Grasshopper Air Mobility e350 (concept design)

(Image credit: Grasshopper Air Mobility)

e350 (concept design)
Grasshopper Air Mobility
Barcelona, Spain
www.grasshopperairmobility.com

Founded in 2023 in Barcelona, Spain by Jakob Saalfrank, Brian Ross and Miquel Haza, the company is in the business of designing and manufacturing autonomous and ecofriendly heavy-lift roadable electric and hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing cargo aircraft for aerial logistics. The company states their vehicle is completely automated for loading and unloading of cargo, ground travel and air travel.

The company is committed to making eco-friendly aircraft with the capability of its aircraft being powered by all batteries or with a hybrid-electric power source. The company has a membership of the Alliance for Zero-Emission Aviation (AZEA).

The e350 autonomous electric and hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing heavy-lift cargo roadable aircraft
The e350 is an autonomous electric and hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing heavy-lift cargo roadable and aircraft concept design. The e350 has been designed to be completely automated for same day deliveries including the loading and unloading of cargo, to flying to a safe landing area and then driving on roads to its final destination. The automation also includes recharging and swapping out its own batteries.

The aircraft can accept pallets, containers and boxes of cargo and can carry a maximum payload of 350 kg (770 lb). The maximum interior payload dimensions are 1.25 m L x 1.05 m W x 1.0 m H (48 in L x 40 in W x 39.3 in H). in terms of volume, the interior of the cargo hold is 1.87 cmb (66 cu ft).

While the estimated cruising speed and flight altitude have not been revealed to the public, the flight range using an all-electric power source is calculated to be 200 km (125 m). The flight range for the hybrid-electric version of the aircraft is anticipated to be 600 km (375 m). The driving range whether it has an all-electric or hybrid-electric power source is expected to be 10 km (6 m).

The aircraft has 18 electric ducted fans (EDF), using 18 electric motors mounted on two high tandem wings. The wingspan when unfolded is predicted to be 8.4 m (27.6 ft). For ground travel, the wings will be folded inward and are calculated to be 3 m (9.8 ft) wide. The fuselage and wings will be made from carbon fiber composite material for a high strength to low weight ratio. The cargo only vehicle has fixed hexacycle wheeled landing gear used for both road travel and for landing gear.

The safety features include distributed electric propulsion (DEP) using multiple electric ducted fans, each powered by electric motors, to enhance safety through redundancy. If one or more components fail, the remaining ones can still ensure a safe landing. 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.

The Grasshopper e350 is a fully automated Flying Cargo Van and has been designed specifically for Industry 4.0 applications. The company expects their cargo vehicle to double delivery speed compared to current delivery systems used today. The company states their aircraft will have a 99% punctuality rate, produce zero emissions and automates the entire logistics process. The vehicle is intended to be used by various industries and carrying a variety of payloads.

All specifications on this web page are estimated. The actual flight specifications will be know when a pre-production prototype is made and flight tested. The company has proposed 2028 as the year the vehicle will be certified to operate.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Heavy-lift cargo electric and hybrid-electric VTOL roadable aircraft
• Piloting: Autonomous
• Ground travel: Autonomous first and last mile driving
• Loading and unloading: Automated with logistics software integration
• Charging and battery swap: Automated
• Capacity: Air cargo, pallets or containers
• Cargo container volume: 1.87 cmb (66 cu ft)
• Maximum payload dimensions: 1.25 m L x 1.05 m W x 1.0 m H (48 in L x 40 in W x 39.3 in H)
• Cruise speed (flight): Unknown
• Driving speed (ground): Unknown
• Driving range (electric or hybrid-electric): 10 km (6 m)
• Flight range (electric): 200 km (125 m)
• Flight range (hybrid-electric): 600 km (375 m)
• Maximum payload weight: 350 kg (770 lb)
• Propellers: 18 electric ducted fans (EDF)
• Electric motors: 18 electric motors
• Power source: Batteries or hybrid-electric (will be able to use hydrogen)
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Wings: 2 high tandem wings
• Wingspan unfolded: 8.4 m (27.6 ft)
• Wingspan folded: 3 m (9.8 ft)
• Length: 4 m (13.1 ft)
• Height: 3 m (9.8 ft)
• Landing gear: Fixed hexacycle wheeled landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) uses multiple propellers or electric ducted fans, each powered by electric motors, to enhance safety through redundancy. If one or more components fail, the remaining ones can still ensure a safe landing. 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.

Company Insights:

• Airframer
• Crunchbase
• F6S

Resources:

• Grasshopper Air Mobility website
• Grasshopper Air Mobility Instagram
• Grasshopper Air Mobility LinkedIn
• Video: BNEW 2024 / Jakob Saalfrank / GRASSHOPPER AIR MOBILITY, BNEW - Barcelona New Economy Week, Oct. 9, 2024
• Article: INTERVIEW: Grasshopper Air Mobility on redefining automated drone logistics for efficient last-mile deliveries, eVTOL Insights, Oct. 10, 2024
• Article: Spanish startup Grasshopper reveals fly/drive cargo drone, Aerospace Testing International, Oct. 10, 2024
• Article: INTERVIEW: Grasshopper Air Mobility on redefining automated drone logistics for efficient last-mile deliveries, AVFoil News, Oct. 11, 2024