A West Texas company says it's found a very simple way to cut air cargo costs by 65 percent - by having a plane tow an autonomous cargo glider behind it that's powerful enough to double or even triple the plane's payload capacity.
This is certainly not a new idea - in World War II, cargo gliders were towed towards combat zones, loaded with troops and/or equipment, and then released to attempt a landing without power - with, of course, endings that varied greatly, especially where there were stonewall farms.
Recently, the U.S. Air Mobility Command (USAir Mobility Command) tried to "surf" a C-17 Globemaster III from about 3 to 6,000 feet (900 to 1,800 meters) behind another aircraft, taking advantage of the vortex left by the lead aircraft's tail - like a duck flying in formation - and found that this can save double-digit percentages of fuel.
But Texas startup Aerolane says fuel savings will be even greater if a simple tow rope connects a purpose-built autonomous cargo glider to a pilot aircraft. Since there is no propulsion system, all weight of engines, electric motors, fuel or batteries is eliminated. There is no cockpit on the glider, just space for cargo and the autonomous flight control system to run them.
These "Aerocarts" will be pulled down the runway by the pilot aircraft like recreational gliders. They would more or less lift off with the lead aircraft and then hold on to the rope throughout the cruise phase of flight, autonomously surfing the lead aircraft's wake for minimal drag and optimal lift. They will either land right behind the lead aircraft, with the tether still attached, or they may eventually be released in an ideal spot so that they can descend on their own, possibly landing on a completely different airstrip than the lead aircraft.
According to Bloomberg, Aerolane believes the FAA's treatment of the latter is not much different from that of ordinary recreational gliders. As for what the FAA thinks about this, we'll have to wait and see.
However, as shown in the video above, the company is already flying two "autonomous towed cargo glider" prototypes and has been flying them since 2022. The first is a modified 1,000-pound Pipistrel Virus, and the second is a similarly modified Velocity SE canard pushrod aircraft. Both aircraft run Aerolane's own autopilot system, which is designed for efficient vortex surfing.
Both planes still have engines, but Aerolane is working with the FAA to get authorization to start using lightweight materials to build planes without power systems. At that time, it will consider building a 3-ton cargo glider, followed by a 10-ton version.
The company has raised about $11.5 million in seed funding to start work and has set a target date of "initial availability" of 2025. The company doesn't have any early customers yet, but once the custom prototype hits the benchmark, the idea of "air speed at ground cost" is likely to interest cargo carriers, even if these tow gliders take off or land anywhere and are jaw-dropping.