Under the terms of the agreement, LCI will initially acquire 20 aircraft with an option for up to 40 units, which are being developed at Elroy Air’s facility in San Francisco.
The Chaparral is designed to transport up to 225 kg of goods over a range of 300 nautical miles.
It is powered by a turbine-based hybrid-electric powertrain with distributed electrical propulsion and specially designed aerodynamic modular cargo pods.
Elroy Air says the Chaparral’s applications include transporting cargo for commercial logistics, disaster relief, firefighting and humanitarian operations without risk to pilots or the need for airport infrastructure.
Jaspal Jandu, CEO of LCI, says, “This commitment for the pioneering Chaparral system will enable us to efficiently support mission critical, remote logistical work and socially responsible humanitarian efforts around the world. It will do so in complement with the wide-ranging capabilities of our existing aviation fleet.”
David Merrill, CEO and Co-Founder of Elroy Air, adds, “Through our agreement with LCI, the Chaparral will be available for financing - enabling much broader access to the aircraft. We are proud that the Chaparral will now be part of LCI's aviation fleet and look forward to providing aerial cargo transport globally.”