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Elroy Air’s Chaparral C1 Completes Hover-to-Cruise Transition

Company data show Chaparral cuts power use by four times in wingborne flight, setting the stage for a 25-mile demonstration before cargo missions by year-end.

Elroy Air Chaparral autonomous hybrid electric cargo drone

Overview

  • The Chaparral C1 completed three autonomous hover-to-wingborne transition flights of about 2.5 miles each, reaching speeds near 70 mph.
  • Its hybrid-electric powertrain combines eight vertical lift rotors, four forward cruise propellers and an onboard turbogenerator, cutting power draw by roughly four times during forward flight.
  • Elroy plans a 25-statute-mile mission later this month and intends to launch point-to-point cargo flights by year-end 2025 as it pursues a 300-mile range target.
  • The company has secured a commercial backlog exceeding 1,500 aircraft with customers such as FedEx, Bristow Group and LCI.
  • Elroy is gearing up for scaled production, coordinating defense airworthiness approvals with military partners, pursuing FAA commercial certification under new BVLOS standards.