Freight transport in underdeveloped, damaged or infrastructure-constrained areas can be extremely difficult, risky, expensive and slow. Sometimes you need a simple device to deliver goods, water, tents, medicine or other supplies. Aergility Corporation is working on a standalone hybrid ATLIS UAV designed to deliver products over long distances to hard-to-reach or hazardous areas.

As a result of many years of development and testing, the ATLIS hybrid vertical take-off and landing UAV uses the company’s patented technology to transport cargo weighing up to 227 kg directly to the field over a distance of 483 to 965 km.

ATLIS uses six fixed-pitch electric propellers for takeoff and landing. Forward propulsion is provided by an efficient 90 kW multi-fuel turboprop engine that also charges the propellers’ batteries in flight.

In direct flight, lift is provided by a small cord blade and airflow through the propellers, as in autogyro. Controlled autorotation allows ATLIS to maintain lift and flight control by varying rotor speed while consuming zero battery power. The cruising speed of the drone is 160 km/h.

It carries cargo inside its 1,132-liter compartment, which can be opened at the rear of the aircraft to facilitate loading and unloading. ATLIS is designed for fast delivery of goods directly to the destination in areas with underdeveloped, limited or damaged infrastructure.