Airvolve wants to build a ten times cheaper platform to operate than the current rotorcraft. The Airlift will carry up to 200 kg (441 pounds) of cargo, with five cubic meters of internal volume and a range of 100 km (62 miles).
It will support logistics, evacuation, and other tactical operations using existing military infrastructure, with no special charging systems or pilot training required.
A major innovation is in the aircraft’s rotor design. Instead of traditional vertical-axis rotors, the Airlift uses a pair of horizontal-axis rotors, which Gendvilas describes as “helicopter blades that fold like a big umbrella.”
This configuration, originally explored by Boeing in the 1930s, was abandoned due to material limitations. Airvolve believes modern composites now make this design viable.