Innovative vertical propulsion company Cyclotech has collaborated with Yamato to produce a concept for a mid-capacity delivery drone using Cyclotech’s thrust-vectoring propulsion system.
This unique aircraft flies with six of Cyclotech’s Voith-Schneider style propulsion barrels, which spin around at high RPM while blades along the length of the cylinder constantly alter their angle to direct thrust.
Their partnership is called CCY-01. It uses four propulsion barrels as per normal but adds an extra two angled 90 degrees backward. This allows it to produce horizontal sideways thrust while staying level.
The uniquely shaped drone body is designed to accept a “Pod Unit for Parcel Air-Transportation” (PUPA) cargo pod. These are Yamato’s designs, and while the company is working on several, this study uses the PUPA701, which is built as a neat little pushcart capable of carrying about 30 kg (66 lb.) of cargo.
The PUPA has retractable wheels and can be pushed directly into a loading position between the legs of the CCY-01, upon which it’s drawn up into the airframe by a metal bar across its top.
With a payload weight of 45 kg (99 lb., including PUPA), this machine would fly missions up to 40 km (25 miles) at speeds up to around 130 km/h (81 mph), requiring a 2.7 x 2.5 m (8.9 x 8.2 ft) footprint on the ground.
Cyclotech has designed it up and run it through a “Flight Performance Tool” for optimization.
“As the advantage and feasibility of CycloRotor-applied cargo eVTOL aircraft have been successfully discovered, Yamato will accelerate pursuing the realization of a high value-adding airborne logistics operations with the technical premises expanded by this study.” We believe that’s corporate for “no.”
