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New Cargo eVTOL Concept From CycloTech and Yamato Boasts Unique Design and Features

Japanese parcel delivery provider Yamato and Austrian propulsion system developer CycloTech teamed up to develop a new type of cargo eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft concept. The drone promises to offer key features that make it capable of precision landing in confined areas and allow it to operate in challenging conditions.
CycloTech and Yamato CCY-01 cargo eVTOL aircraft 7 photos
Photo: CycloTech
CycloTech and Yamato cargo eVTOL aircraft conceptCycloTech prototype test flightCycloTech prototype test flightCycloTech prototype test flightCycloTech prototype test flightCycloTech prototype test flight
This is not the first time we hear of CycloTech, whose VTOL patented propulsion technology we already covered last year. The company’s been working on its CycloRotor propulsion system for more than three years and back in the fall, it finally unveiled a prototype of it.

CycloRotors (which are based on the same principle as the Voith Schneider propeller, a vessel propulsion solution used for decades in the maritime industry) enable thrust generation 360-degree around the rotation axis within fractions of a second, at a constant rotation speed and direction. They are compact, have a small footprint, can easily transition from hover to forward flight and allow precise maneuverability. The prototype presented by CycloTech in October was equipped with four such CycloRotors.

Now the Austria-based company announces the aforementioned partnership with Yamato to develop a mid-class cargo eVTOL aircraft concept using the unique characteristics of the CycloRotors. In their feasibility study, the two parties involved refer to their new cargo eVTOL concept as the CCY-01. The aircraft is designed to be compact, with a footprint of just 2.7 x 2.5 m (8.9 x 8.2 ft) on the ground, being able to land with precision in confined areas of just 5 m (16.4 ft) in diameter.

It would be battery-powered, it would use six omni-directional thrust generating CycloRotors, and would be able to maintain its stability in winds of up to 36 knots (18 meters per sec/59 ft per sec). The CCY-01 would be capable of transporting payloads of up to 45 kg (99 lb) over distances of up to 40 km (25 miles). It is designed to reach top speeds of approximately 130 kph (81 mph).

This innovative cargo eVTOL would work with Yamato’s PUPA (pod unit for parcel air-transportation) cargo pod, with the CCY-01 using the PUPA701, which would be attached to it. Thanks to its compact design, the aircraft would have easy and unobstructed access to the PUPA701 bay, with all the loading and unloading operations being handled from one side.

You can find more details on the CycloTech/Yamato cargo eVTOL in the press release below. But as far as the actual production of the aircraft goes, neither of the two companies gives any clear indication that we could have our parcel delivered by one of these highly acclaimed unmanned aircraft any time soon.
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About the author: Cristina Mircea
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Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
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