The aircraft will be able to lift more than 300 kg of cargo in a 2.3m cubed volume space over a range of 500km, with cruising altitudes up to 6,000m and VTOL capability up to 2,500m above sea level.
The aircraft will be equipped with eight vertical-lift packages each consisting of a Pipistrel E-811 EASA Type certified powered rotor with battery packs that assure safe operation even if two rotors are inoperative.
SF Express VP and chairman of logistics drone operator SF UAS Li Dongqi said: “We believe VTOL drones will become a major vehicle in China, and SF Express alone will need more than 1000 in the next 10 years.”
Pipistrel founder and CEO Ivo Boscarol added: “To be chosen by one of the largest logistics companies globally to design and produce a tailor-made line of vehicles for aerial cargo transportation is a solid recognition of Pipistrel’s capability built up on more than a decade of achievements in electric flight.
“We look forward to becoming even more involved in strategic business solutions on a global scale, where our vehicles will change how aerial logistics work and have further significant impacts to sustainability and quality of life.”
The aircraft prototype is scheduled to undergo flight testing with the Amazilia Aerospace system in Europe followed by operational validation in China starting in 2022.
By 2023, SF Express intends to deploy the HVTOL cargo drone fleet in their domestic and non-domestic business operations.
Dongqi said: “Our efforts to achieve 36-hour countrywide delivery throughout China face significant challenges, such as natural barriers, underdeveloped logistics infrastructure, and more, especially in rural China.
“SF Express intends to adopt cargo VTOL drones to solve this bottleneck due to their flexibility and high speed, which is on par with helicopters, and has low costs which are competitive with truck delivery.
“The high-altitude capability allows us to extend our civil air cargo service coverage to even difficult to reach mountainous areas.”
