--- title: "This Giant Cargo Drone Can Carry 500 Pound Pods Hundreds of Miles" description: "San-Francisco-based aerospace startup Elroy Air built a giant cargo drone that can carry 500 pounds of cargo for 300 miles at a time." date: "2019-02-13" modified: "2019-05-07" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/giant-cargo-drone-elroy-air" categories: - "Drones" - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "Cargo" - "drone" - "the digest" - "vtol" --- # This Giant Cargo Drone Can Carry 500 Pound Pods Hundreds of Miles ![San-Francisco-based aerospace startup Elroy Air built a giant cargo drone that can carry 500 pounds of cargo for 300 miles at a time.]() *\Image: Elroy Air\* ## Cargo Drones We've seen prototypes of [delivery drones]() before. The vast majority of them are small and agile, and designed for small deliveries. San-Francisco-based aerospace startup [Elroy Air]() is trying to break into the cargo industry instead, with a giant drone called the Chaparral. The heavy-duty drone can carry 500 pounds of cargo for 300 miles, [*Wired* reports](), and the idea is to replace truck routes that are hard to cover on land. "We want to be like the Ford F-150 of the sky," Elroy CEO David Merrill [told *Forbes*](). ## "Ford F-150 of the Sky" Six rotors allow the cargo drone to take off and land vertically. A rotor attached to the tail end lets it cruise at a brisk pace. Since it doesn't need a runway, the drone doesn't require an airport. It doesn't even need an electric charging station, thanks to its "hybrid-electric powertrain," according to the Elroy's [official website](). Rather than carry cargo inside a cargo hold, the Chaparral system will be able to pick up cargo "pods," allowing for efficient loading and unloading while the drone is still in the air. That's apparently a compelling vision to investors: the company announced today it had raised [$9.2 million]() in a seed round. ## Search and Rescue The uses for the cargo drone aren't limited to simple delivery routes. The Chaparral system could be used to improve disaster response or help out during remote military missions. But the startup still has a lot to prove to investors. Elroy is hoping to begin testing this year. But the concept will likely take a number of years of development before it can take to the skies commercially. The startup will also face some steep competition with the likes of Boeing [developing their own]() — and strikingly similar— cargo drone technology. **READ MORE:** [Forget People, Elroy's Self-Flying Drone Hauls Heavy Cargo]() \[*Wired*\] ***More on cargo drones: [Boeing’s New Prototype Cargo Drone Can Carry up to 500 Pounds]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()