Improving the Lift Capacity and Utility of the Hybrid-Electric VTOL Chaparral UAS with Skid Landing Gear

Elroy Air, Inc is developing an autonomous multi-mission hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, the Chaparral.Ā It is capable of carrying 300-400 pounds, 300+ miles with minimal human interaction to execute ground and flight operations, significantly reducing workload for soldiers, reducing logistical burdens for supplying expeditionary forces, and reducing costs compared to crewed vertical lift systems used today.Ā ĀĀ The Chaparral has demonstrated the ability to autonomously locate and taxi to assigned cargo pods using a LiDAR-based perception system to circumvent stationary and moving objects. Ā Each cargo pod has four ultra-wideband transponders that emit a unique identifier enabling the aircraft to automatically detect the pod, taxi itself to a position over/atop the pod, grasp, lift, and latch the cargo pod into flight position along the fuselage centerline.Ā This allows the operator to direct the aircraft to retrieve a desired pod and proceed on its mission, land, and set the cargo on the ground before returning with minimal interaction with the aircraft.Ā The modular 27 cubic ft payload pods can be preloaded with a variety of supplies, sensors, and fuel.Ā With auxiliary fuel in a modified cargo pod, the Chaparral can self/forward deploy up to 1000 miles.Ā Ā There are cases, however, when is it advantageous to have skids (versus electrically driven wheels) on the aircraft when flying logistics missions in austere environments.ĀĀ Elroy Air proposes a Phase I study to determine integrating a lightweight skid landing gear systemĀthat enables the Chaparral to execute greater payload lift and/or longer range/endurance multi-mission sorties.Ā Elroy Air will conduct a study that looks at various skid configurations and design options that allow as much ground autonomy as with the electrically driven wheel system.Ā This will enable the commercial autonomous low cost UAS to operate on and around unimproved / makeshift landing zones and outposts that expand defense,Ācommercial, and humanitarian utility of the system.Ā The SBIR Phase 1 study willĀprovide final recommendations for a prototype to be built and demonstrated during a potential Phase II contract.ĀĀ