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US Air Force awards Natilus $3.5 million for KONA cargo aircraft
The US Air Force has awarded Natilus $3.5 million in research and demonstration funding to advance its KONA regional cargo aircraft toward flight testing and a military logistics demonstration.
The funding was provided through Operational Energy – Innovation and the Department of the Air Force, under the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations and Environment. It is intended to support development of KONA, a 3.8-tonne, optionally piloted aircraft for regional cargo distribution and logistics in contested environments.
Natilus says KONA is designed to bridge the gap between light utility aircraft such as the Cessna C-208 and larger tactical airlifters including the C-130. It has a stated payload of 3.8 tonnes and range of 800 nautical miles, with short-runway and limited-infrastructure operations in mind; its blended-wing-body design targets about 30% lower fuel consumption than comparable conventional aircraft.
The company is pursuing FAA Part 23 certification and full-scale flight testing. Its commercial programme is backed by private and strategic investment and customer commitments, while the government funding will support the military demonstration. Natilus reports more than 570 aircraft pre-orders valued at approximately $24 billion across its programme.
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