The funding will be used to build Skyways’ autonomy stack, finalise the V3 production design and ramp up for mass manufacturing, and target the deployment of V3 aircraft across defence and commercial applications.
Skyways aims to redefine cargo transport with a new class of unmanned aircraft.
By combining advanced autonomy with a design optimised for mass production, Skyways wants scalable logistics in areas where traditional aviation is too costly or risky, unlocking commercial and defence opportunities.
Charles Acknin, Co-Founder and CEO of Skyways said: “Our approach is different from most companies as we self-fund building and flying full-scale aircraft early during development so prospective customers can see real capability, not a slide deck. We’ve figured out a way to do it rapidly and at low cost. This approach is what helped secure this USAF contract and now best positions us to scale production.”
Skyways’ goal is to build the world’s largest fleet of autonomous logistics aircraft within the next five years.
The Skyways V2 has a payload of 30lb and a maximum range of 500 miles.
The V3 builds on the V2 with a payload of 100lb, a maximum range of 1,000 miles and over 20 hours of flight time.
Both aircraft take off like a helicopter and fly like an aircraft, and are powered with a double-hybrid configuration using electric and fuel power.