Bell’s Autonomous Pod Transport Reaches New Milestone: Carries 110 lbs. of Payload.
Dubai, UAE (January 20, 2021) – Bell’s Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) has flown with 110Ibs (50 KG) of payload over an eight-mile (12.9 KM) route at Bell’s testing site near Fort Worth, Texas. To date, the APT flight test program has completed over 300 flights and has been envisaged to provide efficient, rapid, and dependable transport for payloads up to 70lbs.
The vehicle is capable of autonomous flight, automatically flying a programmed flight route, and handling various contingency functions, including medical deliveries, third-party logistics, offshore delivery, humanitarian relief, and many more.
Commenting on the milestone, John Wittmaak, Program Manager, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Bell Flight, said, “The APT flight test team continues to push the capabilities of our aircraft, and we are excited to hit this milestone. As we adapt to customer needs, in the past year, we have continued to push the aircraft’s boundaries, increasing the payload capability from 70 Ibs to 110 Ibs.”
He added, “APT serves as another example of Bell’s continued innovative drive that has motivated our talented team since the days of breaking the sound barrier and supporting NASA’s lunar missions. Now we are incredibly excited to demonstrate APT and see how many possibilities lay in store.”
Developed by innovative teams, APT delivers mobility without the usual cost, footprint, or specialized training required to operate conventional aircraft. In 2021 APT is expected to demonstrate even more military and commercial operations while simplifying user interfaces and enhancing its autonomous features.
To learn more about Bell APT, please visit the Bell website: https://www.bellflight.com/
