A self-flying cargo drone that combines features of both helicopters and airplanes is starting to prove that it is the real deal.
Elroy Air, developer of the Chaparral—an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) designed to carry up to 300 pounds of payload over 300 sm (about 260 nm)—on Wednesday revealed that its preproduction Chaparral C1 has transitioned from hover to wingborne forward flight. The flights mark a major technical milestone for the hybrid-electric, vertical takeoff and landing (hVTOL) aircraft, which is intended for runway-independent commercial and military logistics missions.
“It’s one of the most technically complex phases of VTOL flight, because you need this really careful, autonomous orchestration,” Andrew Clare, CEO of Elroy, told FLYING. “You also need a very detailed understanding of the aerodynamics and the structural dynamics of your aircraft.”
Proving Ground
Similar to electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis, Chaparral lifts off like a helicopter but cruises on rigid wings like a plane. Its hybrid-electric powertrain feeds eight vertical and four forward propellers, with a turbogenerator that can recharge its batteries during cruise flight. Elroy claims the C1’s maiden voyage in 2023 was the first of a turboshaft hybrid-electric model.
“Because we have a hybrid-electric power plant, once we get into this wingborne mode of flight, our batteries are recharging in flight,” said Clare, “and we can fly for really long distances because of how energy-dense fuel is.”
According to Elroy, the production version of Chaparral will operate fully uncrewed—both in the air and on the ground. It can autonomously pick up and deposit payloads using a family of modular cargo pods the company developed.
The hVTOL is intended to eliminate risk to personnel while operating “at a fraction of the capital and operational cost of piloted helicopters,” per Elroy. Its operations could span commercial middle-mile logistics and military resupply to disaster response and humanitarian aid deliveries.
Clare said the company already has north of 1,500 aircraft in its commercial backlog, with customers including Bristow Group, FedEx, and LCI. It flew the Chaparral for the U.S. Marine Corps at Yuma Proving Ground in July 2024—during which it demonstrated its 300-pound capacity—and has active contracts with the U.S. Army, Air Force, and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
Until July, though, Elroy had yet to validate one of Chaparral’s flagship capabilities: runway independence.
“Transition is all about getting to efficient, long range flight…but vertical takeoff and landing is a very power-hungry mode,” said Clare. “So you have to be able to transition to efficient wingborne flight to reduce the power demands on the system.”
Clare said the recent transition flights are proof of Chaparral’s “technical maturity and operational potential.” An initial sortie on July 31 was followed by two more flights to validate the system’s reliability and extend the range. Each comprised a vertical takeoff, forward flight, and vertical landing.
“We can now fly as long as we have fuel,” Clare said.
The autonomous drone reached a top speed of 70 mph, shy of its intended top speed of 143 mph. But Clare said future flights will rapidly expand the envelope—completing the transition was the tricky part. According to the company’s data, Chaparral demonstrated a fourfold reduction in power usage during forward flight versus hover.
The next phase of testing, Clare said, will focus on expanding the aircraft’s range. A 25 sm (22 nm) mission is planned for August.
“By the end of the year, we’ll be moving cargo from point A to point B,” he said, “and in the next few years, we’re going to begin delivering production Chaparrals to customers.”
Ramping Up Chaparral
Though the transition flights were completed with the preproduction C1, Clare said Elroy is approaching scaled Chaparral production in the coming months. The company is working toward a defense airworthiness approval with its military customers and coordinating with the FAA on commercial certification.
Clare said he was optimistic about the company’s prospects given the recent string of regulatory developments for commercial UAS.
The FAA’s proposed Part 108 rule rule, for instance, would create standards for flight beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the operator—including over people and in controlled airspace. Clare said the rule, which covers drones with an MTOW up to 1,320 pounds, will “absolutely” apply to Chaparral.
The Elroy CEO also pointed to the White House’s recent executive orders promoting the domestic UAS industry and developments at the Defense Department—such as the ramp-up of low-cost drone production—as strong signals for the industry.
“I think it’s amazing to see the FAA making all the recent forward progress to really unlock commercial drone operations in the United States,” Clare said.
As the company waits for those changes to materialize, it plans to continue its work with defense partners. According to Clare, there could even be a few more transition flights in store to validate the aircraft for its customers.
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