Courier firm to develop 'flying truck' with Bell Helicopter in Japan

According to The Asahi Shimbun, Yamato Holdings Co., a leading door-to-door courier firm, will team up with U.S.-based Bell Helicopter to develop an unmanned cargo aircraft, or "flying truck," to deliver clients' goods faster.
The envisaged drone will be able to travel in excess of 160 kph and transport freight weighing up to 453 kilograms, according to an announcement by the two companies on Oct. 12.
Called eVTOL (Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing), the aircraft will take off and land vertically.
The companies aim to put the aircraft into practical use by the mid-2020s. Test piloting of a drone about 1.5 meters long and able to carry 32-kg packages is scheduled to start by August 2019.
Drawing on their individual fields of expertise, Bell Helicopter will develop the drone’s body and Yamato Holdings the payload pod.
Yamato Holdings said the aircraft will allow it to speed up delivery of packages to corporate clients.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201810130020.html

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