Photo: Natilus
You're probably a bit tired of hearing about revolutionary aircraft designs being in the works, and also a bit disappointed that many of these projects usually fail, just like the startups behind them, long before they can actually take off. But some of these ideas do have the potential of making it, and one way to measure that is by looking at how interested other companies are in them.
I'm not sure how many of you heard about a company called Natilus and the potentially revolutionary blended-wing-body aircraft it plans on making. We've talked extensively about these guys before here on autoevolution, but here's a quick recap before getting to the heart of today's story.
The San Diego-based company was born in 2016 and it is presently hard at work creating not one, but an entire family of remotely piloted drones meant primarily for the transportation of cargo.
Unlike what others are doing, Natilus is not going for tube-and-wing designs, but opted for a blended-wing-body layout. What that means is a series of advantages over conventional flying machines, including more cargo volume (double compared to conventional aircraft of the same size), half the operating cost, but also a number of drawbacks, like awful evacuation times during an emergency – and that's probably why the main use of these things will be cargo shipping.
The drone family is called Kona (yes, just like the Hyundai) and it includes four different vehicles, capable of carrying between 43 and 143 metric tons of cargo to distances ranging from 1,035 miles (1,666 km) to 5,883 miles (9,468 km).
As announced about a year ago, the Kona family of drones will use ZA600 hydrogen-electric engines to get airborne – a kind of hardware made by another startup in this business, British-American ZeroAvia.
None of these aircraft are in operation yet, but companies are already throwing money at Natilus to reserve some for their own needs. Names like Volatus Aerospace, Astral Aviation, or Aurora International have already expressed interest in the 43-ton Kona.
Natilus never said how much such a drone would cost, but chances are it will not be cheap. And that's why the company went out if its way to find alternative ways for customers to pay for their Konas.
Enter Monte, a "zero-emissions regional turboprop aircraft lessor" that is in the business of providing leasing and financing options for people and companies in need of aerial transport. The fleet currently available includes aircraft made by Cessna, Beechcraft, Bombardier, and Saab.
No details were provided at the time of writing on the leasing and financial options for the drone, probably because Natilus is not entirely sure exactly when they'll become commercially available. Word has it that will happen in 2025, but it will probably still be some time because they enter actual service.
The San Diego-based company was born in 2016 and it is presently hard at work creating not one, but an entire family of remotely piloted drones meant primarily for the transportation of cargo.
Unlike what others are doing, Natilus is not going for tube-and-wing designs, but opted for a blended-wing-body layout. What that means is a series of advantages over conventional flying machines, including more cargo volume (double compared to conventional aircraft of the same size), half the operating cost, but also a number of drawbacks, like awful evacuation times during an emergency – and that's probably why the main use of these things will be cargo shipping.
The drone family is called Kona (yes, just like the Hyundai) and it includes four different vehicles, capable of carrying between 43 and 143 metric tons of cargo to distances ranging from 1,035 miles (1,666 km) to 5,883 miles (9,468 km).
As announced about a year ago, the Kona family of drones will use ZA600 hydrogen-electric engines to get airborne – a kind of hardware made by another startup in this business, British-American ZeroAvia.
None of these aircraft are in operation yet, but companies are already throwing money at Natilus to reserve some for their own needs. Names like Volatus Aerospace, Astral Aviation, or Aurora International have already expressed interest in the 43-ton Kona.
Natilus never said how much such a drone would cost, but chances are it will not be cheap. And that's why the company went out if its way to find alternative ways for customers to pay for their Konas.
Enter Monte, a "zero-emissions regional turboprop aircraft lessor" that is in the business of providing leasing and financing options for people and companies in need of aerial transport. The fleet currently available includes aircraft made by Cessna, Beechcraft, Bombardier, and Saab.
No details were provided at the time of writing on the leasing and financial options for the drone, probably because Natilus is not entirely sure exactly when they'll become commercially available. Word has it that will happen in 2025, but it will probably still be some time because they enter actual service.
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