The drone has a full carbon composite airframe and a turbine-based hybrid-electric powertrain for long-range missions.
It is designed to fit into a 40-foot shipping container or C-130 cargo aircraft so it can be quickly shipped or deployed around the world.
More than 500 units have been ordered from commercial, defence and humanitarian customers including Mesa Airlines ordering 150 for the express parcel and healthcare sectors.
AYR Logistics, which provides logistics support to the humanitarian community, has ordered 100 units.
David Merrill, Co-founder and CEO of Elroy Air says: “The Chaparral is an important part of the future of express logistics. It is built for full end-to-end automation, and it will safely and efficiently make express shipping possible in thousands of new places. It's a delivery drone that's faster than ground transport and lower cost than today's traditional aircraft.”
Elroy Air has also developed lightweight modular cargo pods that can be pre-loaded by ground personnel and picked up by the aircraft before take-off.
At the delivery location, the cargo pod is lowered to the ground and released after the system has landed.