Autonomous cargo aircraft developer Natilus says it has signed sales commitments for more than 440 aircraft that it says are potentially worth $6 billion from five prospective operators, including freight forwarding and logistics group Flexport, which has made a $900 million investment in the California-based start-up. In early February, San Francisco-based Flexport signed a letter of intent for a pair of Natilus’s N100T model aircraft, and other commitments have come from African cargo airline Astral Aviation, and drone operations companies Volatus Aerospace, Aurora International, and Dymond Group.
Natilus is working on a family of uncrewed freighters, including its flagship N130T model, which is expected to have a payload of 143 tonnes (314,600 pounds) and an intercontinental range of 5,112 nm. The three other designs are the N100T (110 tonnes/5,400 nm), the N60T (66 metric tonnes/4,142 nm), and the N3.8T (4.3 tonnes/900 nm).
The blended wing designs will be powered by either a pair of pusher turboprops (the N3.8T) or either two or three upper-wing-mounted ducted fans for the larger models. These engines will run on either Jet A or sustainable aviation fuel.
The San Diego, California-based company says the aircraft will use its own autopilot system. Flights will be monitored by remote pilots in a ground control station via satellite communications and cloud-based data transfers.
According to Natilus, it has completed initial wind tunnel tests to validate the configuration and has started working with unnamed Tier 1 suppliers on systems integration. It says that it has already started building a full-scale prototype of the N3.8T and aims to be ready to start flight testing by around August 2023. It expects to make its first deliveries in 2025 but has yet to state the basis for type certification.
Natilus claims that its aircraft will overcome the freight volume limitations of current crewed cargo airliners. For instance, it says that the N3.8T will deliver 60 percent more volume in its hold compared with a cargo workhorse like the Cessna Sky Courier.
The private company's co-founder and CEO is Aleksey Matyushev, who is a former lead aerodynamicist with Piper Aircraft for programs such as the Jet Altaire and M600, and also with military UAV developer Kratos Defense. Co-founder and chief engineer Anatoly Starikov is a structural and mechanical engineer with experience on aircraft such as the Boeing 747-8 and Bombardier's Global 7500 business jet.
According to Natilus, it has received unspecified investments from financial backers including Draper Associates, Mubadala, VU Ventures, Liquid2 VC, and Seraph Group. It said the current round of funding will be used to manufacture a full-scale prototype of the N3.8T freighter and start flight testing.
