rotor hybrid configuration, although unlike most such UAVs we have featured previously, the Chaparral is shaped much like a traditional air cargo plane rather than a twin-boom aircraft. Its fuselage runs the entire 5.8 m length from the nose to the tail, with a straight (non- sweeping) and tapered 8 m-span wing with a high aspect ratio. At the upper rear sits a 2.2 m-high T-tail, and beneath the fuselage are landing gear with a wide stance that end in electrically motorised wheel pods for taxiing. The hull sections are carbon fibre to ensure a lightweight yet stiff construction for the powered wheel pods and its propulsors, 12 of which are distributed across the wings. Four of the Chaparral’s propulsors are forward-facing electric motor drives mounted on pylons that hang below the wings, while the other eight are oriented vertically. Four of those eight point downwards on booms that extend forward from the wings, while the other four face upwards at the ends of booms protruding back from the wings. All 12 drive dual-blade carbon fibre props, with electric power from a turboshaft engine driving an electric generator. “In many ways, the Chaparral resembles the kinds of eVTOL and UAM aircraft we’re seeing from our peers, such as Joby, Kittyhawk and so on, but the Chaparral has a few unique features that tailor it to the uncrewed air freight application,” Merrill says. “One of those is the hybrid-electric powertrain, which enables a much longer range than a battery-electric vehicle and austere operations. That’s still fairly rare, even for this new generation of transitioning- VTOL aircraft,” he adds. “They’re difficult to engineer, and there are more parts that need inspecting and replacing, but the range and flexibility they enable are invaluable to our logistics customers.” Another differentiator in the Chaparral is its automated cargo-handling robotics, which have been engineered to enable unattended taxiing, securing and release of cargo loads while it is on the ground. That is a critical factor in Elroy Air’s efforts to make much of the Chaparral’s operations autonomous. “The big benefit of that autonomy in express air shipping is that the vehicle doesn’t need to wait around on the ground for ages to be loaded or unloaded,” Merrill says. “It can do all that by itself, leaving the workers on the ground free to focus on checking cargo manifests, moving pallets to where the aircraft taxis pick them up, and carrying out maintenance of the aircraft themselves when necessary.” The wing has a bearing that allows it to rotate 90 º when necessary. This means that when it’s unfastened, the wing can be swivelled in line with the fuselage to give the airframe a footprint slender enough to fit inside a C130 Hercules for transport – particularly useful for the company’s potential military users. “Enabling stowage without taking the whole aircraft apart is a significant saver in time and costs,” Merrill says. “Also, the tail is designed with a hinge to fold it back Elroy Air Chaparral | In operation Uncrewed Systems Technology | August/September 2022 FedEx and Elroy Air have announced plans to launch test flights in 2023 (Images courtesy of Elroy Air) Four of the Chaparral’s eight VTOL propulsors point downwards, while the other four face upwards