Coinciding with Star Wars Day, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum announced that a new artifact — a new themed Boeing CV2 Cargo Air Vehicle — will go on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly in May.
The museum said the CAV, with a wingspan of 20.2 feet and 128-kilowatt direct-drive electrical motors, is the first remotely piloted large electrical vertical takeoff and landing aircraft flown to support a U.S. commercial operation. Boeing partnered with Disney to mount X-wing body shells onto two of the drones for the Walt Disney World opening of the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction.
The themed cargo air vehicle is a gift from Boeing and Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development to the National Air and Space Museum.
“While lightweight delivery drones are being tested at a number of locations around the nation, the development of heavier vertical takeoff and landing cargo drones for military and commercial use is one of the most promising areas of autonomous aircraft development,” said Roger Connor, vertical flight curator at the museum, in a news release.
“The Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle was the first of these allowed to perform a commercial flight in the United States — in this instance, carrying a Star Wars X-wing shell that was used at Walt Disney World,” Connor said.
Boeing started developing the uncrewed vehicles that can carry 500 pounds of cargo in 2017. They were testbeds for the company to understand more about advances in batteries, electric propulsion, and autonomous flight.
It partnered with Disney, and two years later, two X-wing–outfitted CAVs flew over the Orlando theme park. As ultraviolet spotlights lit up the drones, the only thing the crowd could see was the X-wing frame.
“As Disney Imagineers, we leverage new and emerging technology in service of the story-driven experiences we create,” said Scott Trowbridge, senior creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering. “Our work to bring a ‘real’ X-wing to the skies above Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for the opening of a new attraction was not only spectacular, but a moment representative of the immersive Star Wars experience coming to life.”
Feature image courtesy Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
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