TEXAN entrepreneurs are resurrecting a World War II idea to revolutionize air freight by re-introducing cargo-carrying gliders tied to a tow-plane, reports San Francisco's Interesting Engineering.
With cargo prices soaring, cost-cutting innovations are a welcome development and west Texan Aerolane believes it's got what's wanted, an idea to reduce costs by up to 65 per cent.
Drawing inspiration from payload-carrying gliders which ferried soldiers and their gear during World War II, Aerolane devised a system comprising a lead plane towing an autonomous cargo glider.
But does this idea have a place in this day and age? Aerolane certainly thinks so. And so did the US Air Mobility Command when it ran experiments into saving fuel in 2013.
Aerolane envisions a future where its purpose-built cargo gliders, dubbed 'Aerocarts,' make significant inroads into the US$135 billion air freight industry.
'We're just dusting off some of the most proven concepts in aviation history and modernizing them with today's technology,' Aerolane's co-founder Todd Graetz told Bloomberg.
'It's far less radical than anyone thinks.' Mr Graetz previously ran a drone programme for the US' largest freight railway, BNSF Railway Co.
Another of Aerolane's co-founders, Gur Kimchi, previously co-founded Amazon's Prime Air delivery-by-drone project. Mr Kimchi was also a founding member of the Federal Aviation Administration Drone Advisory Committee.
Unlike traditional aircraft, Aerocarts do not have an engine. Instead, they are towed towards their destination by a lead plane using a simple tow rope.
The company says that eliminating propulsion systems helped reduce weight typically taken up by the engine, motors, and fuel. Instead, Aerolane equipped the gliders with advanced flight control systems. During the flight, they autonomously surf under the vortex of the lead plane. They do not have drag and are optimized for maximum efficiency.
Aerolane has already created prototypes. Some of them have been tested since 2022 to demonstrate the feasibility of this concept, and it was a success. The company has successfully converted aircraft like the Pipistrel Virus and the Velocity SE canard pusher into automated tow cargo gliders.
While their current prototypes feature engines, Aerolane is working with regulatory authorities, including the F, to obtain approval for constructing gliders without powertrains.
According to Bloomberg, on winning initial approval from the F, the company would design and manufacture a glider capable of hauling three tons of cargo. This would later be followed up by a 10-ton-capacity glider.
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With cargo prices soaring, cost-cutting innovations are a welcome development and west Texan Aerolane believes it's got what's wanted, an idea to reduce costs by up to 65 per cent.
Drawing inspiration from payload-carrying gliders which ferried soldiers and their gear during World War II, Aerolane devised a system comprising a lead plane towing an autonomous cargo glider.
But does this idea have a place in this day and age? Aerolane certainly thinks so. And so did the US Air Mobility Command when it ran experiments into saving fuel in 2013.
Aerolane envisions a future where its purpose-built cargo gliders, dubbed 'Aerocarts,' make significant inroads into the US$135 billion air freight industry.
'We're just dusting off some of the most proven concepts in aviation history and modernizing them with today's technology,' Aerolane's co-founder Todd Graetz told Bloomberg.
'It's far less radical than anyone thinks.' Mr Graetz previously ran a drone programme for the US' largest freight railway, BNSF Railway Co.
Another of Aerolane's co-founders, Gur Kimchi, previously co-founded Amazon's Prime Air delivery-by-drone project. Mr Kimchi was also a founding member of the Federal Aviation Administration Drone Advisory Committee.
Unlike traditional aircraft, Aerocarts do not have an engine. Instead, they are towed towards their destination by a lead plane using a simple tow rope.
The company says that eliminating propulsion systems helped reduce weight typically taken up by the engine, motors, and fuel. Instead, Aerolane equipped the gliders with advanced flight control systems. During the flight, they autonomously surf under the vortex of the lead plane. They do not have drag and are optimized for maximum efficiency.
Aerolane has already created prototypes. Some of them have been tested since 2022 to demonstrate the feasibility of this concept, and it was a success. The company has successfully converted aircraft like the Pipistrel Virus and the Velocity SE canard pusher into automated tow cargo gliders.
While their current prototypes feature engines, Aerolane is working with regulatory authorities, including the F, to obtain approval for constructing gliders without powertrains.
According to Bloomberg, on winning initial approval from the F, the company would design and manufacture a glider capable of hauling three tons of cargo. This would later be followed up by a 10-ton-capacity glider.
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