Boeing has unveiled a giant drone that is capable of lifting a 500-pound payload.
Calling it an ‘unmanned electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) cargo air vehicle (CAV) prototype’, the aerospace giant said it could serve as a precursor for future autonomous flying aircraft.
The company said in a statement its heavy-duty drone had taken Boeing’s engineers only three months to design and build. It has since successfully completed initial flight tests at Boeing’s research lab in Missouri.
“This flying cargo air vehicle represents another major step in our Boeing eVTOL strategy,” said Boeing chief technology officer Greg Hyslop. “We have an opportunity to really change air travel and transport, and we’ll look back on this day as a major step on that journey.”
Powered by an electric propulsion system, the CAV prototype is outfitted with eight rotors allowing for vertical flight. It is 4.57 metres long, 5.49 metres wide 1.22 metres high and weighs 339 kilograms.
