As drones continue to expand from hobbyists and film makers into commercial and passenger freight, Boeing unveils its monster octocopter.
While driverless vehicle innovations and electric motors alter the future of over-the-road (OTR) freight, drone technology continues to grow “above-the-road” possibilities.
That became clear last week when Boeing announced a successful prototype for its unmanned electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) cargo air vehicle (CAV). It’s a mouthful, but it also packs wallop, weighing more than 700 pounds and measuring 15 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 4 feet tall.
Boeing eVTOL Drone
Armed with eight counter-rotating blades and an electric motor, the eVTOL can lift up to 500 pounds. Boeing released video of the drone’s first successful test flight at its Research and Technology’s Collaborative Autonomous Systems Laboratory in Missouri (below).