Malloy Aeronautics T400 (production aircraft)

T400 (production aircraft)
Malloy Aeronautics Ltd
Berkshire, United Kingdom
www.malloyaeronautics.com

In 2012, Chris Malloy, engineer and helicopter pilot, founded Malloy Aeronautics and is based near London, England. The company is in the business of making electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) cargo autonomous aircraft for private, commercial, government and military use. All of Malloy Aeronautics aircraft are built to military standards allowing private, commercial, government and military clients have the same quality vehicle for their logistics needs. SURVICE Engineering is the reseller of their drones in the United States.

For some history, it was in 2006 that Chris Malloy designed and tested his aircraft, a hoverbike, called Hoverbike P1. The Hoverbike P1 had a motorcycle styled seating arrangement, handle bars, two propellers, was powered with an internal combustion engine and used mechanical gears to rotate the two propellers. The Hoverbike P1's designed was inspired by the Chinook helicopter. Malloy's next prototype was a one passenger eVTOL aircraft called the Hoverbike P2 with four propellers and was all electric. Both of these aircraft were prototypes and are no longer in use.

It has been said by the military that the most important part of military operations is logistics: The resupplying of food and water, parts, equipment, fuel, ammunition to soldiers and anything else they need. The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) compares eVTOL cargo drones to an "Amazon on the battlefield" and knows that transporting supplies during wartime is dangerous work and is working to reduce the risk of danger to logistics personnel and to reduce the amount of time transporting cargo to the battlefield. With an autonomous eVTOL cargo drone, the US Army foresees with a single request, that soldiers could have needed supplies flown in by air during the day or night, in all weather conditions and no logistics personnel would be harmed by enemy fire.

The US Army recognizes the limitations of current battery technology and knows in the future that batteries will hold more energy which will increase the payload weight, speed and range of eVTOL cargo drones. In addition, the US Army's long term goal is to develop wireless recharging so that eVTOL aircraft can be charged while flying to their destination.

T400 autonomous heavy-lift eVTOL air cargo drone production aircraft
The T400/TRV400 is an autonomous heavy-lift cargo drone production aircraft capable of delivering food, water, goods, medical supplies, clothing, parts, equipment, fuel, weapons, ammunition and almost anything that troops would need on the battlefield. TRV means Tactical Resupply Vehicle. The T400 has sense and avoid, and autoland systems. The aircraft has a cruise speed of 126 km/h (78 mph) has a maximum payload of 180 kg (397 lb). The range of the drone with a full payload is 19 km (12 miles). With no payload, the range of the drone is 70+ km (43+ miles).

The aircraft has four sets of stacked propellers, for a total of eight propellers, which are connected on 45 degree angle struts located on each corner of the aircraft. The aircraft has eight electric motors and uses batteries for its power source. To increase safety, the drone has been made with redundant avionics, drives and the battery system. The drone has removable batteries which are easily lifted out and replaced with charged batteries by maintenance crew so there is very little downtime between flights. The drone has fixed skid-type landing gear.

The company foresees their drones being used for logistical and resupply for private, commercial for rural and urban areas and for a variety of military applications. The drone can also be used to carry patients from a scene of an accident or disaster and to carry wounded solders from the battlefield to a military hospital. The drone will be found very useful as it has all-weather capability allowing normal air cargo and emergency deliveries to take place at any time for both non-military and military use.

Malloy Aeronautics is continuing to design and build eVTOL air cargo aircraft for private, commercial and military use.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Heavy-lift eVTOL air cargo drone production aircraft
• Piloting: Autonomous (Has sense and avoid, and autoland systems)
• Capacity: Cargo only
• Cruise speed: 126 km/h (78 mph)
• Maximum range no payload: 70+ km (43+ miles)
• Maximum range with maximum payload: 19 km (12 miles)
• Maximum payload: 180 kg (397 lb)
• Propellers: 8 propellers
• Electric Motors: 8 electric motors
• Power source: Removable batteries for quick turnarounds
• Landing gear: Fixed skid type landing gear
• Safety Features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers and motors on the aircraft so if one or more motors or propellers fail, the other working motors and propellers can safely land the aircraft. The aircraft has redundant avionics for safety and durability.

Related Aircraft:

• Malloy Aeronautics Hoverbike (defunct)
• Malloy Aeronautics T150 (production aircraft)
• Malloy Aeronautics T650 (concept design)

Company Insights:

• Crunchbase
• Tracxn

Resources:

• Malloy Aeronautics website
• Malloy Aeronautics Facebook
• Malloy Aeronautics Twitter
• Malloy Aeronautics YouTube Channel
• Malloy Aeronautics LinkedIn
• Survice Engineering website
• Chris Malloy Hoverbike Kickstarter web page
• Article: Malloy Aeronautics is developing its Hoverbike for the US Department of Defense, New Atlas, June 15, 2015
• Article: US Army develops new unmanned joint tactical aerial resupply vehicle, Army Technology, Sept. 13, 2016
• Article: The Army wants to use this giant drone to resupply soldiers, The Verge, Jan. 19, 2017
• PDF document: The Joint Tactical Aerial Resupply Vehicle Impact On Sustainment Operations, US Army, June 9, 2017
• Article: U.S. Military Exploring eVTOL Solution to Resupplying Troops, Aviation International News Online, Mar. 12, 2020
• Article: Defence Secretary Ben Wallace signals drones could replace troops as he warns that the UK must be ready to fight 'tomorrow's battles, not yesterday's' because Britain's enemies have 'studied our vulnerabilities', Daily Mail, Sept. 14, 2020
• Article: The Army looks at mass recharging for drone swarms, Army Times, Nov. 9, 2020
• Article: UK Seeks Autonomous Heavy Lift Drones for Naval Service, Maritime-Executive, Dec. 29, 2020
  Article: WAR BIRD Royal Marines show off ‘game-changer’ super drone that can carry ammo and airlift wounded troops, The U.S. Sun, Feb. 22, 2021
• Article: SURVICE-Malloy Team Awarded U.S. Navy UAS Production Contract, UAS Weekly, Apr. 25, 2023
• Article: Ukraine to Get a New Batch of Malloy Drones, And In This Case, The Size Matters, Defence Express, July 22, 2023