<p>Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.</p>
<p>Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.</p>


Managing Editor

<p><span><span><span>CargoTron is entering the contest to bring medium-capacity freight drones to market with plans for a remotely&nbsp;piloted PD250 model that it says will be able to carry a 250-kilogram&nbsp;(550-pound) payload over distances of up to 600 kilometers&nbsp;(375 miles). The Turkish-UK start-up believes the hybrid-electric vehicle will offer greater operational flexibility than alternative vehicles now in development by being able to operate from a 13-meter (42.6-foot) diameter ground footprint, thanks to an innovative design through which a folding wing is transformed into a landing gear.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>CargoTron is targeting business-to-business operations in which the PD250 will interface with first-mile/last-mile and mid-mile/feeder operations, bringing loads to locations where goods can be offloaded from cargo pods onto trucks,&nbsp;potentially including electric ground vehicles. It sees its most likely customer base as large freight logistics groups that could operate across clusters of dispersed bases that might include warehouse parking lots and retail/industrial distribution centers.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>“We don’t see a bright future for door-to-door delivery drones,” the company’s co-founder, Emre Yazici, told <strong>FutureFlight</strong>. “CargoTron realized early that a single-step-to-customer or unimodal solution to urban cargo delivery is not practical. Any good solution should take into account existing practices and, of course, the human element.”</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>So, the company is now assessing options for either manual loading and unloading of the PD250’s cargo pod or a specially&nbsp;designed ground vehicle that could operate autonomously.&nbsp;</span></span></span></p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/PD250v2-35-21.png" width="3713" height="1591" alt="CargoTron's PD250 drone features folding wings that can be deployed as landing gear." title="CargoTron's PD250 drone features folding wings that can be deployed as landing gear. (Image: CargoTron)">

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            <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">CargoTron's PD250 drone features folding wings that can be deployed as landing gear. (Image: CargoTron)</div>
      
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<figcaption>CargoTron's PD250 drone features folding wings that can be deployed as landing gear. (Image: CargoTron)</figcaption>
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<p><span><span><span>According to CargoTron, the PD250 will have 37 percent greater operational efficiency than its closest competitor—a measure that it has reached by multiplying the speed of its vehicle by its cargo capacity and then dividing by the ground footprint from which it can operate. It also claims that its external detachable cargo pod is more flexible than internal cargo bays for different&nbsp;customer requirements, and it intends to offer these in various shapes to accommodate varying load dimensions.</span></span></span></p>
<h3 class="subheading"><strong><span><span><span>Folding Wings Mean Smaller Operational Ground Footprint&nbsp;</span></span></span></strong></h3>
<p><span><span><span>The company has not explicitly named what it views as its closest competitor, but in separate discussions, it mentioned Textron subsidiary Pipistrel, which is working on a drone called the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-04-01/pipistrels-nuuva-v300-cargo-vehicle-will-use-honeywell-flight-data-systems">Nuuva V300</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;will have a 13.2-meter wingspan. The V300 is expected to have a much larger maximum payload of 2.500 kilograms&nbsp;and a range of up to 2,500 kilometers, but Pipistrel has indicated that more typical operations will involve a 300-kilogram&nbsp;load being carried over around 300 kilometers. Other comparable market entrants might include <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-01-24/mightyfly-starts-flight-testing-longer-range-autonomous-evtol-freighter">MightyFly</a> with its Cento drone (and plans for a larger 500-pound-payload version) and <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-02-18/elroy-air-makes-case-chaparrals-transformation-air-cargo-services">Elroy Air</a> with its Chaparral, which has attracted the attention of FedEx.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>CargoTron’s calculations for the projected operating footprint of the PD250 are based on the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s CAP 437 regulations governing landing pads on offshore oil platforms and high buildings. Although precise infrastructure regulations for cargo drone operations are not yet fully settled, the company believes EASA’s anticipated new requirements will be fairly similar to CAP 437.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>When the PD250’s wing tips are folded down, the wingspan is reduced from 7.2 meters to just 3.8 meters. Yazici explained that the wings fold on a hinge mechanism somewhat similar to that used to deploy landing gear on a fixed-wing aircraft. The wing tips contain small wheels on which the vehicle can rest, with stability provided by boom structures connecting the vehicle's two wings that are twice the thickness of the wings themselves.</span></span></span></p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/PD250LandingArea.jpg" width="2100" height="1050" alt="CargoTron says its PD250 drone will operate from a ground footprint with just a 13 meter diameter." title="CargoTron says its PD250 drone will operate from a ground footprint with just a 13-meter diameter. (Image: CargoTron)">

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            <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">CargoTron says its PD250 drone will operate from a ground footprint with just a 13-meter diameter. (Image: CargoTron)</div>
      
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<figcaption>CargoTron says its PD250 drone will operate from a ground footprint with just a 13-meter diameter. (Image: CargoTron)</figcaption>
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<p><span><span><span>“Our folding wing is a simpler design than some of the tilting rotors you see on larger [passenger-carrying] eVTOL aircraft and we believe the [aviation] authorities will be more accustomed to our approach,” Yazici said when asked about possible type certification challenges. For now, it is not&nbsp;clear under what rules cargo drones of this size will be certified, and CargoTron said it has yet to discuss its plan with regulators.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>CargoTron intends to power the PD250 with what it describes as a “plug-in” hybrid powerplant that would combine an as-yet-unspecified internal combustion engine with a generator and batteries. The batteries would be recharged during flights and would mainly support the use of electric motors during takeoff and landing, with an additional motor installed with a pusher propeller at the rear of the airframe.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Yazici is a former executive with the helicopter division of Turkish Aerospace Industries, and he formed CargoTron with Ross Kelly, with whom he worked on joint rotorcraft programs with Leonardo. For now, they are leading a small team of four Turkish aerospace engineers, with plans to expand as fundraising efforts bear fruit.</span></span></span></p>
<h3 class="subheading"><strong><span><span><span>Fundraising Campaign Gets Underway</span></span></span></strong></h3>
<p><span><span><span>According to Kelly, the start-up will need little more than $50 million to get to the manufacturing stage, partly due to lower costs in Turkey. However, he is eager for the vehicle to achieve civil certification in the key U.S. and European markets and told <strong>FutureFlight</strong> that the team will need only 42 months to achieve this once the funding is in place. In May 2022, Yazici applied for patents for aspects of the design, including the folding wing.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>The first goal is to raise $15 million to fund a six-month preliminary design phase followed by a further 15 months that the company estimates will be needed to build and fly what it calls a “concept exploration vehicle.” Beyond that, it plans to build an “engineering prototype” and also a conforming “manufacturing prototype.”</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>In the meantime, Kelly is leading efforts to engage with prospective PD250 operators and gather their feedback on specifications and operational performance. The plan also calls for the creation of a network of distributors and service centers.</span></span></span></p>


Charles Alcock

CargoTron's PD250 remotely piloted drone freighter is expected to have a 250-kg payload and a range of 600 km. (Image: CargoTron)

Folding-wing Landing Gear Are the Secret Sauce for CargoTron's Business-to-Business Drone Freighters

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