Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle CV2 (prototype)

Cargo Air Vehicle CV2 (prototype)
The Boeing Company
Chicago, Illinois, USA
www.boeing.com

The Boeing Company was founded in 1916 in Seattle Washington, USA. Currently, Boeing's headquarters is located in Crystal City, Virginia, USA. Boeing is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites and missiles worldwide. The company began designing and making an air cargo heavy-lift electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for advanced air mobility (AAM). In a statement, Boeing said "The innovative platform is designed to test and evolve Boeing’s autonomy technology for future aerospace vehicles." (Image credit: Boeing)

The Cargo Air Vehicle team has made multiple prototypes from several small drones to making at least two large heavy-lift air cargo prototype drones. The Cargo Air Vehicle CV1 prototype and was built in three months. The first flight tests of the Boeing Air Cargo Vehicle prototypes began in 2017. The initial prototype flight testing was completed in 2018 which included taking off and landing in Boeing's Ridley Park wind tunnel (Pennsylvania, USA). Boeing debuted the first subscale model of the CAV multicopter at the 2018 Farnborough International Airshow (United Kingdom). The CAV2 completed over 150 flight tests in 2019 and depending on the weather, the aircraft flew up to seven times a day. "The technology opens up new possibilities for delivering time-sensitive and high-value goods, conducting autonomous missions in remote or dangerous environments, and other applications," the company has stated.

Cargo Air Vehicle CV2 heavy-lift air cargo eVTOL prototype multicopter aircraft
The Cargo Air Vehicle CV2 is an autonomous heavy-lift air cargo eVTOL prototype multicopter aircraft. The aircraft has been made with an open framed fuselage, painted black. Components and wires are fastened to the outside of the fuselage allowing easy installation and for any adjustments needed. The While the prototype aircraft has been specifically made for heavy-lift air cargo delivery and logistics, the aircraft is also a flying test bed aimed at achieving autonomous piloting, autonomous air cargo delivery and for other autonomous transportation applications. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aircraft N-Number for CV2 is N233XT and shows this is an experimental electric aircraft was manufactured in 2018.

Boeing has not revealed many specifications of the multicopter prototype such as cruise speed, cruise altitude, range or the flight time of the aircraft. The company did reveal that the empty weight of the prototype is 1,100 lb (499 kg), has a maximum payload weight of 500 lb (227 kg) and has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,600 lb (726 kg). The aircraft boasts six pairs of stacked counter-rotating propellers (12 propellers), 12 electric motors and battery packs made in-house by Boeing engineers.

The open framed airframe is rectangular in shape with two booms that extended on both sides of the fuselage at right angles, near both ends of the fuselage. There are four sets of propellers at the ends of each of these booms. Another set of stacked propellers are attached to both ends of the main fuselage. The arrangement of tilting propellers allow the prototype to fly in any direction for precise maneuvering. The main fuselage is 20 feet (6.1 meters) in length and each boom is 17.5 feet (5.33 m). The prototype has movable landing struts with shock absorbers converting kinetic energy into heat which is then dissipated when the aircraft lands to provide the aircraft and its cargo with soft landings.

For safety, the aircraft uses distributed electric propulsion (DEP) which means having multiple propellers and multiple electric motors on an aircraft so if one or more propellers or some electric motors fail, the other working propellers and electric motors can safely land the aircraft.
To ensure safe flight operations, the CAV always flies within a predesignated airspace and is equipped with automated safety features that can command it to land.

Boeing, Walt Disney World, Star Wars and the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
On Dec. 4, 2019, Walt Disney World held a dedication ceremony at the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge theme park in Orlando, Florida, USA. Disney World used two Boeing CV2 eVTOL aircraft as a flying platform to make two Star Wars X-Wing fighters fly in the air during the evening opening ceremony of the Star Wars theme park. The CV2 aircraft were piloted by Boeing pilots.

In time for Star Wars day on May 4, 2024, one of the Star Wars X-Wing fighters was unveiled at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center used during the dedication ceremony at Walt Disney World's Star Wars Galaxy's Edge theme park in 2019. The Star Wars X-Wing fighter and drone weight more than 1,000 lb (454 kg), accord a Smithsonian Magazine. The X-Wing fighter is about three-quarters of the one used in the fictional world of Star Wars. The X-Wing fighter will stay on the floor of the museum for several years and will eventually be suspended in the air like the other aircraft in the museum's collection.

Future
As of May 2024, there has been no announcement by Boeing of an anticipated year for the production and sales of this aircraft.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: eVTOL air cargo prototype drone
• Piloting: Autonomous piloting
• Capacity: Air cargo only
• Cruise speed: Unknown
• Empty weight: 1,100 lb (499 kg)
• Maximum payload weight: 500 lb (227 kg)
• Maximum takeoff weight: >1,600 lb (726 kg)
• Propellers: 12 propellers (stacked propellers)
• Electric motors: 12 electric motors
• Power source: In-house made battery packs
• Fuselage: Open framed fuselage
• Fuselage dimensions: 17.5 ft (5.33 m) wide, 20 ft (6.1 m) long
• Landing gear: 4 landing struts
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) means having multiple propellers (or electric ducted fans) and multiple electric motors on an aircraft so if one or more propellers (or electric ducted fans) or some electric motors fail, the other working propellers (or electric ducted fans) and electric motors can safely land the aircraft. DEP provides safety through redundancy for passengers or cargo. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft providing safety through redundancy. Having multiple redundant systems on any aircraft decreases having any single point of failure. To ensure safe flight operations, the CAV always flies within designated airspace and it is equipped with automated safety features that can command it to land.

Related Aircraft:

• Aurora Flight Sciences (Boeing) Pegasus PAV (prototype)
• Aurora Flight Sciences (Boeing) XV-24 LightningStrike (defunct)
• Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle CV1 (prototype)
• Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle IT1 (concept design)
• Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle IT2 (concept design)
• Porsche Boeing Unnamed J2 (concept design)
• Porsche Boeing Unnamed T2 (concept design)
• Porsche Boeing Unnamed III (concept design)

Company Insights:

• Crunchbase
• MarketWatch
• Pitchbook
• Tracxn

Resources:

• The Boeing Company website
• Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle web page
• Boeing Urban Air Mobility Concept Of Operations web page
• Boeing Future Of Flight website
• Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle Wikipedia
• The Boeing Company Facebook
• The Boeing Company X (formerly Twitter)
• The Boeing Company YouTube Channel
• The Boeing Company Instagram
• The Boeing Company LinkedIn
• Video: Boeing's New Autonomous Air Vehicle Prototype, Boeing, Jan. 10, 2018
• Article: Boeing Unveils New Unmanned Cargo Air Vehicle Prototype, Boeing, Jan. 10, 2018
• Article: Boeing unveils unmanned air cargo prototype designed to carry up to 500 pounds, GeekWire, Jan. 10, 2018
• Article: Boeing's Experimental Cargo Drone Is a Heavy Lifter, Wired, Jan. 14, 2018
• Article: Boeing reveals heavy lift drone development, The Manufacturer, Jan. 16, 2018
• Video: Bringing Flight Closer to Home: Boeing's Future of Travel and Transport, Boeing, July 17, 2018
• Article: Boeing Exploring Autonomy, LIDAR in Future Air Cargo Aircraft, Avionics International, July 24, 2018
• Article: Boeing Registers "CV2" eVTOL, Electric VTOL News, Sept. 3, 2018
• Article: Boeing unveils prototype unmanned cargo air vehicle, Air Cargo News, Nov. 1, 2018
• Article: Boeing CAV Flies Free, Electric VTOL News, June 30, 2019
• Article: Boeing Moves Forward With CAV, Electric VTOL News, Nov. 4, 2019
• Article: Boeing helps Disney put X-Wing fighters into the air for dedication of ‘Star Wars’ thrill ride in Florida, GeekWire, Dec. 9, 2019
• Video: Star Wars Rise of the Resistance - Dedication Moment, Theme Park Insider, Dec. 4, 2019
• Article: How Engineers Created a Flying ‘Star Wars’ X-Wing, Smithsonian Magazine, May 3, 2024
• Article: National Air and Space Museum Welcomes Star Wars X-wing Outfitted Boeing CV2 Cargo Air Vehicle, National Air & Space Museum, May 3, 2024
• Article: Star Wars–Themed Drone Developed by Boeing Gifted to Udvar-Hazy Center, Northern Virginia Magazine, May 3, 2024