eFlight Journal 02-2020

e Innovation
eVTOL and eSTOL
Unmanned
Cargo Transport
Why are the unmanned cargo
transport applications a rising
market? Despite Corona where
many things stand still, the electrification
of aviation is continuing
moving forward. There are new investments
flowing into the eVTOL
area - like Lilium’s investment in
March of this year. There was the
Elroy Air’s eVTOL
cargo drone is
designed to have
an auto-loading
cargo bay
world’s first certification of an aircraft
in the CS–LSA Class, and
the first certification of an electric
propulsion system for a certified
aircraft - both done by EASA and
both received by the Slovenian
Manufacturer Pipistrel. Also there
is a new trend in the eVTOL industry
around the world’s 1st Cargo.
WWith prevailing evidence, it appears that eVTOL and
eSTOL used for unmanned cargo delivery application
is becoming a rising market. Therefore,it is worthwhile
to keep a close eye on this and also on relevant manufacturers
and operators. Though there is no official
specification to define cargo transport eVTOL and eS-
TOL, it is safe to use passenger-grade payload weight
capacity as a guideline to differentiate heavy-haul eV-
TOL and eSTOL from small cargo drones, i.e. 100 kg
should be a reasonable benchmark for cargo transport
eVTOL and eSTOL. In comparison: small cargo drones
such as Google’s Wing delivery UAV can carry only
several kilograms and thus their application and use
cases are very different from heavy-haul eVTOLs and
eSTOLs.
MAIN REASONS:
1. Cargo application requires in many countries relatively
less stringent certification and operation rules
compared with passenger-carrying application, especially
for eVTOL.
2. In the current economic downturn caused by the
pandemic, it is urgent for eVTOL and autonomous flight
control startup companies to generate cashflow in order
to survive rather than keep burning capital while
waiting for the certification of passenger-carrying models.
3. Field proven in small-scale,real use during COVID-19
due to the demand for time-sensitive medical supplies
and the concern of close human contact.
12 e Flight Journal
2 / 2020