CHICAGO, January 10, 2018. Boeing is developing a 500lbs–payload electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) drone for future cargo and logistics use.

The manufacturer said it would use the prototype as a flying test bed to produce the necessary building blocks of autonomous technology for future applications.

Powered by an electric propulsion system, the aircraft has eight counter-rotating blades and measures 15 feet long, 18 feet wide, four feet tall and weighs 747 pounds.

"This flying cargo air vehicle represents another major step in our Boeing eVTOL strategy," said Boeing CTO Greg Hyslop. "We have an opportunity to really change air travel and transport, and we'll look back on this day as a major step in that journey."

In less than three months a team of engineers and technicians designed and built the prototype that has completed initial flight tests at Boeing Research & Technology's Collaborative Autonomous Systems Laboratory in Missouri.

"Our new prototype builds on Boeing's existing unmanned systems capabilities and presents new possibilities for autonomous cargo delivery, logistics and other transportation applications," said Steve Nordlund, Boeing HorizonX vice president. "The safe integration of unmanned aerial systems is vital to unlocking their full potential. Boeing has an unmatched track record, regulatory know-how and systematic approach to deliver solutions that will shape the future of autonomous flight."