DISTANCE
TRANSPORTATION
MIDDLE
Boeing has powered it with an
electric propulsion system and
electric vertical take-off and
landing (eVTOL) technology.
The initial prototypes were
released in 2018, but the
engineers have refi ned
the designs after indoor
testing, fl ight simulations
and laboratory research.
Boeing began outdoor tests
in May this year on the latest
prototype, which has six
dual-rotor systems and 12
propellers, four more than
the initial design. It is just
over fi ve metres long, about
six metres wide and weighs
nearly 500 kilogrammes. The
capacity of 227 kilogrammes
is around a third smaller than
software platform that uses
the Black Swan. The company
the Black Swan.
blockchain technology
has fl own a 30 foot prototype
Though a corporation
to monitor the drones’
on 30 hour test runs between
rather than a start-up, Boeing
positioning. “We’re looking
Los Angeles and Hawaii and
is considering many of the
at how to autonomously
has scheduled its fi rst full-size
same issues as Dronamics.
notify other vehicles in the
drone fl ight for 2020. To get
Troy Rutherford, Boeing’s
vicinity of where the drones
around regulations that ban
Senior Director for CAV, agrees
are. These safety concerns are
drone fl ights over populated
with Rangelov that drones
our number one priority and
areas, the Natilus machines are
will be integrated with the
we won’t be able to say the
designed to take off and land
supply chain in rural areas
drones are ready to operate
on water. They will be taxi-ied
before they are deployed
until they are completely
into ports, where cranes will
closer to urban centres.
safe,” he emphasises.
unload the cargo. Natilus is
Like the Rangelov brothers,
planning to build hundreds of
Rutherford has also given a
Other angles
the vehicles and hopes to sell
lot of thought to where the
Meanwhile in China, the
to courier deliverers like FedEx
SAVs might land and Boeing
Sichuan Tengden Technology
and UPS, as well as retailers
is planning to create special
drone is on another scale
like Costco and Whole Foods.
landing pads for general
entirely to that of the Boeing
“There’s a huge market out
airports and logistics hubs.
and Dronamics’ aircraft. The
there that drone manufacturers
Boeing NeXt is also
Beijing start-up claims it will
can tap into. There are more
working with regulators every
be able to carry 20 tonnes
than 10,000 freighters in the
step of the way to enable
(20,000 kilogrammes) of cargo
world and a lot more freight
the safe integration of its
autonomously, which is about
is carried in the bellies of
SAVs. One of the regulators’
60 times more than the Black
passenger aircraft,” explains
main safety concerns is
Swan. It will feature eight
Rangelov. “We are optimistic
about ensuring the drones
engines, a wingspan of 41
they will be a major part
are able to avoid collisions
metres and have a range of up
of the cargo supply chain
with commercial passenger
to 7,500 kilometres. The fi rst
within a few years. It only
aircraft. To address this
fl ight is planned for next year.
depends on each country’s
issue, Boeing NeXt has set
Meanwhile, Californian
desire to regulate it. As drones
up a joint venture called
are seen to be taking cargo
SkyGrid with the Texasbased
effi ciently and cost-effectively
artifi cial intelligence
to communities that are not
company SparkCognition.
well served, they will quickly
SkyGrid is an AI-enabled
become accepted.” start-up Natilus is developing
an even larger 60 metre long
drone with a 90 tonne capacity
(90,000 kilogrammes), which
is about 270 times more than
Coming to a sky near you?
We are optimistic
they will be a major
part of the supply
chain
Svilen Rangelov, CEO, Dronamics
40 August 2019 www.airlogisticsinternational.com
/www.airlogisticsinternational.com