The Slovenian company Pipistrel, commissioned by the largest Chinese courier company SF Express, will finalize its electric cargo drone Nuuva. According to eVTOL, as a result of further development, the device will be able to perform stable flights at an altitude of 6 thousand meters in airplane mode and 2.5 thousand meters in vertical take-off and landing modes.
Pipistrel introduced the Nuuva family of drones in September 2020. Initially, it was planned to include two devices — Nuuva V20 and Nuuva V300. These drones with a maximum take-off weight of 100 kilograms and 1.7 tons, respectively, according to the project, will be able to transport cargo weighing 20 and 450 kilograms, respectively. The range of their flight will be 1 and 2.5 thousand kilometers.
As part of the agreement with SF Express, the Nuuva family will be supplemented with another cargo drone capable of transporting cargo weighing 300 kilograms. The device will receive a cargo compartment with a volume of 2.3 cubic meters. The range of its flight will be 500 kilometers. The device is planned to be equipped with an autonomous flight system along the route, as well as equipment that supports the control of an automatic dispatch system.
The drone will receive eight independent electric motors with Pipistrel E-811 propellers, each of which will be powered by its own battery. It is expected that the first prototype of the device will make its first flight before the end of 2021, and in 2022 it will pass flight tests in China. SF Express plans to launch commercial Nuuva flights starting in 2023.
Earlier, Pipistrel announced the decision to change the project of the Nuuva V20 cargo electric drone. The new drone will be produced in a reconnaissance version. The decision to change the project was made after the Slovenian company received feedback from potential buyers of the cargo drone.
Vasily Sychev
