Bell, Hillwood
Hillwood and Bell Textron Inc. said Monday they demonstrated an unmanned aircraft package delivery at Hillwood’s AllianceTexas master-planned development via a Bell Autonomous Pod Transport, highlighting its future commercial capabilities.
The APT, the electric vertical takeoff and landing family of vehicles Bell is developing, can reach speeds of more than 100 miles per hour and carry at least 70 pounds, recently demonstrating payloads of over 100 pounds. Bell, which has teamed with Hillwood to develop next-generation flight technology and infrastructure, envisions applications ranging from military missions, to disaster relief, and commercial package delivery.
As COVID took its grip and exposed significant gaps in the global supply chain, Hillwood executives have touted autonomous freight as a way, for one, to ease disruptions from such a public health-related crisis in the future. COVID is accelerating the development of such technologies.
Monday, the Bell APT “flew across (Hillwood’s AllianceTexas) Mobility Innovation Zone, and delivered a package to a landing area,” Hillwood and Bell said in a release.
The flight launched from Alliance’s MIZ Flight Test Center, “flying in complex airspace and landing in Pecan Square, Hillwood Communities’ tech-forward, master-planned community in Northlake…The APT, which is designed to be capable of various missions from package delivery to critical medical transport and disaster relief, flew a preprogrammed four-mile route through the MIZ."
“The APT initiated a vertical takeoff, and then rotated to fly on its wing, becoming nearly silent to the ground below,” Hillwood and Bell said in the release.
“The APT reached a maximum altitude of 300 feet above ground level. Its route included flying near I-35W and miles of unpopulated fields as the aircraft transitioned in and out of Class D and Class G airspace, demonstrating the types of airspace the APT could encounter during a commercial flight and the unique diversity of airspace within the MIZ.”
Class D airspace extends as high as 2,500 feet above airport elevation, surrounding airports that have an operating control tower, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Class G airspace is uncontrolled airspace not part of any other FAA class of airspace; its dimensions can vary, based on the other airspace around it.
“This successful test of Bell’s APT at the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone highlights the potential for (unmanned aircfaft systems) to complete complex missions, moving the needle closer to connecting logistics operations directly to consumers,” Ross Perot, Jr., chairman of Hillwood, said in the release. “Together, we are carving a path forward for future commercial operations to solve the supply chain challenges our world currently faces.”
“Bell is proud to play a role in the first North Texas (unmanned aircraft) package delivery, and this demonstration showcases the future application of the APT 70 as a logistics carrier,” Mitch Snyder, president and CEO of Bell, said. “Testing at the MIZ showcases how Bell's autonomous vehicles could seamlessly integrate into logistics operations and unlock new opportunities for businesses.”
Hillwood and Bell said they will use data collected during the demonstration to “support future standards development and Federal Aviation Administration certification guidelines.”
Bell and Hillwood have joined up with the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition, a public-private partnership focused on advancing mobility innovation on the west side of North Texas.
“Our region is uniquely positioned to support companies engaged in the commercialization of new technologies in air mobility,” Jeff Williams, the Arlington mayor and chairman of the TRTC, said in the release.
“We’re proud to support Bell and Hillwood in launching North Texas’ first point-to-point package delivery at the MIZ and look forward to their continued leadership in making our region an epicenter for mobility innovation.”